Has anyone tried armour thyroid?

StormWarrior

I would like to hear people's experiences with it.

Splendour

StormWarrior wrote: »

I would like to hear people's experiences with it.

Yep. Am on it since January this year.Slowly weaning myself up to the optimal dose which could be anywhere between 3-5 grains. Am currently on 2 1/2 grains. I've been unwell for about six years now, due to Doctor's inability to discover what was wrong with me, so it's gonna take a couple of years to get me back to proper health.
I have days when I feel pretty ok and then days when I'm so brain fogged,I hardly know my name! However, from reading various articles, I'm convinced Armour is the way to go. I've heard too many stories of people who are on Eltroxin etc. and yet they don't get better.
Before taking any thyroid meds though, you should have your adrenals checked first. Taking thyroid med with underfunctioning adrenals will only make you feel worse.

Check out this website:

stopthethyroidmadness.com

StormWarrior

Thanks. Were you on synthetic thyroxine before this, and if so, have you found armour better so far?

Splendour

Have never been on synthetic thyroid meds at all. Know a couple of people who are on T4 only meds and they're not getting any better at all...

_Whimsical_

Splendour wrote: »

Have never been on synthetic thyroid meds at all. Know a couple of people who are on T4 only meds and they're not getting any better at all...

Was there any reason why you started on a non synthetic form?
Did you have standard tests for your thyroid function or did you get special tests? I haven't tolerated eltroxin etc but my consultant says he's never heard of Armour.

spurious

Pernickity wrote: »

I haven't tolerated eltroxin etc but my consultant says he's never heard of Armour.

That is scary.
Whatever about not being willing to prescribe it, never having heard of it at all is remarkable.

StormWarrior

My GP has never heard of it, amd my consultant doesn't want to prescribe it. I'm on T4 and T3 and not getting much better.

Splendour

Pernickity wrote: »

Was there any reason why you started on a non synthetic form?
Did you have standard tests for your thyroid function or did you get special tests? I haven't tolerated eltroxin etc but my consultant says he's never heard of Armour.

Had TSH done and it came back fine. I pushed for free T3 And T4 to be tested and only my T4 was actually tested. When results of this came back my Doc said it was fine-and endo told me the same thing.

Fast foward one year and I'm still feeling really really bad so I yet again head to Doc. This time however, I'd been researching all of this and noted that my T4 could be higher. I pointed this out to the Doc and she agreed and wanted to give me eltroxin. At that stage I'd read so much bad stuff about synthetic thyroid meds and such good results about Armour, I decided to give it a go.

Armour is pig thyroid glands has been around a long long time and was prescribed by Docs who also went by symptoms rather than just labs (which tend to be unreliable).

As you can guess, I've lost all faith in the medical profession (who only ever offered me anti D's and sleeping pills...)

Pernickity, a possible reason you aren't tolerating eltroxin well could be down to your adrenal glands not functioning properly. If you read the enclosed leaflet which came with your eltroxin, it will state on it that adrenal issues should be addressed before taking any thyroid meds. Of all the people I know who are taking thyroid meds, none of them have had their adrenals tested first.

Splendour

StormWarrior wrote: »

My GP has never heard of it, amd my consultant doesn't want to prescribe it. I'm on T4 and T3 and not getting much better.

Could be an adrenal issue too. Have you asked your consultant why he/she won't prescribe it?

Splendour

spurious wrote: »

That is scary.
Whatever about not being willing to prescribe it, never having heard of it at all is remarkable.

Not really, alot of young Doctors won't have heard of it...

StormWarrior

I had a cortisol test, which my GP said is an adrenal test, a few years ago and it was fine, so they said. I'm having it tested again tomorrow. Does anyone know what a good result should be?

Does anyone know if a consultant can be forced to prescribe you armour if thyroxine and T3 are still not working for you?

Splendour

StormWarrior wrote: »

I had a cortisol test, which my GP said is an adrenal test, a few years ago and it was fine, so they said. I'm having it tested again tomorrow. Does anyone know what a good result should be?

Does anyone know if a consultant can be forced to prescribe you armour if thyroxine and T3 are still not working for you?

Is it a cortisol blood draw you're having or an ACTH test? The cortisol test is to see how you're adrenals are doing. The ACTH tests the pituitary gland to see if it's sending the right message to your adrenals to produce enough cortisol.
I had an ACTH test done last year and was also told by my GP it was fine, but according to another source it was not fine at all! Also according to saliva tests I had done for my adrenals came back very low. In fact they were waaa....y off the chart.

If you get your Doc to prescribe Armour, hang onto him/her 'cos that'd be one darn good Doctor!

Curious to see how you get on Storm, please let us know...
Oh, and hope goes ok!

spurious

Splendour wrote: »

Not really, alot of young Doctors won't have heard of it...

Doctors yes, but consultants?

Splendour wrote: »

If you get your Doc to prescribe Armour, hang onto him/her 'cos that'd be one darn good Doctor!

...and PM me his/her name, please.

