Re: one step forward, one step back to Kiki

[Guest guest]

Hi Kiki,

For me it's obvious you're still on the hypo side! You might start

to feel better within two or three weeks, if not, or if you feel you

can do it now, add another quart!

Once I reached the 3 grains, I experimented with upping with quarts,

up to 3 and a half grains. At that point I started having a little

weight loss, but felt very hyper and then had to reduce my meds

again. I finally added 25 mcg of levoxyl and that is very beneficial

for me. It takes away the sharp edges that I felt with my high Ft3.

Currently I take 3 grains Armour and 31,50 mcg Levoxyl.

You will get there!!! It took me a whole year to find out what

Armour can do at it's optimum level, and also to feel what adding a

little T4 does.

But everybody is different. Not everybody needs to add T4. Some need

to add extra T3. (I would feel extremely hyper with that!). Do you

have any recent labwork?

Margreet.

>

> I've been on 3 grains for 3 weeks (no indications of overtreating

so

> far). I switched from 125 mcg Synthroid to 1 gr Armour about 6

months

> ago, and have been slowly titrating my dose upwards (1/2 gr at a

> time, at least 4 wks apart), based on symptoms.

>

> Remaining symptoms are:

> -Hair is still falling out, although slowed considerably since

upping

> from 2.5 gr.

> -Sluggish bowel (some constipation but mostly feeling like I'm not

> finished).

> -Dry and cracked thick patches of skin on knees and tops of feet

> (have had these since endo decreased synthroid from 125 to 88 mcg

in

> mid 2003).

> -Abdominal bloating during ovulation and mittelschmerz (so painful

I

> feel like crying).

> -Heavy periods, coming closer together and lasting a little longer.

> -Weight gain, in spite of maintaining a low glycemic diet and a

> reasonable calorie level (1200-1300). I should also mention I

gained

> 6 pounds while on Atkins induction over the summer - bummer!

>

> I have some energy, but certainly not at my pre-hypo level. I make

a

> point to get some kind of exercise every day, even if it's just

> playing with my children (ages 2 and 4) or mall walking on my

lunch

> hour.

>

> The only significant change I've noticed on Armour is that my mood

> isn't as flat as it was when on Synthroid (I'm usually a bubbly

> personality and have just been regaining a few of my bubbles the

past

> few months).