Can I get a Prescription for Armour

[HypoHelen2867]

Hi

I’m on Levi 75mg per day, bloods are optimal , B12 is ist the higher end, Vit D is normal yet I’m still chronically tired!

Would changing to Armour make me feel normal again and not tired every single day? I get loads of sleep but still tired

Would my GP prescribe this for me just to try? If I didn’t feel any better on the Armour then I could go back to the Levi I suppose???

Thanks 😀

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What are your most recent blood test results?

75mcg is small dose of Levothyroxine. Likely you have low vitamin levels and/or low FT3

If you add results and ranges members can advise on next steps

EXTREMELY unlikely for any GP to prescribe NDT

You might get T3 via endocrinologist

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

Do you have high antibodies?

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

Medichecks currently have an offer on until end of May - 20% off

thyroiduk.org.uk/index.html

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH under one) and FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range

All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels

NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine. Also what foods to avoid (note recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours away from Levo)

nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Are you still in Germany?

Post from year ago shows low FT3 on 75mcg

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

German T3 by Thybon Henning is very good. You would need to find German doctor to prescribe

[HypoHelen2867]

Hi I’m back in the UK, my end I said my results were normal I’m optimally medicated.

TSH is 1.81 range 0.27-4.2

T3 is 4.02 range 3.1-6.8

T4 is 20.4 range 12-22

This was blood result in November I’m due soon for next bloods.

My antibodies are low I don’t have Hashis

Thanks

[HypoHelen2867]

My eyes ache! Every morning for a few hours on waking then just ridiculously tired all day. Aching eyes and very tired surely shouldn’t be like this if I’mOptimally medicated......... should it?

Thanks for the advise 👍

[MissGrace]

Hi HypoHelen!

I’m not sure what you mean by your bloods are ‘optimal’. If you don’t feel better and still have symptoms they can’t be optimal for you! They may be well in range - but that means nothing - and your T3 looks lowish to me.

Surely ‘optimal’ is when you reach the level of medication where your symptoms are alleviated. It’s a different place for everyone.

I think SlowDragon’s excellent advice should really help. 🤸🏿‍♀️🥛

[HypoHelen2867]

That’s what endo told me that my blood result is normal and I’m optimally medicated 😫 if your TSH is within range GP just doesn't care and are not interested in anything u have to say.

[MissGrace in reply to HypoHelen2867]

I see - they just mean you’re in range. It’s nonsense for an endo to deny your symptoms and say you are ‘optimal’ as you are In range, the number of combinations of TFT that would make someone in range are too many for me to calculate! And many people are definitely not ‘optimal’ in the TSH range. It’s ridiculous for an endo to use the term ‘optimal’ for results falling within wide ranges. What a tw*t! 🤸🏿‍♀️🥛

[HypoHelen2867]

I know it’s really not fair. My ferritin is 13 and range is 20-208 nothing has been done about that either! I’ve had low Ferritin for years which also won’t make my conversion good. I’m fighting a losing battle tbh. Between very low ferritin and low t3 I’m amazed I can’t get out of bed each day. Just checked previous T3 result and that was within range at 3.03 range was 2.63-5.70 that was blood at GP’s. The other result in my first post was from Medichecks

[KT77 in reply to HypoHelen2867]

Low iron can make you very very tired. Low ferritin and low thyroid symptoms are almost identical. And yours is very low. Are you supplementing? Have a full iron panel done to see whats going on . I would work on the iron levels before switching to NDT.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

My ferritin is 13 and range is 20-208 nothing has been done about that either!

If that is the case then you absolutely must see a different doctor. There is no way you are going to feel well or your thyroid hormone can work properly with that level. I expect you have iron deficiency anaemia. With a ferritin level so much below range then you should push for an iron infusion and when your level is good you need to maintain it there with either iron tablets or eating liver or other iron rich foods regularly.

If not already done you need an iron panel and full blood count, possibly a referral to haematology and keep pushing until someone does something about this.

[HypoHelen2867]

Thank you all for the advise 👍