Re-post with more complete info: Armour dosage change with inconsistent effect. Has anyone experienced this?

[PocketPotato]

Hi, this is a more thorough version of my previous post with all relevant info. Maybe more than anything, I could really just use some encouragement on this long, tough journey. Recently hit a snag with my progress on Armour and wanted to know if anyone had a similar experience or any suggestions. After three dose increases had been steadily lowering my TSH and I had been experiencing some real relief of symptoms and return to normalcy, my latest dose increase had symptoms rushing back in and TSH jumped back up rather high.

I am in the United States, and I am getting my testing done and getting my armour prescription through an endocrinologist with Kaiser Permanente, my standard healthcare provider. They also supply the medication.

My hypothyroidism is a side effect of an immunotherapy treatment for melanoma I underwent approximately two years ago, which ended in July 2023. I also got type 1 diabetes in 2020 from treatment, which is well-controlled with CGM and insulin pump. Cancer has been in full remission for 2.5 years now

The hypo showed up in my monthly screenings during treatment, when TSH suddenly jumped to 58. Not 5.8, 58. Levothyroxine was the first treatment given, and I’ve attempted it and stopped twice now. Unfortunately it didn’t relieve physical symptoms at all, and gave me incredibly dangerous psych side effects - severe anxiety, urgent suicidality, and just general disorientation. Really really frightening. We paused the meds to see if thyroid had recovered and I didn’t need it, but I got SEVERELY ill without it, so we assume I have little to no function left. I gave levo another full shot for six months and got to a TSH of 1.8 but it was pure torture that never improved. Armour does not have this effect. I switched to it this past December, going from 75mcg levo to 45mg Armour to start.

My endocrinologist is having me increase by 15mg and re-test free t4, total t3, and TSH every four weeks. Here are labs from December onwards, with each set of values taken after four weeks at the listed dose:

45mg - TSH 6 (0.5-4.2) Free T4 0.9 (0.8-1.7), Total T3 114 (50-170)

60mg - TSH 3.5, FT4 0.9, TT3 109

75mg - TSH 2.3, FT4 1, TT3 185

90mg - TSH 4.6, FT4 0.9, TT3 135

These labs were collected in the morning, fasted, about 2 hours after taking my morning pill (which I now know is not best practice, will switch to testing before dose) I have also sent a message to my doc to request a FREE t3 test, rather than TOTAL.

My iron, D and b12 levels all got tested over the past year and were in good range.

Any advice or experiences anyone can share would be so welcome ♥️

[1eskimo]

I stopped taking Armour because the batches were too inconsistent — not to mention the changes in excipients that really messed me up. That’s why I now take T3 (Cynomel) along with a desiccated thyroid supplement, Metavive II. But it’s the T3 that forms the core of my treatment. I’m not saying that’s what you should do, just to be clear — but that’s how I solved my problem.

[pennyannie]

Hey there again :

It is difficult to say much more as we recommend blood tests when on NDT at around 10 hours since last dose of Armour and we need to see a Free T3 and Free T4 blood test from the same blood sample

No thyroid hormone replacement works well until the ore strength co-factors of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D are up and maintained at optima levels -

Being in a range is one thing - but being at an optimal level within the range something very different -

i now aim to maintain my ferritin at around 100 - folate at around 20 - active B12 around 125 ( serum B12 500++ ) and vitamin D up at around 125.

I take NDT and it does present differently in blood test results -

when optimally medicated your TSH will likely be suppressed /low at under the range -

and your T3 may well be higher in its range with your T4 lower in its range to when first taking T4 synthetic thyroid hormone replacement.

[terebol]

After Nature-throid left the market, I tried levo & lio - it was a no go for me. Started NP thyroid around Jan '22-only 3 excipients. Last October started feeling like I needed dose increase, but by time end of year came & I had labs done, my FT3 had dropped from my comfortable 2.8 to 2! I switched over to Anil brand & have felt so normal/good for the 2mos. I have been on this. The Anil brand has a few more excipients, so I am thinking that, maybe, I need those excipients to help me absorb better?? I get 6mos. supply ( out of pocket) & it was in month 4 I started noticing it was less efficacious. So even a brand name may, very well, have inconsistencies. Disconcerting, when you can't depend upon big pharma to work