Private Homeopath has prescribed me Armour NDT for a lazy Thyroid Condition

[Kevybob]

Hi all

After posting my last full thyroid blood test results on here a few weeks ago, I decided to see a Private GP in North London. After going through my medical history and the results he has prescribed me 1/2 grain of Armour, rising to 1 grain in a month's time. He said I have a lazy thyroid, not quite underactive yet. I have had the symptoms for a number of years. He has also asked me to produce some adrenal tests too.

My blood test results were

TSH 2.78 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.20)

Free Thyroxine 18 pmol/L (12.00 - 22.00)

Total Thyroxine (T4) 82.1 nmol/L (59.00 - 154.00)

Free T3 4.13 pmol/L (3.10 - 6.80)

Reverse T3 23 ng/dL (10.00 -24.00)

Reverse T3 Ratio 14.23 (15.01 - 75.00)

Thyroglobulin Antibody 11.69 IU/mL (0.00 - 115.00)

Thyroid Perioxidase Antibodies 34.9 IU/mL (0.00 - 34.00)

Active B12 62.9 pmol/L (25.10 - 165.00)

Folate (serum) 7.61 ug/L (2.91 - 50.00)

25 OH Vitamin D 140 nmol/L (50.00 - 200.00)

CRP - High Sensitivity 3.34 mg/L (0.00 - 5.00)

Ferritin 111 ug/L (30.00 - 400.00)

I am taking Vit D, Folate, Magnesium, Selenium supplements. I have just started B12 too.

He has advised me to also take Tyrosine 400mg per day and Lugols Iodine ten drops twice daily.

I am a bit worried about the Iodine, as it seems quite a lot to me.

I am also looking to go Gluten free. Which is a big ask at the moment with everything that is going on and also being Type 1 Diabetic and suffering with high blood pressure.

Kind regards

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Kevybob

Did he not also tell you that your TPO antibodies are over the top of the range and therefore confirm autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's which is where the antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually destroy it? Did he mention that your Active B12 is low and needs further investigation for B12 deficiency? Both mentioned in your previous thread. Folate is also too low, it should be at least half way through range.

Your Vit D is exactly where it shoukd be - the Vit D Council recommends a level of 100-150nmol. You should now be tali g a maintenance dose to keep it there and testing twice a year to ensure you're supplement ting at the correct dose. Are you also taking D3's important cofactors magnesium and Vit K2-mk7?

Iodine is not recommended where Hashi's is present as it can cause Hashi's flares

hashimotoshealing.com/hashi...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

Strictly gluten free and supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can help reduce antibodies.

[Kevybob in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for replying SeasideSusie

The GP didn't want to confirm if I had Hashimotos or not as he thought I was just over the range.

After reading a previous post on here about taking Ioidine with Hashimotos, I was concerned that he recommended me taking such a large dose, if any at all. Which is why I mentioned it here for some feedback. Is this the same for Tyroxine? Planning on giving the Iodine a miss.

I will see how I get on with the Armour NDT and report back to him in a month.

In the meantime, I have been taking Selenium 200mcg for the past 6 weeks with Magnesium, Folate and also Vitamin D2 & K3 oil. I have reduced this to 2000 IUs per day now (at one stage I was taking 10,000 IUs as recommended by your good self)

I have just started taking B12 in the last week.

I am looking to go Gluten free. Just ordered a cook book last week, as I want to learn the best way to do this, as I don't want to substitute products with so called "gluten free" products straight off the shelf due to any additives to compensate

kindest regards

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Kevybob]

Kevybob

I don't know about Tyrosine but I see Greygoose has responded further down about that so I've learnt something new today

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Kevybob]

Over range antibodies means hashis. GPs are not good at understanding autoimmune disease.

You can get tyrosine from milk kefir (not non-dairy kefir), which has the added benefit of being high in folate and containing lots of good probiotics. Tyrosine is an amino acid, so you might get enough from the meat you eat. Most naturopaths are pro-iodine and recommend several drops of Lugols a day (but not usually 10 as a starter - more like 2).

[Kevybob in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thanks Angel_of_the_North, I will bear this in mind 😊

[Kevybob]

thanks Londinium. Istopped using Veg oils a long time ago. Been using Olive oil for years as I prefer it.

[greygoose]

No, you don't have a 'lazy thyroid', you have Hashi's, and you have a conversion problem. And iodine and tyrosine are unlikely to do you any good and may make you ten times worse. Your thyroid is not lacking ingredients to make thyroid hormone, it's lacking capacity due to Hashi's attacks. I would be very careful of this doctor, if I were you. He doesn't seem to know an awful lot about it.

[Kevybob in reply to greygoose]

Thanks Greygoose

This doctor is one of the specialists on the list sent by Thyroid UK, so I was sort of hoping he knew what he was talking about. I researched the Iodine and Tyrosine on here after he recommended them. So glad I did, and it proves once again that this resource is essential and very helpful. Will stay away from the Iodine and Tyrosine.

Now I am worried whether I should be taking the Armour NDT. Will it improve my condition?

I need to have some Adrenal tests done, have had the kit sent. So I will follow that through and have a repeat appointment. Then I will consider going to see someone else

thanks again

[greygoose in reply to Kevybob]

Armour doesn't suit everyone. And, it might contain too much T4 for you. But, if you don't try it, you'll never know! The T3 it contains might help. And it would be good to get your TSH down to zero, to control the immune attacks and slow down the destruction process. So, try it and see how you get on. You can always stop it if it doesn't help.

[Kevybob]

Thanks Londinium, I have been looking to try the Low Carb High Fat diet and even bought an interesting book on the subject. I spoke to my diabetic nurse, who advised me not to try it, to my dismay. I am gonna keep reading up on it and do more research on the matter

[trelemorele]

Can you let me know how much did your visit cost and what will be cost of prescription armour per month on his private script, thanks

[Kevybob in reply to trelemorele]

Hi, the cost of the visit was £180 for an hour's consultation. The prescription was approx. £100 for 100 x 1/2 grain tablets of Armour NDT

[trelemorele in reply to Kevybob]

Thanks 👍☺