[snelsen]

#1065063

I prefer Synthroid. Probably the single important thing is to stick with one brand. Not sure it makes a hill of beans of difference. let’s see what others say…
shirley

[Kimberly]

#1065064

Hello – I have not taken Armour, as I am still on anti-thyroid drugs. However, I have heard mixed reviews from patients who have tried Armour. Some patients swear by it…but others have found that it actually caused a recurrence of their hypER symptoms.

Armour contains both T4 and T3. T3 is the most active and potent of the two hormones. Normally, the body converts T4 to T3 on an “as needed” basis. However, when you take T3 directly, you are getting a big dump of a very powerful hormone…but then it has a fairly short life span within the body. So you could end up with fluctuating hormone levels throughout the day.

Also, for a while, there were some dosages of Armour that were on backorder earlier this year, so this really threw some patients for a loop on their replacement hormone regimen. My understanding is that the manufacturer is starting to ship these dosages again.

As an aside, there is one doctor and author who is a big advocate of using T3 for thyroid patients. The problem is that some Graves’ patients see this information and think that T3 is the answer to all their problems. *However*, when we are in a hypER state, taking in extra T3 is like throwing gasoline on a raging fire!

If you do decide to pursue RAI or surgery and you are interested in Armour, this would be a good discussion to have with your endocrinologist. Hopefully, you will get some responses here as well from members who have used this approach.

[thompson91]

#1018470

I have been doing research and has anyone ever tried the Armour Thyroid? If so, how did it work?
Thanx.
Tina

[thompson91]

#1065065

The local Endo that my family dr referred has used it. It was backorder but I dont think anymore. I like it cause it comes from a natural source not man made. Thats just me. I dont like anything invasive entering the body.

[Ski]

#1065066

Even synthetic thyroid hormone replacement is chemically identical to what our body produces. At first when Armour was produced, they had issues with consistency precisely because it was "natural," and so was more concentrated in some areas than others. Those issues have since been resolved, I’m just pointing out that any thyroid hormone replacement we take is not "invasive" to our body, it’s exactly the same as what our thyroid would release. The small amount of T3 in Armour actually can be damaging, to some, so it’s something to consider carefully. What typically happens with those who have problems is that the patient feels better in the short term, but in the long term begins to see hyper symptoms again, then must switch in order to stay healthy.

[Josh33]

#1065067

Hello,

I switched from levothyroxine to Armour about a year ago. I felt fatigue, brain fog, weak muscles, and a great deal of anxiety when I was taking Levo (I also tried synthroid). I explained how I felt to my Dr and she switched me to the equivalent Armour dose. This changed my life for the better….I can work out now, I can think clearly too, I’m happier and healthier. Kudos to my doctor for allowing me to switch.

Josh

[Bobbi]

#1065068

To those of you who are on, or wish to try the Armour, just be very careful. I am one of the people who added T3 to my replacement regimen long ago, and pretty much for the same reasons Josh states. I wasn’t put on Armour, but on cytomel — the synthetic T3 replacement tablet. Taking cytomel gives a carefully measured dose (as opposed to the Armour at that time, which had a question mark about concentrations). Anyway, the problematic symptoms that caused me to take that pill (and, obviously, caused my endo to prescribe it) went away, leaving me feeling great. I took it for a year, perhaps two, and I began to have problems with it. I was dividing the smallest dose of the pill in half, because I could not tolerate more, and eventually I had chest pains, shortness of breath etc. Heart tests showed aberrant patterns. Blood work discovered that my T3 concentrations were too high, and I was taken off it. I was a bit saddened by this, because I expected the problem symptoms to come back. They did NOT come back. I felt, and continue to feel, very good on simple T4 replacement hormone. T3 is hugely potent, and as a result, can have an adverse effect on your heart. Be very, very careful with any product that contains it.

[thompson91]

#1065069

Ok, I just want to get this straight cause I’m still learning. Is Armour T3 & T4? Is synthroid just one or the other? What about Metholizine (sp) what is that? If I cant take Armour I was thinking about this Metolizine med. Thanks for the help. ” title=”Smile” />

[Ski]

#1065070

Yep, Armour is T3 and T4 replacement thyroid hormone.
Synthroid is T4 replacement thyroid hormone (as is levoxyl, levothroid, and most other thyroid hormone replacements).
Cytomel is T3 replacement only.
Methimazole is an anti-thyroid drug, used for patients who are hyperthyroid.
PTU is another anti-thyroid drug.

[thompson91]

#1065071

Ok, so bare with me. Which is better for graves or dont it matter with the T3 & T4. How do they normally decide which one you need is it by your blood tests? I’m just trying to figure this out. Thanks for your patience.

[SeeSallie]

#1065072

great questions Thompson! Looking forward to more input from the rest.

[Kimberly]

#1065073

Hello – Most of the patients that I’ve come in contact with started with T4 (for the reasons noted above) and then tried adding natural or synthetic T3 if they still don’t feel well. Someone else might be able to jump in with reasons a doctor would recommend T3 at the start of treatment…but in most of the cases I’m aware of, the addition of T3 has come at the patient’s request. Again, keep in mind that while some patients feel great after adding T3 to their replacement regimen, others actually feel worse. This is a personal decision that you will need to make with your doctor’s guidance.

The dosage of replacement hormone will depend on a variety of factors, including weight, age, how hypOthyroid you are, whether you are taking meds that can interfere with absorption, and whether you have any medical issues. (For example, someone with heart disease will likely be given a lower starting dose so that their heart can gradually adjust). Even considering these factors, the initial dosage will be somewhat of an educated guess. You will need to have follow-up labs every few weeks to determine if the dosage needs to be adjusted.

Keep in mind that if you choose surgery, you will be given replacement hormone immediately, as you will no longer have a functioning thyroid. If you opt for RAI, the replacement regimen will not start until your labs indicate that you are hypOthyroid, which can take weeks or even months.

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