Re: Re: New w/labs and symptoms -- on armour +synthroid -- Thanks!

[Guest guest]

My ferritin should be fine and I have added 25 mg of t4 to my Armour because I

am losing hair like crazy!

Re: New w/labs and symptoms -- on armour

+synthroid -- Thanks!

Hi Janie - It actually took a lot of dosage changes within a year to

get where I'm at now - didn't do it all at once. Each time I'd drop

1/4 grain and add .025 synthroid -- I'd feel better within 10 days,

then worse.

I guess I really don't understand how to go by symptoms. Because when

I was on straight synthroid, my continuing symptoms were no sex drive

and brain fog. After switching to armour and having my 2 1/2 months

of bliss, I started the horrible hair loss and loss of muscle tone

(that I'd never had before) in addition to the lack of sex drive.

So there's actually been times I've been so tempted to go back on

straight synthroid, because at least then I had muscles, strength and

hair. But then I remember that wonderful time when I first switched

and I know the T3 was the reason for that. How do I find the right

spot for me?!!?

Why did I get so much worse after being on armour for a while? I

thought it was adrenals. Now wondering if it could be ferritin? So

when I have symptoms, how do I know what to change? I'm just so

mentally exhausted from dealing with this for so long.

[Guest guest]

One of the symptoms of anemia is hair loss, but I have that under control. I

added t4, because I still was not quite where I wanted to be after getting my

iron under control and my free t4 was a bit low, even by my DR. My free t3 was

at the top, so I added t4. 31 is a low ferritin depending on range. Was it

10-291 or another range? Are you taking 325 mg of ferrous sulfate 3x a day? I

was cold except when I tried to do anything physical, even walking a block. Then

my heart beat like crazy, short of breath and would sweat! I felt like I was in

a high altitude.

Re: New w/labs and symptoms --

on armour +synthroid -- Thanks!

>

>

> Hi Janie - It actually took a lot of dosage changes within a year to

> get where I'm at now - didn't do it all at once. Each time I'd drop

> 1/4 grain and add .025 synthroid -- I'd feel better within 10 days,

> then worse.

>

> I guess I really don't understand how to go by symptoms. Because when

> I was on straight synthroid, my continuing symptoms were no sex drive

> and brain fog. After switching to armour and having my 2 1/2 months

> of bliss, I started the horrible hair loss and loss of muscle tone

> (that I'd never had before) in addition to the lack of sex drive.

>

> So there's actually been times I've been so tempted to go back on

> straight synthroid, because at least then I had muscles, strength and

> hair. But then I remember that wonderful time when I first switched

> and I know the T3 was the reason for that. How do I find the right

> spot for me?!!?

>

> Why did I get so much worse after being on armour for a while? I

> thought it was adrenals. Now wondering if it could be ferritin? So

> when I have symptoms, how do I know what to change? I'm just so

> mentally exhausted from dealing with this for so long.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Weren't you the one going up and down in your dosage of Armour and taking then

not taking over the counter adrenal meds?

Re: New w/labs and symptoms -- on armour

+synthroid -- Thanks!

So perhaps the adrenal problems or the ferritin kicked in once I

started on the armour -- and the armour and the imbalance in the free

#s really wasn't the source of my problems. I think I did read once

where armour (or I guess any thyroid med) can cause stress on the

adrenals. Is that right?

When I was on the straight armour, my FT3 was over the top of the

range. Do I need to worry about it going even higher over the range

if I upped my original dosage? What problems could come with that?

My ferritin this last time was 31 (down from 52 in Jan) so I've

started on 325 mg ferrous sulfate 2x/day. Could it be a factor in no

muscle tone, hair loss and sex drive? I'm really not overly fatigued.

Also, I first had adrenals checked in April and it showed cortisol

over the top of the range for 3 of the 4 times and DHEA way below

range. Have been taking DHEA and a Chinese Herbal pill. My recent

adrenal test showed am and pm adrenals at the bottom of the range and

DHEA in the middle so they have improved.

My heart palps and overall weakness have gotten better, so I guess

they were coming from the adrenal problems, but I really thought the

other problems would improve as well, but perhaps they're related to

something else. The search continues!

Thanks - Debbie

> >>After switching to armour and having my 2 1/2 months of bliss, I

> >started the horrible hair loss and loss of muscle tone (that I'd

> >never had before) in addition to the lack of sex drive.

>

> I'm sure you must be very frustrated!! But let me explain this: I

> started this site nearly 2 years ago, and since that time, I've seen

> a few folks have problems which they immediately attributed to

> Armour. But when you really looked at it all, it was never just the

> Armour. It was either that they weren't on enough, or it was other

> issues that cropped up.

>

> Honestly, I still feel that one mistake you made in response to the

> problems you encountered was making the drastic decrease in the

> Armour over time. My gut tells me that you need to return to the

> amount of Armour you were on during those 2 months of bliss, and

> increase it. And besides, Armour is 80% T4---you'll still get that

> T4 you are on! BUT....you will get the direct T3.....and you

> DEFINITELY NEED to get your free T3 back up there.

>

> And...you need to get your Ferritin tested..........a low Ferritin

> can cause the symptoms you described!! There are SO many of us who

> have discovered a low Ferritin, and it makes a DIFFERENCE when you

> correct it.

>

> Also, you might do labs for your adrenals........and throw

> testosterone and female hormones into the mix.

>

> Don't give up. With a little labwork, and help from all your thyroid

> friends here, I have no doubt we can help get you back to where you

> were during those 2 1/2 months! Just keep the memory of those 10

> weeks in the forefront, and you WILL get back there.

>

> Janie )

[Guest guest]

I understand why you wouldn't want your cortisol too high, but I also don't

understand why it would be ok if it was dropped to the bottom of the range.

Either one is bad, and you can have hair loss from ANY sudden hormonal

change/adjustment. Every time I've done a change in my Armour dosage, the

hair falling starts again, because it is a chemical whiplash thing, for my

body to adjust to all over again. The original hair loss was from chronic

undertreatment/ changing sex hormones/ extreme body changes, I'm sure of it,

probably along with adrenal problems, which is basically at the bottom of it

all, frankly. My hair is now soft and smooth, but, alas, I don't have tons

of it any more, just an average amt.

Re: New w/labs and symptoms -- on armour

+synthroid -- Thanks!

> So perhaps the adrenal problems or the ferritin kicked in once I

> started on the armour -- and the armour and the imbalance in the free

> #s really wasn't the source of my problems. I think I did read once

> where armour (or I guess any thyroid med) can cause stress on the

> adrenals. Is that right?

>

> When I was on the straight armour, my FT3 was over the top of the

> range. Do I need to worry about it going even higher over the range

> if I upped my original dosage? What problems could come with that?

>

> My ferritin this last time was 31 (down from 52 in Jan) so I've

> started on 325 mg ferrous sulfate 2x/day. Could it be a factor in no

> muscle tone, hair loss and sex drive? I'm really not overly fatigued.

>

> Also, I first had adrenals checked in April and it showed cortisol

> over the top of the range for 3 of the 4 times and DHEA way below

> range. Have been taking DHEA and a Chinese Herbal pill. My recent

> adrenal test showed am and pm adrenals at the bottom of the range and

> DHEA in the middle so they have improved.

>

> My heart palps and overall weakness have gotten better, so I guess

> they were coming from the adrenal problems, but I really thought the

> other problems would improve as well, but perhaps they're related to

> something else. The search continues!

>

> Thanks - Debbie