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armour thyroid
I have been taking Armour thyroid with satisfactory results. Unfortunately, I can't find a pharmacy that has it in stock. My M.D. has suggested that I begin taking Synthroid and I am scared that my symptoms may return. I am taking 90mg of Armour and my prescription is for 150mcg of Synthroid. If I have no choice and must change, how do you suggest I make the change.
find a doctor that will prescribe armour instead.
1 Comments
This is a very old thread and the previous posters are no longer active on the forum.
The original poster was referring to Armour and the above crisis has been resolved.
The original poster was referring to Armour and the above crisis has been resolved.
I am not addvertising for this outfit nor do I know anything about them but did receive in the mail an add for armour thyroid. They are in Canada. Please send me a message for more information. Good luck
RLC labs is getting Naturethroid back on the pharmacy shelves this month in 1 grain tablets. Other grains will follow in the next few months. I haven't followed Forest Pharmacuticals Armour lately - because of their reformulazation of the med. Due to filler changes in the medication becoming more absorbable in the GI track, many hypothyroid patients found the additional cellulose added made their hypothyroidism symptoms return within days. I was one of those who had issues with the new formula and crashed really hard not knowing why. After I researched and spoke to reps at Forest Pharm about the change in the medication and no announcement of them doing it prior to the change. I chose to stay away from it and find a different medication I could trust. Naturethroid from RLC has been around for decades too - but it is rarely known. I found it to be a really good thyroid medication after I switched. - really... better than Armour was after I tried it and made some adjustments in dosages.
Your doctor may be in one of those unknown situations and this is where its important for you to learn on how you can remain on this type of medication if you do not want to switch.
Tamra gave you some examples of options available as an Rx you can talk to your doctor about to see if these will work for you too. RLC has a hotline you can call to get information and you can read more on their website. Print some of the information to take to your doctor so they are made aware of these options. There are many compound pharmacies here in the US and actually have been around for decades too. This was the way medications were made prior to mass production of pills with Big Pharma - so your doctor will know about these pharmacies and the regulations of producing compound medication.
During the shortage and I myself - was not able to get my desiccated thyroid med, I researched Canadian's ERFA thyroid and decided to try that. A script from your doctor is also needed for this ( written slightly different than US scripts) but I have been very happy with that. It is - just like the Old Armour I started on about 3 years ago and I probably will stick to getting my desiccated with ERFA and not switch back to Naturethroid.
If all else fails and you and your doctor decide that Synthroid is the way he wants to go. Then suggest following the ratios of T3 and T4 you are use to with Armour. to start. The .150mcg is about equal to the grain dosage of Armour you are on but it is lacking the T3 - Armour has. We have a ratio scale here in our Health Pages on the Armour ratios - vs- synthetics you can read.
Usually someone that takes a desiccated thyroid at 90 mg and is about to change to syntheic will look at a dosage of T4 Synthroid at .112mcg and then add Cytomel T3 with the Synthroid at about 10mcg. That is pretty close to the ratios you are use to with Armour. Switching to synthetic may require adjustments - so running the Ft3 and Ft4 w/TSH labs after the switch in about 4 to 6 weeks would be helpful for you and your doctor to know if an adjustment will be needed.
Again - talk that over with your doctor and read the Health Pages and other research out there.
You do have alternatives to stay close to what makes you feel your best.
Your doctor may be in one of those unknown situations and this is where its important for you to learn on how you can remain on this type of medication if you do not want to switch.
Tamra gave you some examples of options available as an Rx you can talk to your doctor about to see if these will work for you too. RLC has a hotline you can call to get information and you can read more on their website. Print some of the information to take to your doctor so they are made aware of these options. There are many compound pharmacies here in the US and actually have been around for decades too. This was the way medications were made prior to mass production of pills with Big Pharma - so your doctor will know about these pharmacies and the regulations of producing compound medication.
During the shortage and I myself - was not able to get my desiccated thyroid med, I researched Canadian's ERFA thyroid and decided to try that. A script from your doctor is also needed for this ( written slightly different than US scripts) but I have been very happy with that. It is - just like the Old Armour I started on about 3 years ago and I probably will stick to getting my desiccated with ERFA and not switch back to Naturethroid.
If all else fails and you and your doctor decide that Synthroid is the way he wants to go. Then suggest following the ratios of T3 and T4 you are use to with Armour. to start. The .150mcg is about equal to the grain dosage of Armour you are on but it is lacking the T3 - Armour has. We have a ratio scale here in our Health Pages on the Armour ratios - vs- synthetics you can read.
Usually someone that takes a desiccated thyroid at 90 mg and is about to change to syntheic will look at a dosage of T4 Synthroid at .112mcg and then add Cytomel T3 with the Synthroid at about 10mcg. That is pretty close to the ratios you are use to with Armour. Switching to synthetic may require adjustments - so running the Ft3 and Ft4 w/TSH labs after the switch in about 4 to 6 weeks would be helpful for you and your doctor to know if an adjustment will be needed.
Again - talk that over with your doctor and read the Health Pages and other research out there.
You do have alternatives to stay close to what makes you feel your best.
Have you tried Nature-Throid or compounding pharmacies? It might be easier to switch from one dessicated brand to another.
Synthroid will not be the same because it is a T4 only drug. Armour has T3 and T4. If you can't find any dessicated drugs, then your MD should have suggested a combo Synthroid/Cytomel.
:) Tamra
Synthroid will not be the same because it is a T4 only drug. Armour has T3 and T4. If you can't find any dessicated drugs, then your MD should have suggested a combo Synthroid/Cytomel.
:) Tamra
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