Armour Vs. Levoxyl

[tammy]

Hi,

I currently take two synthetic thyroid hormones to manage my hypothyroidism. But I am considering switching to Armour if it will improve my health and make me feel good too.

Have you switched your thyroid hormones? How did it work for you?

Thanks!

[Guest sriddle78]

I have not received my results from my celiac tests, but I'd be more than happy to tell you about my experience with various thyroid replacement drugs. I was diagnosed as hypothyroid when I was 16. My current doctor thinks I was probably hypothyroid much younger than that, but it just so happens that's when it was caught. I was put on synthroid for years. I never felt right. I always felt anxious but fatigued. The doctors kept telling me that my blood tests were normal, but I didn't feel normal! I switched back and forth from Synthroid to Levoxyl, but never noticed a difference. I had headaches every single day of my life and felt like I wanted to cry. Of course, they just gave me drugs for the headaches.

Fast forward 10 years later...I have been studying the differences between Armour and Synthroid for a couple years. I wanted to try Armour because I had heard quite a few rave reviews. No doctor would prescribe it to me. None. I even went to the Armour website and found a doctor on there and she wouldn't even give it to me! Her explanation is that "We just don't prescribe it anymore." I was so sick of it! I was sick of the daily headaches, the muscle aches, fatigue, feeling cold all the time, and so on.

So, I went to the Armour website again and called to make an appointment with yet another doctor. This time I thought I was smart and I asked if the new doctor would actually prescribe Armour to me. The receptionist said that she prescribed both the synthetic and Armour. I said GREAT!

So I went to this doctor and she looked at me like I was crazy. It's a young doctor and her response was, "I usually don't prescribe it, unless someone's been on it for years." I pleaded and she finally gave in. I have not had the headaches I had before, I'm not as cold as I was before, even my heartburn seems to be getting better. We're still working on the dosage. I was on .175 mg of Synthroid and I'm on 2 grains of Armour. We think we have it right. All I can tell you is keep pushing the doctors to give it to you if they give you a hard time! Like I told my new doctor, I would go back to the synthetic if I didn't feel any difference. But I do feel a difference. I was skeptical, but I wanted to try it. I'm glad I did is all I can say. The only warning about Armour: it smells horrible!

Shannon

[Janice C]

I found doctors through two hypothyroidism doctors who have websites. One is wilsonssyndrome.com It lists doctors in different states. They prescribe T3 to many patients. The synthetic thyroid hormone is T4. Many people don't do well on it because their cells cannot convert T4 to the active thyroid hormone T3. Armours has both T3 and T4. Cytomel is T3.

Dr. and Dr. Lowe. Their office may know of a doctor near you. I phoned them at (303) 413-9101. They are in Boulder, Colorado.

The body needs selenium to convert T4 to T3. If we can't absorb minerals, we could have a problem there.

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

The body needs selenium to convert T4 to T3. If we can't absorb minerals, we could have a problem there.

Could that be the reason my thyroid levels are all over the chart?

I tried Armour after Leveoxyl, Armour (althrough felt better) I developed a mouth blister and can't tolerate pork. Went back to Leveoxyl can't balance out alway boarderline hyper, heart skips a beat, the vein in my left palm hurts, can't sleep, you know all of them. Went back on Leveoxyl 88 mcg, crawling out of my skin. I wanted to back down on the throttle and lower the dose to the next strenght dose. So I had my compounding pharmacist made me 75 mcg. He filled it with LEVOTHYROXINE -T4.

I took it and immediately felt better, 6 weeks has passed, a few days ago I became symptomatic again more hypo. Yesterday I had blood drawn, today I find out everything else is perfect range, T4, T-Utake, FTI, but TSH was HIGH. 14.96 normal 0.35-5.50

I called the compounding pharmacist he asked what was my T3? They didn't test it... The endo doc said increase it. Don't have any pills for the weekend. And compounding RX takes about 4 days or more sometimes. She told me to go back to the 88 mcg of Levoxyl.

And after reading this thread I'm wondering what is causing this for me?

I will tell you this -- I also did some research on the dyes used in the mainstream drugs they are cross contaminated with gluten from the company that makes the dye. They don't tell us, unless you call and put them on the spot they say we don't guarantee. My endo dock said the 88 mcg dye causes problems for other patients also.

I don't know anymore. The mists of brain-fog has entered around me; I don't understand anymore

[Rachel--24]

I've been on Armour for a couple years now. My Endo didnt normally perscribe it but he didnt give me any crap about it. I dont see him anymore and have had lots of doctors....noones told me they wont give it to me. If they did...I'd fire them right then and there. Prior to Armour I had been on both Levoxyl and Levothroid and I cant handle the synthetic stuff...I reacted to the dyes and whatever else was in them. I'm doing fine on Armour.

[tammy]

I have heard both good and bad about Armour so I am still skeptical. I will admit that any person who is not feeling well on just any T4 medication would be wise to check their T3 levels as well as consider their adrenal status.

Stress levels and poor management of the thyroid can tax the adrenal glands.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear the GOOD NEWS that some of you have finally experienced on Armour. For those of you who are undermanaged, please try to consider a little bit of T3 too.

I am still using both a T4 and T3 medication (that is compounded) But now my thyroid is showing hypo again. He is gradually increasing my T4 and no headaches this time. But as the T4 increases I bet that I will need less T3. So it is a delicate balancing act.

Maybe I will finally get balanced!

[gabrielle]

I am on Levoxyl, and I do very well on it. I could tell a dramatic difference from not being on a thyroid medication. I was accidentally prescribed Levothyroxine and it messed up my menstrual cycle and made me very crampy and tired. As soon as I went back on to Levoxyl I was fine- and there were no more problems. But I am sure every person will react differently. I also had read somewhere that it is not always good to switch thyroid medications because something about your body will use each one differently. I wish I could remember where I read that, I will try to look for it. Best regards.

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

I am on Levoxyl, and I do very well on it. I could tell a dramatic difference from not being on a thyroid medication. I was accidentally prescribed Levothyroxine and it messed up my menstrual cycle and made me very crampy and tired. As soon as I went back on to Levoxyl I was fine- and there were no more problems.

A couple of questions...

What type of doseage where you taking? And for how long?