HI I wondered if anyone had changed their hypothyroid medication from just t3 liothyronine to armour thyroid ?

[poppppy]

Hi I am taking liothyronine at present 40 mcg . I trialled adding thyroxine slowly building it up but even though I had been on it before I started to feel really ill . so I went back to just t3 after 6 weeks . this was 4 weeks ago when I cut out the t4 . I still don't feel back to my previous state on t3 only .

I went to my consultant today and as my t3 bloods are just above normal t3 range he sai my only other option was to try armour thyroid .

I am scared because the change to t3 an t4 made me ill and I cant miss work . on the other hand I would love to feel better than I do .

my questions I guess then are ;

1) is the transition just stop t3 one day and start armour the next or is it wean on and wean off with an overlap of both

2) could this make me ill whilst settling in to new regime /getting dose right an so is a weeks holiday enough an the time to do it

3) if it makes me ill will changing back solve this quickly

4) what is the normal dose conversion from 40 mcg t3 to armour

5) can I get it on the nhs (gp willing excepted)

6) if have to get private how much is it and where do I get it and is it ever not available

7) any advice on how , when to take armour

yours scared and thinking better the devil I know caz x

[claudiasmum]

I can only answer 5 and 6.

5. It depends on your GP - mine prescribed it happily for five years and has now stopped citing instructions from the health authority to stop doing it. I am getting private prescriptions now.

6. the price varies. I have only ever got mine from the UK on prescription - probably cheaper to import it - but I have paid between 34p and 66p a grain but having said that, there were supply problems which pushed the price up at the time the NHS refused to give it to me.

It wasn't available for the best part of a year in 2009. There have been UK supply problems recently but they may be resolved now.

[poppppy in reply to claudiasmum]

thankyou for your reply . I have a lot to think about . if you know of a private source could you private message me the website thankyou

[shaws]

This is some advice re T3 to NDT.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/t...

[poppppy in reply to shaws]

thankyou for link . very helpful . thankyou . lot to think about before decide . can you tell me a supplier incase decide to swap to ndt and gp will not supply thankyou

[lexilou]

Poppppy

I have recently changed from 35mcg of t3 to Armour and I am currently on 2 grains. I wouldn't just change straight over, I started by adding half a grain of Armour and dropping 10mcg of T3, I did feel the drop in T3 for a couple of days but was still able to work, I then held a week before dropping another 10mcgs and held another week before adding another half grain of Armour, I followed this on STTM who state 1 grain of armour is about 25mcgs T3.

I'm not sure you will get it on the nhs, I cant so I have to buy it myself.

I take 1 grain in the morning about 6.30 and 1 grain at about 3.30 at the moment but still not trying to find my optimal dose.

I'm new to this so someone with more experience might be able to help you more.

[poppppy in reply to lexilou]

thankyou for thinking of me and replying . good advice . will look at sttm . thankyou and good luck with finding your optimum dose . could you private message me your retailer and costs thanx

[Hidden in reply to lexilou]

Lexilou, regarding the amount of T3 in Armour, on page 220 of STTM it states that "one grain is 60 mg and contains 38mcg of T4 and 9 mcg T3" rather than the 25mcg figure you mention. Is 25mcg quoted on the STTM web page?

[shaws in reply to Hidden]

As she is swapping NDT for T3 or vice versa I think she means the effect of 1 grain of NDT is around 100 levo and 25mcg T3 equal to around 100 levo.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Hopefully when Lexilou picks up my response she will clarify, as there's a good difference between 9mcg and 25mcg.

I'm not following you Shaws. Yes, 25mcg T3 equates to 100mcg T4, but using again, Lexilou's STTM reference, 1 grain NDT provides the equivelant of 77 mcg T4 ( 38mcg T4 plus 4 x 9mcg T3) irrespective of swapping to or from NDT .

[shaws in reply to Hidden]

Hi Hypnoteq

Sorry if I have confused you/me I should have said, which you know, that 1gr NDT = 25mcg T3= 100mcg levo approx.

I couldn't see the breakdown in Lexilou's post re the STMM 1gr NDT but maybe it's in another one. I read:-

I followed this on STTM who state 1 grain of armour is about 25mcgs T3.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Oh the complexities and pitfalls of corresponding by the written word lol

Hopefully Lexilou will pop by soon

[Hidden]

Poppy, it is possible (but often unlikely, for many of us) to be prescribed NDT on a named patient basis.

This link explains more: thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

[lexilou in reply to Hidden]

Just picked this up.

Sorry for any confusion I was just following the transitioning from t3 to armour on STTM which quoted:

Whereas 25 mcg T3 is approximately equal in “effect” to one grain of Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT)…

And whereas one grain of most brands of NDT contains 38 mcg T4 and 9 mcg T3 (Canada’s Erfa is 37/8)…

I did not mean it as 1 grain of armour has 25mcg of t3 in it.

Lexilou

[Hidden in reply to lexilou]

Thanks lexilou

[Hills]

I went straight from Levo to Armour. Within a week I was pretty much human again. No more brain fog, aches & pains, clumsiness, stomach or bowel problems the list is endless. I have self medicated for over a year one grain am & pm. Doctors a waste of time. This week I finally went to my GP to try & get it on prescription. What a waste of time, on levo for six weeks which I will take to prove a point. But I shall by that time have my Armour again. If anyone wants info on where mine comes from feel free to contact me.

[JellyJac in reply to Hills]

Hi hills I am currently on 100mg of Levo and have recently introduced 12mg of T3 split into two daily doses. (self medicating T3 and purchased from Turkey.

I have written to my G.P to ask him to prescribe Armour after a very upsetting visit in which he basically said my symptoms were because of my age and weight, but I dont hold much hope.

Could you let me know where you purchase your Armour from, as I think this may be the change I need.