UPDATE How to gradually reduce dosage of desiccated thyroid (armour)?

[Aligoth]

A couple of weeks ago I posted asking about how would you go about reducing medication for genetic hypothyroidism.

I was on 6 grains of Armour Thyroid which concerts roughly to 54mcg of t3 and 228mcg of T4.

On this dosage I get in the higher quarter/ third of range for t3 and despite my average heart rate being now around 75 everything works.

However, I am going through investigations for possible breast cancer so anything aimed at raising metabolism (hence growth) seemed worth looking into, so after some research I tried to go down to 5 grains from 6.

Once before.my first endo tried reducing my dosage, after a month I was full on in depression and don't remember most of it, my numbers turned out to be lower than unmedicated at that time (on 20mcg t3) so through that I learnt that t3 plays stole directly in the production of serotonin.

What I discovered this time is that it also plays a role in Dopamine production.

Today it's been 8 days I was on 5 grains. I. The last 48h I've had a weird disconnect, somewhat frustration without being able to pinpoint why, really unlike me.

My spouse who has low dopamine and ADHD made me notice I seemed to react the way they do to things when unmmedicated.

I do have a genetic polymorphism where I actually retain and produce more dopamine than most people (worrier/warrior gene behind met/met for those into that stuff) so this feeling is very unfamiliar. I can't get anything done, words escape me the moment I try to think them, my natural pleasure in doing lists and flag stuff as done has completely disappeared, I cannot go near a task because the frustration seems impossible to handle.

So fair enough, I've learnt my lesson. I'll go back to 6 grains today hoping I get my brain back soon.

[tattybogle]

Hi aligoth .

In the past when trying a lower dose of levo , i've made my mind up it's no good by about day 10 /14 and gone back up .

However i now realise that this is far too soon to make your mind up .

last time i reduced from 125 to 112.5mcg i did indeed feel very undermedicated/ not with it/ overtired / sluggish / during the first 2/3 /4 weeks of the lower dose , and was mildly constipated for a week or 2 , but from week 5 onwards things were slowly improving again , and in fact by 3 mths i realised i felt better overall on the lower dose than i had on 125. .. my sleep was better than it had been for a few yrs , and a bunch of random aches and pains had vanished .... but if you'd asked me at at any time during week 1 - 5 , i would have been absolutely adamant that the new dose was too low as i was really struggling to function as well as i had on the higher dose.

it feel a bit like a pendulum swings too far the wrong way for a few wks , before settling back in the middle once the body has had time to adjust to the new levels .if you know what i mean .

so i've now learnt to give any dose change at least 5/6 wks before making my mind up. however 'wrong' it feels initially .

[Poniesrfun]

I wouldn't want to make any overt suggestions without seeing a rather full history of meds and related test results (that's rhetorical). But, if you really want to reduce, have you considered lowering half a grain while at the same time adding back 5 mcg of T3. Rinse, repeat.

Though I would also wonder if you have tracked reverse T3 when you've made changes. Presume you're self medicating and private testing...?

Patti in AZ

[Aligoth in reply to Poniesrfun]

No the irony is I'm on this dosage under recommendation of my NHS endo and I get armour prescribed under the NHS and I've been for a year now. Self medicated I would have never dared going past 4 grains.

[radd]

Aligoth,

There is thought that not every type of cancer is accelerated by meds giving you a ‘normal’ metabolism, and making yourself hypo invites opportunity for further vulnerability.

You have already found to your detriment allowing T3 levels to reduce negatively affects the neurotransmitters. We have more T3 receptors in our brain than anywhere else on the body.

One member actually had her meds increased when dealing with breast cancer and I’ll tag her for you waveylines

I have no experience of cancer and am sorry you are having these investigations.

[waveylines]

Hello Aliogoth. I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this. It's a very tough time. All the not knowing is hard on you and your family. Sending you big hugs. It sounds like they are currently typing the sort of BC you have? (a very important stage to determine best treatment plan) or are you waiting to know if you have BC? I'm on NDT and have been through the full works for a very aggressive muti focal breast cancer, including reconstruction. I remain in remission 9 years later.

I really would not mess with your Thyroid meds at this stage. You need to be optimal so you can cope with any treatment. My Oncologist was horrified when a private Endo wanted to lower my thyroid hormones to "reduce cancer growth." My Oncologist told me we are not going to do this. I need your thyroid hormones optimal to cope with the treatment. The rest of the MDT agreed. I went to a NHS Endo recommended on Thyroid UK list and he agreed with my Oncologist and MDT and worked with them.

There is a lot of mis-information around thyroid hormones increasing the growth of BC. Generally these are lab conditions where they are growing BC cells not human bodies and certainly not people with Hypothyroidism being treated for BC.

Just to be clear my thyroid meds were not increased but I remained on my optimal dose not reduced. During a years long aggressive treatment I left my thyroid tests etc to my Oncologist. At one point the Ft4 went over range and when I later found out I told my Oncologist off! 🤣 We had a good relationship. I said they shouldn't be over range you should've told me so I could lower. He said I needed you to fight. I decided to lower a tadge to get back in range. I had a 10cms plus very aggressive tumour. It totally went with the right chemo and Herceptin and when I had my mastectomy the labs found absolutely no evidence of a tumour. It had been zeroed by the treatment. I still had a masectomy and a year after treatment had finished I went for a DIEP for breast reconstruction.... Very happy with it.

So please don't be influenced by all that you read that thyroid hormones increase cancer. Wait to hear what your Oncologist and the MDT have to say. They deal with BC day in and out. They know what they are doing. They saved my life.

[FancyPants54 in reply to waveylines]

Very wise advice.