Synthroid to Armour, Dosage Question

vaaimee

Two weeks ago my doctor switched me from a combination of Synthroid and Cytomel to Armour. I was wondering, if you have switched, what was your dose on Synthroid, and where did you end up with Armour.

She did tell me that it is hard to know the right dose and it does take some tweaking.

I was on 137 Synthroid and 10 Cytomel and I am on 90 with Armour.

And was going to Armour a positive change for you?

SanteMulberry

bump---I'm also interested in this as I use Synthroid.

CINNAMON77_00

I just started Synthroid but want to start armour...how did you convince your doc to go with the switch?

SanteMulberry

I just started Synthroid but want to start armour...how did you convince your doc to go with the switch?

My doc is open to it because he has done a bit of reading about it. Most docs do not understand that the new thyroid extracts have been standardized and don't carry the same problems that they did in the past.

kcvance

I used to take 75 mg synthroid and 10 ug (microgram) cytomel (5 ug in the morning and another 5 ug at 2 p.m.). I felt ok, but thought that the dosage needed some tweaking.

My newest doctor switched me to 90 mg Armour and I feel pretty darn good (have an endometriosis/adenomyosis issue that is complicating some things). I have energy, at a good weight, brain fog is gone. I go in for a follow-up on June 25th, and I'm hoping my numbers look good.

buildingdreams

im curious too . I have an appt with a new endo on July 2nd and would like to discuss with him moving from synthroid to nature-thyroid or Armour. Im on 186mcg of synthroid. fluctuation every 3-6 week between 175 -200mcg. Its like a rollercoaster!!

vaaimee

My doctor recommended the change. My TSH is actually very low (normal), but so is my T3 (well below the normal range)! And I continue to have mild symptoms -- numbness in all my joints, exhaustion and just general bad mood.

She started me on a total of 90 mg of Armour (I think that is 1 1/2 grains) split into a morning and afternoon dose. After about a week I felt terrible! My T3 had dropped considerably and my TSH was up in the 1.9 range. She just increased my dose to 120 mg (again, split into 2 doses). So we will see!

Is there any info on helping with T3 conversion?

I have Hashimoto's and has been working on finding the right dose for almost 3 years!

epiphany29

I have been on Armour for about 10 years now and I can't imagine going back. My Synthroid dose was CONSTANTLY being changed, and I never felt "right" on it. It took about 6 months to stabilize my Armour dose at 105 mg (for the past 7 years). I think my last Synthroid dose was 0.2 mg (crazy high).

Folks on the Armour may want to contact the FDA. They are cracking down on older medications and requiring them to meet the current standards on testing, safety and efficacy studies for a drug to be approved today. Many companies are just shutting down production of their old standby generics to avoid this expense, and rumor is Armour may be leaving for good.

I am terrified of that day happening.
Vicki

SanteMulberry

I have been on Armour for about 10 years now and I can't imagine going back. My Synthroid dose was CONSTANTLY being changed, and I never felt "right" on it. It took about 6 months to stabilize my Armour dose at 105 mg (for the past 7 years). I think my last Synthroid dose was 0.2 mg (crazy high).

Folks on the Armour may want to contact the FDA. They are cracking down on older medications and requiring them to meet the current standards on testing, safety and efficacy studies for a drug to be approved today. Many companies are just shutting down production of their old standby generics to avoid this expense, and rumor is Armour may be leaving for good.

I am terrified of that day happening.
Vicki

The FDA is in league with Big Pharma and even though Big Pharma makes very little on their synthetic thyroid hormones, they want to get the FDA to discourage ALL more natural treatments for every disease.

vaaimee

Just wanted to share that I went BACK on my Snythroid/Cytomel combination.

Since we were just trying Armor to see if it made any difference in my labs, I just gave up. I was feeling terrible on the Armor even with the 2 grain dose, and I was worried that it was going to take all summer to figure out what the right dose would be.

Maybe someday I will be up for trying it again, but not right now!

kms1104

I just started Armour after being on a levoxyl/cytomel combination. I do not have a thyroid at all due to thyroid cancer. I was on 125 levoxyl and 10 units cytomel. I'm now on 90 of Armour. I just started two weeks ago, so we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping I have the same happy stories as some of you. I was still experiencing weight issues, EXTREME fatigue, etc. so we'll see!

epiphany29

The FDA is not just going after natural products. They have done it with antibiotics that have been mainstays, steroid hormones, migraine treatments and all sorts of other products. The Big Pharma are not wanting to invest the millions into the studies the FDA is requiring, and therefore not just making products that have brought them profits for years. It's a pharmaceutical company that makes Armour, so why are they trying to cut of their own nose?

Dlacenere

I have been on armour for almost 2 years and have been between 120mg and as high as 180mg - when I was on levothyroxine, I was iom .150mg. I am much happier on armour.

hsrunningmom

I switched to Armour about eight years ago. Made an even switch, 30mg to 30mg. We've had to tweek my dose as we went along. At one point, I went up to three grains, but am currently on two grains. Several years ago, there was a shortage of Armour and NatureThroid (which is similiar to Armour). No one had it for months. So, for about three months, my doc had me on a Synthroid/Cym. combo. Absolutely felt horrible to the point of not being able to function and gained a good bit of weight. As soon as the natural thyroid was available, I was back on it. Actually ended up on NatureThroid because it became available first and just never switched back to Armour.