converting to armour from thyroxin

[libbyrascal]

Hi i am on 150-175 levothyroxin and havn't been fully right now for four months since having my baby. dry skin itchy scalp and carpel tunnell seem to be my lingering symptoms, so i have just ordered Armour 30 mg and would like to slowly change from 150 levothy to armour. I am doing this on my own rather than through the doctor and i am a little scared as i feel the levothyroxin is working but with the above side effects, i want to approach my docter after my next couple of blood tests if thing go well then i will try and get her to do a perscription for armour.
So is any body on levo and armour combined or has anyone converted? that can help me. Do i cut down levothy by 50mcg and take 30mg for a couple of weeks?
any advice would be great thanks

[gimel]

Or how about Edwinstowe, Mansfield?

[gimel]

Is Birmingham too far away for you?

[libbyrascal]

Really appreciate your good advice I requested a t3 not ft3 through doc  and the lab refused . I asked doc to run more test and listed symptoms my results were fine and she said my t4 and t sh were nearly normal again ( however I know that's not a true reading , doc said it will just take a little time after giving birth as my medication was brought down too quick I feel I can only do this myself cause a I am getting nowhere with doc,s I live in the lancashire area uk. And armour I have sent for is recommended on another very well known site it is not from uk. If you know of any doc in this area then I would be grateful I may give mine one last go I am due for tests soon so might try and request ft3 ft4 and tag and ask them for switch to armor . Thanks again for your reply

[gimel]

Are you sure the med you ordered is Armour?  If so, how is that possible, since it is a prescription med?  I think we need to understand more about that.

The dose of 150 Levo is equivalent to approx. 2 grains of Armour, but making the transition is tricky because the T3 in Armour reacts quicker than T4 in Levo.  So changing has to be done carefully to avoid a reaction.  I would suggest that you really should not do this without involving your doctor.  Also, trying to get a prescription for Armour after the fact is a sure way to destroy your relationship with the doctor.  

Also, you really should be tested for the biologically active thyroid hormones first (Free T3 and Free T4, not Total T3 and Total T4), along with TSH.  Then you will know your baseline results before making the change.  If you have thyroid test results for FT3 and FT4, please post results and reference ranges.  

If you doctor is one that is unwilling to treat you clinically by testing and adjusting FT3 and FT4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, then you are going to have to find a good thyroid doctor that will do so.  Symptom relief should be all important, not just test results.  If you think that your doctor is not going to be wiling to treat you clinically as I describe, then if you will tell us where you are located, perhaps members can provide a recommendation for a good thyroid doctor.