Bad day

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

I did manage to split the 30 mg pill in half. I took 15 mg in the

morning and within a couple of hours felt really awful. My neck was

throbbing and I was so cold and shaky it felt like I had the Flu.

I remember reading something about when you first start taking the

Thyroid if your dose is too small, you can become more hypo. I

believe this is happening to me. I am one of those people that are

very sensitive to the smallest changes in my body and I must really

be feeling the effects of too little Thyroid.

I don't know if I should call my doctor or not. I'm afraid she won't

up my dose, but will try and take me off of the Armour. Speaking of

Armour, do the Thyroid pills say Armour on them? I can't see mine

well enough to read what they say on them. I really feel like uping

the dose myself and seeing how I feel, I just don't know what to do.

Help!

Thanks Everyone,

Kim

[Guest guest]

>Speaking of Armour, do the Thyroid pills say Armour on them?

My one-grain Armour pills have a big A on one side, plus a little TE

beneath that.

As far as feeling awful---I can only state what I would do if it was

me. I'd start on one grain a day, instead of 1/2 grain. And again if

it was me, I'd call the doc and tell him what I want to try. If

there was a problem with that, I'd immediately find another doc, and

still do the one grain a day. Hope you figure out what you think is

right for you!

Janie

[Guest guest]

Thanks Janie,

Mine also have the A and the TE, so I guess I o.k with that. I was

worried that they were generic.

Please tell me again is one grain 60 mg? I was thinking of taking

30mg twice a day and seeing how I feel. Then I'll call my doc and

tell her that I (hopefully) feel better.

Do you usually have to keep increasing your dose? Do you ever become

tolerant of the meds where they don't work anymore?

Thanks Janie,

Kim

> >Speaking of Armour, do the Thyroid pills say Armour on them?

>

> My one-grain Armour pills have a big A on one side, plus a little

TE

> beneath that.

>

> As far as feeling awful---I can only state what I would do if it

was

> me. I'd start on one grain a day, instead of 1/2 grain. And again

if

> it was me, I'd call the doc and tell him what I want to try. If

> there was a problem with that, I'd immediately find another doc,

and

> still do the one grain a day. Hope you figure out what you think is

> right for you!

>

> Janie

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,

Why don't you up your dose on your own? Just starting taking 30 mg

in the morning, and then take another 30 mg in the evening. See how

it works. If it works, tell your doc how wonderful you are feeling

when you take 60 mg per day. Maybe then he'll feel comfortable

prescribing more for you. This is what I've done. My PA would not

let me take more than 60 mg per day. I have been taking 90 mg per

day on my own and I've done wonderfully. She wouldn't fight me on it

now, I know. I'm the picture of health. I don't have to deal with

her anymore though, since I've switched to an ND.

Zina

> Hi everyone,

>

> I did manage to split the 30 mg pill in half. I took 15 mg in the

> morning and within a couple of hours felt really awful. My neck was

> throbbing and I was so cold and shaky it felt like I had the Flu.

>

> I remember reading something about when you first start taking the

> Thyroid if your dose is too small, you can become more hypo. I

> believe this is happening to me. I am one of those people that are

> very sensitive to the smallest changes in my body and I must really

> be feeling the effects of too little Thyroid.

>

> I don't know if I should call my doctor or not. I'm afraid she

won't

> up my dose, but will try and take me off of the Armour. Speaking of

> Armour, do the Thyroid pills say Armour on them? I can't see mine

> well enough to read what they say on them. I really feel like uping

> the dose myself and seeing how I feel, I just don't know what to

do.

> Help!

>

> Thanks Everyone,

> Kim

[Guest guest]

Hi Zina,

Thank you for your help and concern.

Yes, I think I will up my dose on my own. I did o.k on the 30mg. I

just got sore and tired in the evening when it wore off. I thought

taking another 30 mg in the evening might help.

Thanks again,

Kim

-- In NaturalThyroidHormones , " thwacksplat "

<zinatrotter@b...> wrote:

> Hi Kim,

>

> Why don't you up your dose on your own? Just starting taking 30 mg

> in the morning, and then take another 30 mg in the evening. See

how

> it works. If it works, tell your doc how wonderful you are feeling

> when you take 60 mg per day. Maybe then he'll feel comfortable

> prescribing more for you. This is what I've done. My PA would not

> let me take more than 60 mg per day. I have been taking 90 mg per

> day on my own and I've done wonderfully. She wouldn't fight me on

it

> now, I know. I'm the picture of health. I don't have to deal with

> her anymore though, since I've switched to an ND.

>

> Zina

>

>

> > Hi everyone,

> >

> > I did manage to split the 30 mg pill in half. I took 15 mg in the

> > morning and within a couple of hours felt really awful. My neck

was

> > throbbing and I was so cold and shaky it felt like I had the Flu.

> >

> > I remember reading something about when you first start taking

the

> > Thyroid if your dose is too small, you can become more hypo. I

> > believe this is happening to me. I am one of those people that

are

> > very sensitive to the smallest changes in my body and I must

really

> > be feeling the effects of too little Thyroid.

> >

> > I don't know if I should call my doctor or not. I'm afraid she

> won't

> > up my dose, but will try and take me off of the Armour. Speaking

of

> > Armour, do the Thyroid pills say Armour on them? I can't see mine

> > well enough to read what they say on them. I really feel like

uping

> > the dose myself and seeing how I feel, I just don't know what to

> do.

> > Help!

> >

> > Thanks Everyone,

> > Kim

[Guest guest]

> Do you usually have to keep increasing your dose? Do you ever

become tolerant of the meds where they don't work anymore?

>

> Thanks Janie,

> Kim

Hi. Kim, no, it isn't a matter of becoming " tolerant " to a dose, and

then having to continually increase.

When you start out on Armour, you stay on the dose at least 5 weeks,

then you do labs to see where your free's are. (The only exception

to staying on the initial dose for 5 weeks is if it appears your

initial dose is much too low. For me, 30 mg. would have been WAY too

low.)

Then, after those first labs, if your free T3 is not in the upper

part of the range, you increase a little. So, let's say you do labs

after being on one grain (60 mg) at least 5 weeks, and you find your

free T3 to be only mid range or less...then you might increase to 1

1/4 or 1 1/2 grains. Then you stay on this 5 weeks...then labs.

Then, on the dose that gets that free T3 right up there, you stay on

it. That's your optimal dose.

Over time, there are factors that can cause you to have to up from

that optimal dose. First, your thyroid may continue to deteriorate,

causing a need for a slightly higher dose. When I first got on

thyroid meds (T4, at the time), I stayed on the same dose for over

10 years!!)

Another factor is nearing menopause, or being pre- or peri-. I have

noted that it can cause a slight higher need for thyroid meds in

some.

Or, if you have to be on estrogen for some reason........or on extra

iron........either of those can cause the need for a higher dose.

I had to increase 1/4 grain recently because I am on BOTH iron and

extra estrogen!!

Hope that helps.

OH! And also.... you can up your dose as you said you might be

doing, to one grain (60 mg.) And if you have a doc who won't

approve, or doesn't have the info to know that you need your free T3

in the upper part of the range, you go out and find a new doc---

especially one who prescribes Armour regularly and tests the frees.

Then, at the first appointment, you state that you " are on 60 mgs.,

but know you need more. " For this doc, the 60 mgs. is a given.

Janie