New Armour/Armour Troubles

midlight21 · 10-25-2009, 09:08 PM

I've read threads about Armour being scarce and I know that they recently reformulated it. The reformulation sucks in my opinion and I know my thyroid levels are jacked up right now. I can't seem to get a good dosage for myself much less get a prescription filled. The last one I got I almost had to yell at the pharmacist to do anything (they needed to call my dr and figure out what grains to give me to equal my prescript from what they had in stock). They tried to put me on Synthroid....I'm allergic to it or something in it. My dr told them NO.

But it worries me that I'm having so much trouble finding Armour for the simple fact that I'm ALLERGIC to their alternative! Anyone have any success in getting Armour easily? What about getting your levels stable on the new Armour?

Doggygirl · 10-26-2009, 04:51 PM

Hi Clarissa. All of the natural thyroid meds are very hard to get right now. (Armour, Naturethroid, Westhroid, etc.) I just talked to my doctors office, and they are expecting to get more Naturethroid on 11/15. We shall see.

Mean time, I was on Armour and towards the end, was having trouble. I figured out that my pharmacy must have finished up their supply of the old, and so I was taking the reformulated. I felt like something had changed and it wasn't working.

I am also on a 1/4 grain higher dose of Naturethroid than I was of the old Armour.

That's what I know about it for now. I actually popped in here tonight to see what the latest news is on the supply situation.

Are you allergic to corn? I think that is an issue with some folks and Synthroid.

Keep reading threads here in this section - you will come across info about alternatives and probably sources - although I'm guessing those are drying up fast.

DG

nonstickpam107 · 10-26-2009, 07:37 PM

I'm having absolutely no problem getting Westhroid right now. I am allergic to Synthroid myself (to the point of anaphylaxis). You might want to have the pharm try and get either Westhroid or just Canadian Thyroid. Don't hesitate to call other pharmacies even an hour or so away...sometimes that helps. Also call compounding pharms and ask if they will compound natural thyroid. Just some suggestions.

Pam

midlight21 · 10-26-2009, 10:32 PM

I've been having hypo symptoms again since starting the reformulated Armour....constipation, hair loss, extreme exhaustion, memory trouble, etc.... I slept from 2am last night until 1:30p this afternoon and then from 5:30p to 8:30p. It's now 11:30p and I'll be going to bed soon. I think tomorrow I'm going to run to my dr's office and have them check my thyroid levels again. This is ridiculous....

nonstickpam107 · 10-27-2009, 08:26 AM

Make sure they are doing Free T4 and Free T3...not TSH.

Pam

midlight21 · 10-29-2009, 01:13 PM

My bloodwork came back and my dr said i was slightly hyper. Not possible....seriously. The bloodwork was inaccurate b/c I took my meds the day before when I should have not taken them for 2 days before. I just couldn't stand being so darn tired anymore. So....in other words I could have saved the time and money in getting my levels checked. Sigh..... I'm feeling a bit better since I upped my meds myself. I have a straight 5 grain Armour prescription and most of the time I don't need that much so I adjust as I need to.

inatic · 10-29-2009, 03:21 PM

does your doc tell you not to take your meds 48hr prior?
I've heard not before the test but never that long prior.

you need to see your labs

CindyCRNA · 10-29-2009, 04:27 PM

How long should you wait to have a lab draw on the dessicated stuff?

2big4mysize · 10-29-2009, 04:35 PM

nonstickpam said 4 hours before the test you should take 1/2 your dose in another topic. I hope that is correct cause that is what I did today for mine.

nonstickpam107 · 10-29-2009, 09:25 PM

PRECISELY...take 1/2 your DAILY dose (that's called a split) then test four to five hours later.

Um...midlight21..what ARE your results? (With ranges that particular lab used please...you ALWAYS get copies of your labs...you need to see your Free T4, Free T3 and TSH).

Pam

Harmony1 · 11-17-2009, 04:11 PM

Dang, if everyone is taking doses at different times, then the ranges will just be haphazard, won't they??? My daughter has been being tested for years and no one said anything about taking half the dose and then testing 4 hours later... wow. That would mean that her results would be very different than they are when she takes a test after getting up in the am i.e. no medication for more or less 20 hours - 24 hours... wow. Pam - what do you say about that?
Harmony1

nonstickpam107 · 11-17-2009, 04:30 PM

I didn't know your daughter was on Armour Harmony.

For those patients on Armour (or T3...all T3 has a half life of four HOURS, T4 has a half life of more than four WEEKS), taking half your daily hormone and testing four to five hours later will tell you (when you get your FT4, FT3 testing) exactly how much is in the body left after the four hour half life.

T3 only lasts for four hours (well, stays in the body, but doesn't accumullate) and that's WHY you need to take T3 (Cytomel, or Armour, or Westhroid, OR Naturethroid OR Thyrolar) every four to six hours to have sufficient energy.

If your daughter has been on T3 for YEARS and she's not testing until 20 hours AFTER her last dose, than the doctor doesn't know WHAT her levels are. On the other hand, if your daughter has been taking only T4 for years...she could test anytime....cuz it's not active for four WEEKS later in the body..

