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Those of us on Armour and working on dosages and increases
I thought it would be nice to have a thread of all of us on Armour that have recently started or have been on for a while. We can talk about our increases and symptoms.....how we are doing. Easy way to keep in contact with each other and support each other as we sssslllllooooowwwwwlllly and patiently find our optimum dosage! I think from what I have read and what Stella has said, that patience is the key with Armour. It is not an overnight fix at finding proper dosages. Many of these conversion charts are incorrect and our doctors are not educated at how to prescribe and treat with it. So, we have to educated ourselves and gently educated our doctors on how to medicate us. LOL Sometimes easier said than done when they are use to the synthroid dosages and treatment.
And once again......SSSTTTTEEEELLLLAAAA.......we need you and thank you for you advice and help!!!! :)
And once again......SSSTTTTEEEELLLLAAAA.......we need you and thank you for you advice and help!!!! :)
Hi Stella
If you do have adrenal issues, what is your recommendation for increase with Armour? I'm on 50mcg of Oroxine and quarter grain of Armour. Do I increase every 4-6 weeks? I'm also adding isocort but not sure if it works.I'm 57 and need thyroid.
If you do have adrenal issues, what is your recommendation for increase with Armour? I'm on 50mcg of Oroxine and quarter grain of Armour. Do I increase every 4-6 weeks? I'm also adding isocort but not sure if it works.I'm 57 and need thyroid.
I took 200 mcg of Synthroid for well over 25 years. All that time I continued to have lingering hypo symptoms, even though my TSH was about .05 and various doctors tried to tell me I was hyper and should reduce my meds. After learning about the importance of Free T3 here on the Forum, I got mine tested and confirmed as low in the range. Convinced my doctor to switch me to Armour Thyroid. Now my FT3 is 3.9 (range of 2.3 - 4.2) and Free T4 is .84 (range of .60 - 1.50), and I feel best ever.
When you switched from 200 mcg of Synthroid to 120 mg of Armour, that was not the equivalent amount. The conversion factor is that 75 mcg of T4 is about the same as 60 mg of NDT. The correct amount would be 160 mg of Armour. So I suspect that hypo symptoms, which can include swelling of hands and feet, is likely due to inadequate levels of Free T3 and Free T4. Many of our members, myself included, report that symptom relief for them required that free T3 was adjusted into the upper third of its range and Free T4 adjusted to around the middle of its range.
Have you even been tested for Free T3 and free T4 (not the same as Total T3 and Total T4)? If so, please post your test results and their reference ranges shown on the lab report. If not, then you should request those tests and if the doctor resists, then you should insist on it and don't take no for an answer. Free T3 is the most important because it 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.
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. Symptom relief should be all important, not just test results. 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 from a distance. The letter is sent to the PCP of the patient to help guide treatment.
http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf
When you switched from 200 mcg of Synthroid to 120 mg of Armour, that was not the equivalent amount. The conversion factor is that 75 mcg of T4 is about the same as 60 mg of NDT. The correct amount would be 160 mg of Armour. So I suspect that hypo symptoms, which can include swelling of hands and feet, is likely due to inadequate levels of Free T3 and Free T4. Many of our members, myself included, report that symptom relief for them required that free T3 was adjusted into the upper third of its range and Free T4 adjusted to around the middle of its range.
Have you even been tested for Free T3 and free T4 (not the same as Total T3 and Total T4)? If so, please post your test results and their reference ranges shown on the lab report. If not, then you should request those tests and if the doctor resists, then you should insist on it and don't take no for an answer. Free T3 is the most important because it 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.
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. Symptom relief should be all important, not just test results. 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 from a distance. The letter is sent to the PCP of the patient to help guide treatment.
http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf
Has anyone taking armour experienced swelling of the hands, feet, or ankles? I took Synthroid for 12 years and recently my dr changed me to armour. I was hoping it would be my " miracle" but after three weeks of taking it I'm not do sure. I know I have to give it time. I switched from 200 mg of Synthroid to 120 mg of armour. I woul greatly appreciate any words of wisdom.
It seems many are having trouble in the beginning with compound Armour as they did with the new formula....
I didn't give it time to adjust.. My gut just told me it wasn't what I needed after only 2 days of trying it..
maybe I didnt give it enough time.. but thankfully I did extremely well with RLC Naturethroid and now canadian ERFA desiccated thyroid. I am taking ERFA now and loving it.
Fibro is the oneset of low thyroid... Its not a condition - its a symptom of something hormonally going on... The peri is the same.. off kilter hormones... Catching what is happening truly and tweeking the hormones most of the time - removes all these symptoms.
I didn't give it time to adjust.. My gut just told me it wasn't what I needed after only 2 days of trying it..
maybe I didnt give it enough time.. but thankfully I did extremely well with RLC Naturethroid and now canadian ERFA desiccated thyroid. I am taking ERFA now and loving it.
Fibro is the oneset of low thyroid... Its not a condition - its a symptom of something hormonally going on... The peri is the same.. off kilter hormones... Catching what is happening truly and tweeking the hormones most of the time - removes all these symptoms.
I just started Armour in the compounded capsule version 6 days ago, as it is unavailable otherwise. Had a lot of fluxuation at first and still do, but seem to be leveling out a bit now - is this common? I have never taken any thyroid meds before, and my numbers are "low normal" but i have Fibromyalgia and issues with blood sugar and am now in Perimenopause. Any advice for the beginner? Feels a bit like a roller coaster ride!
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