Recently I posted my results on 2.5 gr Armour and 12.5 T4, where FT4 was 14.4 (12-22) 27%, FT3 was 5.7 (3.1-6.8) 70%. I still had a lot of symptoms, I felt very cold with the above and was similarly cold and hot with higher FT3 and low FT4 (for details please see my previous post) plus a lot of other hypo symptoms. My mood was better than now for sure.
I have decided to increase Armour by 1/8 grain about 3 weeks ago. About 1 week in I developed unbelievably stiff calves, I can't walk, they hurt me from water retention, hard as a rock, same with shins. I have been dizzy, putting more weight on, water most likely as my face got puffy again.
I had to go for blood results to see if I am severely underdosed (3 weeks in). To my surprise these are the results on 2.6 grain and 12.5 T4:
FT4 = 17.9 (12-22) 59% (went up)
FT3 = 5.8 (3.1-6.8) 72% (went up only by 2%)
The question is, should I keep going with this dose as this leg pain makes me housebound slowly? On top of it, I am dizzy, I start to cry again etc. Fluctuations most likely
Another options I see are: lower Armour by 1/8 to 2.5 grains and raise t4 by 6.25 instead, add more Armour (1/8) or would you have any other suggestions?
I had a similar experience when I tried to add in some T4 to my NDT dose :
It was in my knee and I think said to be pseudo gout - and for the first few days it was extremely painful :
I don't know for sure but have since read that T4 can restrict some blood vessels:
Anyway I stopped the T4 and just stayed on the NDT and haven't had another episode and that is now some 2 years ago:
So, I'd suggest you drop the synthetic T4 and work on slowly increasing your NDT :
When on NDT your TSH will likely be low/suppressed - this is ok : your T4 likely low and again this is OK providing your T3 has moved up the range and your are utilising the T4 and turning it into T3:
No thyroid hormone replacement works well if your vitamins and minerals are not optimal, how are your ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D ?
Hi, thank you so for your response, very interesting about the leg. The issue is that with ft4 low and high ft3 I get anxiety, dry skin, brain fog, hot and cold, insomnia and a lot of other hypo symptoms, so adding t4 helped, but it gives me a lot of other issues.Vitamins all optimal (more info in my previous post).
I take it all at once, if I split, I feel all over the place (tried that for a couple of years, it was bad).
I have tried, for 1.5 years, it was a fail, NDT suits me much better and is more gentle, while T4 T3 in synthetics made me completely unable to walk. I feel like I am one of those hopeless cases that I just can't get it right.
Hashimoto's in 2012. I have been checked for all autoimmune diseases in a hospital, had nerve conductions etc etc it's all thyroid. I used to be good on Nature Throid 4 years ago used to take 3-4 grains, until I started to get awful palpitations and they took me off all of it, then was very sick for a long time. Can't seem to be able to go up to 3-4 grains anymore. Now using Armour.
Swampyswamp I'm so sorry your experiencing leg discomforts . I personally experienced this same reactions. I had TT. I was dosing with high T4 meds for suppression purposes . Years later I felt that the high T4 doses where causing me all sorts of symptoms for e.G. palpitations , insomnia , anxiety, etc. I got lucky with a new Endo and he gave me 5mcg T3 and he reduced my T4 very low and kept feeling the T3 run out. Later tried NDT I split my T3/NDT 2-3x daily while all along I was dosing with lowered T4 dose. I splitt for many years my T4 too. That works for me much better. Each time it was a higher dose T4 with a tiny dose T3/NDT. I never experienced this discomfort in my legs when I was on T4 sole.
I eliminating any additional T3/NDT and dosed with a higher dose T4 and started to notice/feel some improvements after 3 days . I'm not totally pain free yet but I feel more comfortable to climb stairs now . So I feel in my case for now T3/NDT is not for me.
Nutrients are very important to make our thyroid meds work better for us . Especially vitamin "D" /K2 , B-Complex, B-12/folate, Iron, magnesium , Celtic Sea Salt to support adrenals/cortisol , vitamin "C".
Being a Hashimto patient going dairy gluten eggs corn free was a very big game changer for me.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me jgelliss , this is reassuring. I understand that you don't feel well with ft4 low in range? I definitely feel the t3 run out sort of a feeling. Me and my partner have discussed lowering Armour to 2.5 from 2.6 and adding 6.25 Levo to see how this works. Also SeasideSusie suggested it to me today. I am glad to hear you are feeling better after eliminating NDT.
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Hi pennyannie, may I ask you how high ft3 we are talking when you take NDT when you're well? I am trying to add Levo now to my lowered Armour, but so far I am feeling wired and overheated. Next option will be to do what you have originally suggested, decrease some t4 and add Armour.
I have also observed that only T4 gives me such bad heat, Armour does it too, but not that much. Weird.
Are you feeling well on NDT only? Do you dose once per day? Thank you
I have read that when with Hashimoto's everything is more of a challenge as you are liable to these " swings " of erratic thyroid hormone production when your immune system is triggered.
Have you looked at Dr Izabella Wentz as healing the gut, and avoiding certain food triggers such as gluten, wheat, dairy and processed foods can help ease the severity of AI attacks on the thyroid.
I have been gluten dairy free for several years now. No difference unfortunately. After doctors reduced my medication from 3 grains to zero the next day I have become severely hypo, and can't get out of it since. There were improvements now since I went on Armour in September 2020 from synthetics, but I still can't get it right.
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