Changing from Levo to Armour

[lucylocks]

Hi

My daughter is taking 175mcg levo but is thinking of self medicating with Armour, can anyone please tell me how she goes about doing it.

any advise greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

[lucylocks]

Hi

Many thanks for your reply, sorry to sound thick but does that mean take 3.5 grains. Does she start off on than that dose?

[lucylocks]

Hi

Just reread your reply and I have realised what you mean, reduce the levo by 50mcg and replace with 1 grain of armour for 3 weeks, then a further 50mcg reduction and add a further grain of armour.

until all levo is stopped and on armour only

[lucylocks]

Hi

Many thanks again, sorry for another question but when she goes up to 1.5 or 2 grains of armour can this be taken at once or does this need to be divided throughout the day?

thankyou

[shaws Administrator]

You can take the dose all at once if you prefer. This is a conversion chart.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/m...

[lucylocks in reply to shaws]

Many thanks shaws

[Glynisrose]

Start slowly, leave off the levo for at least 3 days then begin with 25mcg of Armour and build up by taking 25mcg more after the first fortnight and so on until optimum dose is reached. There is not accurate conversion for levo to Armour so you just have to go on how you feel. If you are still feeling hypo then take a little more Armour, if you feel you are hyper than drop your dosage back a little. 1 grain = 60 mcg in general, do not be tempted to take the full dose of Armour straight away as this will overload your system and you will think it doesn't work!! I was so shocked when I changed over, I could not believe that even on a starter dose of 25mcg I felt soooo much better!!

[lucylocks in reply to Glynisrose]

Many thanks Glynisrose

[Clarebear]

I work on the basis that 1 grain = 74-100mcg of thyroxine (1 grain =60mg (not mcg) but this is the weight of the tablet not it's equivalent dosage to thyroxine.

It is best to build up the dose slowly, as the direct T3 can be a bit of a shock to the system. In fact it took me a year to get up to 2.5 grains (which is my current/optimal dose), as I had nasty side-effects along the way. It has been well worth it thought, as I am feeling so much better now Good luck xx

[lucylocks in reply to Clarebear]

Many thanks Clarebear

[Hidden]

Or you can just cut a tablet in 2. If she should find that going up by a grain at a time is too much she can got up by half a tablet, or even a quarter, until she find the dose upon which she feels well.

[lucylocks in reply to Hidden]

Many thanks Humphrey

[karinad]

I started with armour a couple of weeks ago, taking with Levo. Some days good, others bad. I should be taking two grains now and have done so 3 or 4 times

but don't see any difference.

Some days I feel so hypo; cold, dull heavy ache, eyes and skin so dry and itchy, exhausted ect.

Just wondering if these could be signs if over treatment or do I just need to bear with it? I seem to get 5 good day max then get about 3 bad days! Any advice would be really appreciated.