And..if the doc is only looking at TSH..um...then the doc (nor you) knows much of anything regarding levels of T4 and T3 hormone in the body.

Pam

Harmony1 · 11-19-2009, 05:46 PM

Hi again Pam,
No, my daughter has only been taking the FT3 for about 6 weeks. So, ok the testing without consideration of the medication has been alright up til now... but now that she takes the FT3 she has to take into consideration when she takes her FT3 dose.... But still it sounds like everyone does different things, so these ranges could be totally misrepresentative of the real range, but no one knows it. Anyway, just a reflection. they always take the Ft4 oand FT3, but not D3 or Ferritin or progesterone.... I'll start asking for that now. Harmony1

nonstickpam107 · 11-19-2009, 07:31 PM

If she is aiming for what is prolly 'normal' taking into consideration the ranges, than taking HALF her T3 med and all her T4 med (or half her daily dose natural porcine thyroid) and then testing FT's about four to five hours later...this would be 'normal':

A TSH of under 1. Period...all the way down to .002 (that's mine, ok? we ignore it) a FT4 of midway of it's range or UNDER (the thyroid when working normally only produces a FT4 of around midway or under...yet when docs ONLY look at TSH and T4 and ONLY give T4, they think the TSH should be anywhere at ALL in range, and that FT4 should be HIGH) and FT3 should be 2/3 to 3/4 of it's lab range (or where the patient feels like they have their normal life back again).

Pam

10-25-2009, 09:08 PM	#1
midlight21 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: McKinney, TX Posts: 125 Gallery: midlight21 Stats: 320/296.6/180 WOE: Atkins Start Date: restarted Oct 18th, 2009	New Armour/Armour Troubles I've read threads about Armour being scarce and I know that they recently reformulated it. The reformulation sucks in my opinion and I know my thyroid levels are jacked up right now. I can't seem to get a good dosage for myself much less get a prescription filled. The last one I got I almost had to yell at the pharmacist to do anything (they needed to call my dr and figure out what grains to give me to equal my prescript from what they had in stock). They tried to put me on Synthroid....I'm allergic to it or something in it. My dr told them NO. But it worries me that I'm having so much trouble finding Armour for the simple fact that I'm ALLERGIC to their alternative! Anyone have any success in getting Armour easily? What about getting your levels stable on the new Armour? __________________ ~Clarissa~ Mini Goals: Edited goals b/c new scale is evil but accurate 290 by Dec 1st 280 by Jan 1st 270 by Feb 1st = 10%!

10-26-2009, 04:51 PM	#2
Doggygirl Senior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: IL Posts: 621 Gallery: Doggygirl Stats: 204/147 (yeah!)/145-150 size 18/8/10 WOE: Moderate Carbs & Organic /Big Girl Gym Start Date: 5/22/08	Hi Clarissa. All of the natural thyroid meds are very hard to get right now. (Armour, Naturethroid, Westhroid, etc.) I just talked to my doctors office, and they are expecting to get more Naturethroid on 11/15. We shall see. Mean time, I was on Armour and towards the end, was having trouble. I figured out that my pharmacy must have finished up their supply of the old, and so I was taking the reformulated. I felt like something had changed and it wasn't working. I am also on a 1/4 grain higher dose of Naturethroid than I was of the old Armour. That's what I know about it for now. I actually popped in here tonight to see what the latest news is on the supply situation. Are you allergic to corn? I think that is an issue with some folks and Synthroid. Keep reading threads here in this section - you will come across info about alternatives and probably sources - although I'm guessing those are drying up fast. DG __________________ *Maintenance since 11/08*

11-17-2009, 04:30 PM	#12
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 13,937 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: 230/116/120 (BF<26%) WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	I didn't know your daughter was on Armour Harmony. For those patients on Armour (or T3...all T3 has a half life of four HOURS, T4 has a half life of more than four WEEKS), taking half your daily hormone and testing four to five hours later will tell you (when you get your FT4, FT3 testing) exactly how much is in the body left after the four hour half life. T3 only lasts for four hours (well, stays in the body, but doesn't accumullate) and that's WHY you need to take T3 (Cytomel, or Armour, or Westhroid, OR Naturethroid OR Thyrolar) every four to six hours to have sufficient energy. If your daughter has been on T3 for YEARS and she's not testing until 20 hours AFTER her last dose, than the doctor doesn't know WHAT her levels are. On the other hand, if your daughter has been taking only T4 for years...she could test anytime....cuz it's not active for four WEEKS later in the body.. And..if the doc is only looking at TSH..um...then the doc (nor you) knows much of anything regarding levels of T4 and T3 hormone in the body. Pam __________________ So many fireworks. So little time. "You can't get a patent on a pig part"

