Testing with Armour Thyroid

[ndodge]

Hi all!When is the optimum time to test T4, T3 and TSH when taking Armour? Lots of different info on this. So confusing! My naturopathic doctor says 6 hours after taking it. Is this correct? Thanks so much in advance for clarification on this matter.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

We always suggest splitting NDT the day before into 2 or 3 doses and take the last dose 8-12 hours before the test.

[ndodge in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much for your quick reply! Very helpful!❤️

[pennyannie]

Hello ndodge :

The TSH. T3 and T4 blood tests and ranges were introduced to be used alongside Big Pharma's entry into the market with synthetic T3 - Liothyronine and T4 - Levothyroxine in around the middle of the last century.

Up until that time Natural Desiccated Thyroid was the successful treatment for hypothyroidism and there were no blood tests nor scores to be achieved as the ' 'science ' wasn't there - and patients were simply treated with various sized nuggets of pig thyroid to chew on to relieve their symptoms.

Your blood tests on NDT will look different to those you have as a bench mark to work from.

Your TSH will likely be low but this doesn't matter - your T4 may well be lower than when on T4 monotherapy but your T3 should be proportionately higher.

Some people wait 10-12 hours from last dose, some 24 hours and think this has more to do with trying to find themselves ' in range ' for the NHS doctor who does not know you have switched from Big Pharma medications.

Blood tests are just a snapshot in time and something factual to plot your progress on - if you are happy with your progress and trust the naturopathic doctor, I don't see why you don't follow the recommendation - but whatever you do - be constant and maintain the same timings so all blood reflect the same time differential in future.

[ndodge in reply to pennyannie]

Great information, Pennannie!

Thank you! What you say makes perfect sense. From trial and error, 24 hours is not a good indicator for me. I will go with the 6 hours and just make sure I always do that consistently.

I so appreciate your very detailed reply!

Thanks again 💜

[Panda_26]

ive always left 24 hours but I know that's not the recommendation. I swapped over from thyroxine years ago and didn't realise that I should be doing it differently now on ndt. Im usually having a blood test mainly to satisfy the endo and have always gone by symptoms. If I were to change the way I do it now everyone would probably be confused by such different results! I guess my advice would be whatever way you do it stick to the same method so that the comparison is there if you need it!

[ndodge in reply to Panda_26]

Thank you, AmandaQ!

I've tried going 24 hours and it's not a good time for me. No matter what dose I'm on, the numbers are always too low. I know that's not right because I just bumped up by 15 mgs and I'm feeling so much better. I do think that consistency is the key and for me, testing 6 hours after my morning dose should be the sweet spot! 🤞

I am very grateful for your help.

Thank you❤️

[LAHs]

My two cents worth: I simply do not take my armour the mornings of my blood test, I dash off to the clinic then as fast as I can I buy a drink (just water if possible) and take my daily dose (1.5 grains). "Dash" and "fast" because I feel weird if I don't take my armour straight away upon awakening.

[ndodge in reply to LAHs]

Hi LAHs,

It's so interesting that everyone does it differently! Your way sounds so clean and simple but when I've done the test without taking thyroid first, it register s so low, I know that is not the best way for me. My naturopath bumped me up 15 mgs, I took the test without taking thyroid first and even though I felt way better, all the numbers were the same as before! I was shocked.

I'm goingto test it 6 hours after taking it and see if the numbers move up as they should!

Thank you so much for your input! Much appreciated. 💗

[LAHs in reply to ndodge]

What you have written is quite diagnostic. If you feel better when you do not take your thyroid then maybe you need to reduce your dose rather than, as the naturopath says, bump up to 15mgs. First go for feeling better, then get the set of numbers that you are at. That way, when you do not feel good you will know which way to change (i.e. drop dose or increase dose). How you feel is the overwhelming factor. My TSH is about zero but I am not hyperthyridic which that level of TSH would be indicating, I am normal. I take measurements now and again so as to quantify my "normality".

[ndodge in reply to LAHs]

I apologize if I wasn't clear. I have secondary hypothyroid issues, due to damage to my pituitary.

I built up, 15 mgs at a time to 45mgs of Armour and felt good for about a year. I took a blood test about 4 hours after I had taken my Armour. At that time (July 2021) my naturopath said my numbers looked great and I felt great. T4 and T3 in the upper ranges and TSH very low. I don't have the numbers as that naturopath moved out of state and my computer was hacked. Lost all my info.

After that, I started feeling like my thyroid medication just wasn't working as well. As the months went on while I was trying to find a new naturopath, I felt worse.

I found a new NP ( Naturopathic Doctor) and took a blood test after not taking my thyroid that morning. The numbers were back where I started. T3 and T4 in the dirt, TSH 1.8. I know that's low but when I felt best, it was .2 or thereabout.

My new ND increased my doseby 15mgs, so I am on 60 mgs now. I feel so much better! More energy, not freezing all the time, finally losing weight again on the noom diet. We tested my thyroid again and again, I didn't take mythyroid until after the test, so it was 24 hours since I had taken any.

My results were exactly the same as they had been before increasing my dosage.

That's why I think, for me, I should take the test after taking my morning thyroid at least 4 hours later. Since my new ND says 6 hours, I'll try that.

I hope this is gives a clearer picture of my situation!

Thanks for your kindness and concern!