Headache since starting Armour - should I stop taking it?

[Patriciamt]

I have started taking 1 grain of Armour ndt after being on 100 mcg of Levothyroxine. Since starting 10 days ago I have had a headache every day.

I have taken Armour before with no headaches that I can remember but changed to Naturethroid when Armour became too expensive. When that was found to be sub-potent and no longer produced I went back to GP for Levothyroxine.

I wanted to try ndt again because despite following a low carb diet for 18 months I can’t lose weight.

My main concern is the headache. Is this temporary? Should I persevere and if so for how long? Should I stop taking the Armour because of the headache?

I’ve had hypothyroidism for 40 years.

Thanks for any views

Pat

[Lalatoot]

Patricia the advice often given on here is to start with a quarter grain and then increase by a quarter grain every 2 weeks. Likely you have started on too high a dose.

[Patriciamt in reply to Lalatoot]

Hi LalatootI didn’t know that and thought that as I was on 100mcg of Levo and there was only 38mcg of T4 in 1 grain of Armour that that would be okay.

Thank you for your reply.

Pat

[Jazzw in reply to Patriciamt]

You’re right—some people find it possible to do a straight swap. But some are more sensitive to the change.

What I would add is this:

A grain of Armour contains 38mcg of T4 and 9mcg of T3. T3 is roughly (very roughly) equivalent to 3 to 4 times the same amount of T4, i.e., 9mcg of T3 is roughly equal to between 27mcg—36mcg T4.

Even erring on the high side, that’s 38+36=74mcg T4.

You were taking 100mcg levothyroxine. You’ve effectively reduced your dose of thyroid hormones by switching to 1 grain NDT. You might want to consider sticking with the 1 grain for a few more days then raising the dose by a quarter to half a grain daily.

[Patriciamt in reply to Jazzw]

Hi Jazzw thank you for all this information. Pat

[Lalatoot in reply to Patriciamt]

Patricia it is the t3 element of the armour that needs to be considered for starting slowly. Your body needs to be given time to adapt to t3. It is a tricky business getting the dosing correct and there is a lot of trial and error.

[pennyannie]

Hello Patriciamt :

Just to add - another reason why it's suggested to start off low and slow with NDT is that the T4 will have built up in your body, and it takes around 6 - 8 weeks for this to fully leave the body.

So as your T4 level starts to drop you pick up, and increase the NDT dose in 1/4 grain increments over a period of weeks.

You have been on NDT before so know it suits you and just now, the headaches are probably because you have done what seems like a straight swop, and not adjusted for this excess of T4 in your system.

Maybe drop to 1/2 grain for a week or two and then adjust as your symptoms suggest.

[Patriciamt in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you pennyannie. Will do that. Thanks for responding. Pat

[jamesal0]

Yes it gives me a temporary head ache. Split dose your NDT. 60mg with breakfast and 60 with Dinner etc. Taking it with food will give you a delayed absorption which helps. I also use side effects like head ache, temperature and tingles in feet to drive my dosage . You could try dropping 15-30 mg per day see if it helps. I will take a day of two to subside, unless you just skip entire dosage for a day and let the excess flush out of your system. I also smash real coffee and tea (black) with my NDT it fixes the headache to some extent. Some days I'll have 5 cups. I wouldn't take NDT but it's just magic stuff in every other way, keeps the weight off, gives you buckets of energy to participate in sports (sailng, swimming, cycling ) , keeps you feeling young etc.

[humanbean]

One of the easiest experiments you can try, that costs nothing, is to try altering the time(s) you take your thyroid hormones and/or you could break up your total dose into smaller amounts and take more doses. Once you adapt you could then (eventually) start to combine doses.

When I first started taking T3 I couldn't tolerate it in the morning so I moved my first dose to early afternoon (I never ate lunch).

I think the biggest cause of problems in my case was the fact that I had high cortisol and low iron as well as a thyroid problem. I managed to reduce cortisol and raise my iron/ferritin and eventually I could tolerate my T3 more easily. But it did take a long time.

I do agree with the Jazzw - you've reduced your overall dose and that could be your problem.

[Patriciamt in reply to humanbean]

Thank you for the information Humanbean. I’ve been taking it at night about 10pm could that be wrong too? I halved the grain last night but still have a headache today. Will continue on half dose for a while to see if headaches stop. Im noticing I’m very cold at the moment. Pat

[humanbean in reply to Patriciamt]

I’ve been taking it at night about 10pm could that be wrong too?

It is obviously wrong for you if it doesn't work. But 10pm may be fine for someone else. You could try it at other times and see what happens.

[Patriciamt in reply to humanbean]

Thanks Humanbean. I think I will try altering the time and see how that works.

Pat

[pennyannie in reply to Patriciamt]

I take my NDT at around 3.00am when a toilet break wakes me up and this just happens to dovetail in with the circadian rhythm of the body :

My stomach is empty and I fall back to sleep very easily for around another 3/4 hours.

I am with Graves Disease and post RAI thyroid ablation so with no thyroid hormone production of my own and see my NDT as my fuel for the day and value it's full effect whilst I'm wake.

[Patriciamt]

Thanks Pennyannie.I’ll try that too. Anything to get rid of this headache.

Pat