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Thyroid Medications

tammy

By tammy
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

tammy Community Regular
tammy
Posted

I have found that I need two thyroid medications to manage my hypothyroidism. Levoxyl and Sustained Release Liothyronine. I have also found that I need nutraceuticals to support my adrenals. ;)

Several doctors have mentioned to me to try Armour Thyroid. Armour contains both T4 and T3 making it a bit harder to control than two separate thyroid medications. But I really wonder how much of an improvement in my health would I have if I did switch to Armour.

Has anybody used both separate thyroid medications such as T4 and T3 (S. R. Cytomel) and switched to Armour? Did you have a better experience with one than the other?

Has anyone had both hypothyroidism and adrenal issues?

:D I am soooo thankful to Celica.com for this forum! :D

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Rachel--24 Collaborator
Rachel--24
Posted
I have found that I need two thyroid medications to manage my hypothyroidism. Levoxyl and Sustained Release Liothyronine. I have also found that I need nutraceuticals to support my adrenals. ;)

Several doctors have mentioned to me to try Armour Thyroid. Armour contains both T4 and T3 making it a bit harder to control than two separate thyroid medications. But I really wonder how much of an improvement in my health would I have if I did switch to Armour.

Has anybody used both separate thyroid medications such as T4 and T3 (S. R. Cytomel) and switched to Armour? Did you have a better experience with one than the other?

Has anyone had both hypothyroidism and adrenal issues?

:D I am soooo thankful to Celica.com for this forum! :D

I tried everything from Levothroid to Armour to Levoxyl to combination Cytomel/Levothroid and finally back to Armour. I actually never felt good on any of the meds because it was my diet causing the symptoms and everything was finally improved with dietary changes. I spent 2 years adjusting meds and doses with no improvement...now I'm happy to stay on Armour.

cdford Contributor
cdford
Posted

We use armour around here and have found it works better than any of the others for us.

tammy Community Regular
tammy
Posted
  • Author
We use armour around here and have found it works better than any of the others for us.

Thank you for your reply! How did you determine that Armour was best for you? What type of Doctor is treating you for your hypothyroidism?

:D

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted

I've gone through a lot of thyroid med changes recently and discovered I'm both gluten and casein intolerant. I've nearly gone a full circle now!

I had a lot of brain fog, coldness, tiredness, not feeling rested after sleeping and discovered my Free T3 was below range, this was in late 2004. I got my doctor to switch me to Armour thyroid, which contains T3 and T4. I felt great at first but soon started to feel hyper, so I cut back on the meds. Then I felt hypothyroid again. Back in September I thought perhaps my T3/T4 balance was off, so I asked my doctor to prescribe mostly T4 (levoxyl or some such) and a little Armour. He did and I switched back to mostly levoxyl (125 mgc) and I've been taking just a little armour with that. For the first time I felt JUST RIGHT!

Then I tried going gluten free and started feeling a bit hyper again. So I cut back the armour. Now since I've been going gluten-free for a few months, I'm to the point where I think I could give up the Armour all together. I think perhaps gluten was either causing my hypothyroid like symptoms or else gluten was somehow causing me not to convert my T4 into T3.

So, what worked for me was getting a little Armour, but all Armour was just too much T3 for me, I believe. I'm hoping I can dump it altogether eventually!

  • 2 months later...
Neicee Newbie
Neicee
Posted
I have found that I need two thyroid medications to manage my hypothyroidism. Levoxyl and Sustained Release Liothyronine. I have also found that I need nutraceuticals to support my adrenals. ;)

Several doctors have mentioned to me to try Armour Thyroid. Armour contains both T4 and T3 making it a bit harder to control than two separate thyroid medications. But I really wonder how much of an improvement in my health would I have if I did switch to Armour.

Has anybody used both separate thyroid medications such as T4 and T3 (S. R. Cytomel) and switched to Armour? Did you have a better experience with one than the other?

Has anyone had both hypothyroidism and adrenal issues?

:D I am soooo thankful to Celica.com for this forum! :D

Hi

I was DX with hypothyroid in 1991 and was put on synthroid. Recently I began seeing a naturopath and he switched me over to Armour Thyroid due to it containing both t3 and t4. I am scheduled to go see him next week for a check up to see if I am on the right dose. First I was on 3 pills, 45mg and then I told him I was very very tired so he upped it to 4 pills. I think I may need to go up to 5 pills but I like it because it is natural and not a synthetic medication. Too much of that in my system already :blink:

sspitzer5 Apprentice
sspitzer5
Posted
I have found that I need two thyroid medications to manage my hypothyroidism. Levoxyl and Sustained Release Liothyronine. I have also found that I need nutraceuticals to support my adrenals. ;)

Several doctors have mentioned to me to try Armour Thyroid. Armour contains both T4 and T3 making it a bit harder to control than two separate thyroid medications. But I really wonder how much of an improvement in my health would I have if I did switch to Armour.

Has anybody used both separate thyroid medications such as T4 and T3 (S. R. Cytomel) and switched to Armour? Did you have a better experience with one than the other?

Has anyone had both hypothyroidism and adrenal issues?

:D I am soooo thankful to Celica.com for this forum! :D

Yes, I take t3 and t4. I have them made at a compounding pharmacy. I've tried a bunch of stuff including Armour, but this seems to work well for me. I think the switch to Armour will go well. The only issue may be that you may need to supplement with t4 since pigs (where Armour comes from) have a slightly different t4/t3 ratio.

