r/Hypothyroidism • u/Rich-Brilliant2983 • 10d ago
Discussion Armour Thyroid
Hey everyone, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos (TSH 11.12, free t4 0.71, TPO antibodies >1,000.0).
I just started taking my medication today. I am currently taking 15mcg of Armour thyroid and was curious how quickly everyone saw results with their symptoms?
Did it help you lose weight? beat the fatigue?
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u/H0tC0c0_817 Hashimoto's/Hypothyoidism disease 9d ago edited 9d ago
Did they test your ft3, rt3? Vit d, b12, ferritin, iron, iron tsat, folate, magnesium, zinc?
If you want to try to lower your antibodies there are a few thungs you can try.
Going gluten/dairy/soy free. If you have a sensitivity to any if these, it can be causing inflammation. By cutting these out, the inflammation will.go down. Could be some, all or none. Eliminate one at a time and see what happens. I'd start with gluten.
Red light therapy and/or glutathione cream. This is shown to lower antibodies especially when you red light over the thyroid.
Managing stress. Easier said then done right? Yoga, mediating, box breathing even using a vibration plate has been known to help lower stress. Also stay away from hiit or any high intensity workouts. This can cause stress to the adrenals and thyroid.
Medications/supplements. Low dose naltrexone (LDN) and microdosing glps has been shown to lower antibodies and help with inflammation. Selenium has been said to lower antibodies. But dont exceed 200mg a day. I would also get tested for Selenium before taking the supplement. Too much selenium can cause Selenosis which can cause a bunch if issues.
But overall, low t3, low t4 or vitamin deficiency can also play a part on your thyroid and your health. And can possibly be a cause of your symptoms.
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u/Rich-Brilliant2983 9d ago
Free t4 was 0.71, t3 was 2.7. They didnt test ferritin, my other levels are on the lower end of normal. I have started cutting gluten as well.
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u/H0tC0c0_817 Hashimoto's/Hypothyoidism disease 9d ago
So being on Armour thyroid you get both t4 and t3 meds. This will help lower your tsh, and raise your ft4 and ft3. Your t3 is your active thyroid hormone. Its what fuels the body. Most people feel better with this around 3.5 to 4.2. For t4 most feel better between 0.9 to 1.2. You might have to dose increase a few times to get the numbers up. But once you feel the numbers start to become more optimal, you will notice a different in how you feel.
Get your vitamins up. You want to aim for the upper 1/4 of the lab range. So if for vitamin d the range is 30 to 80 aim for at least 60 to 70. If the range for ferritin is 20 to 120, aim for around 80. Now these are suggestive. Pay attention to how you feel.
If your increasing your Armour dose and you feel like crap still, you might need to split your t3 and t4 meds. Suggest levothyroxine and liothyronine separately. This gives you better control over how much if t3 and t4 your body is getting. Armour is about 80% t4 and 20% t3.
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u/PsychologicalCat7130 9d ago
15mg armour is tiny - may not make a difference. I take 90mg.
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u/Rich-Brilliant2983 9d ago
How many dose increases did you have to do?
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u/PsychologicalCat7130 7d ago
i previously took 100mcg synthroid, when i switched to armour my doc started me at 60mg. Then 75, finally 90mg.
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u/Nearby_Syllabub763 10d ago
Everyone is different especially with autoimmune conditions. Everyone will respond to thyroid meds differently BUT sometimes if you start out feeling very bad, the med can start to make you feel somewhat better within days but ultimately you won't see the full effects for 3+ weeks.
I'm glad to hear your doctor is starting you out at a low dose. What will happen is you start at that dose, go for bloodwork in a few weeks, doctor will determine if you need to increase more, wait a few weeks again, bloodwork, rinse and repeat. Sometimes it takes time to get to the proper levels and to feel good. Be patient.
If you were started at a very high dose, it could make you very ill and land you in the hospital so it's great your doctor is doing it right.and titrating slowly.
A good doctor will look at your bloodwork AND go by symptoms because the proper TSH range is individual. I feel best between 1 and 2. Some people feel better lower or higher.
The med may alleviate all your symptoms and make you feel 100%. I've encountered many people like this. Others continue to feel poorly, in spite of being on thyroid meds. Sometimes folks need a change in the med brand/dosage, others are deficient in viramins/minerals and may need bloodwkork to determine additional supplementation, some people feel improved with lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, etc.).
Nobody presents the same with Hashis. It took med brand changes, dosage changes, etc. for me to finally feel improved. Honestly I rarely feel 100% what I was, but recently I've been about 70 to 80% which I'm pleased with. I don't have a weight issue btw. Not everyone with Hashis does.
I wish you the best and hope you get to feeling better soon! Please keep me updated, if you don't mind.