Just a few comments... Cathy, I agree. I thought I was going nuts.. panic attacks, crying for hours... totally unlike me. The minute the thyroid tumor came out it STOPPED! Along with a lot of other symptoms and increasingly so since my tests and meds have been adjusted.

Mystic I appreciate all the info about armour. I've heard the big controversy and how much "better" it is than thyroxine. Well I have been on L-thyroxine for 2 years and it works GREAT so I haven't even asked my doctor about armour!

Hey Gang, I'll keep this as short as possible ;) and hope you will keep in mind that I am simply trying to share some info that might help someone.

Mystic, I've seen these sort of statements before (as set forth in that article) - it is the same old line that pharmaceutical companies use to try to discredit the natural desiccated thyroid extract. The truth is that desiccated thyroid extract is held to the SAME standards (regarding thyroid hormone content) that the synthetics are....and in fact, if you want to research it, it is Synthroid that has had considerable problems with variability and potency, but here are 2 quick articles.

Synthroid Still Lacks Approval Necessary to Remain Legally on the Market After August 14, 2001
http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa021501a.htm

Synthroid and other Levothyroxine Drugs Have Stability and Potency Problems
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/synthroid1/a/potency.htm

According to informational literature sent out by Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.:

"Because Armour Thyroid medications require a 4.22 to 1 ratio of T4 to T3,
batches of desiccated thyroid are mixed until the desired ratio is obtained.
This method ensures that each strength of Armour Thyroid will be consistent
every time."

The statement about "harmful effects on the heart" is also false....in fact, many hypothyroid folks need the extra T3 because it is proven to aid mood and cognition.

This is a link to another UK site that is trying to correct info about Armour and under their treatment section they have a downloadable packet about Armour:
http://www.thyroiduk.org/

If somone is doing fine on their synthetic thyroid med, then fine, but if not, or if they notice not doing well after a few years, then they should know about the natural dessicated thyroid med that contains both T4 and T3 like Armour Thyroid or at the very least about adding a synthetic T3 product like Cytomel to their synthetic med.

Just some quick info - sorry I really am rushed.
hugs,
Cathy

Misti: I haven't been at this site for several days and I just wanted to apologize to you and others for my last post. I didn't intend to make it sound so b!tchy. I was having one of those days, but that's no excuse.

Cathy: Whether Armour is tested and tried or not, it's extremely difficult to find a doctor that would prescribe it. I even had a doctor once tell me that testing my T3 wasn't necessary, because only a very, very small fraction of people have problems with it and the symptoms would present themselves.

I'm just fed up with the whole thing. It's as if we don't know who to believe, what info is correct, or who is more qualified. I remain open to new things, but I feel as though I will never feel "normal." I feel as though part of me will always be gone or at least disconnected.

Ms. Shapen,

It can be hard to find a doc that will prescribe Armour - but it is possible to find them. They are out there.

As far as being told that testing your Free T3 isn't necessary. That is also nothing new. Docs are told that the TSH is accurate and all they need to run. That is just not the case. If a doc of mine told me a test was unnecessary I would ask him to just humor me (especially since I'm paying for it) and run the tests that I ask. What does it hurt for them to run the tests you ask for. Had I of known 20 years ago that there were more accurate testing the TSH and T3 Uptake I would have found a doc that would run them. I laid low on this for way too long and just believed whatever a doc told me. But when it involved my son's health and wellbeing - well that was a whole other story - and I jumped into it with all fours.

But if you can't get your doc to run the tests you ask you can order your own bloodwork thru www.healthcheckusa.com You would order the Comprehensive Thyroid Panel II for $75.00 and the Anti-Thyroid Antibodies for $60.00. They send the paperwork to you in the mail and then you take it to a Lab One in your area and they draw the blood and you can check your results on line or they send you the results by mail. You can then show those results to your doctor.

But regardless of all of that - if you are still having symptoms and not feeling well then the meds you are taking are not cutting it or you are on too low of a dosage - but I think I've mentioned before that most people with a thyroid problem do not convert T4 to T3 well, so a thyroid med without the T3 usually leaves a person undertreated.

I'm sorry you are fed up with the whole thing Ms. Shapen - I know all of this can be exhausting and sometimes you feel like you are fighting Goliath - I totally understand that - I certainly don't mean to add to your frustration, but I run into so many that are taking the synthetic thyroid meds and still feeling bad and dealing with so many symptoms and it breaks my heart to know that there is another type of thyroid med that could help many.

Personally, I know what to believe bec I have researched it to death AND I HAVE SEEN FIRST HAND the difference in several family members (on both my side and hubby's side) that have switched from Synthroid to Armour.

My son and I have only been on Armour Thyroid.

My mother was on Synthroid for 15 years and continued to have many problems - hair loss (she almost went bald on top of her head), high blood pressure, cold all the time, puffy face, protruding eyes, weightgain, etc etc etc Once she saw how well we were doing on Armour she decided she wanted to give it a try bec she was tired of feeling the way she felt for the past 15 years.

We had to find a new doc for my mom, her doc of 30 years would not run the thyroid tests she requested - said the TSH was adequate. We called around and asked different doc's offices if they would run the tests we requested and would they prescribe Armour. We found a young small town doc who said he would run anything within reason and that even tho he had never prescribed Armour, he would let her try it.

