Re: Another newbie & a question

[Guest guest]

I've always had digestive issues, and I have been using Lugol's for a few weeks now with no problems. That's only one data point, of course, but I wouldn't necessarily rule Lugol's out just because of horror stories about digestive problems. I don't even think it tastes bad.If you are getting thyroid care from an endo, you are probably being mistreated and undertreated. They will generally only give you synthetic T4, and only dose by the TSH. For better options, see http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/HTH! -- prrreborn1000 <reborn1000@...> wrote: Hi folks, I'm pretty sure I'm low on iodine since I seem to have most of the symptoms that come with that. I've read through past posts, and all the info here. Zoe,

this place is full of really great stuff about iodine, thank you. I've got some iodine ordered, but I'm REALLY concerned about how it will affect my gut. I've got digestive issues, and can't handle many different kinds of suppliments, sigh. Canhelp2, I see that you use Iosol (painted on) to get your iodine. Are you using the regular (internally safe) kind or the Skin Painting kind? I ordered the regular Iosol, but didn't get the other one. Btw, I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I've been on thyroid meds for several years, but they don't seem to like me very well, and the endo's I've seen haven't been very encouraging. I think I could've seen Dr. , Dr. Fine, and Dr. , and gotten the same results. ;-) Thanks for everyone's help. Liz gave me this group info, thanks Liz. Ren�e

Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less.

[Guest guest]

Thanks , for your help. That thyroid link is a great place for good info.

I know that

Armour is supposed to be the best, but I did horrible with it. I've had thyroid

problems for

years, and of course, docs testing my TSH said all was fine. But in June of

2003, my TSH

went really high. I have BAD Springtime allergies, and when June comes around,

my Hashi

antibodies go from being around 130 each month, to somewhere over 1000. My lab

quits

measuring them after they go above 1000 so I don't know what they actually are.

Needless to say, Spring is hell for me and my thyroid.

When my TSH spiked, my regular doc said I was hypo and put me on Synthroid. I

got

online and was told to get my own bloodwork, and test my Free T3 & 4 and

antibodies. My

Free T 3 and 4 were great at this point. Both in the upper ranges of the

labwork. When

my doc found out I had Hashi's he panicked and sent me to an Endo.

That Endo only uses Armour. When I FIRST started taking Armour (1 grain), I

sware, I

thought it was a miracle drug. I felt 20 years younger!!!!! All my thyroid

symptoms

vanished! But I was one of those who needed to split my pill into twice a day

dosages

because of the T3 let down.

After about 3 months I felt worse than before I went on the Armour. I called

the doc, but

he had told me not to come back for 6 months, and didn't want to be bothered.

Finally, he

said to increase my Armour to 90mg. I started getting really bad migraines, and

my eyes

would burn and water really bad. This Endo would NOT listen to me. His

attitude was that

no one has any problems with Armour. No wonder he didn't have many patients.

Armour

or no Armour, people are different. When a doc won't listen......well......

I found a " recommended Endo " at 's website, and went to see him. Meanwhile,

all this

time I'm on Armour I'm doing my OWN bloodwork because the Armour Endo didn't

want to

be bothered. My Free's kept getting lower and lower, and so did my health. At

one point I

had almost no Free T3, gulp.

So, I went to this NEW Endo......he ONLY prescribes Cytomel for his patients.

He says that

T4 gets converted by the liver into T3, and it's the T3 that our cells use. So

he put me on

Cytomel, and told me to quit the Armour. When I quit the Armour, the migraines

& eye

problems stopped. I felt pretty good on the Cytomel for about 6 months. I

wasn't cold

anymore, had energy, etc. But then, I started feeling myself going down. The

problem is

that my TSH is in the hyper range right now, and I feel a tad bit wired, my hair

is falling

out, and I'm starting to get headaches like I did on Armour.

