Dede, et al Armour Side Effects,

[Guest guest]

Hi Dede, thank you so much for your reply. It means alot to me on having someone

to talk to or listen to what I am going through. At least here I can find

someone who can relate to me since I lack support where I am (live).

 

I have the cortrosyn stim test done and came back " normal " but you know how that

goes, it is so unreliable to say the least. I would like to have the saliva test

done, but I think my endo will refuse since he (they) didn't find anything

unusual with my cortro. stim test. I still believe that I need more test done,

from adrenal issues, to female hormones to iron level and even to B complex

testing, but they all came back normal (besides the hormonal issues, since I

haven't taken test on my estrogen, progesterone, etc. so have to get this done).

 

I took 30 mg in the morning (7am) and the other half of 30 mg of Armour around

2pm. I felt great and alive in the morning hours. It amazed me how syntroid is

so different compared to ARmour comparing to only a one day dosage. My

concentration was better, I was able to run errands one after another and I

didn't or couldn't do that for so long. Usually an errand or two is all I can do

in the morning, but yesterday I did 4 errands! To me, this was great! Then in

the afternoon, I started to feel a little tired and sleepy even, so I took the

other 30 mg of Armour, but within 2 hours or so, I noticed more rapid hearbeats,

anxiety or nervous, a little hot, and such. But it was still early in the

afternoon so I didn't think of it that much - I was still on the go with my

kids. HOwever, around 9p until 2am I couldn't sleep, I was very nervous, having

panic attacks symptoms, more rapid heartbeats especially when I was lying down

trying to go to bed, felt chilly a little even under the covers

, and I felt " energized " in some weird way. I had to take half of the Xanac pill

(they gave me this instead of antidepressant to help with my anxiety while

taking synthroid, but I am weaning myself off this one too because it is a very

addicting drug I read) and within an hour or two, I was able to calm down and

sleep.

 

This morning, I was able to get up and do things - have children that goes to

school so if you have young children, you know how that is with taking care of

them early in the morning before the bus comes by - I was able to run errands

again. I didn't want to over do it or do too much errands in case I crash or

something. This morning, I only took 15 mg of armour and will take the other 15

mg of armour this afternoon. Now thinking of it, perhaps I should not have done

that or lowered my dosage because it may affect me the wrong way later. But I am

worried that I may experience that night thing again tonight so perhaps

gradually dosing myself of armour little by little will get my body used to it

instead of taking a full 60 mg a day even if I multi dose it.

 

I am not sure, what do you think I should do? I don;t want to be told by my doc

that I need to switch back to synthroid because what armour is doing to me. I

know I have to give it awhile so I don't want to give up on this at all. I gave

syntroid 3 years and I know this is nothing compared to others who took it for

years, or even decades, but I know for sure it is not working for me because of

those lingering bad symptoms I have daily from synt.

 

-------------- Original message from " edgetexlady " <rbright:

--------------

 

Mrs. A:

 

I've been on thyroid meds since about 1980. I first started on

Armour (that's all there was) and then at some point was switched to

Synthyroid (around 1988). I asked my pharmacist at the time what the

difference was and he said the synthetic thyroid was much more stable

and much more measurable in terms of how many milligrams of the

hormone you are actually using. Pharmacists are really your best

source of info on this.

 

Then, a few years ago after coming across info on the net which said

that " natural " (Armour thyroid) was the way to go, not that synthetic

stuff - and it said all sorts of other things that led me down a path

of alternatives (probably at a time I didn't need to even try it

because I was caring for my elderly Mom at the time and was pretty

close to insane).

 

But yes, any time you switch thyroid meds you should quit one and go

to the next one the next day ... no weening off is required. In

addition, that doctor should have you come in about six weeks after

you started the new meds and run a blood test to see if the new

prescribed amount is appropriate. As you noted, the milligram levels

are very, very different -- synthyroid is much more concentrated.

 

From the amounts you gave I'd say the doctor was right on track - the

amounts of synthyroid vs. Armour are very similar to mine with I was

messing with things.

 

Final chapter: about a year ago my OB/Gyn (who I really like) asked

my why I was taking Armour instead of synthyroid. I shrugged my

shoulders and said " because I read somewhere it was really better. "

 

She explained to me what the pharmacist had years ago: synthyroid

gives a much more precise dose, and then she said " But OK, DEDE -- if

you just WANT TO take ground up pig Thymus that's OK with me! "

 

I looked at her and decided to embrace modern medicine once again.

 

Something to consider: What else is going on with you that could be

giving you these symptoms -- those are not necessarily symptoms

related to low thyroid.

 

Dede

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

You could be dealing with blood sugar issues in the

afternoon rather than thyroid. I take the armour in

the AM and don't have the thryoid issue in the

afternoon. However Ann Louise Gittleman talks about

individuals having blood sugar issues that look like

thyroid in the afternoon.

 

Worried about what your dr would say shouldn't be an

issue. It's your body and if it's working for you they

should respect that. I had a dr literally get angry at

me because I insisted that Wild Yam Cream worked to

help with hot flashes. She swore at me even! But it

does help and I know it does..so I took what she had

to say with a grain of salt.

