Guest guest Posted July 24, 2004 Report Share Posted July 24, 2004 In a message dated 7/24/2004 3:35:58 AM Eastern Standard Time, dsomerstn@... writes: > I was on Armour for about 6 months (1 grain) and did feel > better. I wanted to increase my dosage to 1 1/2 grain but my doctor > said that wouldn't do any good because my thyroid gland would just > decrease the amount of thyroid hormone that it makes and that I > wouldn't gain anything. Is this correct? If the thyroid gland is > healthy, would taking Armour make it reduce the amount of thyroid > hormone it produces? > First, I think you should be sure you aren't hypo. Did the doctor test your Free T4 and Free T3 - and are you in the high end of the range? On the thyroid output...i think this may depend on whether you have a disease process going on with the gland. And although you have said no...I'm not so sure. Were you tested for Hashimoto's? Cindi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2004 Report Share Posted July 24, 2004 In a message dated 7/24/2004 1:25:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, dsomerstn@... writes: > She did test Free T3 & T4 and said they were ok. I don't know > if they were on the high end. I usually get a copy of lab reports but > didn't this time. She did not test for Hashimoto's. > I would get a copy and check. It seems folks just feel better when their Free T4 is at least in the mid range...and the Free T3 is in the high end or slightly over. I'm way over the range in Free T3 with a suppressed TSH...but no hyper signs....and feeling good. cindi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2004 Report Share Posted July 24, 2004 Hi Diane and welcome! First, you need to understand that just because your thyroid labs are in the " normal " range, absolutely does NOT mean you are normal nor does it mean that you do not have a thyroid problem. Labs are arbitrary. And, the TSH can lag way behind what it really going on. Plus, you didn't mention which labs---most docs fail to test the free T3. T3 is the active hormone, and I wouldn't be surprised if yours was not optimal. Your doctor was right, but he was wrong. Yes, if you are on Armour, your thyroid gland will decrease it's production. But so what!! If your thyroid is a problem, it's not producing what it needs to anyway. And no matter what, IF YOU FEEL BETTER on ARMOUR, that is good! Docs are SO bad at failing to make symptoms important. Yes, you are doing the exact same thing with the T3 as far as reducing what work your own thyroid would be doing. But again, that's not bad!! To say you wouldn't gain anything is strange--you would GAIN feeling better!! Armour, by the way, contains T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin. Let us know what your labs were plus ranges, and perhaps we can help even more. Janie As far as I know, I do not have a > thyroid gland problem (neither hyper or hypo) as all my tests have > been normal. However, I do have fibromyalgia which I have been able > to improve quit a bit over the last 4 years. It is my understanding > that many of us have a cell resistance problem and that our thyroid > hormone does not get into the cell. Many of us feel much better > taking Armour so that we have extra hormone so that more gets inside > the cell. I was on Armour for about 6 months (1 grain) and did feel > better. I wanted to increase my dosage to 1 1/2 grain but my doctor > said that wouldn't do any good because my thyroid gland would just > decrease the amount of thyroid hormone that it makes and that I > wouldn't gain anything. Is this correct? If the thyroid gland is > healthy, would taking Armour make it reduce the amount of thyroid > hormone it produces? > > She did compromise. I slowly went off Armour and then started 25 mcg. > of Cytomel to see what effect that would have. I do feel somewhat > better but probably not as well as when I was on Armour. Is the same > senerio true for T-3? Would taking extra T-3 also cause the thyroid > gland to make less hormone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2004 Report Share Posted July 24, 2004 Cindi: She did test Free T3 & T4 and said they were ok. I don't know if they were on the high end. I usually get a copy of lab reports but didn't this time. She did not test for Hashimoto's. Thanks Diane -- In NaturalThyroidHormones , nc2406@a... wrote: > In a message dated 7/24/2004 3:35:58 AM Eastern Standard Time, > dsomerstn@y... writes: > > > I was on Armour for about 6 months (1 grain) and did feel > > better. I wanted to increase my dosage to 1 1/2 grain but my doctor > > said that wouldn't do any good because my thyroid gland would just > > decrease the amount of thyroid hormone that it makes and that I > > wouldn't gain anything. Is this correct? If the thyroid gland is > > healthy, would taking Armour make it reduce the amount of thyroid > > hormone it produces? > > > > First, I think you should be sure you aren't hypo. Did the doctor test your > Free T4 and Free T3 - and are you in the high end of the range? > > On the thyroid output...i think this may depend on whether you have a disease > process going on with the gland. And although you have said no...I'm not so > sure. Were you tested for Hashimoto's? > Cindi > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2004 Report Share Posted July 24, 2004 Thanks Janie: I will try to pick up a copy of the lab work. Thanks Diane-- - In NaturalThyroidHormones , " loboshe " <usns@r...> wrote: > Hi Diane and welcome! First, you need to understand that just > because your thyroid labs are in the " normal " range, absolutely does > NOT mean you are normal nor does it mean that you do not have a > thyroid problem. Labs are arbitrary. And, the TSH can lag way behind > what it really going on. Plus, you didn't mention which labs---most > docs fail to test the free T3. T3 is the active hormone, and I > wouldn't be surprised if yours was not optimal. > > Your doctor was right, but he was wrong. Yes, if you are on Armour, > your thyroid gland will decrease it's production. But so what!! If > your thyroid is a problem, it's not producing what it needs to > anyway. And no matter what, IF YOU FEEL BETTER on ARMOUR, that is > good! Docs are SO bad at failing to make symptoms important. > > Yes, you are doing the exact same thing with the T3 as far as > reducing what work your own thyroid would be doing. But again, > that's not bad!! To say you wouldn't gain anything is strange--you > would GAIN feeling better!! > > Armour, by the way, contains T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin. > > Let us know what your labs were plus ranges, and perhaps we can help > even more. > > Janie > > As far as I know, I do not have a > > thyroid gland problem (neither hyper or hypo) as all my tests have > > been normal. However, I do have fibromyalgia which I have been > able > > to improve quit a bit over the last 4 years. It is my > understanding > > that many of us have a cell resistance problem and that our > thyroid > > hormone does not get into the cell. Many of us feel much better > > taking Armour so that we have extra hormone so that more gets > inside > > the cell. I was on Armour for about 6 months (1 grain) and did > feel > > better. I wanted to increase my dosage to 1 1/2 grain but my > doctor > > said that wouldn't do any good because my thyroid gland would just > > decrease the amount of thyroid hormone that it makes and that I > > wouldn't gain anything. Is this correct? If the thyroid gland is > > healthy, would taking Armour make it reduce the amount of thyroid > > hormone it produces? > > > > She did compromise. I slowly went off Armour and then started 25 > mcg. > > of Cytomel to see what effect that would have. I do feel somewhat > > better but probably not as well as when I was on Armour. Is the > same > > senerio true for T-3? Would taking extra T-3 also cause the > thyroid > > gland to make less hormone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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