I dunno. I wish I'd never started taking thyroid drugs. Somehow, my body

doesn't seem

to like them for very long. Since I've got almost all the symptoms of someone

who is low

on iodine, and since I get almost none in my diet, I thought I'd try to get my

iodine levels

up before trying to tackle my thyroid again. You know....it really IS a sad

state of affairs

when patients have to treat themselves. At least on this Cytomel my Free T3 is

FINALLY

where it is supposed to be. Problem is, my Free T4 is so low that it isn't even

in the lab

range numbers now. This Endo wouldn't care, but it makes me nervous.

Espeically with

all my hair loss now.

Hope the iodine helps,

Renée

Hi folks,

>

> Btw, I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I've been on thyroid meds for several

years, but

they

> don't seem to like me very well, and the endo's I've seen haven't been very

encouraging.

[Guest guest]

, I am so sorry that you went through this experience with

Armour. If I had not found the Natural Thyroid Hormones Group and

the Stop the Thyroid Madness website, I would have had the very same

experience.

I learned through the NTH group that the human thyroid produces the

equivalent to 3-5 grains of Armour, so most people do best on that

amount as Armour suppresses the thyroid.

I also learned that you need to adjust your dose every couple of

weeks until you reach 3 grains.

, you were very hypo at 90 mg even! I would feel like a dead

person on that amount.

The Endo you went to was only good for your Armour Rx..he obviously

didn't know how to dose Armour.

If you ever decide to try Armour again, go to

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

and read, read, read. By using the guidelines on this site, I have

my life back! I am on 4 1/4 grains of Armour and my hypo symptoms

are gone. My TSH is suppressed to nearly zero and I have NO hyper

symptoms. In fact, I may need to raise my Armour even higher as I

still run an average temperature in the 97s.

I am hoping that the addition of iodine will allow me to take LESS

Armour.

Missy

>

> That Endo only uses Armour. When I FIRST started taking Armour (1

grain), I sware, I

> thought it was a miracle drug. I felt 20 years younger!!!!! All

my thyroid symptoms

> vanished! But I was one of those who needed to split my pill into

twice a day dosages

> because of the T3 let down.

>

> After about 3 months I felt worse than before I went on the

Armour. I called the doc, but

> he had told me not to come back for 6 months, and didn't want to

be bothered. Finally, he

> said to increase my Armour to 90mg. I started getting really bad

migraines, and my eyes

> would burn and water really bad. This Endo would NOT listen to

me. His attitude was that

> no one has any problems with Armour. No wonder he didn't have

many patients. Armour

> or no Armour, people are different. When a doc won't

listen......well......

>

> I found a " recommended Endo " at 's website, and went to see

him. Meanwhile, all this

> time I'm on Armour I'm doing my OWN bloodwork because the Armour

Endo didn't want to

> be bothered. My Free's kept getting lower and lower, and so did

my health. At one point I

> had almost no Free T3, gulp.

>

[Guest guest]

> I dunno. I wish I'd never started taking thyroid drugs. Somehow, my body

> doesn't seem

> to like them for very long.

, your story really bummed me out! I am by no means an expert on

thyroid, but I've been to a few seminars and your case sounds like one often

used for demonstration. A couple of things to consider: the thyroid meds

created cellular resistance to the T3. You could have plenty of free

hormone, your cells just aren't taking it up. This could explain feeling

hypothyroid but getting toxic symptoms.

I don't know how Cytomel works but it also sounds like you need to consider

pituitary function/feedback loop function.

Healing the thyroid is actually further down the list of cascade reactions,

ie, by healing some other stuff first the thyroid starts self-correcting.

Elaine

[Guest guest]

Thanks Missy. What frightened me the most was those horrible migraines. I

don't get

headaches, but those migraines along with my eyes full of pressure, and dry and

watering

like crazy, scared me to bits. As soon as I stopped the Armour that all went

away. Now, it

feels like it is starting to happen with the Cytomel. It's like these meds like

me in the

beginning, but then after a while, they don't. The one thing I DID find out

about thyroid

problems is that it is really better to get help from other patients than

doctors. Each doc

swares that his way is the only way. I've got Hashi's, and I've never had an

ultrasound.

