Re: Question on Armour dose

[Guest guest]

The doc for whom I work usually takes his patients off Levothyroid

(he considers it useless) and straight to Armour.

> Hello everyone:

>

> As you recall, I've been hypo on 75 mcg Levothroid for many

months.

> On Thursday the doctor gave me the okay to add Armour. I

originally

> dropped down to 50 mcg Levothroid and started with 1/8 grain Armour

> twice a day (I'm a chicken and thought best to start slow).

>

> Within 3 days I can tell I've gone even more hypo; aches and pains

> much worse plus depression. The big question is:

>

> Should I remain on 50 mcg Levothroid and add 1/4 grain Armour twice

> per day (1/2 grain total) or go back up to 75 mcg Levothroid and

add

> 1/8 Armour twice a day? Or should I try it both ways? Help, I

just

> want to get to feeling better. Thank you!

>

>

[Guest guest]

, please remind me again what your Free T3 and Free T4 readings were

the last time the labs were taken and when, especially the Free T4. If that

one was still in low range, then you're probably going to need the little

bit of extra T4, reversing the dominant med to MOSTLY Armour, with the

minority being the synthetic hormone. This might be a gradual process,

however, if you do it this way. That 1/8th of a grain of Armour only has

approximately 4.75 mcgs of T4 and 1.125 mcgs of T3 in it. As the saying

goes, that ain't much a nothin'. I started out where you did on cutting the

levoxyl in half, but added 1/4th grain of Armour, but eventually ended up

dropping the synthetic altogether, even though my first Free labs said that

I was lower on the T4 proportionally than on the T3. I'm having it done

again within a week or two, but even if the T4 is proportionally lower, I'm

not going back to ANY synthetic because I don't trust ANY of them, i.e.,

allergies, sensitivities. Anyway, please remind me of your last tests

results before I make any other comment on possible amts to take of any of

it.

Tx

Question on Armour dose

> Hello everyone:

>

> As you recall, I've been hypo on 75 mcg Levothroid for many months.

> On Thursday the doctor gave me the okay to add Armour. I originally

> dropped down to 50 mcg Levothroid and started with 1/8 grain Armour

> twice a day (I'm a chicken and thought best to start slow).

>

> Within 3 days I can tell I've gone even more hypo; aches and pains

> much worse plus depression. The big question is:

>

> Should I remain on 50 mcg Levothroid and add 1/4 grain Armour twice

> per day (1/2 grain total) or go back up to 75 mcg Levothroid and add

> 1/8 Armour twice a day? Or should I try it both ways? Help, I just

> want to get to feeling better. Thank you!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi :

" The " largest endocrinology group in San takes all their new

patients off Armour and puts them on straight T4. That doesn't mean

they are right. Or that straight Armour is right for all patients.

I have read lots of posts from people who ended up having to add T4

to their Armour eventually. I figure, if I'm going to have to do

that, I might as well do the combo now. Also, I've had some trouble

increasing meds in the past and don't think I could tolerate the high

percentage of T3 that's in Armour. At least not right now. Thank

you though.

> > Hello everyone:

> >

> > As you recall, I've been hypo on 75 mcg Levothroid for many

> months.

> > On Thursday the doctor gave me the okay to add Armour. I

> originally

> > dropped down to 50 mcg Levothroid and started with 1/8 grain

Armour

> > twice a day (I'm a chicken and thought best to start slow).

> >

> > Within 3 days I can tell I've gone even more hypo; aches and

pains

> > much worse plus depression. The big question is:

> >

> > Should I remain on 50 mcg Levothroid and add 1/4 grain Armour

twice

> > per day (1/2 grain total) or go back up to 75 mcg Levothroid and

> add

> > 1/8 Armour twice a day? Or should I try it both ways? Help, I

> just

> > want to get to feeling better. Thank you!

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi, :

My last labs were in Dec. as follows:

T3, Total 124 Range 60-181

T-4, Free 1.3 Range 0.8-1.8

T-4, Total 8.4 Range 4.5-12.5

TSH 5.41 Range 0.40-5.50

She didn't test T3 but I'll ask next time. And I may have more

recent results in a day or two but I can't imagine much could have

changed from December up to next week.

Thanks again. :-)

Hey, I can oink now! (haha -- a little oink for 1/4 grain)

> , please remind me again what your Free T3 and Free T4

readings were

> the last time the labs were taken and when, especially the Free

T4. If that

> one was still in low range, then you're probably going to need the

little

> bit of extra T4, reversing the dominant med to MOSTLY Armour, with

the

> minority being the synthetic hormone. This might be a gradual

process,

> however, if you do it this way. That 1/8th of a grain of Armour

only has

> approximately 4.75 mcgs of T4 and 1.125 mcgs of T3 in it. As the

saying

> goes, that ain't much a nothin'. I started out where you did on

cutting the

> levoxyl in half, but added 1/4th grain of Armour, but eventually

ended up

> dropping the synthetic altogether, even though my first Free labs

said that

> I was lower on the T4 proportionally than on the T3. I'm having it

done

> again within a week or two, but even if the T4 is proportionally

lower, I'm

> not going back to ANY synthetic because I don't trust ANY of them,

i.e.,

> allergies, sensitivities. Anyway, please remind me of your last

tests

> results before I make any other comment on possible amts to take of

any of

> it.

>

>

> Tx

>

>

> Question on Armour dose

>

>

> > Hello everyone:

> >

> > As you recall, I've been hypo on 75 mcg Levothroid for many

months.

> > On Thursday the doctor gave me the okay to add Armour. I

originally

> > dropped down to 50 mcg Levothroid and started with 1/8 grain

Armour

> > twice a day (I'm a chicken and thought best to start slow).

> >

> > Within 3 days I can tell I've gone even more hypo; aches and pains

> > much worse plus depression. The big question is:

> >

> > Should I remain on 50 mcg Levothroid and add 1/4 grain Armour

twice

> > per day (1/2 grain total) or go back up to 75 mcg Levothroid and

add

> > 1/8 Armour twice a day? Or should I try it both ways? Help, I

just

> > want to get to feeling better. Thank you!

> >

> >