Getting closer to being well

[HASHISmom34]

Good morning. Since Decemeber when i had my first tests on armour a lot has happened. I felt wonderful and then started having slight hyper symptoms about 6 wks in. T4/T3 levels good but .04 TSH after 8 wks. I didn't notice until after the fact of the ENDO pulling me off Armour 1 grain (60 mg), that the first script was from Forest labs when i felt good, the 2nd was Actavis labs (whom bought out Forest or took over.) I believe that it was not me going hyper, it was actually the fillers. I researched everything and turns out a lot of people had issues after the take over of armour from Forest to Actavis because fillers and/or consistency changed. That would explain it. I was fine on a grain first 6 wk script. pay attention to changes in pills and Lab labels. I had to be taken on Levo when i was first medicated for that reason. The fillers made me sick. I did much better on Synthroid brand but had severe hair loss and needed T3 ( I have a conversion issue) and even the synthetic cytomel T3 gave me severe acne which i think was the fillers. Armour definitely is the better one so far for me but it is inconsistent in my opinion with what you get. Look it up 2009 issues. It has been recalled quite a few times as well and then the price hike 2 yrs ago. I dropped last endo after she insisted i go back on Synthroid. I did and felt like garbage. Got a dr to prescribe armour 45. He had to give me 1 quarter grain and 1 half grain since they do not make 45 armour and that cost me even MORE money. He said we will see how you do on that dose to make sure the grain really wasn't too much. This dr is a DO. I am done with ENDOS!! They do not understand, are obsessed with TSH and treating number not the patient's symptoms. Since the armour again and the lower dose I am good but a little feeling under medicated recently. Of course i was right and myTSH from last Monday came back at almost 5 and T3 low and T4 not even in range so low. Dr says do you want to up the dose to 1 grain and see if it is the fillers or what would you like??? Right now you went from .07 the end of Decemeber to .04 in early January. Forced to go on synthroid 2 wks until i was able to find a new dr. then 45 daily of armour. I have been doing research lately and finding that it defiers the purpose of gluten and dairy free diet like i have and obviously very sensitive to fillers but putting meds into my system with lots of fillers. I also have GI issues. I found WP Thyroid by RLC labs which has only the active thyroid ingredients and no additives or fillers besides palm oil and licorice root for lubrication to make the pill. nothing else. no fillers or additives. It is a fraction of the cost and no recalls. Same lab as Nature throid. And they make a 3/4 grain so only 1 script. 48.75! So i pick that up today and start it. DR was fine with what i wanted! He said if this does not help (dose wise) then we will look at increasing to 1 grain because i won't need to worry about reactions from fillers. I will keep you all updated. I also take selenium to help reduce antibodies along with gluten free diet and help conversion. High dose VIT d3 with K2, Omega fish oil, AShwagandha root for adrenals, iron with vitamin c, magnesium citrate and turmeric for inflammation. Do not give up!!! I have been battling these drs for a long time since being diagnosed with HASHIS and hypothyroidism. I can taste my life coming back.

[Clutter]

HASHISmom34,

It really doesn't matter how low TSH goes as long as FT4 and FT3 remain within range when you are taking NDT. Actavis bought Armour in 2015 but I've not seen anything to suggest they changed the formulation.

If you felt over medicated on 1 grain Armour you could have used a pillcutter to quarter the tablet and take 3/4. You don't have to have different prescriptions if it adds to expense.

Sometimes a Hashi flare will cause a hormone dump when thyroid cells are destroyed. You may need to reduce your NDT dose IF you feel over medicated and will usually have to resume taking the higher dose when you begin to feel hypo.

[HASHISmom34 in reply to Clutter]

I have read that. I seem to really fluctuate often.

[shaws Administrator]

You can always get a prescription for a higher dose than you require and split the tablets to the equivalent dose you need. It might work out cheaper as well.

If at any time you feel that fillers/binders may be affecting you, you should take 1 anti-histamine tablet 1 hour before thyroid hormones and if you are not affected you should switch to another make.

[HASHISmom34 in reply to shaws]

Shaws this dr agreed to give me a try on WP thyroid by RLC labs. Much cleanser than Armour. No fillers.

[shaws Administrator in reply to HASHISmom34]

That's great news for you. We need a lot more doctors like him/her, i.e. puts patient first. I am sure you will feel much better quite soon. Just gradual increases if need be

[HASHISmom34 in reply to shaws]

Endos are terrible! This man is a DO & says he looks at the patient and their symptoms!!

[shaws Administrator in reply to HASHISmom34]

Endocrinology may be o.k. for diabetes but their knowledge of treating people with a dysfunction of their thyroid gland, hypo, is dire.

I think they assume because the majority of their patients do o.k. on levo that they don't believe others who don't. Also because they also state that TSH is king and rarely test FT4 and FT3. Seem to have no knowledge of clinical symptoms and usally prescribe too low a dose of hormone replacement to remove clinical symptoms.