The bloodwork I've had done was on my own dime. It boggles my mind. One doc

told me

that Hashi's is extremely rare. Another said it is the cause of 90% of hypo

patients. But I'll

tell ya one thing......if it's " rare " it darn well could be because no docs test

for it, lol.

I appreciate your help Missy. When I get my iodine level up to where it should

be, then I'll

try to have another go with my thyroid meds. I like the idea of the Natural

thyroid stuff,

like Armour, but believe me, when my EYES start going nuts, I panic!!! And

trying to get

Naturethroid around here is like trying to raise the dead. From what I read at

's link,

the same one you gave me, Armour and Naturethroid seem to be the same. I

thought that

Armour had cornstarch in it, but it doesn't look like it.

Thanks!

Renée

>

> , I am so sorry that you went through this experience with

> Armour. If I had not found the Natural Thyroid Hormones Group and

> the Stop the Thyroid Madness website, I would have had the very same

> experience.

>

> I learned through the NTH group that the human thyroid produces the

> equivalent to 3-5 grains of Armour, so most people do best on that

> amount as Armour suppresses the thyroid.

>

> I also learned that you need to adjust your dose every couple of

> weeks until you reach 3 grains.

>

> , you were very hypo at 90 mg even! I would feel like a dead

> person on that amount.

>

> The Endo you went to was only good for your Armour Rx..he obviously

> didn't know how to dose Armour.

>

> If you ever decide to try Armour again, go to

> http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

> and read, read, read. By using the guidelines on this site, I have

> my life back! I am on 4 1/4 grains of Armour and my hypo symptoms

> are gone. My TSH is suppressed to nearly zero and I have NO hyper

> symptoms. In fact, I may need to raise my Armour even higher as I

> still run an average temperature in the 97s.

>

> I am hoping that the addition of iodine will allow me to take LESS

> Armour.

> Missy

>

> >

> > That Endo only uses Armour. When I FIRST started taking Armour (1

> grain), I sware, I

> > thought it was a miracle drug. I felt 20 years younger!!!!! All

> my thyroid symptoms

> > vanished! But I was one of those who needed to split my pill into

> twice a day dosages

> > because of the T3 let down.

> >

> > After about 3 months I felt worse than before I went on the

> Armour. I called the doc, but

> > he had told me not to come back for 6 months, and didn't want to

> be bothered. Finally, he

> > said to increase my Armour to 90mg. I started getting really bad

> migraines, and my eyes

> > would burn and water really bad. This Endo would NOT listen to

> me. His attitude was that

> > no one has any problems with Armour. No wonder he didn't have

> many patients. Armour

> > or no Armour, people are different. When a doc won't

> listen......well......

> >

> > I found a " recommended Endo " at 's website, and went to see

> him. Meanwhile, all this

> > time I'm on Armour I'm doing my OWN bloodwork because the Armour

> Endo didn't want to

> > be bothered. My Free's kept getting lower and lower, and so did

> my health. At one point I

> > had almost no Free T3, gulp.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Elaine,

I was tested awhile back for my pituitary function and my adrenals. They were

all

" normal " . ;-) This was by blood work and saliva testing. I don't know if was

the same test

that you've mentioned here. I'll google it and see. So many tests, so few

answers.

Thanks,

Renée

>

>

> > I dunno. I wish I'd never started taking thyroid drugs. Somehow, my body

> > doesn't seem

> > to like them for very long.

>

> , your story really bummed me out! I am by no means an expert on

> thyroid, but I've been to a few seminars and your case sounds like one often

> used for demonstration. A couple of things to consider: the thyroid meds

> created cellular resistance to the T3. You could have plenty of free

> hormone, your cells just aren't taking it up. This could explain feeling

> hypothyroid but getting toxic symptoms.

>

> I don't know how Cytomel works but it also sounds like you need to consider

> pituitary function/feedback loop function.

