Re: Fairly new to groups - dosage question - armour for Hashi's/Fibro patients

December 15, 2003

Supplements: I am on tons of fish oil, calcium magnesium, wild yam, vitex, dong Qui and other various ones as needed. My doc is a wholistic MD. So if you need the hard stuff he gives it to you (like the Narco I have to take every day for pain) but his main philosophy is basically anything that works. Most important is the patients well being. What I really like is he isn't hyper aware of potential lawsuits like so many docs these days. Only drawback is he is always way behind in appts. Instead of the usual 10 min most md's take, he takes as long as it needs to resolve whatever problem your there for. I used to see a ND in North Carolina when I had some money... but now being broke in Buffalo I am very glad for my doctor. He is the only doc in the area that practices this way.

I hope you doc ups your dose!

Hannah Pasisz------------------------------------------------------------http://www.starbrightdesigns.nethttp://www.cafepress.com/starbrighthttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnderExposed/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenArtists/Workhttp://group.yahoo.com/LadiesCraftHour

Re: Fairly new to groups - dosage question - armour for Hashi's/Fibro patients >To: <Thyroiditis >>> Oh my... why does your doctor hold out like that? Is> he of the belief that the labs tell the whole> picture? If so... move on to a new doctor ASAP! I> spent too many years believing uninformed doctors...> that I just needed to lose weight... all the trash.> Since my doc lowered my dose it is the first time> I've felt this bad in ages... except for the Fibro> and other autoimmune junk I have going on (PCOS> mainly). I was at my highest near to 300lbs. I am> now (since i started with my current doctor) around> 225 and losing about 1/2 lb a week. With no dieting> or exercising (my fibro precludes anything but> swimming and that's not exactly convenient for me).> > Hannah Pasisz> ------------------------------------------------------------> http://www.starbrightdesigns.net> http://www.cafepress.com/starbright> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnderExposed/> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenArtists/Work> http://group.yahoo.com/LadiesCraftHour>> > oh, i'm such an idiot...no, i don't have fibro.> sorry to> confuse you....apparently i do have brain fog> though!>> my antibodies are thru the roof as well. i'm the> only one on> such a puny dose.>>

December 15, 2003

Hi Hannah:

I'm on 60 mgs. and take mine first thing in the morning when I wake

up, sublingually so that my pain meds aren't interferring with

absorbtion. If you're taking pain meds, along with other stuff, you

might do alot better (like I have been doing)if you take your Armour

and just put it under your tongue to let it disolve instead of

swallowing it. That way, it won't have to go thru your liver to be

processed along with all the other supplements and stuff you're

taking.

I also have Fibro so we've got something in common here but I also

have RA along with the Fibro so I know how you feel when you're in a

flare and that's what it kinda sounds like to me that's happening?

Since I've been on Armour (started on 10/31/03) my pain level has

decreased slightly; however, the weather still gives me problems and

today was a bad day for me because I was really achy. It was pretty

chilly here today and only got up to the low 60's so the cold still

really bothers me even taking the Armour.

You said you're only able to swim because of the fibro. Have you

tried to walk on a treadmill? That has helped me alot and I have one

in the living room so I can watch tv while I'm walking. Besides

helping the fibro and RA, it also helped to raise my metabolism a bit

and I've lost 10 pounds since I started taking Armour but doing the

treadmill helped alot. Are you doing your stretches daily and have

you tried the tennis ball trick? You take a tennis ball and put it

on the floor. Lie down on top of it and move the ball around so that

you find your trigger points and hold that position for at least 20

or 30 seconds. It helped me alot when I first was diagnosed with

fibro back in 1992. It helps loosen up those trigger points so that

they're not so sensitive anymore.

Anyways, welcome to the group. I'd say try taking the Armour

sublingually and see if that helps. Also, try taking your second

dose a little earlier to see if it doesn't keep you up at night. I

take Remeron (an anti-depressant but a major side effect with it is

drowsiness)and Xanax at night, and yes I know Hashi's patients

shouldn't take anti-depressants but taking it gives me quality sleep

every night. Since I started the Remeron and Xanax, I sleep sound

for at least 8 hours every night. ) I take oxycontin for pain, 30

mgs. twice a day and today was one of those days that I even had to

take a half of vicodin for breakthru pain. (

Debbie

> Hey there! I have been lurking on reading and learning for the past

few weeks. Follow my signature links for more about me (I'm not big

on talking about myself!).

>

> I have a question for all hashi's patients on Armour Thyroid. How

much do you take and at what times during the day?