 

Jenny Kernan

--- army108 wrote:

 

> Hi Dede, thank you so much for your reply. It means

> alot to me on having someone to talk to or listen to

> what I am going through. At least here I can find

> someone who can relate to me since I lack support

> where I am (live).

>

> I have the cortrosyn stim test done and came back

> " normal " but you know how that goes, it is so

> unreliable to say the least. I would like to have

> the saliva test done, but I think my endo will

> refuse since he (they) didn't find anything unusual

> with my cortro. stim test. I still believe that I

> need more test done, from adrenal issues, to female

> hormones to iron level and even to B complex

> testing, but they all came back normal (besides the

> hormonal issues, since I haven't taken test on my

> estrogen, progesterone, etc. so have to get this

> done).

>

> I took 30 mg in the morning (7am) and the other half

> of 30 mg of Armour around 2pm. I felt great and

> alive in the morning hours. It amazed me how

> syntroid is so different compared to ARmour

> comparing to only a one day dosage. My concentration

> was better, I was able to run errands one after

> another and I didn't or couldn't do that for so

> long. Usually an errand or two is all I can do in

> the morning, but yesterday I did 4 errands! To me,

> this was great! Then in the afternoon, I started to

> feel a little tired and sleepy even, so I took the

> other 30 mg of Armour, but within 2 hours or so, I

> noticed more rapid hearbeats, anxiety or nervous, a

> little hot, and such. But it was still early in the

> afternoon so I didn't think of it that much - I was

> still on the go with my kids. HOwever, around 9p

> until 2am I couldn't sleep, I was very nervous,

> having panic attacks symptoms, more rapid heartbeats

> especially when I was lying down trying to go to

> bed, felt chilly a little even under the covers

> , and I felt " energized " in some weird way. I had to

> take half of the Xanac pill (they gave me this

> instead of antidepressant to help with my anxiety

> while taking synthroid, but I am weaning myself off

> this one too because it is a very addicting drug I

> read) and within an hour or two, I was able to calm

> down and sleep.

>

> This morning, I was able to get up and do things -

> have children that goes to school so if you have

> young children, you know how that is with taking

> care of them early in the morning before the bus

> comes by - I was able to run errands again. I didn't

> want to over do it or do too much errands in case I

> crash or something. This morning, I only took 15 mg

> of armour and will take the other 15 mg of armour

> this afternoon. Now thinking of it, perhaps I should

> not have done that or lowered my dosage because it

> may affect me the wrong way later. But I am worried

> that I may experience that night thing again tonight

> so perhaps gradually dosing myself of armour little

> by little will get my body used to it instead of

> taking a full 60 mg a day even if I multi dose it.

>

> I am not sure, what do you think I should do? I

> don;t want to be told by my doc that I need to

> switch back to synthroid because what armour is

> doing to me. I know I have to give it awhile so I

> don't want to give up on this at all. I gave

> syntroid 3 years and I know this is nothing compared

> to others who took it for years, or even decades,

> but I know for sure it is not working for me because

> of those lingering bad symptoms I have daily from

> synt.

>

> -------------- Original message from " edgetexlady "

> <rbright: --------------

>

> Mrs. A:

>

> I've been on thyroid meds since about 1980. I first

> started on

> Armour (that's all there was) and then at some point

> was switched to

> Synthyroid (around 1988). I asked my pharmacist at

> the time what the

> difference was and he said the synthetic thyroid was

> much more stable

> and much more measurable in terms of how many

> milligrams of the

> hormone you are actually using. Pharmacists are

> really your best

> source of info on this.

>

> Then, a few years ago after coming across info on

> the net which said

> that " natural " (Armour thyroid) was the way to go,

> not that synthetic

> stuff - and it said all sorts of other things that

> led me down a path

> of alternatives (probably at a time I didn't need to

> even try it

> because I was caring for my elderly Mom at the time

> and was pretty

> close to insane).

>

> But yes, any time you switch thyroid meds you should

> quit one and go

> to the next one the next day ... no weening off is

> required. In

> addition, that doctor should have you come in about

> six weeks after

> you started the new meds and run a blood test to see

> if the new

> prescribed amount is appropriate. As you noted, the

> milligram levels

> are very, very different -- synthyroid is much more

> concentrated.

>

> From the amounts you gave I'd say the doctor was

> right on track - the

> amounts of synthyroid vs. Armour are very similar to

> mine with I was

> messing with things.

>

> Final chapter: about a year ago my OB/Gyn (who I

> really like) asked

> my why I was taking Armour instead of synthyroid. I

> shrugged my

> shoulders and said " because I read somewhere it was

> really better. "

>

> She explained to me what the pharmacist had years

> ago: synthyroid

> gives a much more precise dose, and then she said

> " But OK, DEDE -- if

> you just WANT TO take ground up pig Thymus that's OK

> with me! "

>

> I looked at her and decided to embrace modern

> medicine once again.

>

> Something to consider: What else is going on with

> you that could be

> giving you these symptoms -- those are not

> necessarily symptoms

> related to low thyroid.

>

> Dede

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>