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10-26-2009, 07:37 PM	#3
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 13,937 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: 230/116/120 (BF<26%) WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	I'm having absolutely no problem getting Westhroid right now. I am allergic to Synthroid myself (to the point of anaphylaxis). You might want to have the pharm try and get either Westhroid or just Canadian Thyroid. Don't hesitate to call other pharmacies even an hour or so away...sometimes that helps. Also call compounding pharms and ask if they will compound natural thyroid. Just some suggestions. Pam

10-26-2009, 10:32 PM	#4
midlight21 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: McKinney, TX Posts: 125 Gallery: midlight21 Stats: 320/296.6/180 WOE: Atkins Start Date: restarted Oct 18th, 2009	I've been having hypo symptoms again since starting the reformulated Armour....constipation, hair loss, extreme exhaustion, memory trouble, etc.... I slept from 2am last night until 1:30p this afternoon and then from 5:30p to 8:30p. It's now 11:30p and I'll be going to bed soon. I think tomorrow I'm going to run to my dr's office and have them check my thyroid levels again. This is ridiculous....

10-27-2009, 08:26 AM	#5
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 13,937 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: 230/116/120 (BF<26%) WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	Make sure they are doing Free T4 and Free T3...not TSH. Pam

10-29-2009, 01:13 PM	#6
midlight21 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: McKinney, TX Posts: 125 Gallery: midlight21 Stats: 320/296.6/180 WOE: Atkins Start Date: restarted Oct 18th, 2009	My bloodwork came back and my dr said i was slightly hyper. Not possible....seriously. The bloodwork was inaccurate b/c I took my meds the day before when I should have not taken them for 2 days before. I just couldn't stand being so darn tired anymore. So....in other words I could have saved the time and money in getting my levels checked. Sigh..... I'm feeling a bit better since I upped my meds myself. I have a straight 5 grain Armour prescription and most of the time I don't need that much so I adjust as I need to.

10-29-2009, 03:21 PM	#7
inatic Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Alpharetta,Ga. Posts: 13,806 Gallery: inatic Stats: 182/135 5'4 47!yo 16/4 5 kidlets later! WOE: Coach Supervised Start Date: LowER C since 2/02 wt training 10/15/02	does your doc tell you not to take your meds 48hr prior? I've heard not before the test but never that long prior. you need to see your labs

10-29-2009, 04:27 PM	#8
CindyCRNA MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Midwest Posts: 1,309 Gallery: CindyCRNA Stats: 152/132/123 WOE: 30%/40%/30% Net carbs about 70. Start Date: 6/09, LC since 1/09	How long should you wait to have a lab draw on the dessicated stuff?

10-29-2009, 04:35 PM	#9
2big4mysize Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 7,512 Gallery: 2big4mysize Stats: 313 to current goalie 169-173 WOE: Atkins 2002 Start Date: june 1 2002	nonstickpam said 4 hours before the test you should take 1/2 your dose in another topic. I hope that is correct cause that is what I did today for mine.

10-29-2009, 09:25 PM	#10
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 13,937 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: 230/116/120 (BF<26%) WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	PRECISELY...take 1/2 your DAILY dose (that's called a split) then test four to five hours later. Um...midlight21..what ARE your results? (With ranges that particular lab used please...you ALWAYS get copies of your labs...you need to see your Free T4, Free T3 and TSH). Pam

11-17-2009, 04:11 PM	#11
Harmony1 Junior LCF Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 10 Gallery: Harmony1	Dang, if everyone is taking doses at different times, then the ranges will just be haphazard, won't they??? My daughter has been being tested for years and no one said anything about taking half the dose and then testing 4 hours later... wow. That would mean that her results would be very different than they are when she takes a test after getting up in the am i.e. no medication for more or less 20 hours - 24 hours... wow. Pam - what do you say about that? Harmony1

11-19-2009, 05:46 PM	#13
Harmony1 Junior LCF Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 10 Gallery: Harmony1	Hi again Pam, No, my daughter has only been taking the FT3 for about 6 weeks. So, ok the testing without consideration of the medication has been alright up til now... but now that she takes the FT3 she has to take into consideration when she takes her FT3 dose.... But still it sounds like everyone does different things, so these ranges could be totally misrepresentative of the real range, but no one knows it. Anyway, just a reflection. they always take the Ft4 oand FT3, but not D3 or Ferritin or progesterone.... I'll start asking for that now. Harmony1

11-19-2009, 07:31 PM	#14
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 13,937 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: 230/116/120 (BF<26%) WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	If she is aiming for what is prolly 'normal' taking into consideration the ranges, than taking HALF her T3 med and all her T4 med (or half her daily dose natural porcine thyroid) and then testing FT's about four to five hours later...this would be 'normal': A TSH of under 1. Period...all the way down to .002 (that's mine, ok? we ignore it) a FT4 of midway of it's range or UNDER (the thyroid when working normally only produces a FT4 of around midway or under...yet when docs ONLY look at TSH and T4 and ONLY give T4, they think the TSH should be anywhere at ALL in range, and that FT4 should be HIGH) and FT3 should be 2/3 to 3/4 of it's lab range (or where the patient feels like they have their normal life back again). Pam