Armour Dosage Help!

[Jodypody]

I have finally got my Endo appt and convinced them with the help of all the resource on here to give me armour. Only trouble is I think they've over prescribed. I was on 75mcg levo and my t3 was down to 3.4 t3 13.2 but she's prescribed 2 grains. I've decent blood pressure and bmi and healthy is it right ?

[Jazzw]

That's probably a good thing but I wouldn't start with 2 grains - that's quite a hit of liothyronine (T3) in one go. I'd start with half a grain, raising to a grain after a week or so, as you'll have Levo gradually leaving your system over the next few days. And after a couple more weeks, you may want to raise by another half grain - you'll know if it's too much. Much better to raise slowly as it takes a while for the body to catch up.

Congrats on getting Armour - very unusual here in the UK!

[Jodypody in reply to Jazzw]

Cheers for that. I gave a good debate! In the most charming way I could muster and she finally relented despite trying mercilessly to give me synthetic T3. 😄 maybe I should become a politician

[Jazzw in reply to Jodypody]

LOL Well done.

Was it an Endo off Louise Warvill's list?

[Jodypody in reply to Jazzw]

No I managed to persuade a very sympathetic GP to refer me. I must have left that surgery in tears at least ten times before. I have been feeling extremely grateful towards him as he actually gave me more than the requisite 5 minutes

[sulamaye in reply to Jodypody]

Are you in the UK?

[Jodypody in reply to sulamaye]

I am indeed

[sulamaye in reply to Jodypody]

do you want to advocate for me? lol

[Jodypody in reply to sulamaye]

Why, are you struggling on levo ?

[Clutter]

Jody, Congratulations on your art of persuasion. It's very difficult to get an NHS endo to prescribe NDT.

1 grain is equivalent to 75mcg-100mcg Levothyroxine so you will be overmedicated if you take two grains Get a pillcutter to cut down if you have been prescribed two grain tablets. Ideally you would start on half a grain to see how you tolerate the T3 before increasing to 1 grain but quartering a tablet will be tricky.

[Jodypody in reply to Clutter]

Maybe I could ask the pharmacy (it's chemist 4U) to split it into 1 grain equivalent?? Worth an ask. I know how to push my luck don't i? It's the sales person in me 😄

[Clutter in reply to Jodypody]

Jody, It may be better to do it yourself on a daily basis so the split tablets don't absorb too much moisture or lose potency.

[Jodypody in reply to Clutter]

Sorry I meant for them to prescribe the same but in 1 grain equivalent. For instance if there's 25 x 2 grains they give me 50 x 1 or doesn't it work that way?

[Jazzw in reply to Jodypody]

Yes, it does work that way - you get get half grain, one grain, two grain tablets, etc. definitely worth asking.

[Jodypody in reply to Jazzw]

Thanks x

[Clutter in reply to Jodypody]

Jody, ask for 1 grain but I think it's likely you'll get what has been prescribed.

[Jodypody in reply to Clutter]

Well I do like a challenge. I'll let you know

[Jodypody in reply to Clutter]

Just to thicken the plot. I phoned Chemist 4U this morning and they said that 75mcg levo is the equivalent of 3 grains?????? Is this possibly because they've altered it???

[Clutter in reply to Jodypody]

Jody, I think they're dangerously wrong. I think you will be very overmedicated if you take more than 1 grain.

[Jodypody in reply to Clutter]

Wow. So confused now. 😳. They will only supply in the 2 grain dosage so the best I can do as I can only split in half.

[Clutter in reply to Jodypody]

Jody, Helvella posted above the RLC link stating biochemical equivalence of 1 grain is 100mcg. If you buy a pillcutter you shouldn't have difficult splitting the tablet in half. Ideally you would split it in 4 and take half a grain in two doses.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Jodypody]

If you can afford it, you do have the option of buying your own from abroad. You can get tablets as low as quarter grain.