Over the next 6 months or so, he could not believe the difference in my mom and told me at one of her last visits that he has switched some of his other patients from Synthroid to Armour - that he just did not know anything about Armour until he looked into it - that he had only been told about synthetic meds - and also he now runs the TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 (and antibodies) tests whenever he does bloodwork for the thyroid. One important thing tho is that he puts more emphasis on her symptoms, or lack thereof, than he does on her lab numbers.

If I were not feeling "normal" or "well" on a synthetic thyroid med, then I would beg beg beg a doc to let me do a trial on Armour for at least 6 months to see if there is any difference, and then I would read as much as I could on the use of Armour, bec if a doc keeps you at too low of a dosage, you will still not feel up to par.

I have 2 file boxes full of nothing but thyroid info, but most of the info that anyone would ever really need has been put together nicely by some special thyroid buddies at www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Sorry if I'm bugging you with this stuff. I'm only trying to help if I can.
take care,
Cathy

Well if it is any encouragement, I have no idea what you are talking about and didn't find anything you said anywhere close to "*****y." :) In fact I just went and reread your post and still don't find anything remotely offensive about it.... Thanks for the apology if you felt you needed it though... but I think you are being too hard on yourself! :hug:

MISTI AND MS SHAPEN.. I totally agree with you when it come to Mary Shomon.. i have her books .. however i dont agree with some of her "positions.. I am 50 and 140 5'7" .. my correct weight is 135 -- I am up by choice.. I have built muscle now I am south beaching --LOL to decrease fat .. at 50 I am doing a FIGURE SHOW YAAA.. anyway i been on thy - meds since I was 26.. and my then female endo told me I will have to work a little harder to maintain my weight.. since then I have lifted weights and cardio .. and eat healthy .. THAT IS THE KEY.. ..
SINCE TURNING 50 I QUIT MY JOB and work partime giggling at GNC preparing for my show.. my hubby thinks it wonderful and my kid (they are grown ) think I am crazy! LOL but with out GOALS .. life would be boring !

It isn't fair to quote 5 year old articles as current fact. The problem was corrected years ago with Synthroid. Please use current information when citing problems with a drug.

The point I was making was that it is Synthroid that has had stability problems not Armour and that these thyroid drugs are all made to the SAME standards as far as hormone content.

I read on a thyroid site (sorry, don't remember which one) that a person could call a compounding pharmacy to get the names of doctors that are willing to listen, prescribe Armour (if necessary), and do tests other than the TSH. I made that call this afternoon. I spoke to a female pharmacist who stayed on the phone for several minutes, giving me more info than I had asked for.

She told me that I can take my temperature using a thermometer that doesn't beep or stop reading after 30 seconds. Place it under the arm while still in bed in the morning. Leave it there for 10 minutes every morning for five mornings. Record each morning's reading. If the temperature is less than 97.6, show the results to the doctor, because that indicates undertreatment.

She also said that there is a OTC saliva test for T3 (if the doctor isn't willing to have one done) that is simple and just as accurate as a blood test. The drawback is that it's $75. Ouch.

She also told me that I could look into Selenium, Iodine and Zinc, because they help to activate the thyroid. She said that some people have taken this (I believe she said in addition to their thyroid med) and have felt a lot better.

So far, I've only Googled "Selenium and thyroid" and have found some interesting reading . . . okay . . . it's boring . . . but helpful. LOL I intend on searching the other micronutrients.

This pharmacy is located in a small town, so she gave me the names of doctors in a couple larger cities, stating, "These are GOOD doctors . . ."

I hope this helps someone. If nothing else, call a pharmacy to get info on doctors in your area.

As always, talk to a medical professional before changing your routine as even herbal remedies can effect your health and/or how meds react to them.

There were problems in the past with Armour not being consistent dosage. To the best of my knowledge, they have been corrected. Because it is natural, it is less stable.

Armour, desiccated thyroid extract that has been in use for over 100 years,
is held to the SAME government standards as the synthetic thyroid products.
It's not unstable in any way or it would not be in use.

Hey Cathy!!
I too must add to the praise for Armour! Synthroid did absolutely nothing for me I still remained tired all the time, so we added cytomel to my synthroid...yeah too many pills in one day, so my doc gave me Armour and I feel 100% better than I did when taking synthroid or levoxyl.

I guess it's just that different things work for different people :)

Hey Michelle! gosh it's good to see ya!!!!
how ya been doing girlie? you still exercising? I have got to get back to it - I just haven't been able to get back into my normal routine since the hurricane in September. Just craziness everwhere since I work for a general contractor - but that is no excuse ;-)

Michelle, I'm so glad to hear that you are feeling "100% better" on the Armour!!!!! Wow! isn't that something! It's so good to know that you are doing better!

Where are you posting at these days?

hugs,
Cathy

There's a book you can find at our library thats pretty good. Its older though, but the doc that wrote is world renowed for his hypothyroid breakthroughs and information. Its called "is your thyroid making you fat?" It had a good information and also "controversial" info also. I found it extremely useful though.

I had my levels checked this past Wednesday...been on Synthroid since Sept and was on a generic before that (which NEVER worked)...anyway, i have been on the .112 dosage, but when checked this past week, seems my levels were too high...so now i am on the .88 for 2 months to see if that regulates me...

i have been having a hard time sleeping, more like staying asleep even though i run about 22 miles a week, and my body is exhausted...

has anyone else had issues when the dosage might have been too high?

the good news is that i brought my cholesterol from 250 to 183!!!!!!!!!!!