# What's the best way to switch to Armour from synthroid



## nvsmom (Sep 30, 2012)

I'm on Synthroid right now and not doing well on it.

I started, in late August, on 50mcg synthroid when my TSH was in the teens and my FT4 was the bottom 10% of normal. During that time I felt worse than normal with a deep fatigue, flu-like feeling, pretty bad arthritic like pains, and massive hair loss.

In early October, my TSH was 7 something and my FT4 was bottom 15% and my total T3 was around bottom 10% of normal; the doctor upped my dose to 75mcg. My pain is slightly less but there's a lot of stiffness. The fatigue is still deeper than it was before any meds and my hair loss has slowed some but I'm getting (almost) bald spots and my ponytail is just a bit more than the thickness of a pencil now. Also, my lips are often numb in the morning, and I finally clued in that it happens about an hour after I take my meds... I've given Synthroid over three months of my life (that should be enough time to adjust to the meds) and it seems to not agree with me.

I recently had blood work again and will be seeing my doctor in 10 days. I don't yet know what my lab results are but I certainly don't feel any better! I plan to ask to be switched to Armour or Nature-throid (sp?) since the synthetic stuff is making me feel consistently worse than before treatment. I read on the Armour site that 50mcg synthroid = 1/2 grain armour, and that 100mcg synthroid = 1 grain Armour, so a 3/4 grain would be the equivalent of what I am at now (undertreated). I plan on requesting 1 grain of armour if my FT4 and T3 are still in the bottom half of the normal range, and if my TSH is not below a 1... I'm pretty sure this is a safe bet based on how I feel and my last October labs (which were still very hypo).

*What is the best way to switch to Armour from Synthroid?* I am not on any synthetic T3 right now, and I don't want to throw my body really out of wack by suddenly adding bunch of T3 to the mix; I've never had hyper symptoms before and I really don't want to experience them... they sound awful!

I'm assuming that I should start with a low dose like a 1/4 grain. Should I take a bit of synthroid (50mcg) with it to keep up my T4 and then slowly, over a week or two, switch to just Armour?

Please advise me if you have experience in this so I can go into my appointment armed with a bit extra knowledge. My doctor is not a fan of Armour (I'll be lucky if I get it) and he never advised me how to take my synthroid or what to expect (he's a very mediocre doctor) beyond "you'll feel better in a couple of weeks"... that was 14 weeks ago.  I am pretty certain that he will have no clue as to the best way to switch to Armour (if I get him to agree). At this point I'd rather go back to being really hypo than continue with synthroid. :sad0049: Help!


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I did not have any easy time finding a doctor in my rural area that would prescribe natural deseccated thyroid but when I did, I just stopped the synthetic one day and began the next day taking the NDT. I feel much better on the NDT but it is not for everyone.


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## Huggenkiss27 (Oct 15, 2012)

I was on 50 of synthroid and feeling pretty crummy just like you're describing for a few months. I found a doctor that would prescribe me Armour and the switch was really easy. I just started taking the Armour the next morning and quit the synthroid. He started me on 1 grain of Armour which ended up being too much and now on 3/4 I'm feeling better than I have in months. For me I did not get too "hyper" I was just experiencing severe joint pain (i had the pain on synthroid as well) which is why he backed me off the Armour a little bit. I did notice that I was warmer than normal and was only sleeping 5 hours a night or so but since it wasn't severe I welcomed not wearing all the jackets and having energy to get things done around the house. Good luck with the switch and hopefully your doctor is onboard with natural thyroid meds and treating your symptoms!


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

I was on Levo and stopped because of horrible side effects. Started in Naturethroid the next day. Felt better in two days. The trick is to start on a low dose and slowly increase. I literally started on 1/8th of a grain. I took a 1/4 grain and split it in two. Did that for 10 ten days then went to 1/4 and slowly increased. I am at 1 full grain now and feel great. Took about 4 months to get here.


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## nvsmom (Sep 30, 2012)

webster2 said:


> I did not have any easy time finding a doctor in my rural area that would prescribe natural deseccated thyroid but when I did, I just stopped the synthetic one day and began the next day taking the NDT. I feel much better on the NDT but it is not for everyone.


That's great that you had such a good result; I'm hoping it works better for me too. Thanks for your response.



Huggenkiss27 said:


> I was on 50 of synthroid and feeling pretty crummy just like you're describing for a few months. I found a doctor that would prescribe me Armour and the switch was really easy. I just started taking the Armour the next morning and quit the synthroid. He started me on 1 grain of Armour which ended up being too much and now on 3/4 I'm feeling better than I have in months. For me I did not get too "hyper" I was just experiencing severe joint pain (i had the pain on synthroid as well) which is why he backed me off the Armour a little bit. I did notice that I was warmer than normal and was only sleeping 5 hours a night or so but since it wasn't severe I welcomed not wearing all the jackets and having energy to get things done around the house. Good luck with the switch and hopefully your doctor is onboard with natural thyroid meds and treating your symptoms!


Sounds like a good switch! Energy and warmth... those are hard to come by around here; I've been chilly for a month ever since our first snowfall... Brrr.

