Switching to Armour/Naturethroid from T4 only

CarolynB38

Hi

I have been on levothyroxine for about 7 years now. Before that I was on liothyronine and really well. Over the last few years I have felt worse and worse and, as the NHS won't now prescribe me liothyronine or natural thyroid, I am having to do this alone.

I am still waiting for the tablets but have any of you noticed whether it is less difficult to lose weight on Armour? I can't seem to lose any weight no matter how hard I try at the moment, yet a year ago I managed to lose nearly a stone. That stone has since gone back on with another one to boot! This coincided with worsening of hypo symptoms which didn't improve with an increase in med - hence why I am switching to Armour. Common sense and research is telling me it should be less difficult but I am finding it hard to believe at the moment!

I just wondered if others had any success stories to cheer me up. I know it will still be hard but it would be nice to know it is at least possible to lose this weight eventually. Thanks

Carolyn x

sometimes_blondie

I wish I had some wisdom for you. You can buy Armour? I thought it was a prescription only. I've been thinking about whether I would do better on a natural thyroid medicine, but it seems like traditional doctors are hesitant to prescribe it.

MrsAFR

I too have been researching this but I have no answers for you. It seems like it would be but I am scared to try at the moment. I have one option left which is bupa via work. NHS wont even test my T3 levels so I'm hoping Bupa will and I will be able to move forward.

I'm only on 50mg of Levo at the moment and have experimented the past couple of weeks not taking it to see how I get on with weightloss as before I was diagnose and put on Levo I was loosing steadily each week with out much effort!

First week I lost 3lbs!

Am getting symptoms - mainly cold and a bit foggy but its just an experiment for now.

CarolynB38

Thanks guys. I hope you both find a treatment that works for you too. I will let you know how I get on with Armour.

franbreaux

I take Armour thyroid and found that once I got on it and my levels were normal, I was able to start losing weight. Now, I didn't lose a ton of weight immediately, but at least the scale was finally moving in the right direction. I take 60 mg a day.

shvits

my doctor added cytomel to synthroid (brand name not generic). What a difference! I have energy. I take one in the A.M. and 1/2 at about 1-2 P.M. The natural one has a variable dose and I was not willing to risk it as I am very sensitive to all meds. Good luck! Sounds as if you need to try a different doctor.

strawberrytoast

Im in the UK and was going to ask my doctor if i could try cytomel along with levothyroxine at my next visit. Will they not let you have it at all anymore? Levothyroxine on its own is rubbish. My THS levels might have gone back to normal but the symptons are the same.

Lisenotes

I just started taking nature throid (like armour) in August. I feel better, labs are better, weight has stopped adding pounds to my frame, but no real weight loss yet. I just started taking LDN which is very interesting to review if you have an autoimmune disease

klindema

Hi Carolyn- I totally empathize! I started Armour on Wednesday after 10 years of Synthroid- I was at 135mcg and I now take a 60mg and 15mg of Armour in the am and 60 again in the afternoon- I hope this is not just a placebo or temporary effect, but I do feel better! The dry skin on my nose has almost totally resolved, my hands and feet are warm, and I did see a three pound loss (since Wednesday!)
My doctor and I have been "talking" about this for about a year, when my daughter's speech therapist recommended I look into naturethroid. She was very into natural diets and medicine, and as skinny and healthy looking as can be despite having Hashimotos, so... my doc kept saying to try different things- cut all artificial sweetener, add more cardio, add more weights- when I brought in my logs and told her I am miserably eating about 1300 calories a day to maintain my current weight, she agreed to switch me.
A few things I've read- T4 is in your system awhile, so a lot of people were saying you should transition to Armour gradually. I didn't- per doctor's orders I took 75mcg in the morning instead of my levo. I had a weird feeling- no headache, not really dizzy, no racing heart, but kind of a head rush. It died down around lunch time. I took the second dose around 3 and experienced the same thing. Since the first day, it hasn't happened- I do feel alert but not weirdly so
I totally have more energy. We held a family math night at my school, and I couldn't believe I had energy to go running after I got home at 7:30. I have cleaned out two closets and all my bathroom drawers and cabinets.
Tonight I'm tired- but this has been one of the most productive weeks I've had in a long time
I just hope this continues, because I can totally live with this- much happier than I was on levo. Good luck!

Dlacenere

I take the generic for armour (Thyroid NP) after being on levothyroxine for many many years. It has made a huge difference for me. I take 60mg in the morning and 60 mg in the afternoon. It's like night and day. More energy, not foggy and yes I have an easier time losing than I did.

CarolynB38

Im in the UK and was going to ask my doctor if i could try cytomel along with levothyroxine at my next visit. Will they not let you have it at all anymore? Levothyroxine on its own is rubbish. My THS levels might have gone back to normal but the symptons are the same.

That's exactly my experience with levo. My GP won't prescribe T3 or Armour at all

CarolynB38

Thanks everyone for your feedback. It's good that you are all noticing improvements since switching from T4 only. I started taking Nature-throid yesterday, just 1/2 grain twice a day. I'm surprised that today I am already feeling a difference. Breathing now seems effortless despite me getting over a cold, which is really quite strange. I never noticed that breathing hadn't been effortless before. I look forward to more changes and a reduction in some of my symptoms :happy:

strawberrytoast

Thanks everyone for your feedback. It's good that you are all noticing improvements since switching from T4 only. I started taking Nature-throid yesterday, just 1/2 grain twice a day. I'm surprised that today I am already feeling a difference. Breathing now seems effortless despite me getting over a cold, which is really quite strange. I never noticed that breathing hadn't been effortless before. I look forward to more changes and a reduction in some of my symptoms :happy:

Did you have to but it yourself over the internet?