>

> Healing the thyroid is actually further down the list of cascade reactions,

> ie, by healing some other stuff first the thyroid starts self-correcting.

>

> Elaine

>

[Guest guest]

Apparently normal in conventional medicine is radically different than

normal in natural medicine. Also, one natural doc said of all the patients

he tests that come into his office, 30-40% are producing antibodies to their

thyroid, so I figure hashi's is a lot more common than we think!

Elaine

--

"

> Hi Elaine,

>

> I was tested awhile back for my pituitary function and my adrenals. They were

> all

> " normal " . ;-) This was by blood work and saliva testing. I don't know if was

> the same test

> that you've mentioned here. I'll google it and see. So many tests, so few

> answers.

>

[Guest guest]

Wow, you've been through the wringer. I don't want to get too "thyroidy" on the iodine group, but briefly:1. Blood tests are crude measures, at best. Symptoms matter more than tests.2. TSH is dang near useless. Ignore it.3. If you have trouble on doses of Armour less than 3 grains, it is usually either weak adrenals or low ferritin. Ferritin can be tested by blood, but for adrenals you need saliva tests.4. Increase Armour by 1/4 grain every 3-6 weeks, by symptoms. Ignore transient symptoms that last less than a week.I agree with stabilizing your iodine first. I'm new to this iodine stuff, so I have no particular wisdom there. My SIL was on 150 mcg of Cytomel for years, but it's a very bumpy ride, and she is now on 4 1/2 grains of Armour and 50 Iodoral, and is feeling much better.Hang in there! Yes, it's pathetic that we have to figure this out for ourselves, but at least these groups

make it possible.HTH! -- prrreborn1000 <reborn1000@...> wrote: Thanks , for your help. That thyroid link is a great place for good info. I know that Armour is supposed to be the best, but I did horrible with it. I've had thyroid problems for years, and of course, docs testing my TSH said all was fine. But in June of 2003, my TSH went really high. I have BAD Springtime allergies, and when June comes around, my Hashi antibodies go from being around 130 each month, to somewhere over 1000. My lab quits measuring them after they go above 1000 so I don't know what they actually are. Needless to say, Spring is hell for me and my thyroid. When my TSH spiked, my regular doc said I was hypo and put me on

Synthroid. I got online and was told to get my own bloodwork, and test my Free T3 & 4 and antibodies. My Free T 3 and 4 were great at this point. Both in the upper ranges of the labwork. When my doc found out I had Hashi's he panicked and sent me to an Endo. That Endo only uses Armour. When I FIRST started taking Armour (1 grain), I sware, I thought it was a miracle drug. I felt 20 years younger!!!!! All my thyroid symptoms vanished! But I was one of those who needed to split my pill into twice a day dosages because of the T3 let down. After about 3 months I felt worse than before I went on the Armour. I called the doc, but he had told me not to come back for 6 months, and didn't want to be bothered. Finally, he said to increase my Armour to 90mg. I started getting really bad migraines, and my eyes would burn and water really

bad. This Endo would NOT listen to me. His attitude was that no one has any problems with Armour. No wonder he didn't have many patients. Armour or no Armour, people are different. When a doc won't listen......well...... I found a "recommended Endo" at 's website, and went to see him. Meanwhile, all this time I'm on Armour I'm doing my OWN bloodwork because the Armour Endo didn't want to be bothered. My Free's kept getting lower and lower, and so did my health. At one point I had almost no Free T3, gulp. So, I went to this NEW Endo......he ONLY prescribes Cytomel for his patients. He says that T4 gets converted by the liver into T3, and it's the T3 that our cells use. So he put me on Cytomel, and told me to quit the Armour. When I quit the Armour, the migraines & eye problems stopped. I felt pretty good on the Cytomel for about 6