>

> At 8am I take 120 mgs

> At 4pm I take 30 mgs

>

> I used to take 120 in the am and 60 in the pm but I was having

trouble sleeping so my doc lowered it to 30mgs. And I feel awful now!

My fibro symptoms have tripled, I have the WORST brain fog and I

STILL CAN'T SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!

>

> So before I go into my appt next month tof ollow up on the dosage

change I wanted to poll the groups (I am sending this to all the

thyroid groups I am on, sorry for cross posting!!) and see what

others with similar ailments are finding success with.

>

> Thank you all so much in advance!

>

> Hannah Pasisz

> ------------------------------------------------------------

> http://www.starbrightdesigns.net

> http://www.cafepress.com/starbright

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnderExposed/

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenArtists/Work

> http://group.yahoo.com/LadiesCraftHour

December 15, 2003

I believe in splitting the dosage to smaller amts, more often. That way, there is not as big an impact from a flood of T3. To me, it more closely resembles the way our thyroids used to work. However, some people may need a loading dose of the T3, depending on their own chemistry. What I'm really thinking, though, is that you may have a little too much cortisol going on in the evening, rather than the Armour as the cause because the dose you're taking in the evening is smaller. Have you had your adrenals tested?

Fairly new to groups - dosage question - armour for Hashi's/Fibro patients

Hey there! I have been lurking on reading and learning for the past few weeks. Follow my signature links for more about me (I'm not big on talking about myself!).

I have a question for all hashi's patients on Armour Thyroid. How much do you take and at what times during the day?

At 8am I take 120 mgs

At 4pm I take 30 mgs

I used to take 120 in the am and 60 in the pm but I was having trouble sleeping so my doc lowered it to 30mgs. And I feel awful now! My fibro symptoms have tripled, I have the WORST brain fog and I STILL CAN'T SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!

So before I go into my appt next month tof ollow up on the dosage change I wanted to poll the groups (I am sending this to all the thyroid groups I am on, sorry for cross posting!!) and see what others with similar ailments are finding success with.

Thank you all so much in advance!

Hannah Pasisz

December 15, 2003

That is a very tiny dose Hillary! What is keeping you from upping it?

Re: Fairly new to groups - dosage question - armour

for Hashi's/Fibro patients

> i only take 15mg upon wake up. i'm trying to get it increased

> b/c i'm not seeing results.

>

> hillary

December 15, 2003

How long have you been on a 15 mg dose? This doctor sounds more like she

doesn't trust the med. I have never heard of starting on that low dose,

unless it's being added to a synthetic.

Re: Fairly new to groups - dosage question - armour

for Hashi's/Fibro patients

> no, my doctor is ok. i'm going to a progressive health place

> so i'm on many supplements as well as the armour. this is the

> first person who looked beyond my labs, so she's being

> cautious with the 15mg. i go back on monday to see if it will

> be increased.

>

> i know all about the doctors who say " lose weight " etc. ugh!

> so frustrating.

>

> -hillary

December 15, 2003

i've been on it since the end of october. debbie and i started armour at

the same time. she prescribed the 30mg and told me to split it and only take

the 15mg. i was afraid to adjust it on my own, but i think i'm going to if

she doesn't tell me to on monday.

as for not trusting it, she readily prescribed it, so i don't know. i

guess i'll up it to 30mg and see how that is for me.

-hillary

Re: Fairly new to groups - dosage question -

armour

> for Hashi's/Fibro patients

>

> > no, my doctor is ok. i'm going to a progressive health place

> > so i'm on many supplements as well as the armour. this is the

> > first person who looked beyond my labs, so she's being

> > cautious with the 15mg. i go back on monday to see if it will

> > be increased.

> >

> > i know all about the doctors who say " lose weight " etc. ugh!

> > so frustrating.

> >

> > -hillary

>

December 16, 2003

Oh the taste is so vile there is no way I could ever NOT throw up that way. I take my Armor & Wellbutrin first thing. I take a shower than I take my multi and other supplements + pain meds. Then I get dressed etc... then I eat. Seems to be working ok. I just notice a huge decrease in good days since my doc reduced my evening dose. You don't have a pm dose? 6 separate doctors have had me on an am and pm dose since I first started with the amour...

There is no way I can walk on a treadmill.... I wouldn't be able to walk for days after. Exercise really does a number on me. Even the swimming when I was doing it was horrible for me unless I only did it for like 15 mins at a time...

