Why do I suddenly feel terrible but still taking Armour?

[lauraleeds666]

I have been happy as a clam and able to function and be part of the world since I started Armour two grains a day in Sept 2022. This was after a year on levo that did nothing for me.

Around Xmas 2023, I started feeling sluggish and constipated. Bloods were done mid Feb through my private thyroid doctor:

TSH = 0.016 (range = 0.27 to 4.2)

FT3 = 4.9 (range = 3.1 to 6.8).

FT4 = 15.1 (range = 12 to 22)

I feel good when my FT3 hovers around 6. It seems to have dropped quite a bit recently but I don't know why. I am taking my Armour exactly like I have done everyday since I started in Sept 2022.

My private thyroid doctor recommended an increase in Armour by a quarter of a grain a day and bloods six weeks later. I started doing that dose on 1st April. The constipation started to ease after about a week.

Since 13th (6 days ago) I have felt absolutely terrible. I have constant pain all over my body, sometimes pins and needles, joints are throbbing, brain fog, memory like a sieve, can't string a sentence together, having to go to bed for 2 hours every afternoon, feels like I'm underwater and everyone else is on land, occasionally can't focus my eyes. The symptoms are exactly like just before I was diagnosed in 2021. Apart from now I am taking two and a quarter grains of Armour a day.

Can anyone propose a theory as to what is going on? And any actions I can take to feel better? Or just stick it out? I'm supposed to submit a work grant proposal for £800k today but currently the screen is swimming in front of me!

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

Sounds like you need to be taking a look at your Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin levels as these are all essential to make good use of thyroid hormones and your symptoms tie in with these

[lauraleeds666 in reply to TiggerMe]

Mid Feb test results for those were:

Vit D = 107 (50 - 250)

B12 = 356 (145 - 569)

Folate = 43 (>7)

Ferritin = 86 (30 - 150)

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to lauraleeds666]

Mid range B12 might be the issue, generally better nearer top end if not over as it doesn't necessarily mean it is getting where it needs to be

Could it be peri menopause or menopause symptoms?

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to lauraleeds666]

Your B12 is too low. Are you taking a supplement?

I see you are away at the moment. Can you try and find a methylcobalmin supplement of at least 1,000iu?

[pennyannie]

Hey there again :

Looking back I see you had some issues raising your dose at 1.75 grains ?

Are your blood pressure, pulse and temperature - as usual for you ?

Could be a different batch of Armour that is slightly less / more potent ?

Could your Hashimoto's be at play ?

[lauraleeds666]

Yes for a short period of time my FT3 was over range on two grains a day (although I felt great and had no symptoms of being over treated). My thyroid doctor goes by FT3 (not TSH) so she was concerned about it being over range. I went down to 1.75 grains but didn't feel as good. So I went back up to two grains and the FT3 dropped down to being around 6 and it's never been over range since. We never found an explanation for what happened.

My pulse and temperature are normal for me. My blood pressure has been slightly raised ever since I switched to Armour. But I don't have a way of measuring it currently as I'm working in Switzerland for a month.

I did wonder about it being a batch issue with Armour. I thought they were quality checked though and that's why practitioners prefer branded Armour over other forms of DTE?

What do you mean by "Hashimoto's at play"?

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to lauraleeds666]

 Tagged pennyannie you forgot the reply button so she won't be alerted 🤗

[pennyannie in reply to lauraleeds666]

I would drop your dose down by 1/4 grain and see if this makes you more comfortable.

With Hashimoto's you are liable to ' swings ' and hyper type symptoms as this Auto Immune disease systematically attacks and destroys your thyroid gland -

but as with any swing- when it swings back -

your gland is further damaged and ultimately will become totally disabled with you needing more thyroid hormone support.

There are some Hashimoto's patients who can't tolerate NDT as just introducing natural thyroid gland triggers their immune system further - but seeing as you were well and happy on Armour for a good year - I think it more a case of possible over medication :

thyroidpharmacist.com

I take Thyroid S - another brand of NDT - and we have had issues with certain batches and since all NDT products are made from the same source - USP Thyroid powder - it's just a thought about the potency/ fillers used - and yes - all NDT brands do need to fall within the accepted medical tolerance level - and why some batches get recalled.

[lauraleeds666 in reply to pennyannie]

Thanks so much. I will drop back down to two grains a day and see what happens. Do you know why potential over treatment would lead to these symptoms I'm having? I thought over treatment gave symptoms like palpitations, tremor, anxiety and diarrhea?

[pennyannie in reply to lauraleeds666]

I don't know but think looking back at previous posts and where you are now that you might be a little over medicated -

all you can do is drop back down a little and see if this results in these symptoms being eased -

Symptoms are not clear cut and under and over medicated can be very similar with everyone's unique set point where they feel ' just right ' unique to them :

You also have Hashimoto's so liable to erratic own thyroid hormone production.

Has you vision improved as the day has passed ?

[lauraleeds666 in reply to pennyannie]

Vision has been erratic but I managed to do some work this afternoon after a strong coffee. Thanks for responding to me. I'm so frustrated with these horrid symptoms I just burst into tears. Fingers crossed it resolves soon.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to lauraleeds666]

If coffee worked then I'd look into your adrenals and cortisol levels

[lauraleeds666 in reply to TiggerMe]

I had the four point saliva cortisol test in late 2022. The first test on waking was low in range but not below range. I thought that was odd as I was expecting it to come back high cortisol. The other three points throughout the day were normal. My thyroid doctor who recommended I take the test said there wasn't any evidence of Cushings or Addisons so she wouldn't recommend any treatment... Do you think I should take this test again or push my doctor further?

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to lauraleeds666]

Might be worth revisiting, low in the morning would suggest they were starting to struggle but it seems to be a long slow decline, it could be if you are on a little to much Armour that will be adding to the strain on them... are you being kind to your adrenals and giving them plenty of Vit C and salt?

Dr's not really interested in adrenal fatigue so it's a case of becoming your own advocate and perhaps adding some adrenal cortex to give them a little help 🤗

[pennyannie in reply to lauraleeds666]

Try sleeping it off - and hopefully tomorrow you'll feel a bit better :

It's so upsetting especially as you are away from home, working in a foreign country with all this responsibility.

[lauraleeds666 in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you for understanding. I don't know these new colleagues and so I'm having to mask and pretend everything is fine. I must look like crap though because of my new colleagues asked me last night at dinner if I was feeling ok 😬

[pennyannie in reply to lauraleeds666]

Try not to overthink it - you are not well - and under a lot of stress with this convention or whatever it is you are attending - and being amongst new colleagues and networking is putting you under additional pressure -

for all they know it's a case of food poisoning - just excuse yourself and look after yourself -

Do you split your dose and were able to drop 1/4 grain this afternoon ?

If you wake up tomorrow feeling a little better maybe try dropping a further 1/4 on the am dose or if worse - maybe skip the am dose completely and see how you go :