posted
Last year I reluctantly gave in to my MDs suggestion to try Armour to help bring up my body temp. My thyroid levels were within normal limits. I have those somewhere and can dig them up.
So I tried Armour 30 mg. and within about a week had a rise in body temp. During the day it would finally get into the 98 range. Then over time it went back to low temps in the 96 range morning and night, and 97 during the day.
MD doubled the dose to 60 mg. This helped and my temps went up for a couple of weeks. And then the same thing happened. They eventually went back down again.
I took myself back down to 30 mg. with the thought of discontinuing the Armour eventually. When I reduced the dose my temp went back up again. And again, this lasted for about two weeks and back to the same old pattern.
My question is....can Armour be used as a supplement in regard to body temp? Or should Armour only be used as thyroid replacement?
I really don't like being on something I don't need to be on. I felt fine on either dose but I don't want to be on a prescription rx if I don't have to be.
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
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poppy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5355
posted
A better functioning thyroid will raise body temp to more normal range. Hypothyroidism is typically lower body temp. This is why armour is doing that. Why it drops again, I don't know. Have you been checked for hashimotos? This is autoimmune thyroid, possibly one of the autoimmune consequences of active lyme infection. These disappear with successful treatment if they were caused by lyme.
Not sure what you are considering normal tests for thyroid function. T3 needs to be in the upper end of the range. Can't go by TSH. It can take quite a while to get to the right thyroid dose.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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Abxnomore
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18936
posted
Many of us are subclinical, where the need for thyroid supplementation does not show up on blood work for several years. Low body temps usually indicate low thyroid function and many lyme patients suffer from this condition.
Check out http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ There's much to learn and like Lyme disease mainstream doctors are failing the public in how they treat and dose thyroid conditions. It seem that your doctor is progressive in his/her approach.
Posts: 5191 | From Lyme Zone | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
I had my thyroid tested a few times, all test came back indicating a normal thyroid. Those test do not test all the T markers (just like the commercial Lyme test which do not test for all the bands).
With cold hands and feet and a body temp below 90, all indicating an under active thyroid. My MD told me that it was something else, but my ND came right out and said its from an under active thyroid.
All I had to do on a daily basis was to place a few drops of potassium iodine in a glass of water. My body temp went up, the cold hand and feet were gone.
What I was told the liver and thyroid act together, if liver is not working properly, it will not provide the necessary compounds to produce the T1/T2/T3/T4 hormones in the thyroid - thus leading to under active thyroid.
With an under active thyroid stay away from the Brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.). They interfere with T hormones production.
I read somewhere if you cook the cabbage it has a lesser effect on the thyroid.
If you have an overactive thyroid, you can eat all the cabbage you want – it will bring down the T levels.
With the iodine and staying away from Brassica, my body temp is near 98.6. My hands and feet are normal.
Posts: 10 | From North New Jersey | Registered: Apr 2014
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The pattern I always have, and no one can make sense out of it, is that my TSH, FT3, and FT4 move up and down in concert, instead of inversely as they should. Even the addition of Armour didn't resolve this issue.
This has puzzled every MD. The only possibility one MD came up with was thyroid hormone resistance.
This is why I wonder if it is worth the effort to be on replacement. I think my labs look okay either on or off.
There was one mention on one of the thyroid sites about some kind of ratio using the reverse T3. When I did the math on that the result was off but that's about all I could come up with.
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
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GretaM
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 40917
posted
I am on 90mg armour and 45mcg synthroid.
It has not improved my body temp.
My tsh and free t4 free t3 look better but aside from the numbers, don't feel much of a change.
The stopthethyroidmadness website has good info about how to take armour. Divided in two doses and chewed sublingually before swallowing on an empty stomach.
Also took Iodoral for 6 months-did not improve numbers, nor raise body temp. Although did feel slight increase in energy.
Posts: 4358 | From British Columbia, Canada | Registered: Jun 2013
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posted
I'm not an expert on this subject but maybe close to it. First, spend time on wilsonssyndrome dot com. Note: they cannot sell the actual T3 - only supplements.
The Wilson Web site explains much but you MUST have T3. Any doctor can write a prescription for T3 (short for Triiodothyronine).
I continued to be amazed at the general lack of knowledge of most endocrinologists (thyroid doctors) when it comes to T3 and T4 hypo and hyper thyroidism!
Only compounding pharmacies can provide real T3 unless you obtain prescription for 25 mcg capsules. A company is now making and bottling 25 mcg capsules. Ask any pharmacy if they have access to it.
Compounding means they make it from scratch at the pharmacy. Rarely more than a couple compounding pharmacies in every major city. If you obtain a written prescription you can mail it to Wellness Pharmacy in Alabama. They specialize in T3 and it is the best. The bottled 25 mcg is probably cheapest.
Compounding pharmacies can "make" T3 in strengths from one to 90 mcg. 25 is about the right amount 2x a day for most people. 90 did not affect me but some people have to start low and work up. Wellness Pharmacy can provide a mix of strengths.
Wilsons Syndrome (WS) occurs when a disease pounds on the immune system (diseases like Lyme, cancer, etc.) for so long that the thyroid and hypothalamus gland "forget" how to change thyroid chemical T4 (made by the thyroid) into T3.