Splendour

alfiya.nails wrote: »

Hi there, sorry to write about such an old post, but left GP in tears yeterday. hv hypothyroid for last 7 years, L-troxin isnt working for me so GP told me to learn to live with this condition. you were saying about cortisol test, asked him to refer me to get it done he said he cant do it. How did you get it done? please, please reply to me. thank you

Poor you alfiya.nails, I know exactly how you feel. On a few occasions I too left my GP's office in tears and once with an Endo who told me 'bloods are fine, there's nothing wrong...'
Best way to have your adrenals tested is by a Saliva Test. I first had this done when I attended a Doc in Stillorgan (I'll pm you his details), but he is very expensive so I only saw him twice. Also, he pushed alot of his own herbal products on me which I didn't like.
Since then I've taken my health into my own hands and order my own tests. However, I would rather be under the auspices of a Doctor if I could find one who know enough about thyroid/adrenal problems to actually make a difference to my health.
I'm not there yet but I know I'm on the right road which is a far cry from where I was at 6 years ago when this first started...

cltt97

I ordered this test, they send it by post with instructions, you sent it back and they send you the results if you specify thyroid UK as referring doctor. Mine came back indicating adrenal fatigue so I'm off for an ACTH test next... Lots of fun!

*Raverbaby*

could anyone tell me how i can get a saliva test done?? where do you buy the kits?

cltt97

I ordered mine from the Red Apple Tree Clinic in the UK - you can order by email or phone, they post it, you follow the instructions and send it back

StormWarrior

Can GPs do the saliva tests too?

cltt97

I think Dr MaGovern does them, but I think he still sends them abroad.

Aergem

Has anyone been prescribed Armour in Ireland? Is it available? Have been on T4 for the last 16 years as a result of Thyroid Cancer (papillary carcinoma) and would love to try desiccated thyroid.

muddled1

I too am wondering if GPs do the saliva test.

Also, does anyone know if Armour is avilable under the medical card.

thanks

cltt97

I have not come across anyone yet who has had their saliva test done via their GP here with the exception of DrMaGovern from the Drummartin Clinic, but I hear he is very expensive, so it would probably work out cheaper to order it yourself, costs around 100 euro or thereabouts. I got mine from the red apple clinic (UK) and it's simple enough. I believe this test is still very controversial and not fully recognised by the general medical profession, or rather "adrenal fatigue" is something that generally is not recognised as such, i.e. you either have Addison's or you're grand. Anyways, not sure about the medical card, but you need someone to prescribe Armour on a named basis and it will have to be ordered in for you from abroad.

hotfire

Hi Everyone. I would appreciate any advice at all as I have been on eltroxin since 2002/2003 for an underactive thyroid. I go to the gym four times a week for the last two yars which includes 2 body pump classes and a step aerobics class. I also do a Zumba class. I have a fairly healthy diet but I still have a problem with my weight. My mid section is where all my excess weight resides. I seem to be killing myself in the gym and getting no where. I have toned up a little but no weight loss... I'm 5"6 and wieght 11.5 stone.
This is the first I have heard about Armour and I am very interested in any details that I can get. I am considering approaching my doctor with questions but I would like to know what tests I should ask for. I changed my doctor last year so see if that would help. I just took it for granted that my docotr knew what she was doing and that eltroxin was the best med for a thyroid problem. I am exicted to read about Armour and interested in the various tests that have been mentioned previosuly in this thread. Again any help will be much approciated

RussAdamsIE

A wealth of knowledge can be found at Mary Shomon's site on about dot com: http://thyroid.about.com/od/thyroidbasicsthyroid101/u/treatments.htm?nl=1 Unfortunately she is based in the US. The info is all valuable however. I am in Dublin, and struggling with find labs to do testing here too. I am currently on 2 grains Armour Thyroid. I found a GP willing to prescribe it based on my US doctor prescribing it. The local pharmacist is happy to order it in for me. It is expensive though. I just refilled my prescription today and it was Euro 61.10. Up from Euro 40.97 in January. That was for a bottle of 100 tablets. I switched from synthetic Thyroid last year and I'll never go back. Feeling better, but still not back to normal... hence my wish to do the other testing. Please do visit Mary's site. Although you do have to wade around a bunch of advertising, there really is a lot of knowledge there. Good luck to everyone, and if anyone knows of a good lab for Free T3/Free T4 and adrenal testing in Ireland I'd love to hear of it! Russ

cltt97

Tallaght hospital do free T3/free T4 which your GP can order for you. Adrenal testing - depends what test. Cortisol and ACTH stim tests can be done in any of the hospitals, saliva testing you have to send your sample to the UK, there is nowhere in Ireland for it.

RussAdamsIE

cltt97 wrote: »

Tallaght hospital do free T3/free T4 which your GP can order for you. Adrenal testing - depends what test. Cortisol and ACTH stim tests can be done in any of the hospitals, saliva testing you have to send your sample to the UK, there is nowhere in Ireland for it.

Thank you, very much appreciated! Russ

armabelle

Aergem wrote: »

Has anyone been prescribed Armour in Ireland? Is it available? Have been on T4 for the last 16 years as a result of Thyroid Cancer (papillary carcinoma) and would love to try desiccated thyroid.

It is the best! Changed my wife's life, literally

armabelle

StormWarrior wrote: »

My GP has never heard of it, amd my consultant doesn't want to prescribe it. I'm on T4 and T3 and not getting much better.

Of course they don't. Do you know how much the synthetic thyroid med industry is worth?

Gremlinertia

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