# what to expect with increasing Armour dose



## laff66 (Mar 9, 2012)

I have been on Armour now for about three months. I started at 60, went to 90 after a few months and started 120 5 days ago. 
My question is, are there always symptoms such as increased HR and BP, jitters, etc, or can your T3 & T4 become significantly elevated without being symptomatic? I've heard some docs actually dose based purely on symptoms, so maybe its not a big deal if the labs get too high if the patient feels good. My symptoms are mild (I think?) but if I've been feeling bad for a long time, I may not even know what "good" feels like! For that reason I hate to stop at a dose that has not affected any of the factors above if further improvement is possible. The only thing that may have been caused by the Armour is that I've been a little bit "winded" a few times when I shouldn't have been. Has anyone else experienced that?

I've got lab results coming today that I'll post later.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

laff66 said:


> I have been on Armour now for about three months. I started at 60, went to 90 after a few months and started 120 5 days ago.
> My question is, are there always symptoms such as increased HR and BP, jitters, etc, or can your T3 & T4 become significantly elevated without being symptomatic? I've heard some docs actually dose based purely on symptoms, so maybe its not a big deal if the labs get too high if the patient feels good. My symptoms are mild (I think?) but if I've been feeling bad for a long time, I may not even know what "good" feels like! For that reason I hate to stop at a dose that has not affected any of the factors above if further improvement is possible. The only thing that may have been caused by the Armour is that I've been a little bit "winded" a few times when I shouldn't have been. Has anyone else experienced that?
> 
> I've got lab results coming today that I'll post later.


Hi,

I don't have much more experience with this than you do! I started at 60 in Nov. and am at 120 now for almost 2 weeks. I have not experienced these symptoms that you describe with any increase. However, I have been instructed if any hyper symptoms occur, to phone my doctor. Are you able to do that?

Posting your lab results with ranges will be helpful for those that understand lab work, I am not one of them!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

laff66 said:


> I have been on Armour now for about three months. I started at 60, went to 90 after a few months and started 120 5 days ago.
> My question is, are there always symptoms such as increased HR and BP, jitters, etc, or can your T3 & T4 become significantly elevated without being symptomatic? I've heard some docs actually dose based purely on symptoms, so maybe its not a big deal if the labs get too high if the patient feels good. My symptoms are mild (I think?) but if I've been feeling bad for a long time, I may not even know what "good" feels like! For that reason I hate to stop at a dose that has not affected any of the factors above if further improvement is possible. The only thing that may have been caused by the Armour is that I've been a little bit "winded" a few times when I shouldn't have been. Has anyone else experienced that?
> 
> I've got lab results coming today that I'll post later.


Are you keeping busy? You do need to be consistent in your daily activity otherwise the FREE T3 can and will build up.

Will love to see your recent lab recults with the ranges.


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

I started with 60 mg Armour, then went to 90 then (2-3 weeks ago) was bumped-up another 15 mg to 105 mg. As far as the way I feel, I have thought for the first 2-3 days after each increase that I felt wonderfully better...but then I seem to lose the sensation of more energy.

I, too, have new tests this week.

Another thing I have noticed is with every increase in dosage my heart palpitations become less noticeable. I used to have them almost 24/7 - now I only feel them a little bit and that is usually at night or during the night.

This all being said though, I told my husband 15 minutes ago that my energy level is pathetic. I have tried so hard to be patient and stay positive but sometimes it all gets the best of me...I skipped a meeting/luncheon today that I honestly wanted to attend because I simply did not have the energy and stamina to go.

Some days it seems like I do relatively well - other days I can barely function. And, whether it's true or not, I usually feel worse on days following times when I seemed to feel a little better. I had a good day yesterday, went to church, spent the afternoon at the library researching something, shopped for a baby shower gift...but by 4:00 P.M. I was physically exhausted. I woke up this morning as tired as a person could be.

I feel like I'm either never going to get the right hormone supplement or I'm never going to get enough. Synthroid made me feel hyper whether I was or not; Armour hasn't presented any noticeable side effects but I don't think I'll ever get enough to make it work right.


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## laff66 (Mar 9, 2012)

Yes, I'm keeping plenty busy. My energy level is definitely better than before treatment started. I actually have always been overly active, even before any meds. Thats probably why the doc said I had adrenal fatigue! 
I haven't had any side effects whatsoever regarding HR & BP, palpitations, etc, but I'm reading Dr. Mark Starr's book on hypothyroidism and there are several things in it that make me want to be sure Im getting my thyroid levels high enough. 
I have had a recent bilateral knee swelling/pain problem (posted in Hashis forum) that I think HAS to be related to this, which is another reason I want to increase the armour. I went to 120 right after my blood draw last week, in the hope that my doc was going to recommend it anyway when the labs came back. (dont worry, I know the consequences/dangers of self-dosing but had to try it!) OOPS, just got off the phone with his office and they said no on an increase....they promised they were faxing the labs today so I'll get that posted ASAP.
-----just got em, here they are:

FT3: 4.4 (2.3-4.2)
FT4: 1.2 (0.8-1.8)
TSH: 0.03 (.4-4.5)

Vitamin D, 25-OH, TOTAL: 38 (30-100)
Vitamin D, 25-OH, D3: 38 ng/mL (no ref range)
Vitamin D, 25-OH, D2: <4 ng/mL (no ref range)

rheumatoid factor: 10 (<14 IU/mL)

To be clear, these numbers were after being on 90mg of Armour for about 5 weeks. I didn't start the 120 until after this blood draw. I also took the 90mg the morning of the tests, but the draw wasn't until almost 5pm. The weird thing is, the FT4 has not increased AT ALL from where it was when I was only on 60mg? At that point it was 1.28.
Guess I better go back to the 90mg of armour.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

laff66 said:


> Yes, I'm keeping plenty busy. My energy level is definitely better than before treatment started. I actually have always been overly active, even before any meds. Thats probably why the doc said I had adrenal fatigue!
> I haven't had any side effects whatsoever regarding HR & BP, palpitations, etc, but I'm reading Dr. Mark Starr's book on hypothyroidism and there are several things in it that make me want to be sure Im getting my thyroid levels high enough.
> I have had a recent bilateral knee swelling/pain problem (posted in Hashis forum) that I think HAS to be related to this, which is another reason I want to increase the armour. I went to 120 right after my blood draw last week, in the hope that my doc was going to recommend it anyway when the labs came back. (dont worry, I know the consequences/dangers of self-dosing but had to try it!) OOPS, just got off the phone with his office and they said no on an increase....they promised they were faxing the labs today so I'll get that posted ASAP.
> -----just got em, here they are:
> ...


 Your vitamin D level is still at low range - if you raise your D level you likely will have more energy.


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## laff66 (Mar 9, 2012)

I've tried to do a search on vitamin D but having problems. I seem to remember D3 as the suggested supplement?


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## scottyg354 (Jun 13, 2011)

I currently went from 90 to 180 with really no problems. When I switched from .225 of Levo to 90 mg of Armour I was a little jittery and was having heart palpitations. My Vitamin D was really low 12 range was (30-100). I don't know if my doc missed it on my labs or not, but my dietician told me about it, figured would just supplement instead of bothering my doc about it. Been taking a D3 supplement from GNC dailiy. Roughly 2000 IU nightly before bed. Anyone know how long it takes to get your vitamin D levels up?


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I have been taking 5000 of Vit D a day since July. I just go the go ahead to go to 2000 a day. I suppose it is different for everyone.


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