Re: Levoxyl

September 14, 2004

> My doctor is changing me from armour thyroid to levoxyl and I was

> wondering if anyone here took it and what they thought about it.

>

> Fionna

__________________

I was first prescribed Levoxyl when I was diagnosed. It was ok for

about 3 weeks and then I began to feel more hypothyroid than ever

and not myself at all. I tried to talk to my doc about it and was

ignored. So, I fired her. Levoxyl is like Synthroid. It is all the

thryoid hormone T4 with a sodium attached. The sodium must be

removed by stomach acids for the hormone to become true thyroid

hormone. It is very typical for doctors to try and switch patients

off of Armour. They have been so propagandized by the big drug

manufacturers about the so called dose inconsistancy of Armour and

the so called dangers of T3 in Armour that they feel it's their

moral duty. However, Armour and other natural thyroid replacements

contain all 7 of the thyroid hormones that the thyroid makes and

calcitonin, which protects bone. They have been used for about 100

years now and were used exclusively for 73 years before Synthroid,

Levoxyl and the other synthetics came into being. They have a much

longer history of safe and effective use than Synthroid or lavoxyl

or the other synthetics. Natural thyroid also actually has a longer

shelf life and maintains potency much better than Synthroid or

Lavoxyl. The Synthroid manufacturer has been written up by the FDA

several times for potency issues and has had a longer history of

problems than ARmour, dispite the ideas put in doctors heads by the

manufacturers about Armour.

The trouble with Lavoxyl and Synthroid is that it is only one

hormone, T4. This hormone is relatively inactive and by itself only

seems to serve mostly in regulating the heart. It must be converted

by the body to T3, T1 and T2, the other thryoid hormones in the

tissues of the body. T3 and T2 are most responsible for regulating

energy, heat, and fat burning. Normally a healthy thryoid produces

these hormones. So, in some ways Synthroid and Lavoxyl are not

perfect replacements at all because some tissues are not very good

at converting T4 and rely on the thyroid to provide these hormones.

The brain in particular is one organ that needs T3 provided by the

thyroid and is actually inhibited in it's energy by high levels of

T4. Many people have difficulty converting T4 in tissues to the

other thryoid hormones and find Lavoxyl and Synthroid leaves them

chronically hypothryoid.

Levoxyl and Synthroid both create blood hormone profiles that are

less natural. They generally produce high levels of T4 with respect

to T3. In other words, tests will show T4 at the very upper end of

the range and T3 below the midlevel of the range. This is clear

indication that it does not work so great at being a perfect

replacement and is not perfectly converted to T3. Armour and other

naturals on the other hand produce more normal hormone profiles with

T4 just under the midline and T3 over the midline of the range and

it does not supress TSH quite so much. Many people feel better with

the little extra T3 in Armour. Thyroid patients often have tissue

problems with conversion, so the extra T3 is helpful for them in

maintaining good energy and metabolic rate.

Anyway, if after a month or so on Levoxyl you find that you loose

energy and start seeing a return of symptoms of hypothryoidism, then

Levoxyl is not going to be satisfactory for you. Your doctor may try

to help by raising the dose and this may do the job. It is important

to adequately treat hypothyroidism because not doing so leads to

cardiovascular disease, reproductive problems, development of cancer

and dementia and a long list of health issues.

Tish

September 14, 2004