Hi Emily,
I'm feeling pretty good lately, and starting to lose some weight. I think increased exercize is the way to do it. I started losing after 10 days camping where it was 1/2 mile round trip to the bathroom, and I walked several times a day. I found after that I wasn't as hungry as much.
Also from what I've found out if you had thyroid cancer then you should be suppressed with a TSH of 0.10. Armour is not advised because it contains the same hormones that are used to check for reoccourance of the cancer. That is probibly why the endo won't precribe it. I've also heard that because Armour is made from the ground up thyroids of pigs there is a small possibility of contracting a spongaform encephelophy, which is the same disease as mad cow disease.

Bette- I love false statements dont you..lol here is what I know and have read about BSE or MadCow
There is really only one source to get "mad cow" and that is from a cow....lol enjoy

Bette- I am not trying to be "smart" or anything just got a kick out of the mad cow thing...

hey bette,

This is the first time I've heard that Armour is not advised after thyroid cancer bec it contains the same hormones that are used to check for reoccurance of the cancer.

I'm confused by that bec Armour Thyroid has the same thyroid hormones that your thyroid gland made (T4, T3, T2 and T1) and I do believe your body would really need ALL of those if her thyroid gland has been removed or zapped with radiation.

I do know that the TSH should be suppressed after thyroid cancer - and actually, Armour is excellent at suppressing TSH.

So I'm wondering - is this simply something that your doc is telling you or would you happen to have any articles or medical reports that indicate that. I'm just trying to understand where this is coming from.

thanks,
Cathy


" Patients are returning to a medication that was successfully used from the late 1800’s onward: natural desiccated thyroid hormones, more commonly known as the brand name Armour. Armour is an FDA approved product made from pig glands, meets the stringent guidelines of the US Pharmacopoeia, and gives patients EXACTLY what their own thyroids give them–T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin."

I didn't have a thyroidectomy because of cancer. I had graves disease and was allergic to the thyroid supressant medications. I was and am also nursing so radiation was a big no-no. I had a sub-total thyroidectomy, so I still have a portion of my thyroid left. Bad part is that my surgeon doesn't "remember" how much they left in, so my docs are having a hard time regulating me because my little piece is kicking in here and there. I am on a very low dose of levothyroxin.

My endo did say that if I was still feeling bad in a couple of months, he would prescribe a T3 (I think that's what he said). I think the reason he is hesitant to prescribe armour is that in our local area tests have show it to work the same or slightly worse on patients. Don't know why.

hey emily - I'm sure adding any kind of T3 like Cytomel to your synthetic thyroid med would help. If you could get your doc to run the Free T3 test you would probably find that your Free T3 result is low or low in the range.

Actually, I would have my doc run the Free T3 and Free T4tests, along with the TSH if they aren't already doing that. And do you happen to know if they have ever checked your thyroid antibodies?

I would think that if "local area tests" show Armour to work the same or worse on patients - it would be because of too low dosing. Most people find that they need between 3 to 5 grains (180 mgs to 300 mgs) and a lot of docs just don't dose it right.

I hope you get to feeling better!
hugs,
Cathy

Thanks for being so informative Cathy! I do get my T3 and T4 and free t3 and free t4 tests done at the same time as TSH. I've been told they've been normal...haven't asked for numbers. They have never tested me for thyroid antibodies...what are those?

hey emily! :wave:

That's GREAT that they are running all those tests!

If you could get copies of your blood work from your doc we could talk about your results - if you'd like. I have had to learn the hard way that a lot of times docs will say "normal" or "in the range" but it's best to see the results and see where in the range your results are falling. Are they low in the range? becthat can definitely be a problem and sometimes we have to point that out to docs. But if you could possibly get copies of your latest labwork - that would be great. I always recommend that everyone get copies of any and all labwork they have done.

Thyroid Antibodies (or actually Anti-Thyroid Antibodies) are basically antibodies that fight whatever thyroid hormone you do have running thru your system, and if you have them, it can be very important to know.

Here is a little info on Thyroid Antibodies at Mary Shomon's website at:

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_s...a/antibody.htm

These are they thyroid antibodies tests to have done:

1. Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) and
2. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO)

I'm here if you want to talk about any of this. :)
take care,
Cathy

First off I said spongeform encephalophly, BSE or mad cow disease is one form of it. Every animal has a form of spongeform encephalophy, It was first described in the 1940's in New Guenea ( I can't spell tonight), but not until the 1960's was the diesase, which was called Kuru found to be caused by eating the brains and organs of other people.
A disease prevelent in sheep, scabies is believed to be what caused the outbreak of mad cow disease in England, bones and organs from diseased sheep were ground up and fed to cattle. So yes it can jump species. Spongeform encepholophies are not caused by viruses or bacteria, but by prions. They can not be destroyed by heat, or other forms of sterilization, but once in an animal are always there.
Also having once raised hogs and knowing they will eat anything they can get to, including each other I don't think I want to take their ground up organs. ( no it wasn't in confinement situation, but pretty much open range)

For my source, it is Dr Kenneth Ain, one of the top thyroid specialists in the USA, he wrote the book on thyroid problems.

I guess that I started this original thread and don't feel right having it taken over by the armour is the only drug to use people.

Bette- I am in no way saying the Armour is the only drug people should be taking for Thyroid problems, I was only commenting on the "mad-cow" thing. I have only just begun to take Armour myself, I was on synthroid and cytomel for 4 years. So I am by all means NOT an expert. And I was NOT trying to hijack the thread. Sorry if I offended you. But there is only ONE species with "mad-cow", yes there are other forms of it but that isnt what was being discussed.

As far as what "diets" tend to work best, I have personally found that limiting carbs and startches seems to work pretty good for me.

Hello all, my name is Jennifer, I am 26 and have no thyroid (am currently on Synthroid). I had my thyroid removed and 2 rounds of radioactive iodine at 15, so I have been on Synthroid for 11 years now. I gained about 40 pounds post- op (mainly from prednisone) and had no problem getting that off. The real trouble came after 2 pregnancies. I am currently doing LA weight loss, and have seen the best results from any program with it. It is similar to a diabetic diet- exchanges for starch, protien, fat, etc.- which is what a lot of endocrinologists give to thyroid patients. Anyways, just wanted to drop in and say hi!