Wellness

[addiegal]

SusyQ22a, TSH of 12.4 is high. You might really feel better on another brand. Generics aren't always tolerated well by everyone.............Sidsmom, there are a lot of doctors out there who feel only TSH is the way to monitor the thryoid. Maybe they will also do Free T4. They have been taught Armour/ T3/T4 is not needed, everyone can convert the T4 to active T3 and only need a T4 medication. There a real prejudice against Armour or other natural thyroid drugs and even the synthetic form of T3. Not everyone will respond well to the same medications even the same medicine but a different brand can make a difference.

[emmysmom]

On 8/4/2014 Disneylandfan said:

On 8/4/2014 emmiesmom said:

On 8/4/2014 Disneylandfan said:

Took Synthroid for 5 years so far, at first I felt really well, but then.... blood pressure started rising, horrible acid reflux (which I had never had before), hair still falling out-lucky I have a lot, always itching, foggy head, heart palpitations, and others.

After years of suffering finally realized it was the synthroid. I don't think my body likes synthetic. So I've been on Naturethroid the past 4 days. My blood pressure went back to 111 (which is normal for me) and I haven't been itching. Not all the side effects are gone but doctor said it could take a couple of weeks. I don't know that this is the perfect medicine but I'm hoping my body tolerates it better.

I think some people do great on synthroid and others don't. Some do great on a more natural thyroid med and some don't. Everyone has to find what works best for their body.

Great news! I am so glad you figured out it was your medication! I also have a problem with medications, have all my life. I always opt for a natural remedy..its always worked for me.

Thanks emmiesmom, I'm cautiously optimistic. Hoping this works for the long term.

I am praying this is your answer..so glad you are doing Armour!

[emmysmom]

On 8/4/2014 Sunshine Kate said:

On 8/4/2014 sidsmom said:

Why are doctors so adamant about not prescribing Armour? And before someone says "money"...wouldn't the Drs have the same $ outcome with specialized Meds such as Armour?

I'm a "Hypo Newbie" & was questioning it to my Dr...normally soft-spoken, her demeanor changed when I asked about Armour....and everything I've read, a lot of doctors are the same way. Why?

I would like to know the same thing about Armour? I don't understand why doctors don't want to prescribe.

I had a very good friend who is a pharmacist. He took Armour, and told me if I ever needed it to take that form. If you want to take it, I would find a doctor that would prescribe it! Another poster said her holistic doctor prescribed it~

[emmysmom]

On 8/4/2014 starpolisher said:

I took Synthroid for about 5 years and never felt well. Thanks to this BB and Suzanne Somers I went to a holistic doc and he gave me Armour. After taking it a few months and feeling great I got my regular doctor to prescribe it. With the holistic doc I had to get it from him and my insurance wouldn't cover it. Now I get it at CVS with my co-pay, I will never go back to a synthetic!

I think you found the key..a holistic doctor! I used to have one and he always treated me with natural remedies. So glad your doctor listened~

[addiegal]

On 8/5/2014 emmiesmom said:

On 8/4/2014 starpolisher said:

I took Synthroid for about 5 years and never felt well. Thanks to this BB and Suzanne Somers I went to a holistic doc and he gave me Armour. After taking it a few months and feeling great I got my regular doctor to prescribe it. With the holistic doc I had to get it from him and my insurance wouldn't cover it. Now I get it at CVS with my co-pay, I will never go back to a synthetic!

I think you found the key..a holistic doctor! I used to have one and he always treated me with natural remedies. So glad your doctor listened~

The problem with this is insurance may not cover a holistic doctor. Medicare doesn't cover naturopaths...so I doubt a holistic would be covered. By getting her regular doctor to prescribe it she had coverage for the Armour. I know how expensive paying cash can be! Glad her doctor listened...and she gets her Armour covered!

[emmysmom]

On 8/5/2014 addiegal said:

On 8/5/2014 emmiesmom said:

On 8/4/2014 starpolisher said:

I took Synthroid for about 5 years and never felt well. Thanks to this BB and Suzanne Somers I went to a holistic doc and he gave me Armour. After taking it a few months and feeling great I got my regular doctor to prescribe it. With the holistic doc I had to get it from him and my insurance wouldn't cover it. Now I get it at CVS with my co-pay, I will never go back to a synthetic!