I am pretty happy Narco seems to be working excellent for me. I am very scared of addiction... another thing that is prevalent in my family.. :-(

Ha! The low 60's.... I remember those days. Here in Buffalo it will be near 50 today and everyone is freaking out. The highs this time of year are usually 20-30 degrees at most.

I stretch most days all day long... it helps a bit but mostly with sleeping since the pain meds are only active in my system for about 4 hours at a time. And I've never heard of the tennis ball trick... I haven't seen any sort of specialist yet in Buffalo that I wanted to even go back to. The doctors here save my primary are in general total morons and he seems to be doing an extremely good job with me so far so I'm happy there.

Hashi's patients aren't supposed to take anti depressants? I have never even heard of that. I've been on a variety of them since age 25. Mental illness is extremely prevalent in my family. Mom is manic and dad was severe paranoid schizophrenia... so not a chance I'm gonna go off them now.

Without Ambien it takes me about 3 hours to even fall asleep... and that is follow all insomnia tricks and tips I learned. And even then I can't stay asleep for more than 2 hours at a time. I go off the Ambien each weekend when sleep isn't so crucial. But the weekdays? I'd be in a mental ward without the ambien...

Thanks for the welcome and I look forward to more conversations!

Hannah Pasisz------------------------------------------------------------http://www.starbrightdesigns.nethttp://www.cafepress.com/starbrighthttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnderExposed/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenArtists/Workhttp://group.yahoo.com/LadiesCraftHour

Hi Hannah:I'm on 60 mgs. and take mine first thing in the morning when I wake up, sublingually so that my pain meds aren't interferring with absorbtion. If you're taking pain meds, along with other stuff, you might do alot better (like I have been doing)if you take your Armour and just put it under your tongue to let it disolve instead of swallowing it. That way, it won't have to go thru your liver to be processed along with all the other supplements and stuff you're taking. I also have Fibro so we've got something in common here but I also have RA along with the Fibro so I know how you feel when you're in a flare and that's what it kinda sounds like to me that's happening?Since I've been on Armour (started on 10/31/03) my pain level has decreased slightly; however, the weather still gives me problems and today was a bad day for me because I was really achy. It was pretty chilly here today and only got up to the low 60's so the cold still really bothers me even taking the Armour.You said you're only able to swim because of the fibro. Have you tried to walk on a treadmill? That has helped me alot and I have one in the living room so I can watch tv while I'm walking. Besides helping the fibro and RA, it also helped to raise my metabolism a bit and I've lost 10 pounds since I started taking Armour but doing the treadmill helped alot. Are you doing your stretches daily and have you tried the tennis ball trick? You take a tennis ball and put it on the floor. Lie down on top of it and move the ball around so that you find your trigger points and hold that position for at least 20 or 30 seconds. It helped me alot when I first was diagnosed with fibro back in 1992. It helps loosen up those trigger points so that they're not so sensitive anymore.Anyways, welcome to the group. I'd say try taking the Armour sublingually and see if that helps. Also, try taking your second dose a little earlier to see if it doesn't keep you up at night. I take Remeron (an anti-depressant but a major side effect with it is drowsiness)and Xanax at night, and yes I know Hashi's patients shouldn't take anti-depressants but taking it gives me quality sleep every night. Since I started the Remeron and Xanax, I sleep sound for at least 8 hours every night. ) I take oxycontin for pain, 30 mgs. twice a day and today was one of those days that I even had to take a half of vicodin for breakthru pain. ({{hugs}}Debbie

December 16, 2003

Adrenal testing isn't covered in NY state with my insurance so I haven't. I know I have adrenal fatigue but without a medical diagnoses my dr can rx anything for it. If I don't take the 120 in the am I am asleep by noon so that's not an option... :-(

Hannah Pasisz------------------------------------------------------------http://www.starbrightdesigns.nethttp://www.cafepress.com/starbrighthttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnderExposed/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenArtists/Workhttp://group.yahoo.com/LadiesCraftHour

I believe in splitting the dosage to smaller amts, more often. That way, there is not as big an impact from a flood of T3. To me, it more closely resembles the way our thyroids used to work. However, some people may need a loading dose of the T3, depending on their own chemistry. What I'm really thinking, though, is that you may have a little too much cortisol going on in the evening, rather than the Armour as the cause because the dose you're taking in the evening is smaller. Have you had your adrenals tested?

December 16, 2003

Exercise: No pain, no gain, as the saying goes. Even briefly each day, to build strength and try to save your joints and muscles. They will atrophy if you don't.

Texas

Re: Re: Fairly new to groups - dosage question - armour for Hashi's/Fibro patients