months. I wasn't cold anymore, had energy, etc. But then, I started feeling myself going down. The problem is that my TSH is in the hyper range right now, and I feel a tad bit wired, my hair is falling out, and I'm starting to get headaches like I did on Armour. I dunno. I wish I'd never started taking thyroid drugs. Somehow, my body doesn't seem to like them for very long. Since I've got almost all the symptoms of someone who is low on iodine, and since I get almost none in my diet, I thought I'd try to get my iodine levels up before trying to tackle my thyroid again. You know....it really IS a sad state of affairs when patients have to treat themselves. At least on this Cytomel my Free T3 is FINALLY where it is supposed to be. Problem is, my Free T4 is so low that it isn't even in the lab range numbers now. This Endo wouldn't care, but it makes me

nervous. Espeically with all my hair loss now. Hope the iodine helps, Ren�e

How low will we go? Check out Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates.

[Guest guest]

I agree with you that you should give the iodine a good try before

you try the Armour again. I am thinking that possibly your dose

never was high enough and you got more hypo symptoms (migranes, eye

pressure, etc)than you ever had on NO meds as it was suppressing

your thyroid too much for the meds to be able to keep up with. But

that is just my theory.

Hoping for you to be well, no matter what you need to take!

Missy

> >

> > , I am so sorry that you went through this experience with

> > Armour. If I had not found the Natural Thyroid Hormones Group

and

> > the Stop the Thyroid Madness website, I would have had the very

same

> > experience.

> >

> > I learned through the NTH group that the human thyroid produces

the

> > equivalent to 3-5 grains of Armour, so most people do best on

that

> > amount as Armour suppresses the thyroid.

> >

> > I also learned that you need to adjust your dose every couple of

> > weeks until you reach 3 grains.

> >

> > , you were very hypo at 90 mg even! I would feel like a

dead

> > person on that amount.

> >

> > The Endo you went to was only good for your Armour Rx..he

obviously

> > didn't know how to dose Armour.

> >

> > If you ever decide to try Armour again, go to

> > http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

> > and read, read, read. By using the guidelines on this site, I

have

> > my life back! I am on 4 1/4 grains of Armour and my hypo

symptoms

> > are gone. My TSH is suppressed to nearly zero and I have NO

hyper

> > symptoms. In fact, I may need to raise my Armour even higher as

I

> > still run an average temperature in the 97s.

> >

> > I am hoping that the addition of iodine will allow me to take

LESS

> > Armour.

> > Missy

> >

> > >

> > > That Endo only uses Armour. When I FIRST started taking

Armour (1

> > grain), I sware, I

> > > thought it was a miracle drug. I felt 20 years younger!!!!!

All

> > my thyroid symptoms

> > > vanished! But I was one of those who needed to split my pill

into

> > twice a day dosages

> > > because of the T3 let down.

> > >

> > > After about 3 months I felt worse than before I went on the

> > Armour. I called the doc, but

> > > he had told me not to come back for 6 months, and didn't want

to

> > be bothered. Finally, he

> > > said to increase my Armour to 90mg. I started getting really

bad

> > migraines, and my eyes

> > > would burn and water really bad. This Endo would NOT listen

to

> > me. His attitude was that

> > > no one has any problems with Armour. No wonder he didn't have

> > many patients. Armour

> > > or no Armour, people are different. When a doc won't

> > listen......well......

> > >

> > > I found a " recommended Endo " at 's website, and went to

see

> > him. Meanwhile, all this

> > > time I'm on Armour I'm doing my OWN bloodwork because the

Armour

> > Endo didn't want to

> > > be bothered. My Free's kept getting lower and lower, and so

did

> > my health. At one point I

> > > had almost no Free T3, gulp.

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Missy, I agree with your theory. Makes good sense to me. Either way, your

post, 's,

and others here has encouraged me, and I thank you for that. You know how it

is. One

can start to feel like they're going nuts.

Thanks! :-)

Renée

> > >

> > > , I am so sorry that you went through this experience with

> > > Armour. If I had not found the Natural Thyroid Hormones Group

> and

> > > the Stop the Thyroid Madness website, I would have had the very

> same

> > > experience.

