switching to armour thyroid

[HASHISmom34]

Update!!!! If you read my last few posts, I had an appt with most recent ENDO 2 days ago. I stood firm with my T3 i had to beg for..... I told her before you began I need you to treat me as a. individual, my symptoms and not my TSH. She listened. This was the deciding factor of if i walked out or stayed. I fought way too hard to get to where i am to have a dr take that away and put me back there again. Most of us need at least a little T3 to get better, conversion issue or not. She said yu can stay on the 5 mcg cytomel generic and alternating dose brand synthroid if you feel good. She went on to say she wished we could get my TSh back up to 1 though because it was perfect. I said but i feel better at .35! I said i finally feel pretty good except evening crash. I brought up giving NDT a try just to see and if it didn't work for me i have a perfect combo to go back to with synthetics to at least have me feeling good. She would not prescribe Nature throid when i brought that up. Claimed not FDA approved. I aid it has been around since 1930 and have no recalls for inconsistency over the years and only 2 ingredients. She claims armour is around a lot longer and Is FDA approved. She says there weren't recalls on the nature throid because they do not test it so you cannot go on that. So I will start armour to try out. Cytomel had gluten i found out and since i am 80% gluten and i am totally dairy and soy free.... it was being counter productive feeding myself gluten daily in the form of a pill. We shall see. I take 50/75 alternating synthroid and 5 mcg cytomel daily. She prescribed 60 of armour. Is that enough? I know that is 38 T4 and 9 T3. She claims that equals 100 to synthroid. What do you think guys? scared!!

[Clutter]

HASHISmom34,

How much Levothyroxine and Cytomel are you currently taking?

I can't see why your endo refuses to prescribe 10mcg T3 but is willing to prescribe 1 grain Armour which has 9mcg T3.

FDA doesn't approve any NDT but NatureThroid and Armour conform to pharmacological standards because they are both listed in the US national formulary. Perhaps your endo gets an incentive to prescribe Armour instead of NatureThroid?

[HASHISmom34 in reply to Clutter]

maybe. my TSH was at .35 while taking 50/75 synthroid alternating and 5mcg of cytomel. She said more cytomel would drop my TSH and free t4 down more. Thanks Clutter

[shaws Administrator]

60mg of Armour is around 100mcg of levothyroxine (it's because T3 is in the mix). Some people do make mistakes in mg or mcg.

I have read that if taking T3/T4 combo the best result is if it is on a 1:3 basis so T3 may be on the low side. The following is from the link below:

Dose Selection in T3/T4 Study RCTs

The second logical basis for a conclusion

is the actions taken, i.e., the doses given to the

subjects. Most subjects received T3 below its

adult starting dose of 25 mcg/day.

The subjects in RCTs received T3 in some ratio to the

withdrawn T4. The various RCTs used T4:T3

ratios of 14:1, 10:1, and 5:1. Subsequent re-

search by the US National Institutes of Health

(NIH) found the therapeutic equivalence was

3:1.

Thus, most of the subjects were under

treated with the T3/T4 combination. In light

of the NIH finding, the conclusion that T3

therapy is never needed is invalid.

tpauk.com/images/docs/reduc...

You may also be interested in the following:

drlowe.com/thyroidscience/C...

I don't think synthroid has ever had FDA approval in the USA. It has been recalled many times. Big Pharma has had it's palms loaded with $$$s so I believe and doctors too.

thyroid-info.com/articles/s...

Nature-throid has never been recalled for inconsistencies. 'It's patients have been the 'proof' of its success.

You now know far more than your Endo. Research they never do. Follow like sheep in case they lose their licences whilst maybe making their patients unable to recover or develop other more serious illnesses.

[HASHISmom34 in reply to shaws]

She said Armour and levo and synthroid were FDA approved but nature throid is not and that is why nature throid has never had recalls is because it doesn't get tested as it would if it was FDA approved. Thanks SHaws

[HASHISmom34]

well I wonder if i should just take a half of the 1 grain to start and then move up

[Clutter in reply to HASHISmom34]

HASHISmom34,

No, you will be undermedicated on 1/2 grain. You are already taking T3 so no need to start Armour slowly. 50/75mcg Synthroid and 5mcg T3 is equivalent to 80mcg and 1 grain Armour is equivalent to 60mcg so your endo has slightly reduced your overall dose.

[HASHISmom34 in reply to Clutter]

clutter now i am afraid that i will be hypo again on the armour if the 1 grain is less than my current combine dose. What would you advise????

[Clutter in reply to HASHISmom34]

HASHISmom34,

Increase dose to 1.5 grains (90mg). This will almost certainly drive your TSH lower than you endo will be happy with but as far as I'm concerned how you feel is more important than keeping your endo happy by staying under medicated.

[HASHISmom34 in reply to Clutter]

i won't be able to. Clutter i only am prescribed 1 grain. I am staying on that until January when i get labs done and next visit. I hope i don't get symptoms and i do well.

[Clutter in reply to HASHISmom34]

HASHISmom34,

Well I hope you do too but I really don't think an endo fixated on keeping TSH in range is going to be helpful.

[HASHISmom34 in reply to Clutter]

i will keep you all updated as usual Clutter. thanks!

[HASHISmom34 in reply to Clutter]

clutter i will keep you all updated as usual