Armour very chalky and difficult to chew up - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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Armour very chalky and difficult to chew up

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9 years ago•4 Replies

I have Armour pills in various strengths; 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 mg. I decíded to follow the advice I have read over and over again to chew the pills up before swallowing. So far, I have only taken the 90 mg pills, but they are so chalky that there is no way I can continue to take them that way. They crumble and stick to my teeth, and are almost impossible to swallow with water.

I'd like to ask members on Armour (and doing well on it) how you take it?

4 Replies

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CarolineC579 years ago

Hi - I see no-one's responded yet so I thought I'd comment - though I take another brand of NDT (WP Thyroid) - not Armour.

I did wonder myself about whether you're supposed to swallow whole, chew or whatever as I've seen people talk about chewing NDT. But when I asked, a lot of people said it was designed to be swallowed whole with water, just like any other pills.

I have started just biting mine in half and then swallowing quickly, in case breaking them a bit helps them absorb more quickly. But I haven't noticed any difference. Personally, I tend to agree with those who said to me they're designed to be swallowed whole and released slowly. But you might get someone else along who disagrees (and who knows more about this than I do).

in reply to CarolineC579 years ago

WP Thyroid does not contain cellulose, which may be why you don't feel any difference.

But Forest and other makers of NDT containing cellulose also claim they are meant to be swallowed, not chewed.

I have been wondering if chewing pills up really breaks up cellulose enough for thyroid hormones to be better absorbed by the body? Those of you on Armour who have tried both methods (swallowing vs chewing), have you noticed a difference?

I have also read that some crush the pills up and mix with honey, the idea being that sugar somehow helps with absorption.