Does anyone else get a headache when they split their dose of Armour?
I’ve tried splitting my dose and I always feel worse (headache, hot forehead, yawning)...
It’s a mystery to me because so many people split their dose and report that it’s beneficial.
Armour gave me nasty headaches at first and if dose needs adjustment. But I’m better with it than without and I do split the dose, but it’s taken a while to find the best way of doing this 
Thanks for your input. I guess I need to just keep trying.
May I ask how long the headaches generally lasted after an increase? It’s been a week since my 1/4 grain increase and I’ve had a headache the last 4 days. Also my anxiety is stirred up so just wondering if others have issues with every increase. Hoping things improve soon.
You know I can’t remember, it seems so long ago now. Once it’s right life picks up pace. Good luck x
Do you take your blood pressure when you have these headaches?
Very good point! What dose are you taking?
I take natural thyroid hormone 32mg 7.00am and 3.00pm then 37mg of T4 at 10.30pm .
Sorry I should have said I can not take all at once or my heart goes off it's head, racing and missing beats and I feel quite off.
Yes, that is probably the best thing to do. I take 1.5 grains first thing in the morning, that's it and have never had any problems (and I feel normal). My funny story is that I had a scheduled blood test on election day, I help on the elections and things were at a frenzied pitch (this was November 2016 in the US). I got my blood test at the crack of dawn and went to the polling station. At about 11:00am I had an emergency call from my doc telling me to stop my medication immediately that my T3 was seriously over range. I said OK to begin with but then thought and thought about it wondering what was the problem all of a sudden - I felt the same as I always did. Then it struck me, in my frenzy and haste I had taken my meds just half an hour before the blood test, of course T3 is very high. It drops very quickly and is pretty much gone by 4:00pm. So yes, for some if that high lasts too long it is better to split it.
You are on 90 mgs? Do you still have your thyroid?
No, I had thyroid cancer over 10 years ago and had a total thyroidectomy (TT). I had never been ill in all of my life, then suddenly I was crazy tired, like couldn't get through my day at work without falling asleep every hour. I now take 1.5 grains of Armor which has the effect of about 90 mcgs of Levo and I usually feel great. It wasn't without a struggle however. I went through all of the horror stories we read here and after getting through about eight docs, I finally found a reasonable one who prescribed NDT and I take it at the right dose for me (not the dose he prescribes).
But you are in the right place, keep asking the questions and read as much as you can. You have to stay one step ahead of the doc otherwise you will stay ill for years (like many of us here did).
Thanks so much for your insight. It is truly appreciated.
I’ve been on 90 mgs since beginning in May and thought I could handle a dose increase despite feeling pretty good. But I still had some lingering anxiety that I was hoping a 1/4 grain would take care of. I started with the increase a week ago and it’s been rough. Today the headache has lessened but still kinda there, my forehead feels hot and my anxiety is stirred up. I don’t know how long to stick it out? I was thinking 2 weeks but I wonder what your process was deciding that 90 was enough for you? Or how did you decide to drop that extra 1/4 grain?
My blood pressure is steady and normally low so I don’t think that’s the issue.
My blood pressure shot up within hours of taking the extra 1/4 pill. I felt jangling and buzzing and my pulse was racing. Just keep track of your BP, you do not want headaches as a result of high BP! Thats very serious stuff. The bottom line with all of this is How Do You Feel? The process is complex but it is all ironed out by how you feel. If you feel lousy you might be under medicated, over medicated or on the wrong brand/type of medication. To get on the right dose I had to fiddle around with my dose for about three years. I never got to the right dose because my Endo was sabotaging me by dosing me by TSH. I had to break away, learn as much as I could for myself, come to a conclusion as to what was right for me and then go around knocking on doctor offices doors to find a reasonable one.
I would say first determine that you are not on a brand of meds that disagree with you, then start fiddling around with the dose. You will need to get blood tests (do it privately if your doc won't cooperate, make sure all of your results are in the upper half of the ranges, post them here then we can all give advice.
Hi. Cant help much as i only have Hashi's but it seems headaches are not unusual with thyroid problems. Unpleasant but probably nothing to worry about as such. Hopefully things will improve when you find the right levels.
I hardly ever get them now but used to have tiredness and uncontrollable yawning just before the onset of a migraine. I've also had headaches, similar but not quite the same as migraine, when undermedicated on Levo.
I’m Hashi and I get headaches if I’m undermedicated... it comes and goes. For instance, if I have a really physical day, I pay for it the next day and have to frontload my dose to get rid of my headache. I split mine in three (naturethroid). If I take my first dose and the headache doesn’t go away, I take my second one early. That usually does the trick.
Thanks for the tip. I did that today. I took my other half earlier to see if my headache improves.
Everyone is so different, so if you do better/feel better with single dose, don't think you have to do what others may do. Its trial and error. I do 3 doses and if I go too long without a dose, I get heart palpitations. Most people have heart palps with too much NDT, but that's not the case for me. We need to do what works for each of us. Best of luck with your thyroid journey.
Have you split your doses right from the start or is this something you switched to as you increased?
I have always split my dose. I started with 2 doses...one early in the AM and second early afternoon. As the amount I needed increased, I went to a 3 split. It's not easy because of the need to stay 1 hour before or 2 hrs after food or supplements, but I make it work. It gives me an even distribution of T3.
I've just started splitting my dose about a month ago and I've been getting headaches once in awhile, I chaulked it up to hormones. I also have been yawning a lot now that I think about it. Never had this problem with Natures.
May I ask why you decided to start splitting your dose?
My doctor wanted me to try since I get very tired mid afternoon which seems to be helping. Did an adrenal saliva test also wanting for results.
Ugh these headaches are getting old... granted it’s only been 3 days but still 
I had a few headaches when I started Armour (90 mgs) in May but they went away. I increased my dose by 1/4 grain last week and felt ok, started splitting my dose this week and the headaches started so a lot going on. I guess I don’t actually know if the headaches are from splitting my dose or the increase? But I would have thought if it was from the increase it would have happened last week.
But I have read elsewhere on this site that some people get headaches with each increase so I’m hoping they pass soon!
90 mcgs (1.5 grains) is a perfectly "OK" NDT dose, NDT is very potent and a 1/4 grain increase had a devastating effect on me. I am just fine on "90 mcgs". My blood pressure (BP) shot up on 90 mcgs + the extra 1/4 grain and I had to drop back. So go measure your BP, that could be the reason.
For what it is worth, I would love to be on the +1/4 grain, but I cannot live at the increased BP that it causes, so I have to compromise. I did feel absolutely great on the increased dose however. Just be careful.
I give up on this increase. I crashed hard yesterday. The headaches were unbearable and the anxiety was scary. I also turned into a vampire and the sun made me feel even worse.
I didn’t take any Armour today hoping things settle down but I don’t know what to do about tomorrow?
I did feel a little better today not taking any but still some anxiety and lingering headache.
I just thought - must tell you - I’m not sure if Armour makes me more sensitive to caffeine. These days I always have a coffee first, if a headache starts. May be worth a try?
I give up on this increase. I crashed hard yesterday. The headaches were unbearable and the anxiety was scary. I also turned into a vampire and the sun made me feel even worse.
I didn’t take any Armour today hoping things settle down but I don’t know what to do about tomorrow?
I did feel a little better today not taking any but still some anxiety and lingering headache.
I don’t want to go too long without any Armour so I think I’ll take half of my 90 dose tomorrow and see how it goes.
Does this sound like a decent plan?
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