Guest guest Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Empty stomach or with food can make a big difference in dosing. I always take my Armour with food. If I ever took it on an empty stomach, I would probably have a heart attack. . . . . >> Yikes!!! First, Jan... I just got on the web and see you are enduring > an adventure with strength and courage. I will check in more often to > read an update.> > So, it looks like the time has come to reduce my Armour Thyroid.> > Back in May 2007, my Vit D was low and my TSH (.14) was very low, and > FT4 was on edge of low (.8) and FT3 was in lower hal (270)f. Doc let > me stay on 2 gr on Armour and gave me a prescript for Vit D. And > realized I was not taking thyroid meds on an empty stomach... started > that and swelling ankles disappeared...Fast forward to February...> > Feb 2008: My Vit D is even lower, my TSH is .04 (fasting -- no > thyroid med that morning); so they ran FT4/FT3 and TSH again... TSH > is .03 FT4 is 1.5; and FT3 is 472 (range 230-420)(not fasting, but > thyroid med taken 8 hours earlier). I just got results in mail... doc > will be calling tomorrow. I have been very tired, hair is very thin, > anxiety, internal shakes... I have some other autoimmune thing going > on, but did start exercising a month ago. This is bizarre... And I > know my Armour needs to be reduced. I reduced to half a pill this > morning. I have muscle weakness etc. I'm afraid that for me, the high > dose of Armour did no good, but maybe did harm. I hate that they > symptoms for hypo and hyper are so similar. My thyroid is not > swollen. > > I've been on this dose since ~5/2006> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 "Strength and courage" my @$$! You just did not hear all the qvetching and cussing. >> Yikes!!! First, Jan... I just got on the web and see you are enduring > an adventure with strength and courage. I will check in more often to > read an update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 How does one determine whether or not they need food with their Armour or not??? A couple of years ago, a doc had me on 1 gr 30 min - 1 hour before eating. I never questioned it and just did it...couldn't tell a difference. Then my PCP swithed me to Levothroid on empty stomach. I still couldn't tell a difference. Now I take 1/2 a grain sublingually. Sometimes I eat at the same time, and sometimes I don't. No difference. How did you determine that you had to take your Armour with food??? Marcie Jan wrote: Empty stomach or with food can make a big difference in dosing. I always take my Armour with food. If I ever took it on an empty stomach, I would probably have a heart attack. . . . . >> Yikes!!! First, Jan... I just got on the web and see you are enduring > an adventure with strength and courage. I will check in more often to > read an update.> > So, it looks like the time has come to reduce my Armour Thyroid.> > Back in May 2007, my Vit D was low and my TSH (.14) was very low, and > FT4 was on edge of low (.8) and FT3 was in lower hal (270)f. Doc let > me stay on 2 gr on Armour and gave me a prescript for Vit D. And > realized I was not taking thyroid meds on an empty stomach... started > that and swelling ankles disappeared...Fast forward to February...> > Feb 2008: My Vit D is even lower, my TSH is .04 (fasting -- no > thyroid med that morning); so they ran FT4/FT3 and TSH again... TSH > is .03 FT4 is 1.5; and FT3 is 472 (range 230-420)(not fasting, but > thyroid med taken 8 hours earlier). I just got results in mail... doc > will be calling tomorrow. I have been very tired, hair is very thin, > anxiety, internal shakes... I have some other autoimmune thing going > on, but did start exercising a month ago. This is bizarre... And I > know my Armour needs to be reduced. I reduced to half a pill this > morning. I have muscle weakness etc. I'm afraid that for me, the high > dose of Armour did no good, but maybe did harm. I hate that they > symptoms for hypo and hyper are so similar. My thyroid is not > swollen. > > I've been on this dose since ~5/2006> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I take all pills with food, because it bothers my stomach to do otherwise. We adjusted my dose around that reality. For many folks, it is a matter of convenience. Some folks take their first dose on an empty stomach and their second dose with food, but they do it the same way every day. Still others take all of their Armour in a single dose because they keep forgetting to take the second dose. Whatever you decide to do, it is a good idea to be consistent about it. The first thing to try, however, should be whatever your doc told you to do. Only if that does not work for you, should you experiment with other modes. It is important to establish yourself as a "compliant" patient. > Empty stomach or with food can make a big difference in dosing. I always take my Armour with food. If I ever took it on an empty stomach, I would probably have a heart attack. . