I started armour about 2 weeks ago and now on 1/12 grains morning and a grain afternoon. This is after 30 years on Levo and according to the doctor thyroid burnout. I have been acutely sensitive to the cold recently but the thing that is bothering me is the low level cold symptoms in particular sore/dry throat all the time . Anyone else had difficulties ? Thanks alot
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Sizzles22
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Thanks. That's a high dose to be on after just a couple of weeks. It may be that you've increased too fast and your system can't tolerate such a rapid change of hormone. As Armour contains T3, it would be usual to start low and increase more slowly.
Irrespective of what dose of T4 - Levothyroxine you were taking it's suggested that one needs to introduce NDT low and slowly build up your dose in 1/4 grain increments weekly or fortnightly.
The T4 will take around 6-8 weeks to fully leave your body and in that period as this form of thyroid hormone replacement diminishes your levels of NDT are built up.
Did you take any bench mark readings of your T3 and T4 levels before starting so you can monitor and track on your T3 levels?
It's recommended that if and when you reach 2 grains you then stay on this dose for 6-8 weeks, letting in bed in and then run a blood test and review your T3 progress and symptom relief.
No thyroid hormone replacement works well until your core strength vitamins and minerals are up and maintained at optimal levels.
Are you monitoring on twice daily blood pressure, pulse and temperature as these are useful physical symptoms that can be reassuring when building up to optimum levels.
I didn’t know about the dairy free or gluten free. I was doing intermittent fasting for the past 2 years - I thought it might improve energy - and then told recently by the GP it was the worst thing to do !
C Reactive Protein (high sensitivity) 0.54 <3.0 mg/L 25 OH Vitamin D 89 50 - 200 nmol/L
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.
Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones
Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron
The present review of the literature regarding B12 status among vegetarians shows that the rates of B12 depletion and deficiency are high. It is, therefore, recommended that health professionals alert vegetarians about the risk of developing subnormal B12 status. Vegetarians should also take preventive measures to ensure adequate intake of this vitamin, including the regular intake of B12 supplements to prevent deficiency. Considering the low absorption rate of B12 from supplements, a dose of at least 250 μg should be ingested for the best results.3
Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working
Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.
According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies
While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first
Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet
(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)
Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse
The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported
In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned
Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.
thanks very much for all the information and advice .
I made a post about this exact thing, armour giving me a dry throat. It passed eventually but I always take it with a big pint of water as apparently ndt is very drying. I was very worried that it was an autoimmune reaction sparked by the NDT but actually it passed.
I also note you mention you are a vegetarian so just wanted to make sure you’re aware that NDT is an animal product, it’s made from pig thyroid.
thanks so much for replying relentlesssearch. When the consultant suggested armour was really worth trying I didn’t know it came from pigs and as a vegetarian I didn’t feel good about it but I have struggled with levo for so many years . I am willing to give it a try. Do you still take it ? Best wishes
yes I still take it, and it’s helping where levo/lio didn’t but it’s early days for me. I am very sensitive and have been hypo for over 20 years so I have much damage to undo. I do find it superior to levo and think it’s worth taking, but I am not a veggie, but glad you are aware it is pigs - I asked my endo and it is a byproduct, not raised purely for their thyroids if that helps
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