Re: how to increase armour?

October 22, 2004

In a message dated 10/22/2004 4:28:33 PM Eastern Standard Time,

curlyrachel2001@... writes:

> so are you saying that the effects of the dosage increase don't show

> up within two weeks? maybe that's a good thing, since she might be

> willing to raise me with the labs lower, even artificially.

>

someone is teaching you well.

cindi

October 22, 2004

In a message dated 10/22/2004 4:28:33 PM Eastern Standard Time,

curlyrachel2001@... writes:

> i just don't have the energy to do the big doctor hunt,

> you know?

>

totally understand. I've been self-medicating for a while just so i could

get well enough to do the doctor hunt.

cindi

October 22, 2004

Hi . Going from 1/2 grain to one grain is a fine increase. And

it's too bad your Endo wasn't knowledgeable enough to raise your

dose long before 5 weeks. That's too long to be on such a low dose---

it causes your hypo to return. The same will be true on the one

grain--don't let him hang that on you for so long! Most folks can go

up to 2 grains fairly quickly--staying on each raise for a few weeks

only. At 2-2 1/2 grains, it can be wise to hold each raise for at

least 4 weeks to see the effect of the T4-buildup and it's

conversion to T3.

Is your Ferritin optimal? That will be important to prevent problems

as you get higher.

Keep in the back of your mind that before labs came out, folks were

dosed entirely by symptoms and very successfully...and the average

minimum dose was 3 grains and higher. I am not saying that you will

end up needing that much (though you might), but it's a reminder

that we can often take a bit more Armour than we realize for optimal

results.

Keep us informed!

Janie

> so, on november 19th, i go in to see my endo again

> after 1 month (well, it will be 5 weeks by then) on

> 30mg (1/2 grain) of armour. unless something radical

> happens in the next four weeks, i will be asking her

> to increase my dose. how should that happen? is

> going from 30 to 60 too big a jump? do i need to go

> to 45 first? for how long? how long do we need to

> wait between dosage increases?

>

> thanks so much in advance.

>

> rachel.

October 22, 2004

>

> Hi . Going from 1/2 grain to one grain is a fine increase.

And

> it's too bad your Endo wasn't knowledgeable enough to raise your

> dose long before 5 weeks. That's too long to be on such a low dose--

-

> it causes your hypo to return. The same will be true on the one

> grain--don't let him hang that on you for so long! Most folks can

go

> up to 2 grains fairly quickly--staying on each raise for a few

weeks

> only. At 2-2 1/2 grains, it can be wise to hold each raise for at

> least 4 weeks to see the effect of the T4-buildup and it's

> conversion to T3.

it's really been a long time to be on a low dose when you consider

that i was on 50mcg of synthroid for 2.5 months before she switched

me to armour. i lost 11% of my free t3 in that period, while my TSH

dropped from 1.2 to .38. very frustrating.

here's my concern however: i suspect that this endo will want to test

before any increase. will 2 weeks be enough time for the bloodwork

to show what's happening? of course, if i wait two weeks, then do

bloodwork then see her, it's still 3 weeks between appointments.

> Is your Ferritin optimal? That will be important to prevent

problems

> as you get higher.

i have no idea, and i'm reluctant to ask her to test anything else at

this point. she tested my cortisol and at 9.6 (am, fasting) she

thought it was fine. i did not, but when i asked about it, she said

that no further tests were warranted and my insurance wouldn't pay

for them. makes me reluctant to ask her about anything else.

rachel.

October 22, 2004

> here's my concern however: i suspect that this endo will want to

>test before any increase. will 2 weeks be enough time for the

>bloodwork to show what's happening? of course, if i wait two

>weeks, then do bloodwork then see her, it's still 3 weeks between

>appointments.

The real rub here is that you have a typical Endo who views labwork

as from God. And as long as that's the case, you will have problems,

since raising sooner has nothing to do with the results of labs, nor

will labs help at all.

> (concerning Ferritin) i have no idea, and i'm reluctant to ask her

>to test anything else at this point. she tested my cortisol and at

>9.6 (am, fasting) she thought it was fine. i did not, but when i

>asked about it, she said that no further tests were warranted and

>my insurance wouldn't pay for them. makes me reluctant to ask her

>about anything else.

, you need another doc. This one sucks. ( You need to get

your Ferritin tested, and if you have any suspicions about the state

of your adrenals, you need a 24 hour saliva test.

Where do you live? Perhaps someone here knows of a good doc. Have

you checked out the Armour LOCATE-A-DOC for you area in the LINKS

section? Even then, you have to call ahead and make sure they test

the frees/will happily prescribe Armour/will let you dose by

symptoms.

And...if worse comes to worse....you can do what so many folks here

do successfully....self labs and self-treat.

Janie

October 22, 2004

> The real rub here is that you have a typical Endo who views labwork

> as from God. And as long as that's the case, you will have

problems,

> since raising sooner has nothing to do with the results of labs,

nor

> will labs help at all.

so are you saying that the effects of the dosage increase don't show

up within two weeks? maybe that's a good thing, since she might be

willing to raise me with the labs lower, even artificially.

> , you need another doc. This one sucks. ( You need to get

> your Ferritin tested, and if you have any suspicions about the

state

> of your adrenals, you need a 24 hour saliva test.

why do i need the ferritin checked? what's the connection?

as for the adrenals, i am lucky enough to have a nutritionist that

advises me on my health too. he said that with my cortisol, it is

possible that the reason it's where it is is because of the stress my

thyroid being out of whack is putting on it, and that if we get that

sorted out, they should have a chance to heal. i am comfortable with

that answer for now, given that my cortisol isn't any lower.

i could do the saliva tests, but this particular endo wont give them

any credit, so there's no point really until i'm ready to leave her

or get the nutritionist to help me treat with isocort or something

similiar.

i appreciate your suggestion, and i know that time will likely come,

given the odds. however, at this time, i am not ready to try to find

another doctor. first, i think it's premature. this doctor has

listened to me. she changed me to armour at my request and she is

now, again at my request, consistently testing my free t's along with

tsh. i think that it is worth my time to see if i can find success

with her.

also, i think that finding the perfect doctor is going to be kind of

like winning the lottery. i'm in touch with a brilliant group of

ladies in texas but the fact is, the pickings are slim and the only

doctor in the entire state with a truly glowing reccomendation is

over 10 hours away from me by car. that's just not realistic for me,

and i'm not ready to leave this doc yet to try to find the needle in

a haystack. i just don't have the energy to do the big doctor hunt,

you know?

the only doctors in my area that even get marginally ok ratings are

GPs and i love my GP. i dont want to lose her. with my insurance, i

can't get a referral to another GP, it has to be to a specialist.

if she wont up my armour when i go in to see her on the 19th, then i

will try my GP. if that doesn't work, then i will consider the

question of whether or not i should self treat.

October 22, 2004

what was the range of cortisol? Also if you were just starting on thyroid

meds 10 weeks is a bit long but not that much on just t4. The issue is just