I too have hypothyroidism and adrenal issues. I've been taking dhea to help with the adrenals, but it hasn't resolved everything. My new doc thinks I have some sort of underlying infection.

S

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mamaw Community Regular
mamaw
Posted

I was on cytomel for about 10 months and I felt like heaven then all of a sudden my heart would not settle down and my bp shot up to a horrible rate . after 8hours of trying to rest and bring it ddown on my own I ended up at the ER where I was put on a cardaizime drip (not sure of spelling) to bring my bp in a normal range.Oddly enough my thyroid started to function on its own again throwing me a curve ball....My holistic doc said that cytomel hits you immediately with a bang but the armour is a more slow-releasing pill. So after a few months I'm tired, hungary and b%$@#y so I'm now trying armour which he says is the most natural form of thyroid medicine. He never uses the synthroid...Also he says everyone should be taking their pulse at least twice a day to make sure it isn't above 85 beats per minute. I think the norm is around 72 resting.When mine is over or at 85 I don't take any thyroid medication.....I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round.By the way the doc said in his 40+ years of treating patients he has only seen a handful that ones thyroid started to function again.Why me!!!!!!!!!!!

That little thyroid sure does cause alot of trouble for us...

mamaw

paulasimone Rookie
paulasimone
Posted

i was on armour thyroid 4 years ago. the doctor (an ENT/allergist) told me then he thought i probably had a wheat intolerance that was actually behind the hypothyroidism as well as the sinus infections, depression, constant illness, and fatigue. but i was not ready to hear it. he was a good sport though and went ahead with the armour thyroid as well as surgery for my deviated septum. it was really nice of him to listen to me and respect me like that, and the armour thyroid definitely allowed me to be so much more functioning.

i can't even remember why i finally started cutting down on the bread/wheat - i think it was kind of a low-carb impulse with his theory in the back of my mind, but the results were so shocking i realized he was right. when i finally actually went gluten-free for reals i didn't need the armour anymore. just like he told me from the start. now i do the gluten-free diet and take vitamins and supplements and they do better than all the meds did. of course, i'm sure not everyone can do that, but i sure am glad that's the case with me.

that said, the armour thyroid did stead me well when i was on it - i'm sure it gave me the strength to actually start being more pro-active about the rest of my health, my life. of course when i moved cities for school and went to student health to get my prescription renewed the snotty young doctor at the fancy private university hospital mocked me, basically accusing my doctor back home of being a quack, saying that "no one" prescribes armour thyroid anymore! he refused to refill it. he wanted me to go to an endocrinologist (to be told as i already had, that my thyroid levels were "normal", falling *just* inside the bottom range of arbitrary "normal levels). jerk! another reason i'm lucky to be ok on the gluten-free.

good luck!

:)

flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

I have been on all different thyroid meds, and the only one same dose i could stay on for more than 1 or 2 weeks was levoxyl

it't the only one i feel good on and have the most energy on.

Aetheana Newbie
Aetheana
Posted

Hi!

I'm also on armour with 'burnt out' adrenal glands.

The armous is seemingly perfect for me, but i keep going to have it checked about every six weeks.

as for the adrenals, though, thats a bit trickier. my homeopathic/natural doctor has told me to take this supplement which is supposedly good for them.

Open Original Shared Link

i dont know if its the supplement or the fact that now im gluten free and killing candida, but i havent felt this good in awhile.

Good luck!

  • 2 years later...
GFtraingirl Newbie
GFtraingirl
Posted
We use armour around here and have found it works better than any of the others for us.

I am so glad to read your simple comment about Armour since I want to change over to Armour after my thyroid test this coming week. Will ask my MD for it, but am not sure she will do it. My naturopath will not do Armour, either, so I am thinking about going to another naturopath who works at my chiropractor's office...

If you are still online, and posting here: How are you doing now, 3+ years after posting this?

caek-is-a-lie Explorer
caek-is-a-lie
Posted

I've only ever taken Armour and it works great. I just had my first thyroid test (a very comprehensive one) since starting the medication last fall and everything is extremely normal. I do miss eating as soon as I wake up in the morning, tho. That half hour is sometimes the only chance I get to eat breakfast. I need a better routine. lol

curiousgeorge Rookie
curiousgeorge
Posted

I took syncrap for 12 years and never felt good on it. I switched to dessicated last may and the moment I took it I felt better. I will never take syncrap again.

GFtraingirl Newbie
GFtraingirl
Posted
I've only ever taken Armour and it works great. I just had my first thyroid test (a very comprehensive one) since starting the medication last fall and everything is extremely normal. I do miss eating as soon as I wake up in the morning, tho. That half hour is sometimes the only chance I get to eat breakfast. I need a better routine. lol

I went to my regular MD yesterday; she agreed to put me on Armour, even agreed with the way I wanted to take it (read about how to slowly increase the dose until I feel better) and in general was very supportive of my going off my compounded T3/T4 which is not working as well as I think it should.

Today I started with my Armour and I am looking forward to an improvement in how I feel. This will be my fourth thyroid medication in 2 1/2 years. I hope this will be the winner! Since the dose is so low, she said for me to start on the Armour right away, even while we wait for the results of my thyroid test.

I feel very blessed to have a regular MD who is so open to alternative medicine.

GFtraingirl Newbie
GFtraingirl
Posted
I took syncrap for 12 years and never felt good on it. I switched to dessicated last may and the moment I took it I felt better. I will never take syncrap again.

I am happy to read about the good results with Armour. I hope I can say the same in a few months. I just started taking Armour today.

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