difference between Armour strengths?

I have a question about different Armour pills/strengths.

It seems the price of Armour has gone up in Belgium (where I get NDT) in recent months, and I would have to pay like 2000€/1600 GBP for a year's consumption (I seem to need 7.5 grains daily).

The pharmacy offered to send me capsules made with 300 mg or 5 grain Armour pills, which have been crushed and mixed to the right ratio (from 15 mg to 300 mg). They said this is a cost-effective solution considering the alternative.

So now, I have a question to those on Armour: do you notice a difference between the 300 mg pills and the other strengths? In other words, should it be OK to take the capsules made with 300 mg (or 5 grains) pills?

[Hidden]

Only Armour and Erfa are available in Belgium, and I seem to be allergic to Erfa...I itch all over when I take it, and the itching goes away as soon as I have been off it for 24 h...I could try to order other brands online, but if they are not shipped from other EU countries, they risk being confiscated by customs...not sure if Naturethroid can be ordered from another EU country?! (I know Thyroid-S is ordered and shipped from Thailand...). If anyone knows if Naturethroid can be ordered from an EU country (even with prescription, as I have prescriptions for Armour and Erfa, and all NDT meds are supposed to be interchangeable), please send me a PM, so that I can check with the pharmacy in question!

I read somewhere that larger NDT pills contain more cellulose, which would mean 300 mg pills of Armour would be even harder to digest than smaller pills...but I don't know if that is just an unsubstantiated rumor, or if capsules made with 300 mg pills are just as fine as smaller pills..?

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Anna, I doubt many members are on such a high dose and those few who are will be unlikely to have had 300mcg pills compounded. I think the only way you'll be able to tell if they suit you is to buy the smallest quantity available to trial them. Perhaps the pharmacist can advise about the amount of cellulose included.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hidden]

However, if it has been powdered and then put in capsules, it might well behave very differently to tablets simply taken as they are - and any expectations based on experience of tablets (any size) could be misleading.

[Jackie]

Hi That seems an awful lot. Are you sure your FT3 is oK? My Endo says if on NDT to expect the T4 to be low but that is Ok so long as the FT3 is OK.

Jackie

[Hidden]

Jackie, according to your endo, what are OK T3 levels (did s/he ever tell you?