SOmetimes I was so hot I thought I'd scream! O felt all the hyPER symptoms.. Doctor did the blood tests and my thyroid levels were too high. Now I can actually wear long sleeves.

Have had hyPO for about 30 years. Find that medication does not releave all the symptoms... just raises the thyroid levels.
Any advice on Armor Thyroid as a choice.

I'm going to do a cut and paste of a reply I made in Spacee's thread, which is near the top on the list here and has received several replies. I would STRESS the importance of having Salivary Cortisol testing and Serum Ferritin levels checked. Very improtant.

I also recommend you go to StopTheThyroidMadness site and scroll down on the left to where it says, Those Durn Adrenals. Lots of good info there, and on the whole site. Here is my cut and paste.
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TSH is influenced by T4 levels. T4 is your longer term, less active, form of thyroid hormone. Your body converts T4 into T3, which is your shorter lasting, but ACTIVE form of thyroid hormone. Your body can also convert your T4 into Reverse T3, which basically puts the brakes on metabolically, and renders T3 less effective.

So, measuring the TSH, is only an indicator of T4 levels. The Free T3 and Free T4 is more helpful in determining hormone status. I would say, getting to the upper range of each is best, but dosing according to symptoms is more important than a lab number.

Armour, Westhroid and Naturethroid contain BOTH T4 and T3. Synthroid contains ONLY T4. This may be adequate for people whose body can efficiently convert T4 to T3, but not everyone can. And some also convert to Reverse T3. Without all these tests, you don't know. Then there are also Thyroid antiboidies, which throws a monkey wrench in the whole thing.

NOT being able to tolerate normal doses of Thyroid hormones, can sometimes reveal an actual Cortisol deficiency. Thyroid hormones does NOT CAUSE Cortisol deficiency, but it can UNMASK one. Your cells need ADEQUATE Cortisol, in order to be able to use Thyroid hormones. Not having enough Cortisol can cause the T3 levels to rise, causing high amounts of thyroid hormones to build in the blood, making your free T3 and/or free T4 labs look high in range with continuing hypo symptoms, or causing hyper-like symptoms on doses of Armour which shouldn’t produce those symptoms. The latter can include anxiety or nervousness, light-headedness, shakiness, dizziness, racing heart, sudden weakness, nausea, feeling hot, or any symptom which seems like an over-reaction to Armour, but are in reality low cortisol symptoms. Low cortisol can also keep you hypothyroid with hypo symptoms.


Can you really be HYPOthyroid if your labs are NORMAL? YES. My Thyroid levels were "Normal" for 10-20 years. Had a Goiter growing, which was "being watched". Given Synthyroid and it continuted to grow, and "be watched". Eventually they watched it grow large enough to cause Trachael Obstruction. I literally couldn't breath. It grew to the size of a small Orange. (mine also grew below the collar bone so it couldn't be "watched" properly.) I also stopped getting my Period in my 30's. Had the right lobe removed it 1994.

I had an Accurpuncturist, he was also a Neurologist, and Psychiatrist, switch me to Armour, on HIS advice. My periods immediately resumed after being absent for 2 years. I continued to be treated by the TSH and my goiter again grew and had a Total Thyroidectomy Nov. 2007 due to the same thing, Trachael Obstruction.

If you have been Hypothyroid for a long time, the adrenal are also likely exhaused, and may need supplemental Cortisol for a period of time, or maybe indefinately. You also need companion nutrients to make Thyroid hormones, Iodine, Iron (check Ferretin levels), Potassium, Sodium, Zinc, Selenium and Tyrosine.

I am 14 months without a Thyroid and life has been hell. I don't recommend this to anyone. I am still working to raise my levels, of, well, EVERyTHING.

The best sites I have seen are StopTheThyroidMadness and Yahoos Thyyroidless forum. Those people will hold your hand and guide you.

Good luck with this Endocrine nightmare.

too much except that one doc wanted me to get off Armour and take Synthorid so I took some of his samples and after 4 days, I was falling over with FATIGUE. That endo doc got a strong letter fromme. Never saw him again for sure.

I've been taking Armour since 2001 and find it best for ME. My osteopath put me on it no bloodwork or anything. I had gone 10 yrs mis-diagnosed as "normal" by my, then, GP. What a depressing 10 yrs full of "crappy" anti-depressants that were doing nothing but making the drug companies richer.

I strugged from 1991 to 2001. The Armour has been doing it for me for over 7 yrs now. I'm holding steady at 90mg. Started low, I think, maybe 30 mg or less and worked up over a couple years.

oh btw I have a couple friends who were on Synthroid for some years and were able to switch to Armour and are doing so much better. Good luck. jam

Forgive my brainfog. Hard to process at times when i read the posts. If i am understanding the above it is possible to be hypo but it produces the hyper symptoms? It's so confusing.
my endo does not explain things well so thanks everyone for your feedback.

book. You'll want to run from Synthroid so fast.

call Synthroid "Syncrap"....everyone over there is on a dessciated t4 and t3 thyroid "food".

I have at least 2 friends who were on Synthroid and finally got switched to Armour and they do so much better.