# Armour dosing question...



## Les68 (Oct 1, 2014)

Hello--I posted this in the Supplement section, but I can't figure out how to remove it from there.

I was diagnosed with mild Hypo (TSH of 5, low T3 and T4, everything else okay) plus some considerable B-12, potassium, and ferretin deficiencies that are being addressed...also have a couple of small nodules on the left Thy, which seems to be where most of my sinus pain, lymph gland swelling, and jaw bone dissintegration--another long, boring story--possibly a bone infection--is happening) I tried a couple of days of Synthroid, and it made me quite ill, so I asked the doctor to let my try Armour. She agreed, started me at 15 mcg, and said I could slowly adjust upward, but I would probably not need to exceed 60 mcg. Over a period of a little over two months, I have been gauging how I feel, following the instructions of "Stop The Thyroid Madness", and slowly increasing every couple of weeks or so. At 90 mcg I feel pretty good, but am still having "attacks" of pain, fatigue, mood swings, and swelling, plus painful, dry eyes and sinuses.

I called my doc to ask about a blood test, and told her my dosage, and her reaction was, "No, no, no! You're a small person, and you don't need that much! We agreed to 60 mg! I won't even test you until you go back to 60 mg for a month." I'm telling you, in the middle of a week-long yuck attack, I dropped down to 60 mg today and the swelling and pain are even worse! Before I even took the dose this morning, the soles of my feet hurt when I walked, so it just feels like the same attacks I had before I started treatment. She thinks that the reason I am still feeling off-and-on bad is because I am hyperthyroid. I don't feel that way, though...my hands and feet are colder than ever, while I'm getting hot flashes and pain around the face and shoulders, I think because the hypo threw me into immediate menopause at 46, which sucks.

Is Armour dosage typically corresponded to TSH levels or weight? Did I miss that? Do I need to look for a more knowledgeable doctor? Am I being an idiot for increasing on my own? I sometimes feel jittery in the morning, worse later in the day, so is it a matter of breaking up my dose over the day?I know she doesn't have much experience with Armour, so I think she's doing the best she can, but I don't want to go back to where I was for a month--swollen, pale, and painful--just to wait for a blood test.

Thanks!


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## BlackBeard (Dec 11, 2014)

You can work with the doctor at stay at 60 mg. Then get the blood work. If your blood work and symptoms don't point to hyperthyroidism, the doctor will most likely let you try a higher dosage and you can go from there. You shouldnt have upped your dose without the doctors permission but i know you want to get better as soon as possible. I am in a similar situation. I am taking 30 mg armour and 5 mcg cytomel. I had to start at 15 mg, and i want to try 60 mg, but i am being patient and my doctor is working with me. I believe weight is one factor that can affect dosing but everyone metabolizes drugs and hormones differently because of our unique genetic makeups. If 60 mg of armour brings you close to a tsh of 1, then you should still be able to get an increase. My lab range is .45-4.5. I want to get my TSH close to 1 and see how i feel then. My major symptom is cold extremities and some facial swelling. My original TSH was 4.8. FT4-1.25/FT3-3 . I hope this post helps you.


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