Once you have been prescribed Armour, whether you get it from your local pharmacy or the other side of the globe seems somehow to be less important.

If you need to find out where from, post another question asking for that information by private message.

[Jodypody in reply to Clutter]

I don't doubt you for a minute but on your thyroid UK website it says 1 grain = 38mcg levo t4 and 9mcg of T4. It's on your where do I get desiccated thyroid page........

[Clutter in reply to Jodypody]

Jody, yes, that's correct, it's taken from the manufacturers list of what 1 grain contains. The manufacturers also state 1 grain is equivalent to 100mcg T4 but many members find it is less, nearer 75mcg T4. The anomaly possibly occurs with the estimation of the potency of T3 to T4. I think the manfacturers estimate just over 4:1 which would make 38T4 + 38T3. Maybe they think the cumulative impact is equivalent to 100mcg. The maths don't add up to me.

[Jodypody in reply to Clutter]

Comparison table showing the variations in equivalent

tablet size and / or active ingredients of each of the brands

Brand of (Natural)

Desiccated Thyroid USP

Dose

Levothyroxine (T4) content

Liothyronine (T3) content

NP Thyroid

(Acella Pharmaceuticals)

npthyroid.com

1 grain = 60mg

38 mcg

9 mcg

Armour Thyroid

(Forest Pharmaceuticals)

armourthyroid.com

1 grain = 60mg

38 mcg

9 mcg

Thyroid

(Erfa Canada Inc)

thyroid.eci2012.net/

1 grain = 60mg

35 mcg

8 mcg

Nature-Throid

(RLC Labs, Inc)

nature-throid.com

1 grain = 65mg

38 mcg

9 mcg

Westhroid-P

(RLC Labs, Inc)

westhroidp.com

1 grain = 65mg

38 mcg

9 mcg

HealthXchange

healthxchange.com

1 grain = 60mg

38 mcg

9 mcg

This is the one.

[Jodypody in reply to Clutter]

It says 38 of T4 and 9 of T3 doesn't it?? So confused

[helvella Administrator in reply to Jodypody]

What Clutter was saying was:

38 micrograms of T4 as T4

PLUS

The equivalent of 38 micrograms of T4 but present as 9 micrograms of T3. That being calculated on the basis of only one molecule in four of the T4 being converted into active T3.

That works out as 76 micrograms of T4-equivalent in a grain (approx.) of desiccated thyroid.

Or 18 micrograms of T3-equivalent on the same basis.

[Jodypody in reply to helvella]

Gotcha. Scary how my Endo got it so wrong then? Do you think they were trying to put me off? Not that I'm cynical 😁

[Clutter in reply to Jodypody]

Jody, nature-throid.com/images/RL...

The conversion chart is no longer there but STTM have a conversion chart.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Clutter]

RLC appear to have moved the table here:

getrealthyroid.com/the-real...

Rod

[helvella Administrator in reply to helvella]

However interesting that page might be, I should have posted this link:

getrealthyroid.com/the-real...

[Clutter in reply to helvella]

Thanks, Rod.

[electrica77]

Jody I was on about 150 or 175levo when I changed to armour of 2 grains. The endo took mine from his equivalency chart (not that they can be directly equated because of the t3) and that was apparently 2grains. You can Google the chart I believe.

[Jodypody in reply to electrica77]

I'm 6 weeks on now and feeling fine. Not even slightly hyper. I can only imagine it was my need for T3 that was the reason for that decision. Point being as Shaws pointed out before blood tests we were dosed on symptoms. I'm due a blood test in a few days so it'll be interesting to see what that flags up

[electrica77]

what dose are you on now then?

[Jodypody in reply to electrica77]

2 grains

[electrica77]

ah same as me. My old endo told me this was the 'maximum' dose. Such obvious untruth- especially when Forest manufacture 5 grain pills etc!

[Jodypody in reply to electrica77]

Exactly. I think you'll know when you feel right.