Sensitive to Armour fillers?

[Tabbycat76]

I’m struggling to up my Armour dose, which my Dr has advised to do after seeing my results. I feel horrendous, with all over aches and pains and the headache from hell. He’s suggested trying Eltroxin and Liothyronine but I’m struggling to find any without lactose or mannitol. Does anyone know of any brands with less fillers that are better tolerated if you’re sensitive please?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

There is only one UK levothyroxine which contains neither mannitol nor lactose and that is Aristo. Unfortunately, currently it only comes in 100 microgram tablets.

Roma capsules and Teva tablet liothyronine contain neither mannitol nor lactose.

helvella's medicines documents (UK and Rest of the World) can be found here:

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

helvella has created, and tries to maintain, documents containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

This link takes you to a page which has direct links to the documents from Dropbox and Google Drive, and QR codes to make it easy to access from phones.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[Jazzw]

Well, hang on. What is it, exactly, that’s making you think it’s the fillers in Armour?

How much Armour do you currently take, and by how much are you trying to raise it?

[Jazzw]

Just to add, the fillers (excipients) in Armour are:

Calcium stearate, dextrose, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, opadry white

When it comes to causing sensitivity reactions, none of the usual suspects are in there. Not saying it’s impossible for it to be something about one of the fillers, more that it’s not especially likely.

[Charlie-Farley]

Hi Ralphmissy19

Perhaps it might be an idea to share any recent tests you have had? It's not enough to be 'in range' and actually on NDT I believe it is better to dose on symptoms and other vital measurements - the range is there more for managing hypothyroidism with synthetic hormones (pharma produced). I'll tag in someone who I think knows a fair bit about this from lived experience pennyannie ?

[Aurealis]

Do you take Armour and Liothyronine at the same time? I had terrible headaches with Armour but they stopped when I started taking Liothyronine at the same time. Not sure I could increase Armour though…

[Tabbycat76]

I have lots of insensitivities to food and struggled taking Adcal D3 (guessing because of fillers) and the Dr has suggested it might be the fillers in Armour I’m sensitive to. I have no idea if I defo am or not. I just know that since Jan after I went up to 2 grains and a week ago going up to 3, I have felt dreadful. I put it down to stress at first (work situation) but that’s eased off a bit now. I have been taking 2 grains together in morning and 1 early afternoon do now trying 1 every four hours from 6.30am. Here are my results… most recent top left 14/3/2023, then 19/12/22, 11/7/22, and 28/1/23

Results

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Tabbycat76]

Can you explain the results in the chart you have posted?

I've heard of, and very occasionally seen, unusual ways for presenting results. But I cannot make much sense of it.

[Tabbycat76 in reply to helvella]

apologies, edited above

[pennyannie]

Hello There :

So just reading your reply above, were you ok on NDT until you went over 2 grains ?

Maybe you do not need 2 grains at any one time - and taking too much Armour ?

It is suggested that you slowly increase NDT in 1/4 grain increments weekly or fortnightly -

You must slowly build up your dose and if you get to 2 grains you hold that dose for 6-8 weeks and then run a blood test to see how your T3 and T4 compare to the bench mark readings that you took prior to starting the NDT.

Do you have this above blood test results from before and after starting NDT. ?

I switched from 125mcg T4 to NDT overnight and started on 1/2 grain.

Weekly I increased by 1/4 grains :

I monitored my blood pressure, pulse and temperature twice daily - the first 2 remained stable and my body temperature slowly rose from 35.4 to 36.6.

I took 1 + 3/4 grain and felt I had gone backwards - so dropped down to 1 + 1/2 grain stayed there for 6 weeks and then ran a blood test.

My T3 was 110% and my T4 25% through the ranges, I felt very well, not over medicated, and my T3 and T4 had literally swopped positions to when they were on T4 monotherapy.

I'm with Graves post RAI thyroid ablation in 2005 and understand that my dose is relatively low compared to many others and I do not split my dose.

[Tabbycat76 in reply to pennyannie]

I felt ok on 1.5 grains but tired

[pennyannie in reply to Tabbycat76]

OK - so I would think if you were sensitive to the fillers it would have occurred on this lower dose you felt better on but still had symptoms of tiredness and your blood test results all show very low T3 and T4 levels.

The bottom left results at least shows a T3 and T4 in range - when was this and what were you taking then ?

I think you have just gone too fast - as NDT needs time to bed in and settle within the body.

I suggest you stop the NDT for a few days and then go back to 1 + 1/2 grains and let this build up in your body and see where you are in 6 weeks - just track on the T3 and T4 with the T3 being the most important of the two.

Do you have any current readings for ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D as these all need to be maintained at optimal for any thyroid hormone replacement to work well.

T3 - Liothyronine was, for me, much more powerful and I felt turbo charged and slightly spaced out - so am not sure this is the answer at this point in time.

If you wish to stay on NDT and feel it is the fillers you could get the NDT compounded and take a capsule and by pass all the fillers ?

[Tabbycat76 in reply to pennyannie]

vitamins

Vit results

[Tabbycat76]

Bottom left was 28/1/22 on thyroxine before I started my Armour journey

[pennyannie in reply to Tabbycat76]

Yes, I've just been reading your previous questions and see I replied to you then and saw that your ' best ' blood test reading and highest T3 /T4 readings were when you were on T4 monotherapy but hurting all over with aches, stiffness and pain.

What astounds me is that 3 months ago you were feeling improved and working out on a treadmill - and on less NDT than you are now.

With a T3 so low I think you are likely depleting your body's energy before you are even on the right dose and possibly compounding your own health issues.

I think you might find staying away from the gym at this point in time the better option and wait until you have built back up your thyroid hormones to optimal and to a level that can sustain this sort of exercise and not leave you with that ' pay back ' of over exerting yourself.

I could be totally wrong - of course - but I think you have probably gone past your best dose and trying to do too much too soon.

I think your B12 and folate could do with a bit of help ?

[Geography1]

Hi there, I am an extremely sensitive person, I have MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) and I can just tell you about my experience with armour and np thyroid, I was on both, at different times in a period of 3 years. First I started with NP 30mg, was fine for 2 months, when they tried to up the dose I started getting anxiety attacks, so I would go back to the 30, did that for 6 months, my anxiety got so bad I was recommended to stop it, didn’t take anything for months, felt worse, went to another doctor, she agreed on armour, given my history, she started me on 1/2 a 15mg, everyday, same deal, every time I tried to up the dose, the anxiety would come back, I was feeling so horrible, started even getting Raynauds, and my TSH went from 4, to 7 and finally to 16, my t4 and t3 didn’t improve, So I decided to switch to synthroid and its has been almost 2 months and I feel alive again, No anxiety, no tenseness, no rynauds, it’s amazing, I got my test back and my TSH is back to 7, t3 went up a little t4 also, They are probably going to put me on 50, I’m hoping it will keep getting better, I had a really bad time for 3 years with NTD and came to the conclusion it is not for everyone. Hope you find something that suits your body and makes you feel good

[ThyroidThora]

Hi,

I’ve looked at the other posts (below) and perhaps you have gone a bit hard and fast on increasing your Armour dose. I’ve got a miriad of allergies and the synthetics (Levothyroxine and T3 in mono therapy and together) made me seriously ill but I’m much better on the Armour. Could you be allergic to the multivitamins? I’m allergic to oranges and vitamin C is made from them. Plus, I’m allergic to vitamin D3 because it’s made from lanolin and I’m allergic to all parts of sheep and lamb, wool, meat, fat the whole kit and caboodle!

I hope you manage to get to the bottom of things and start to feel better soon.

TTxx.