# Chewing Armour - Ick



## Alw1977 (Aug 6, 2012)

My doctor switched me from Synthroid to Armour yesterday. I didn't even have to ask - he saw my Free T3 went down after 12 weeks on Synthroid and said "this isn't working for you." So, I'm on two grains a day to start, one in the AM and one at noon.

He told me to chew them as they aren't as effective unless you do so. Um, this stuff is nasty. Any tips or tricks? Take with a piece of candy or something?


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

CHEW them? Read the prescribing information yourself--they are meant to be swallowed whole with plenty of water, and absorbed through the gut.

Two grains? That is a lot of T3 to start with, if you haven't been taking any. What was your Synthroid dose originally?


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## Alw1977 (Aug 6, 2012)

lainey - Despite the manufacturer pamphlet, many different sources report better results when Armour is pulverized or chewed. Apparently, the maker changed the formula several years ago to include more cellulose and, as a result, it doesn't break down as well in the stomach. Many patients had recurrences of symptoms long-banished and that was why. This is what my doc says anyway. No one else has been told to do the same?

I started on 50mcg of Synthroid, then bumped up to 75mcg after 12 weeks. I've been treated a total of about 24 weeks, and my FT3 went down in that timeframe. Hence, more testing (reverse T3), plus a move to Armour. Hmm, what can happen if one receives too much T3 too quickly?


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## Alw1977 (Aug 6, 2012)

Okay, so I just did a google search on titrating up on Armour and it looks like I started with a fairly large dose. Seems 1 grain might be more appropriate to start with? My doc had me start with two and then *maybe* make the move to 3 after 8-12 weeks. I guess I should start in slower increments? Maybe 1 to 1.5 to 2, in about 12 weeks?

If it helps, I believe my doc did this because my FT3 AND FT4 are both on the very low end of the scale. My TSH was coming back at 1.34 after treatment (better than the near 5 I had before, but still higher than the <1 where patients feel optimal). He is running a few additional labs and will have me do the cortisol saliva test if my results after 3 months on Armour still reveal problems and a low cortisol level (via the blood test, which I understand isn't as reliable as the saliva test).


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

Well, if you are going with the same gurus that say to chew the Armour, usually they recommend testing/correcting the cortisol first.

Regardless of what "reports" say, the manufacturer designs a medication to be processed in a particular way--in this case, to be absorbed in the intestines after swallowing it whole--as is the case with most thyroid meds, even those that are individually compounded. The exception would be Tirosint, which is a liquid.

As for the effects of the reformulation of Armour, any time a patient starts a new medication, or for that matter if there has been a change in an existing one, many patients find that they have to re-titrate their medication. The route of administration remains the same.

Each grain of Armour contains about 38mcg of T4 and 9mcg of T3 and is the equivalent of approximately 100mcg of T4 medication alone. For 75 mcg of Synthroid, 1 grain is more than an appropriate starting dose. 2 grains is more than twice what you are taking now, and a hefty dose increase.

T3 medications should be titrated up even more slowly than T4 only medications. Most find them to be more potent.


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## Alw1977 (Aug 6, 2012)

Okay thank you. I will be on the lookout for overmedication symptoms and will call my doc to discuss a slower titration.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Yuck, I have never chewed mine. I am on 2 grains now, and it was a long road to get here. I was on 125 of Levo before. Good luck to you!


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

Hi, I dont know diddley about Thyroid medications or Armour, but this is what Ray Peat says FWIW. (I confess to being a long time Peat fan) his opinion anyhow,
quote-

"I have been told that the company which now owns the Armour name and manufactures "Armour thyroid USP" has added a polymer to the formula, and I think this would account for the stories I have heard about its apparent inactivity. Some people have found that the tablets passed through their intestine undigested, so I think it's advisable to crush or powder the tablets."