As the hypothalamus gland receives less and less T3 body temp drop and pH (use pH test tape) drops. Your body then retains toxicity but pushes good nutrients through your body. The best diet in the world will not help.
The billion cells in your body are 80% liquid. But if acidic (toxic) that liquid is more of a yellowish sludge like 80 weight motor oil. Your cells are crammed with acid so you feel awful.
Assuming your body temp is below 98 you need T3 in your body to replace the T3 your body has "forgotten" how to make. Compounding pharmacies can make pure T3.
IF your body temp is low then Synthroid is BAD as it is mostly (90%?) T4 which is exactly what you do NOT want! You already have too much T4 in your system backed up not being turned into T3.
Armour thyroid is a crap shoot. It is dessicated pig thyroid (closest to human thyroid). How much T3 and how much T4 particular AT contains has to be measured. Easier to just buy 100% pure T3.
Metabolism is the "furnace" of the body. It burns off/eliminates toxins (acids) and helps retain good nutrients. Slow metabolism and your body retains more and more acid. An evil circle.
You MUST get your metabolism back to full speed for it to remove acids from cells making room for good nutrients. T3 will cause temp to quickly climb but pH goes up slower. pH is the true measurement of body toxicity.
Takes 3 to 6 months of being at 98.6 to get body detoxed and good nutrients into cells and toxins flushed from the body. You will herx a bit as acid goes into the blood stream. Lasts no more than a month.
You'll begin to feel better within a few weeks as temp climbs. When pH exceeds 6.0 (7 is neutral) you will feel much better. Do not keep taking T3 beyond a week after reaching 98.6 as you can over dose on T3 and cause your body temp to go to 99 and above (and kill you!).
To reduce effects of Lyme in general you MUST first get body temp back to 98.6 and pH above 6.0. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Some discover once thyroid is "kick started" into again making T3, synthetic T3 is never needed again. Others (like me) need some every few years while a few need T3 constantly to remain at 98.6. Drug is cheap BTW
WS is so misunderstood. Most thyroid doctors know nothing about it! They just prescribe either synthroid or AT and that often makes the problem worse (by over dose of T4).
Get a COMPLETE TSH thyroid test that tests T3 and T4 and reverse all separate numbers. My T3 was down to one percent and body temp 91.5. I was almost dead! Doctor of course had no clue. I had to find answer myself finding Dr. Wilson on the Internet. As I say he sells SUPPLEMENTS - not the actual T3. His supplements don't help me much. Wish they did - nice guy.
As I say NOT an expert but I have "counseled" hundreds of others on this (low body temp, T3, synthroid, T4, metabolism) with success rate of about 98%.
A metabolism running full speed, 98.6, pH above 6.0 and you will feel much better even still having Lyme. Also, with good nutrients in your cells other Lyme treatments, meds, ABXs etc. have a chance of working! Will NOT work with a toxic acidic body.
I have seen doctors put patients into shock giving them synthroid to the point of over dose. They see bad thyroid numbers and they jump to synthroid or AT. NOT good.
Hope this helps! Questions?
Gary in Kansas (yes, dog is Toto).
Posts: 133 | From Shawnee, KS | Registered: Sep 2007
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posted
Gary, thank you for the incredible information. I think it is a good idea to test pH. Can you tell me what I am looking for as far as a test kid...ie, strips? And where to find?
Might I pick your brain and ask you to take a look at my numbers and their story a few responses up?
I have a lyme friend who was told by an NP that she was very acidic (didn't do any kind of testing, just told her this), and she was put on a very strict diet.
I feel somewhat fortunate as my LLMD is also a lyme patient so he understands the whole thyroid connection. He dealt with the low body temp issue himself. I would need to ask him about prescribing T3 only.
Believe it or not, we have quite a selection of compounding pharmacies where I live. They have been popping up in the last couple of years.
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
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posted
I was on theT3 prescription route for over 10 years with little or to say no success until I started taking the iodine.
As for the acidic body, most likely it’s from the candida. It eats away the intestine lining and then it gets into the body (Leaky Gut Syndrome-LGS). Also now the toxins in the intestines have a pathway to enter the body thus causing the low Ph.
Again I tried for over 15 years to get rid of the candida with no success until I tried water and milk kefir. Within 3 months the candida in my intestines was gone. Now I’m battling the candida in my body.
The low body/blood Ph can disrupt many functions in the body, diet can help. You have to find the cause.
Worst thing about the candida when it gets into the body is when it turns into a fungus. There it wrecks havoc on the organs. It’s also a breeding ground for cancer and in some cases is mistaken for cancer/leukemia.
I have a friend who got leukemia; got treatment was so-called cured until it came back. Told him about the candida. Had himself tested and test came back with a high fungus count. Got treated for the fungus and his blood cell count went back to normal.
With me I got lactic acidosis from the LGS which produces my Restless Leg Syndrome(RLS). Following the Mediterranean Diet with no GMO foods/products and with the kefir has helped me tremendously.
Posts: 10 | From North New Jersey | Registered: Apr 2014
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