# On Armour for a month...new test results...still feeling hypo :(



## Mommieeeee (Oct 22, 2011)

My new test result (although I asked for all the thyroid tests, she only did TSH)
TSH Mine 1.97 Range .10-5.5

10/21/2011
TSH Mine 12.72 Range .10-5.5
Free T4	Mine 1.0	Range 0.8 - 1.7
Triiodothyronine - true,ser/plas,qn	Mine 91	Range 50 - 170

According to my new TSH test results I am great! At least that is what my doctor is going to try to tell me. She will try to tell me this because I have argued back and forth with her enough to know her pretty well. I was certain when I took this blood test the TSH would probably be about 6 or so. Enough to try to increase the Armour.

I started taking Armour a month ago (sublingual (on the advice of the boards) 30 mg once in the morning.) I did feel a little better the first week I started taking it. But, I don't think I stayed there. I feel "yucky" again.

I am still feeling hypo. I still have symptoms. Mostly I still have brain fog. It hasn't remotely gone away. I still am tired, needing a nap almost daily. It seems as if even with the nap that a 14 hour night sleep leaves me feeling rested. I always have dark circles under my eyes and my skin is still dry. The brain fog and forgetfulness really concerns me.

I am looking for suggestions, comments, questions to try to get my doctor to do more. To let me either try more Armour or do something in addition. I have done ALOT of legwork for this doctor. From her comments/rebuttals I have a feeling that she has never prescribed Armour. We went back and forth for about a week to get her to even prescribe it to me. I don't mind the back and forth, because ultimately she has done everything that I have suggested, and I haven't had to take synthetic meds...which I don't want to do.

Thanks for the input!

Mommieeeee


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

Thyroid medications are designed to be absorbed and processed through the gut. Regardless of what you read on the boards, you should take the medication as recommended by the manufacturer, with a full glass of water, an hour apart from food and 4 hours from other medications in order to get the full effect.

Medications with T3 often give the patient very short term relief of symptoms before they return until the proper amount of thyroid hormone has built up in the body--this is what T4 medications are for. Medications containing T3 also tend to result in suppressed TSH readings when properly dosed. Your dose is likely still a bit low.

Your doctor should be dosing Armour on the basis of free T3 levels. This test must be run to evaluate your dosage when taking medications containing T3.

If this doctor will not do that, perhaps you should find one that will.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Mommieeeee said:


> My new test result (although I asked for all the thyroid tests, she only did TSH)
> TSH Mine 1.97 Range .10-5.5
> 
> 10/21/2011
> ...


lainey is right on; I could not add anything to that except to emphasize that you go doctor shopping.

Here is some info......

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.

http://www.drlam.com/articles/hypothyroidism.asp?page=2#diagnosis: standard laboratory test


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## Tocra (Mar 25, 2011)

You can test yourself and take the results to the doctor if your doctor is being a pain in the ass and won't test you the way you request.

The tests are extremely reasonable in price and a normal lab does all the testing. Labcorp's etc:

https://www.privatemdlabs.com/

Here's a 15% off coupon code:

swawr5p9


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Tocra said:


> You can test yourself and take the results to the doctor if your doctor is being a pain in the ass and won't test you the way you request.
> 
> The tests are extremely reasonable in price and a normal lab does all the testing. Labcorp's etc:
> 
> ...


Right on! Thanks for that!


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