( its peculiar that a Company would change formulation for a product thats been around so long and was working beautifully for people)

article,http://thyroid.about.com/gi/dynamic...://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/ray-peat.htm


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

No idea about a polymer but they did raise the cellulose, lower the dextrose and add cornstarch. This made the pills almost impossible to take sublingually as some patients were before, due to both the awful taste and the fact that the pills no longer dissolved like they used to. There were also massive numbers of patients reporting that their labs were being thrown completely off by the new formulation. Thus, the reason behind the chewing, crushing or just plain changing of brands. That was in the spring/summer of 2009, after the shortage I believe.

The company stated that the reason they reformulated was because pills were disintegrating within their containers, but most people believe it was the FDA's crackdown on what they termed as "illegal drugs", (the illegal moniker was actually stated on correspondence from the FDA received by patients) even though Armour had been grandfathered in 30 years before, because it was manufactured before the FDA came into being.

Here's a bit of trivia for you that I never put together. The reason they are called Armour? They were first produced by the *Armour* Meat Packing Company. Brings a whole new set of words to the Armour hot dog song. RoFL


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

StormFinch said:


> No idea about a polymer but they did raise the cellulose, lower the dextrose and add cornstarch. This made the pills almost impossible to take sublingually as some patients were before, due to both the awful taste and the fact that the pills no longer dissolved like they used to. There were also massive numbers of patients reporting that their labs were being thrown completely off by the new formulation. Thus, the reason behind the chewing, crushing or just plain changing of brands. That was in the spring/summer of 2009, after the shortage I believe.
> 
> The company stated that the reason they reformulated was because pills were disintegrating within their containers, but most people believe it was the FDA's crackdown on what they termed as "illegal drugs", (the illegal moniker was actually stated on correspondence from the FDA received by patients) even though Armour had been grandfathered in 30 years before, because it was manufactured before the FDA came into being.
> 
> Here's a bit of trivia for you that I never put together. The reason they are called Armour? They were first produced by the *Armour* Meat Packing Company. Brings a whole new set of words to the Armour hot dog song. RoFL


Haha thats interesting Stormfinch..
Nanny can't leave anything alone -particularly when it's something natural, been around a long time, and works beautifully.-they just hate that.
Same here in Oz, only Nanny, in this case, is the TGA.


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

> Here's a bit of trivia for you that I never put together. The reason they are called Armour? They were first produced by the Armour Meat Packing Company. Brings a whole new set of words to the Armour hot dog song. RoFL


Well, where else would they get the thyroids of pigs to dry and process?

Gives new meaning to "natural".


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Alw1977 said:


> My doctor switched me from Synthroid to Armour yesterday. I didn't even have to ask - he saw my Free T3 went down after 12 weeks on Synthroid and said "this isn't working for you." So, I'm on two grains a day to start, one in the AM and one at noon.
> 
> He told me to chew them as they aren't as effective unless you do so. Um, this stuff is nasty. Any tips or tricks? Take with a piece of candy or something?


My tip is don't chew them!! They are not designed to be sublingual.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Alw1977 said:


> lainey - Despite the manufacturer pamphlet, many different sources report better results when Armour is pulverized or chewed. Apparently, the maker changed the formula several years ago to include more cellulose and, as a result, it doesn't break down as well in the stomach. Many patients had recurrences of symptoms long-banished and that was why. This is what my doc says anyway. No one else has been told to do the same?
> 
> I started on 50mcg of Synthroid, then bumped up to 75mcg after 12 weeks. I've been treated a total of about 24 weeks, and my FT3 went down in that timeframe. Hence, more testing (reverse T3), plus a move to Armour. Hmm, what can happen if one receives too much T3 too quickly?


Good grief; 2 grains is a huge starting dose. 1/4 to 1/2 grain is the appropriate protocul.

Armour thyroid
http://www.armourthyroid.com/


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## EricaH (Mar 5, 2012)

When I switched to Armour a few months ago I still wasn't feeling optimal and called my endo and the suggestion was to bite the tablet in half before swallowing. I have done this and it has made a huge difference.


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