Question 1

armour thyroid, is this a rx? is it pig thyroid? are the chances good my fnp would let me switch me from levothyroxine?

Accepted Answer

Yes, yes, maybe: It is a thyroid supplement derived from pig thyroid glands.  It is a natural choice that some people request.  Typically most health care professionals prefer levothyroxine (synthroid) because it is more familiar to them in terms of dosing and management.  Some

Question 2

new doctor took me off armour thyroid put me on levothyroxine why do my breasts tingle, any connection?

Accepted Answer

Not likely: Levothyroxine is pure T4 thyroid hormone.  Armour thyroid is dessicated pig thyroid and contains mostly T4 as the active thyroid hormone, but also some t3 (liothyronine).  Both will work to correct low thyroid levels, but Armour Thyroid tends to be more variable in potency and thus causes more fluctuations in thyroid levels.  I have never heard of breast tingling being a side effect of either med.

Question 3

i take levothyroxine and armour thyroid but it's been causing depression and chest pain. is there an alternative medicine i could be prescribed?

Accepted Answer

Sure this is cause?: I've had hundreds of patients on these meds and none have reported depression or chest pain; I question if these are the cause. Only options are levothyroxine, natural thyroid (Armour or Naturethroid) &amp; liothyronine (which is seldom used on its own). It's unusual to take both levo. &amp; Armour. Those with thyroiditis may react to Armour, or you may not be taking enough. See http://tinyurl.com/6gvsxqu

Question 4

4mos post rad/chemo 4hnc. tsh rising now 5.02. loosing hair. rx levothyroxine, 50mcg causes hair loss. would i be better w armour thyroid-treats t3 (liothyronine)?

Accepted Answer

More info: Hi. I'm not here to guess. Is HNC head and neck cancer? I hate to assume. If so, squamous? All this assumption. You may need more thyroid hormone. Armour (desiccated cadaveric pig thyroid extract) is no better, and certainly less predictable than l-thyroxine. If you prefer Armour, go for it, but effects are the same. Whatever you have, good luck!

Question 5

i was wondering is armour thyroid better than levothyroxin?

Accepted Answer

Armour Thyroid: Some people say that Armour Thyroid is better, but really it is just different.   Armour is a physiological mix of T3 (liothyronine) and T4 in the form of an extract of pig thyroid gland.   

Levothyroxin is a synthetic T4.

It is true that some patients do feel better on Armour.  Some patients feel better on Levothyroxine.    The synthetic T4s can cause more of an increase in reverse T3 (liothyronine).

Question 6

can you tell me if armour thyroid is better than levothyroxin?

Accepted Answer

No, it's not: Hi. Some people want desiccated porcine thyroid extract (Armour thyroid) for various reasons. We can manage fine with Armour, but levothyroxine is more pure; as a slaughter house thyroid extract, Armour has more lot-to-lot variability. If it was me I were treating, I'd take levothyroxine, but I respect patients' wishes and will use Armour if they really want it.

Question 7

synthroid (thyroxine) or armour thyroid for  hypothyriodism?

Accepted Answer

Levothyroxine.: Levothyroxine, generic form of synthroid, has many advantages over armour thyroid.  The armour product has significant batch to batch variation and has T3 (liothyronine) in it.  Since the T3 (liothyronine) portion of armour has a very quick onset and short duration, it can wreak havoc with the ability to effectively treat hypothyroidism.  Until there is a long-acting form of T3 (liothyronine) available, stick to levothyroxine.

Question 8

i've been on synthroid (thyroxine) for about 13 years and i only felt good a small portion of that time. is armour thyroid worth a try? my labs are good but i have all the hypo symptoms

Accepted Answer

Hypothyroidism : there are other options of thyroid supplementation out there. Check TSH, T3, (liothyronine) T4, and rT3

Question 9

i've been taking synthroid (thyroxine) (or armour thyroid) since 2012. however, i'm still tired, cold a lot & am struggling a bit to maintain my usual weight.

Accepted Answer

Hypothyroidism: Our bodies are amazing and dynamic structures.  Disease processes come to an equilibrium with treatment modalities that are instituted.  The thyroid in particular can wax and wane in its functionality.  Just because 1 dose of your Armour was instituted doesn't mean that that's going to be your dose forever.  Re-evaluated is needed and the dose of your thyroid hormone increased if TSH is elevated.

Question 10

i am on synthroid (thyroxine)  for  16 yrs. my dr recommended i go on armour thyroid    i had thyroid cancer and left node removed.   would u recommend this ?

Accepted Answer

No: For people with thyroid cancer it is important to keep the TSH in a tight range to prevent recurrence.  Thyroid evels tend to fluctuate more with Armour Thyroid  than synthroid (thyroxine).

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Doctor answers about:

Levothyroxine vs armour thyroid

A member asked:

Armour thyroid, is this a rx? is it pig thyroid? are the chances good my fnp would let me switch me from levothyroxine?

A member asked:

New doctor took me off armour thyroid put me on levothyroxine why do my breasts tingle, any connection?

A member asked:

I take levothyroxine and armour thyroid but it's been causing depression and chest pain. is there an alternative medicine i could be prescribed?

A member asked:

4mos post rad/chemo 4hnc. tsh rising now 5.02. loosing hair. rx levothyroxine, 50mcg causes hair loss. would i be better w armour thyroid-treats t3 (liothyronine)?

A member asked:

I was wondering is armour thyroid better than levothyroxin?

A member asked:

Can you tell me if armour thyroid is better than levothyroxin?

A member asked:

Synthroid (thyroxine) or armour thyroid for hypothyriodism?

A member asked:

I've been on synthroid (thyroxine) for about 13 years and i only felt good a small portion of that time. is armour thyroid worth a try? my labs are good but i have all the hypo symptoms

A member asked:

I've been taking synthroid (thyroxine) (or armour thyroid) since 2012. however, i'm still tired, cold a lot & am struggling a bit to maintain my usual weight.

A member asked:

I am on synthroid (thyroxine) for 16 yrs. my dr recommended i go on armour thyroid i had thyroid cancer and left node removed. would u recommend this ?

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