Theraputic trial for Armour

[rick055]

Many of you know I just had my bloodwork done yesterday and am awaiting the results this week.

The only thing I didn't request were thyroid antibodies (I didn't know I needed them), although I did get TSH, Free T3 and Free T4.

If I come in at the lower end of the range, is it sensible to try a theraputic trial of Armour to see if it alleviates my symptoms? I have heard that using thyroid if you don't need it could permanently damage your thyroid, although I suspect this was in an "illicit" context, not medically supervised HRT program.

Anyways, do the values have to be way below normal T3/T4 (I know TSH is relatively meaningless) to try thyroid supplementation? Or can a lower end warrant therapy in the presence of physiologic indicators?

If I am low normal, I would really like to give it a try - my symptoms are killing me - but don't want to mess things up, either. And I don't necessarily "trust" my PCP who only wanted to look at TSH.

 

[pmgamer18]

If your low first I would get a test on your cortisol levels first try a blood morning fasting test at about 8am if less then 19 then do a 4 times in a day saliva test or 24 hr. urine test. You need good levels of cortisol to carry the Thyroid hormone out of your blood into your cells.

Also you can take you temp first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. You need to be still when you wake and put the gauge under your arm for 10 min's. If your temp is less then 97.8 do it 3 morning in a row and add them up and div. by 3 if your avg. is below 97.8 the most likey you have a low thyroid.

People can go on Thyroid meds and then stop and there Thyroid will just go back to what it was doing.

 

[rick055]

If your low first I would get a test on your cortisol levels first try a blood morning fasting test at about 8am if less then 19 then do a 4 times in a day saliva test or 24 hr. urine test. You need good levels of cortisol to carry the Thyroid hormone out of your blood into your cells.

Also you can take you temp first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. You need to be still when you wake and put the gauge under your arm for 10 min's. If your temp is less then 97.8 do it 3 morning in a row and add them up and div. by 3 if your avg. is below 97.8 the most likey you have a low thyroid.

People can go on Thyroid meds and then stop and there Thyroid will just go back to what it was doing.

A fasting cortisol was included in my blood labs, so when I get the results back I will post.

I have been taking my morning temperature (albeit with a digital oral thermometer which is not as reliable) and my temp is consistently around 96 degrees.

In fact, I just took my temperature now (12:30 p.m.) and it was only 97.5.

When I told this to my PCP he said it was normal to have fluctuations in temperature throughout the day...

Everybody says a mercury thermometer is the most accurate, but I can't find one at a drug store. Even the old fashioned glass ones are non-mercury.

 

[pmgamer18]

Here read this site and get this gauge.
http://www.drrind.com/tempgraph.asp#directions

http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/Products/Thermometer.htm

The thing about synthroid is it does not work even the FDA went after them but money talks. You will never see a drug rep go into a Dr.'s office and push Armour. Here read this story and you can find storys like this all over the web.
This is from this link.
http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/w/u/wurmstei/#ADD
======================================
I tried a cut and paste but it's to long go to the bottom and find this letter to Oprah Winfrey.

 

[rick055]

Here read this site and get this gauge.
http://www.drrind.com/tempgraph.asp#directions

http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/Products/Thermometer.htm

The thing about synthroid is it does not work even the FDA went after them but money talks. You will never see a drug rep go into a Dr.'s office and push Armour. Here read this story and you can find storys like this all over the web.
This is from this link.
http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/w/u/wurmstei/#ADD
======================================
I tried a cut and paste but it's to long go to the bottom and find this letter to Oprah Winfrey.

The Oprah article is just unreal...

 

[pmgamer18]

There is a book out by a women like this story that was the best seller can't think of the the name.