Armour better than synthroid??

[xmmwx]

Not sure if anyone is watching this thread anymore, but would like to know if they still are making Armour. I am concerned because I was just diagnosed and have been taking a low dose of Synthroid and my symptoms have been getting worse..Also, here I am doing the Atkins diet and losing quite well and all the sudden I have started losing and gaining the same 2 lbs for the last few weeks..where as, I was at least losing before the Synthroid really kicked in.

[ssMarilyn]

Yes, Armour is still made, but not available at all pharmacies, plus alot of doctors won't prescribe it. It has a lower shelf life than that artificial junk most of us are on, so is often ordered into the drugstore as they get prescriptions for it.

[ssMarilyn]

P.S. Could very well be too, that your Synthroid dose needs to be increased. They start you low and slowly work you up to the proper amount over weeks and months. They can't do it quickly because too much thyroid med stimulates the heart and can cause heart attacks, etc...

[xmmwx]

Funny..I worked for a doctor for 10 years and never bothered to learn much about synthroid..I don't know why. I was the office manager and always dealing with billing and accounts and crazy patients.. but, wasn't always involved in the medical aspect. Thanks for the information. I just think I'm going to go crazy. I thought this medicine was supposed to make me feel better not worse. Does anyone have any idea why someone would feel worse? I heard it is because your body stops making its own hormones and taking synthroid could affect the production of other ones like T3 (that's why people do better on Armour). Does that sound right?

[ssMarilyn]

I guess I've never heard of someone saying they felt worse after starting their Synthroid. I also have never heard of Synthroid interfering with the production of T3, which is just T4 (stored hormone) converted to useable hormone, aka T3. If you have a doctor that won't prescribe Armour, you might just need some Cytomel aka T3. Some people get really sick on Armour. It is pig thyroid y'know... Kinda gross when you think about it. When did you start your treatment? It's a slow recovery and it could be that your thyroid was still bottoming out when you started your medication and it's just going to take a little bit to get it back up and running. Even then it takes months to get back to normal. You want to be sure your TSH is around 1.0 and absolutely never over 3.0 I do best at 1.0 Would be nice too, if docs would request a FT4 and FT3 done, but they normally don't. You almost need to see a naturopath (sp) MD in order to get the correct testing done. Even most endocs bypass the FT3. I don't get it....

P. S. Fluoride inhibits the thyroid, so you want to be sure you don't drink tap water or use fluoridated toothpaste. Many docs say no, that there isn't enough fluoride in water and toothpaste to affect our thyroid, but they aren't aware that fluoride builds up in our body tissues, to toxic levels that WILL affect your thyroid. Many years ago, fluoride was used to treat HYPERthyroidism. What's that tell ya... (doctors...ARGH!!)

[ssMarilyn]

I just found this info on another board:

Re: Does T4 medication affect T3 levels?
most of the time our bodies convert t4 into t3...thereby affecting your levels of t3 when you take the synthroid, however, many people cannot convert the t4 into t3 so they might directly supplement with t3. That is my case....my t4 levels are fine with Synthroid but my t3 was way low so I take a compounded time released t3.

P.P.S. I drink bottled SPRING water, or water from the grocery store that is run through that reverse osmosis machine.That removes all fluoride. Regular bottled water is just purified tap water and has fluoride. Spring water does not. I love Ice Mountain spring water, plus they use 30% less plastic and no dye.

[caroann]

Let me just say...... http://nutrimeds.com/


My husband, daughter (27 years old) and I have been taking Armour Thyroid for around 3 months now. Doing just great. I think it has helped with weight, mental fog and other assorted health issues. I've had 3 different Thyroid tests (so has my daughter and husband) through the years and they all come back negative. But the symptoms have always been there.

Since taking Armour Thyroid (PORCINE THYROID), we've all three had great results. We like it because it is a natural Thyroid supplement taken from pig Thyroid - which we've researched and found that it most naturally resembles our own ( human) Thyroid. It is NOT synthetic.

[xmmwx]

When I was working for my doctor, we were allowed to test with what they call a "thyroid panel". It included all Thyroid hormones. NOW, the insurance companies have made it so that test no longer exsists. You can't just check "tyroid panel" anymore. THe reason is that the insurance companies wanted to cut down on doctors just ording a tyroid panel when a simple tsh test would do. So, the labs make it so you have to check T3 and T4 separately from TSH. Doctors were actually getting chastised for ordering those tests unless "medically necessary" and if it wasn't proven that it was, the money for the test would be taken out of any checks we got from them. SO, guess who decides what is medically necessary? THE INSURANCE COMPANIES..I'm only saying this because people may not know this. The doctor's sometimes have their hands tied with testing. I was so spoiled though. My doctor would've done any test I wanted and would've drawn my blood in between patients and I would sent my own stuff to the lab and call to get my own results! Okay, enough of that.

I don't know what the problem is/was..I was gaining and losing the same 2 lbs for weeks then all the sudden I dropped 6 lbs this past week. My medicine would've started to really work around this same time. I've been on it for 8 weeks..what I am concerned about is that my hair is now falling out and it wasn't before, my skin is dry..the mental fog got worse..so, I don't know. I just wanted to know if anyone else had had the same experience I have had. Thanks for the suggests..I am now armed with some info to take back to my doctor.