> > >

> > > I learned through the NTH group that the human thyroid produces

> the

> > > equivalent to 3-5 grains of Armour, so most people do best on

> that

> > > amount as Armour suppresses the thyroid.

> > >

> > > I also learned that you need to adjust your dose every couple of

> > > weeks until you reach 3 grains.

> > >

> > > , you were very hypo at 90 mg even! I would feel like a

> dead

> > > person on that amount.

> > >

> > > The Endo you went to was only good for your Armour Rx..he

> obviously

> > > didn't know how to dose Armour.

> > >

> > > If you ever decide to try Armour again, go to

> > > http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

> > > and read, read, read. By using the guidelines on this site, I

> have

> > > my life back! I am on 4 1/4 grains of Armour and my hypo

> symptoms

> > > are gone. My TSH is suppressed to nearly zero and I have NO

> hyper

> > > symptoms. In fact, I may need to raise my Armour even higher as

> I

> > > still run an average temperature in the 97s.

> > >

> > > I am hoping that the addition of iodine will allow me to take

> LESS

> > > Armour.

> > > Missy

> > >

> > > >

> > > > That Endo only uses Armour. When I FIRST started taking

> Armour (1

> > > grain), I sware, I

> > > > thought it was a miracle drug. I felt 20 years younger!!!!!

> All

> > > my thyroid symptoms

> > > > vanished! But I was one of those who needed to split my pill

> into

> > > twice a day dosages

> > > > because of the T3 let down.

> > > >

> > > > After about 3 months I felt worse than before I went on the

> > > Armour. I called the doc, but

> > > > he had told me not to come back for 6 months, and didn't want

> to

> > > be bothered. Finally, he

> > > > said to increase my Armour to 90mg. I started getting really

> bad

> > > migraines, and my eyes

> > > > would burn and water really bad. This Endo would NOT listen

> to

> > > me. His attitude was that

> > > > no one has any problems with Armour. No wonder he didn't have

> > > many patients. Armour

> > > > or no Armour, people are different. When a doc won't

> > > listen......well......

> > > >

> > > > I found a " recommended Endo " at 's website, and went to

> see

> > > him. Meanwhile, all this

> > > > time I'm on Armour I'm doing my OWN bloodwork because the

> Armour

> > > Endo didn't want to

> > > > be bothered. My Free's kept getting lower and lower, and so

> did

> > > my health. At one point I

> > > > had almost no Free T3, gulp.

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Of course you're not nuts, ! You just need to find all the

pieces to your puzzle and that can be confusing. For me, the first

piece was thyroid and taking Armour to correct it. Now the next

piece is iodine and how that fits. Your puzzle is starting with

iodine, then you can add thyroid as you need it. We are all here to

encourage each other..I will need yours sometime!

Missy

>

> Missy, I agree with your theory. Makes good sense to me. Either

way, your post, 's,

> and others here has encouraged me, and I thank you for that. You

know how it is. One

> can start to feel like they're going nuts.

>

> Thanks! :-)

> Renée

>

[Guest guest]

, there are two reasons for failure with Armour---1) wrong dose (too low) and 2) weak adrenals. If you have the right dose (probly more than 90mg) and feel no better or worse, then you need adrenal support. And get enough iodine too.

Gracia

I dunno. I wish I'd never started taking thyroid drugs. Somehow, my body doesn't seem to like them for very long. Since I've got almost all the symptoms of someone who is low on iodine, and since I get almost none in my diet, I thought I'd try to get my iodine levels up before trying to tackle my thyroid again. You know....it really IS a sad state of affairs when patients have to treat themselves. At least on this Cytomel my Free T3 is FINALLY where it is supposed to be. Problem is, my Free T4 is so low that it isn't even in the lab range numbers now. This Endo wouldn't care, but it makes me nervous. Espeically with all my hair loss now.Hope the iodine helps,Renée

No virus found in this outgoing message.

Checked by AVG Free Edition.

Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.4/299 - Release Date: 3/31/2006