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THS level on Armour Thyroid
I have been on Armour Thyroid 3 gr for 50 years. I had to change doctors, and my new doctor wants to change my dosage to 2 grains because my TSH is .01. Is it true that natural thyroid can cause a low TSH level. This doctor only tests TSH. I insisted she do T3 and T4. T3-157 (76-81) and T4-6.2 (4.5-12.01). I have done so well on 3 grains all this time, I do not want to change dosage.
That is good to know. My pharmacist can refer me, but she said it will take about 2 months to get in. She says he is good. So I will do that.
It is good to know all of you are out there. I will keep in touch.
Thanks!
It is good to know all of you are out there. I will keep in touch.
Thanks!
Yes, I have. He is on my list of doctors recommended by fellow members. Please let us know how you are doing as you proceed.
I live in Iowa, near the Davenport, Quad city area. My pharmacist of many years has recommended a Dr.Golden. He is in Rock Island or Moline IL. Has any one heard of him.
Just in case you need to look for a new thyroid doctor, if you will give us your location, perhaps a member can recommend one in your area, based on personal experience.
Thank you for the information and the time you spent helping me. My doctor of 25 years is now 8 hours away. He chose to leave my meds alone, it worked for me. Maybe I need to make the trip. This new doctor doesn't want to listen to her patient. I know me best!
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
Also it is common knowledge to most here but apparently not in the medical industry that when a person is taking a medication that includes T3 which Armour does!
The T3 almost always or at least in most people supresses TSH. It can happen when taking any thryoid medication in sufficient dosage. But it is especially common when taking T3 medication.
TSH is a joke of a test and should be banned in my opinion. Taking a persons body temperature is a better indication of thyroid condition than TSH is.
The T3 almost always or at least in most people supresses TSH. It can happen when taking any thryoid medication in sufficient dosage. But it is especially common when taking T3 medication.
TSH is a joke of a test and should be banned in my opinion. Taking a persons body temperature is a better indication of thyroid condition than TSH is.
I have done extensive searching for scientific data, trying to prove/disprove that TSH correlates with the actual thyroid hormones. This graph shows the very best correlation I found; however, examination will show that TSH correlates very poorly with Free T4, and even worse with Free T3. For example, if you just assume a patient had a TSH of 1, based on the graph, what would you estimate the Free T4 level to be? As you can see, the estimates would range from about .6 to 1.7, which essentially is the entire reference range for Free T4. And as seen, the correlation of TSH to Free T3 is worse. So, how is it that TSH is supposed to be the "most sensitive test" for thyroid status? No logic to that.
http://www.clinchem.org/content/55/7/1380/F2.expansion.html
This is a study that concluded that "When TSH was suppressed, FT4 was elevated in 30.4% but normal in 69.6% of patients."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1366242
Sometimes doctors will say that suppressed TSH causes loss of bone. Here is a study that dispels that. Note, "This study suggests that at slightly suppressing TSH doses, LT4 therapy has no adverse effects on BMD in both pre- and postmenopausal women, ....."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16269872
In the following study, the researchers set out to measure bone mineral densities in two groups of post-menopausal women receiving thyroxine replacement therapy (those with serum TSH levels persistently suppressed or non-suppressed) and to compare the results in both groups with those of the local control population. Note the conclusion that, "In this patient population, the reduction in bone mineral density due to thyroxine is small. It is unlikely to be of clinical significance and should not on its own be an indication for reduction of thyroxine dose in patients who are clinically euthyroid."
"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8252740
In the following study, it was concluded that Free T3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH did not correlate at all.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/cjne/2000/00000010/00000002/art00002
Last, for now, I wanted to give you this definition. A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. You can get some good insight into clinical treatment from this letter written by a good thyroid doctor for patients that he sometimes consults with after initial tests and evaluation. The letter is then sent to the participating doctor of the patient to help guide treatment. In the letter, please note the statement, "the ultimate criterion for dose adjustment must always be the clinical response of the patient."
http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf
http://www.clinchem.org/content/55/7/1380/F2.expansion.html
This is a study that concluded that "When TSH was suppressed, FT4 was elevated in 30.4% but normal in 69.6% of patients."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1366242
Sometimes doctors will say that suppressed TSH causes loss of bone. Here is a study that dispels that. Note, "This study suggests that at slightly suppressing TSH doses, LT4 therapy has no adverse effects on BMD in both pre- and postmenopausal women, ....."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16269872
In the following study, the researchers set out to measure bone mineral densities in two groups of post-menopausal women receiving thyroxine replacement therapy (those with serum TSH levels persistently suppressed or non-suppressed) and to compare the results in both groups with those of the local control population. Note the conclusion that, "In this patient population, the reduction in bone mineral density due to thyroxine is small. It is unlikely to be of clinical significance and should not on its own be an indication for reduction of thyroxine dose in patients who are clinically euthyroid."
"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8252740
In the following study, it was concluded that Free T3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH did not correlate at all.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/cjne/2000/00000010/00000002/art00002
Last, for now, I wanted to give you this definition. A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. You can get some good insight into clinical treatment from this letter written by a good thyroid doctor for patients that he sometimes consults with after initial tests and evaluation. The letter is then sent to the participating doctor of the patient to help guide treatment. In the letter, please note the statement, "the ultimate criterion for dose adjustment must always be the clinical response of the patient."
http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf
NO!! As you say, you've done very well on 3 grains. I would not change a thing! This Dr. is an idiot.
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Since you were doing well on the 3 grains of Armour Thyroid, I suggest that you should continue to resist reducing the dosage. I also suggest that you should request to be tested for Free T3 and Free T4, not Total T3 and Total T4. Most of T3 and T4 is bound to protein molecules and thereby inactive. Only the unbound (free ) portions are biologically active. Of those Free T3 largely regulates metabolism and many other body functions. Scientific studies have shown that Free T3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH did not correlate at all.
Hypothyroid patients should always know their Free T3 and Free T4 levels. If the doctor resists doing the Free T3 and Free T4 tests, then you should insist on them and don't take no for an answer. If you need links to scientific studies that will confirm for you doctor everything I have stated above, I'll be glad to provide.