posted
Are you taking Armour Thyroid even though your lab tests for thyroid are "normal?" I'm going to begin doing this as soon as my meds come back from the mail order prescription service.
Did the armour help even though your tests were normal??
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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robi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5547
posted
"normal" is a mattr of interpretation when it comes to Thyroid tests. The lab ranges are NOT accurrate.
I take armour. It helps, but with all the other things I am on it is hard to adjust it properly.
robi
-------------------- Now, since I put reality on the back burner, my days are jam-packed and fun-filled. ..........lily tomlin as 'trudy' Posts: 2503 | From here | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Hi Lymetutu, I'm taking armour thyroid even though my thyroid tests were always normal, even low normal.
I actually take quite a bit, about 105 mgs.daily in a divided dose although my doc doesn't know why I divide the dose, he states I don't have to but if you go to Dr. Mercola's website he highly recommends it.
I take 1 grain(60mg) and 1 1/2 grains (90mg) and I cut the 90 in half to get the 45, hence 60mg + 45mg =105mg.
It has given me much more energy and normalcy in my life. The only problem I've encountered was when my llmd started me on it he gave me way too much(2grains twice a day) and I had terrible palpitations, pulse raced at 120-140 frequently.
PM me if you need more info! Try starting with 1/2 grain (30mg.) and after 6 weeks go to 1 grain (60mg.)if the 1/2 isn't enough and go up from there, my t3 & t4 levels are still normal but my tsh is suppressed to .01, normal is .03 and above. Good luck!
Kathi
Posts: 14 | From Southeastern Wisconsin | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Thanks, Kathi! Since I already mailed my script, I'm not sure what it said. I think it said to begin with 1/4 grain once a day and after 2 wks go to 1/4 grain twice a day. After that, I'm not sure what it said.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
Your very welcome, if you need any help once it arrives just let me know. 1/4 grain is tiny, only 15 mg., still its better to start small and ramp up little by little.
And you should go for blood work every 6 weeks or so to check your progress but believe me if you get too much you'll know right away, you'll get palpitations and feel nervous etc.then go back down to the last dosage you were on.
Posts: 14 | From Southeastern Wisconsin | Registered: Jun 2005
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klutzo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5701
posted
I am not sure what you mean by "normal". Most labs are still saying a TSH up to 5.5 is normal, which is way behind the research.
The American College of Endocrinology finally readjusted the "normal" range to a high of 3.04, or 2.0 for those who have either thryoid problems or depression in their families. (Depression is often due to undx'd hypothryoidism)
My doc says I should be as close to a TSH of 1.0 as possible.
When I fist got sick, my TSH was 4.4 and they refused to treat me, saying it was normal, even though my arms and legs were gong numb, I gained 50 lbs. for no reason, and my hair was falling out. I wonder if I would have gotten so sick if they had treated me....
3 yrs. ago when I finally started Armour, my TSH was 3.59. It is now 1.55.
Within 24 hrs. of starting Armour, my energy level had doubled, and I went out and drove a car for the first time in years. I am even able to do some aerobics now.
I take 60 mgs. of Armour at 3 am daily (to keep it far away from my Mg supplements), and it has been the single best thing I have done for myself in 20 yrs. of this illness.
Klutzo
Posts: 1269 | From Clearwater, Florida, USA | Registered: May 2004
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Jellybelly
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7142
posted
I started taking it about 4 months ago and I am in the low normal range. My thyroid is definetly starting to go though, as one side is often swollen and from time to time my knucles get all crusty and dry.
My LLMD had me do the basal temp thing for 10 days, and my temp was as low as 95. at times, Closer to normal at other times. I take very low dose Armour and right now I cut back a bit because I am feeling so hot and sweaty, feels a little better now.
LLMD also feels that we may not be able to utilize our own thyroid because everything else is kind of off. Maybe something something else that is low effects how we utilize the thyroid we make. So he supports it just a tad if the basal temps are abnormal.
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
I started taking thyroid hormone three years ago. It helped a lot with my energy level and to combat brain fog and feeling cold all the time.
The latest I've read is that with auto-immune thyroid disease (happens with Lyme) your TSH won't go very high of normal, but thyroid hormone supplementation is very helpful with hypo symptoms, and may protect the thyroid from further damage.
It does take a GOOD doctor to know this. My TSH was 6.24 at the highest, but I felt crappy when it was 4.5.
I only take 3/4 grain of Armour, which is about the same as the .050mg of Synthroid I took before. I can't honestly say I feel any different on Armour as I do on Synthroid, but the Lyme and now the herxing are keeping me pretty sick.
My last TSH was 1.44, but I'm getting new lab work done next week.
Thyroid dysfunction is pretty common with Lyme disease, and only adds to how bad we all feel!
Posts: 353 | From Florida boonies | Registered: Nov 2005
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You mentioned you take your dose of Armour Thyroid at 3am so it is taken away from your Mg supplement. Are these supposed to be taken apart from each other? I didn't know that and have always taken them at the same time. I also have trouble remembering to take it at the same time every day, which I know is important.
posted
"Hey Lymetutu", I am on Armour Thyroid (120MG) and it's the only med that has made my levels as normal as there going to get, the docs had tried for years on different thyroid meds., nothing seemed to work except the Armour (my Alternative Doctor put me on it , before this close minded community ran her out of town) anyway Lymetutu keep us updated. "Peace & Healing be with us all", Robin
Posts: 139 | From Panama City, FL., USA | Registered: Jun 2005
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Although my thyroid tests were within normal limits, my symptoms appeared to indicate I was hypothyroid. (doc says tests are not wholly reliable..sx were dry skin, feeling as tho I had a lump in my throat on swallowing, hair loss, & brittle nails, low energy.
He started me on 30mg. and I noticed a difference in a week's time...more energy, more brain power. He increased my dose gradually and I am now taking 45 mg. I have regular thyroid tests.
Hope you will have the same good luck!
-------------------- nan Posts: 2135 | From Tick Country | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
You guys are making me smile! I have a whole list of symptoms which could point in this direction [or it could be from the lyme/babesia]...the swallowing thing is one of them.
Thanks again!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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hiker53
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 6046
posted
Can you be hypothyroid and be losing weight? I know weight gain is a sign of hypothyroidism, but I keep losing weight and yet I am so tired.
I don't have any other signs of babesia like headaches, fever, night sweats, so maybe it is just Lyme.
(Or maybe I need to eat chocolate to perk me up) Hiker
-------------------- Hiker53
"God is light. In Him there is no darkness." 1John 1:5 Posts: 8887 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2004
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hiker53
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 6046
posted
up
-------------------- Hiker53
"God is light. In Him there is no darkness." 1John 1:5 Posts: 8887 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
one thing to keep in mind about thyroid testing as well as other hormone levels is that the normal range is fairly wide. ignoring FTI numbers, and just looking at T4 levels, a typical normal lab range would be from around 5 to 12. well, that's nice, but it ignores the genetic factor. for instance, your ideal T4 level might be around 10. so that if you are consistently recording T4s in the 5.5 range with a corresponding low normal FTI, you might experience symptomatic hypothyroidism without registering as abnormal. if this is due to mild pituitary or hypothalmic dysfunction, then you are likely to be missed as being hypothyroid.
hormonal testing in general is barbaric and antiquated and has achieved virtually no refinement with the advance of knowledge and technology, and this is for the same reason as lyme patients being repressed, greed. the MDs and others are more than willing to let the patients suffer as long as their pockets are full of cash.
Posts: 523 | From Stillwater,OK,USA | Registered: Sep 2004
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