Thanks for the best wishes. I hope he's more open minded about the natural thyroid meds than he appears to be; I don't want to doctor shop over the holidays... there's never enough time in December!



sjmjuly said:


> I was on Levo and stopped because of horrible side effects. Started in Naturethroid the next day. Felt better in two days. The trick is to start on a low dose and slowly increase. I literally started on 1/8th of a grain. I took a 1/4 grain and split it in two. Did that for 10 ten days then went to 1/4 and slowly increased. I am at 1 full grain now and feel great. Took about 4 months to get here.


My side effects aren't new but they are just... more. More pain, more hair loss, more fatigue.... well, the puffy lips are new. I wouldn't mind if they were puffy in the Angelina Jolie way, but no such luck. LOL

So 4 months to increase dosage, eh? That seems like such a long time. Sigh. I'm hoping I can do it faster than that without side effects but I'll see what the doctor and pharmacy say (if I get natural meds), and what my body does.

Thanks for the response.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

nvsmom said:


> I'm on Synthroid right now and not doing well on it.
> 
> I started, in late August, on 50mcg synthroid when my TSH was in the teens and my FT4 was the bottom 10% of normal. During that time I felt worse than normal with a deep fatigue, flu-like feeling, pretty bad arthritic like pains, and massive hair loss.
> 
> ...


Just make the switch straight on. It is not recommended to combine synthetic T4 w/Armour.

1/4 grain is the way to go here to be titrated every 8 weeks. Patience will be required but you will have no regrets about that.

Here is the Armour site. Arm yourself w/knowlege.
http://www.frx.com/pi/armourthyroid_pi.pdf

You only need a little T4 for peripheral deiodination. Armour is the perfect 4 to 1 ratio.

http://www.frx.com/pi/armourthyroid_pi.pdf


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

nvsmom said:


> That's great that you had such a good result; I'm hoping it works better for me too. Thanks for your response.
> 
> Sounds like a good switch! Energy and warmth... those are hard to come by around here; I've been chilly for a month ever since our first snowfall... Brrr.
> 
> ...


It took me 4 months to REACH 1 grain. I increased slowly over time. I bumped about every two weeks. A little bit at a time.


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## nvsmom (Sep 30, 2012)

Andros said:


> Just make the switch straight on. It is not recommended to combine synthetic T4 w/Armour.
> 
> 1/4 grain is the way to go here to be titrated every 8 weeks. Patience will be required but you will have no regrets about that.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info, Andros. I printed it out.



sjmjuly said:


> It took me 4 months to REACH 1 grain. I increased slowly over time. I bumped about every two weeks. A little bit at a time.


Thanks again.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

nvsmom said:


> Thanks for the info, Andros. I printed it out.
> 
> Thanks again.


You are very welcome!!!


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## smelliebellie (Oct 14, 2012)

How long should you give synthroid a try at the lowest dose before switching to Armour is my biggest question


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

I was started on 125 mcg the morning after my thyroid was removed. I initially felt pretty good but then started having crazy side effects and my labs were goofy. I always have labs one week and see my endocrinologist one week later. After a couple of months and a couple of minor accidents I was put on 60 mcg Armour, at my doctor's suggestion.

Each subsequent month I was bumped up a little bit till finally taking 120 mcg and the doctor told me I could experiment with another 15 mcg, which I actually never tried.

In mid-July, I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. That was ruled out and then the next diagnosis was major anxiety attacks...which continued AND I started getting/staying deathly nauseated. Weeks later I was finally diagnosed with H. Pylori which I 100% am convinced was the problem all along.

Back when the anxiety problems were at their worst, I decided myself to drop back to 105 mcg Armour. I'd been on 105 mcg before being bumped up to 120 mcg and I felt like my body was telling me the lower dose was more comfortable for me.

I have religiously stayed on 105 mcg for four months now and my lab results are perfect and stable and I feel quite normal. I went to my internist day before yesterday for a re-check about the H. Pylori and he hugged me - he said he'd been worried about me and had consulted with my endocrinologist (which I wasn't aware of) and she had been worried about me. He said he could look at me and tell I felt better!

I used to equate the amount of Armour I could take with the amount of energy and stamina I'd feel but it doesn't necessarily work that way. 105 mcg matches my metabolism, my weight, my body - I feel normal and all the hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms are gone. I have new labs next week, then if everything is still stable, I'll get to wait four months before being tested again.

I've wondered recently if Synthroid wasn't as much of a problem for me as how much I was prescribed? Maybe a lower dose would have worked but my endocrinologist herself recommended the change to Armour. When I was switched, I took Synthroid one day and Armour the next - I not only didn't have any negative side effects, I actually felt better!!


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

smellie,

Your FT-3 is too high already on Synthroid. It would not be a good idea for you to go onto Armour.

Do you have ADD?


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## smelliebellie (Oct 14, 2012)

lovlkn,

I'm getting my frees and TSH lab work done on Monday. I will update you once i get those results. Right now, just on synthroid. no, i was never diagnosed with ADD. but might have it. wouldn't be surprised if i did.


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## smelliebellie (Oct 14, 2012)

oh, and my reverse t3 was 369 (90-350) that means my t4 is being converted to reverse t3 that isn't being used in the body? I'm lost.


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