I think you found the key..a holistic doctor! I used to have one and he always treated me with natural remedies. So glad your doctor listened~

The problem with this is insurance may not cover a holistic doctor. Medicare doesn't cover naturopaths...so I doubt a holistic would be covered. By getting her regular doctor to prescribe it she had coverage for the Armour. I know how expensive paying cash can be! Glad her doctor listened...and she gets her Armour covered!

Me too addie, seems there's always a catch!

[SusyQ22a]

On 8/4/2014 addiegal said: SusyQ22a, TSH of 12.4 is high. You might really feel better on another brand. Generics aren't always tolerated well by everyone.............Sidsmom, there are a lot of doctors out there who feel only TSH is the way to monitor the thryoid. Maybe they will also do Free T4. They have been taught Armour/ T3/T4 is not needed, everyone can convert the T4 to active T3 and only need a T4 medication. There a real prejudice against Armour or other natural thyroid drugs and even the synthetic form of T3. Not everyone will respond well to the same medications even the same medicine but a different brand can make a difference.

Dr. will not change meds until I have been on the levothyroxine long enough. Its been less than 2 weeks. Thursday will be exactly 2 weeks and she says that's not enough time to even see if there is any improvement. I'm supposed to go back in 8 weeks for a blood check up.

[Nightowlz]

On 8/5/2014 SusyQ22a said:

On 8/4/2014 addiegal said: SusyQ22a, TSH of 12.4 is high. You might really feel better on another brand. Generics aren't always tolerated well by everyone.............Sidsmom, there are a lot of doctors out there who feel only TSH is the way to monitor the thryoid. Maybe they will also do Free T4. They have been taught Armour/ T3/T4 is not needed, everyone can convert the T4 to active T3 and only need a T4 medication. There a real prejudice against Armour or other natural thyroid drugs and even the synthetic form of T3. Not everyone will respond well to the same medications even the same medicine but a different brand can make a difference.

Dr. will not change meds until I have been on the levothyroxine long enough. Its been less than 2 weeks. Thursday will be exactly 2 weeks and she says that's not enough time to even see if there is any improvement. I'm supposed to go back in 8 weeks for a blood check up.

2 wks is not long enough. It's your body & if you want to take Armour tell your Dr. you are not taking the levothyroxine & you want Armour. If this Dr. refuses to prescribe it find one that will. I had a doctor that retired & the doctor that took over his practice wanted me to stop taking Armour. I refused. After a few visits he mailed me a letter telling me to find a new doctor. Guess he could not tell me to my face. I loved my new doctor & he quit seeing patients to only care for urgent care patients so I had to find another doctor. So far so good with him. I switched to Erfa thyroid when Armour was reformulated & my TSH went way up over 50 & my free T3, free T4 & other tests were all out of whack. I have been doing well on Erfa & now they have reformulated & everyone is having problems. If they don't get it fixed before I run out I will probably go back on Armour or maybe another NDT med.

[SusyQ22a]

I think she would go along with a change, but it hasn't been long enough to determine if the meds are working. So I don't think we will have a problem with that. She's pretty open minded and wiling to try whatever it takes. I'm discouraged because I want to start feeling better already. Some of the information I've been reading online say some people start feeling better within a couple of weeks. I was hoping to be one of them. All in good time I suppose.

[Nightowlz]

On 8/5/2014 SusyQ22a said: I think she would go along with a change, but it hasn't been long enough to determine if the meds are working. So I don't think we will have a problem with that. She's pretty open minded and wiling to try whatever it takes. I'm discouraged because I want to start feeling better already. Some of the information I've been reading online say some people start feeling better within a couple of weeks. I was hoping to be one of them. All in good time I suppose.

That's good that she would be willing to let you change. I had it for years before I found it. I kept going downhill. It took months for me to feel better. When Armour reformulated I went downhill to the point I was having muscle spasms in the legs, stomach & all I wanted to do was sleep. When I went to the store for groceries I could barley make it from one side of the store to the other. I did good to buy groceries & get the laundry washed. I even quit a good job before I found out what was going on because I could not get out of bed. I found out I was hypothyroid 25+ yrs ago. Hope you feel better soon. I know how it is not to have any energy & not feel like or be able to doing anything because you are so exhausted.