Can anyone tell me whether it's ok to go from Armour back to Levo?

[boing]

I've been on Armour for a few months now - and have gradually increased the dose, but I'm not happy with the balance of it. If T3 'in range' T4 is really low and if T4 is 'in range' T3 is too high. I am really worried about any strain on my heart as it seems stupidly sensitive to everything (food, stress, meds, viruses) and I get loads of palpitations - ectopic beats/racing etc. So I really need the balance to be perfect. Is it a problem to go back to Levothyroxine? How should I do it?

[Jackie]

Hi Certainly you can but not sure of the ratio between them. Have you had a new TSH, T4 and Free T3 test ? that is really the only way to know. I am allergic to Levo ( T4) so I have Armour but I have very low FT3 so I need a little T3 with it, 20mcg. This is unusual and I have blood tests very frequently to ensure my FT3 does not go too high. I see a good endo.

I hope this helps.

Jackie

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[greygoose]

You know, really, the ratio of T4/T3 in Armour is irrelevent because presumably your body is converting that T4 to T3 anyway, it isn't keeping it tucked away just to make your blood tests look good. lol And there's no way you can control how much T4 is converted into T3. This business of the ratio in Armour (pig's thyroid) not being the same as in the human thyroid is just another red herring doctors throw out when they don't want to prescribe Armour.

Well, that's my opinion, anyway. Grey

[boing in reply to greygoose]

Do we not actually need T4 in our bodies (i.e. in it's unconverted state?)

[greygoose in reply to boing]

Not if we're taking T3, no. Lots of people take T3 only and feel much better for it. It's what I'm trying myself at the moment.

And that is another reason why the ratio is irrelevant. T4 is just a storage hormone, it doesn't do anything itself except wait to be converted. So if you have problems converting, why not cut out the middle man, so to speak, and just take T3.

[sandi]

I have similar readings and take some levo as well as the NDT. Could you try this? i.e. reducing Armour until you feel t3 optimal then adding some levo to up the t4?

I'm not sure that is it necessary to up the t4 as Grey says above but I certainly feel better with a higher t4 eventhough I take t3.

[boing in reply to sandi]

Thanks. I might suggest this to my less-than-helpful-other-side-of-the-country endo!

[greygoose in reply to sandi]

But Grey didn't say to up the T4. lol

[Clarebear]

I was going to suggest the same as sandi but she got there first xx

[shaws Administrator]

This is info from Stopthethyroidmadness

stopthethyroidmadness.com/m...

[Glynisrose]

How do you FEEL? If you feel better then stop worrying, you are far more likely to have heart and bone problems if you are underdosed. The numbers mean nothing if you are feeling well and should be regarded with suspicion anyway as they are not accurate indicators of health.

[boing in reply to Glynisrose]

Feel like pants! Cold all the time, can't fight the mid-afternoon need to zonk out, can't get up in the morning, no energy for my children, no motivation, constant heart palps that distract me from everything. Think something isn't right with my medication.

[Glynisrose]

I'm on NDT and I still feel excessively cold on occassions but nowhere near as often as when I was on levo. You might try T3 alone as that might help?