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 "Compliant" would be a very accurate discription of me. My Armour was prescribed sublingually so it can be taken either way, if I understood correctly. I guess I should double check on that. Does your heart rate go up if you take it on an empty stomach? Is that why you said that you would probably have a heart attack? I've never noticed anything like that, but I am taking it the way that I think I am supposed to. Marcie Jan wrote: I take all pills with food, because it bothers my stomach to do otherwise. We adjusted my dose around that reality. For many folks, it is a matter of convenience. Some folks take their first dose on an empty stomach and their second dose with food, but they do it the same way every day. Still others take all of their Armour in a single dose because they keep forgetting to take the second dose. Whatever you decide to do, it is a good idea to be consistent about it. The first thing to try, however, should be whatever your doc told you to do. Only if that does not work for you, should you experiment with other modes. It is important to establish yourself as a "compliant" patient. > Empty stomach or with food can make a big difference in dosing. I always take my Armour with food. If I ever took it on an empty stomach, I would probably have a heart attack. . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 The one time I took it with latte while I was waiting for my dinner to finish cooking, I did experience tachycardia. I have never taken it on a totally empty stomach. I take 150 mg twice a day. That is a fairly large dose. > > Empty stomach or with food can make a big difference in dosing. I always take my Armour with food. If I ever took it on an empty stomach, I would probably have a heart attack. . . . .> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Marcie, when you take Armour sublingually it goes pretty much straight to the blood stream, bypassing the gut. Therefore, you would not notice any difference between eating right after or before, or waiting for an hour. The digestive system is what makes the difference when you swallow it and it interferes with the absorbtion. Pat > > > > Yikes!!! First, Jan... I just got on the web and see you are enduring > > an adventure with strength and courage. I will check in more often to > > read an update. > > > > So, it looks like the time has come to reduce my Armour Thyroid. > > > > Back in May 2007, my Vit D was low and my TSH (.14) was very low, and > > FT4 was on edge of low (.8) and FT3 was in lower hal (270)f. Doc let > > me stay on 2 gr on Armour and gave me a prescript for Vit D. And > > realized I was not taking thyroid meds on an empty stomach... started > > that and swelling ankles disappeared...Fast forward to February... > > > > Feb 2008: My Vit D is even lower, my TSH is .04 (fasting -- no > > thyroid med that morning); so they ran FT4/FT3 and TSH again... TSH > > is .03 FT4 is 1.5; and FT3 is 472 (range 230-420)(not fasting, but > > thyroid med taken 8 hours earlier). I just got results in mail... doc > > will be calling tomorrow. I have been very tired, hair is very thin, > > anxiety, internal shakes... I have some other autoimmune thing going > > on, but did start exercising a month ago. This is bizarre... And I > > know my Armour needs to be reduced. I reduced to half a pill this > > morning. I have muscle weakness etc. I'm afraid that for me, the high > > dose of Armour did no good, but maybe did harm. I hate that they > > symptoms for hypo and hyper are so similar. My thyroid is not > > swollen. > > > > I've been on this dose since ~5/2006 > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 That's how I understood it...that if it was sublingually taken, it didn't matter whether or not food was taken at the same time. Marcie pproft wrote: Marcie, when you take Armour sublingually it goes pretty much straightto the blood stream, bypassing the gut. Therefore, you would not noticeany difference between eating right after or before, or waiting for anhour. The digestive system is what makes the difference when youswallow it and it interferes with the absorbtion.Pat> >> > Yikes!!! First, Jan... I just got on the web and see you areenduring> > an adventure with strength and courage. I will check in more oftento> > read an update.> >> > So, it looks like the time has come to reduce my Armour Thyroid.> >> > Back in May 2007, my Vit D was low and my TSH (.14) was very low,and> > FT4 was on edge of low (.8) and FT3 was in lower hal (270)f. Doc let> > me stay on 2 gr on Armour and gave me a prescript for Vit D. And> > realized I was not taking thyroid meds on an empty stomach...started> > that and swelling ankles disappeared...Fast forward to February...> >> > Feb 2008: My Vit D is even lower, my TSH is .04 (fasting -- no> > thyroid med that morning); so they ran FT4/FT3 and TSH again... TSH> > is .03 FT4 is 1.5; and FT3 is 472 (range 230-420)(not fasting, but> > thyroid med taken 8 hours earlier). I just got results in mail...doc> > will be calling tomorrow. I have been very tired, hair is very thin,> > anxiety, internal shakes... I have some other autoimmune thing going> > on, but did start exercising a month ago. This is bizarre... And I> > know my Armour needs to be reduced. I reduced to half a pill this> > morning. I have muscle weakness etc. I'm afraid that for me, thehigh> > dose of Armour did no good, but maybe did harm. I hate that they> > symptoms for hypo and hyper are so similar. My thyroid is not> > swollen.> >> > I've been on this dose since ~5/2006> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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