Armour Thyroid article from Dr. Mercola

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How To Monitor Your Treatment With Natural Hormone

Therapy

Should You Use Synthetic Hormones?

The traditional approach is to use synthetic hormones

like Synthroid/ Levoxyl/Levothroid (levothyroxine).

These products only contain T4 hormone, they have no

T3.

When a patient attempts to ask their physician for the

natural hormone they are usually ridiculed and made to

feel stupid that they would request an inferior

hormone product.

The common argument the physicians give is that the

synthetic provides steady hormone levels. What the

doctors tend to overlook is that the vast majority of

people can not convert the T4 to the active form of

thyroid which is T3. This is easy to cofirm by

measuring the free hormone levels, but virtually none

of the doctors use these tests.

Armour Thyroid--The Natural Alternative

When one has low T3 levels, which are typical with

synthetic hormone use, the brain does not work

properly. It is important to use a preparation with T3

because T3 does 90% of the work of the thyroid in the

body. So one should use a combination of T4 and T3

which compensates for the inability to convert T4 to

T3. Armour thyroid is desiccated thyroid and has both

T3 and T4.

A 1999 study published in one of the most prestigious

medical journals in the world, the New England Journal

of Medicine, showed that the natural hormone product,

such as Armour, was far better at controlling the

brain problems commonly found in hypothyroidism.

Nearly all natural medicine doctors tend to use Armour

thyroid which is a mixture of mono and

di-iodothryonine and T3 and T4, the entire range of

thyroid hormones.

Armour Thyroid Dosing-- TWICE a day.

The most common starting dose for patients with

hypothyroidism is Armour thyroid, 90 mg which is cut

in half with a razor blade and half is taken after

breakfast and the other half after dinner. Taking it

after meals also helps to reduce volatility of the

blood-level of T3. If the patient has any problem

breaking or cutting the pill, they should purchase a

pill-cutter at the pharmacy. The TSH, Free T3 and Free

T4 are then repeated in one month and the dose is

adjusted.

Taking the Armour thyroid twice a day overcomes

traditional medicine's major objection and resistance

to using natural thyroid preparations - its

variability in its blood-levels. Most doctors using

Armour thyroid are not aware that Armour thyroid

should be used twice daily and NOT once a day. The

major reason is that the T3 component has such a short

half life and needs to be taken twice daily to achieve

consistent blood levels.

Dose Adjustments With Lab Monitoring

Once on hormone replacement, the dose should be

increased until the TSH falls below 0.4. Then one

needs to optimize the 2 thyroid hormones by using the

Free T4 and Free T3 levels.

The Free T3 and Free T4 are used to monitor the

treatment. They should be above the median (middle)

but below the upper end of the laboratory normal

reference range. The goal for healthy young adults

would be to have numbers close to the upper part of

the range, and for cardiac and/or elderly patients,

the numbers should be in the middle of its range.

The Free T3 and Free T4 levels should be checked every

month and the hormone therapy readjusted until the FT3

and FT4 levels are in the therapeutic range described.

Once a theraputic range is acheived the levels should

be checked at least once a year. A small number of

large, overweight, thyroid-resistant women may need

6-8 grains of Armour thyroid or the equivalent of

thyroxine per day (counting 0.1mg of T4 as 1 grain of

Armour Thyroid).

For those people who are already on once daily Armour

thyroid should split their doses immediately and take

half after breakfast and half after dinner. Since the

only change will be in the FT3 level, which has a

short half-life, the serum FT4 and FT3 levels (and

TSH, if indicated) can be measured 48-72 hrs after the

splitting of the doses if the patient had been on the

hormone for 4-6 weeks before the splitting of the

doses. This is because the Free T4 hormone is the one

that takes a number of weeks to build up to its

steady-state serum-level.

Symptoms of Excessive Thyroid Hormone

There are frequently only temporary during the

adaptation stage. The symptoms may include:

palpitations

nervousness

feeling hot and sweaty

rapid weight-loss

fine tremor

clammy skin

What To Do If You Can Not Tolerate Armour Thyroid or

Want To Continue Synthetic Hormones

My experience is that well over 90% of people do much

better on Armour thyroid. However, there are a small

number of people who do not tolerate it. This is most

frequently done with Armour thyroid. However, Cytomel,

which is T3 only, can be used in combination with one

of the T4 only synthetic preparations mentioned above.

It is important to recognize that T3 should always be

prescribed twice daily due to its shorter half life.

This is typically after breakfast AND supper for

compliance reasons.

If you are currently taking Synthroid (thyroxine),

your Free T4 level is usually at or above the high end

of its normal range and your Free T3 level is usually

below. In this situation, one may then add 5-12.5 mcg

Cytomel (pure-T3) after breakfast and supper daily,

rather than Armour Thyroid or Thyrolar (synthetic

T4/T3 combo).

Once or twice daily dosing one can then optimize both

the T4 and T3 levels, with whatever thyroid

preparation is required. This is not possible in most

hypothyroid patients with T4 only preparations.

People Who Should Not Take Cytomel

The only exception to pursue optimization of the T3

level without using Armour thyroid is in severe acute

cardio-pulmonary conditions, such as congestive heart

failure, when the metabolic slowing effect of a low

FT3 level can actually be life-saving. However, the

vast majority of hypothyroid patients do not have this

problem.

---------------------------------------------

©Copyright 1997-2001 by ph M. Mercola, DO. All

Rights Reserved.

[Guest guest]

Great info Rogene! I needed to hear that about the double-daily dosage! PattyRogene S <saxony01@...> wrote: How To Monitor Your Treatment With Natural HormoneTherapyShould You Use Synthetic Hormones?The traditional approach is to use synthetic hormoneslike Synthroid/ Levoxyl/Levothroid (levothyroxine).These products only contain T4 hormone, they have noT3.When a patient attempts to ask their physician for thenatural hormone they are usually ridiculed and made tofeel stupid that they would request an inferiorhormone product.The common argument the physicians give is that thesynthetic provides steady hormone levels. What thedoctors tend to overlook is that the vast majority ofpeople can not convert the T4 to the active form ofthyroid

which is T3. This is easy to cofirm bymeasuring the free hormone levels, but virtually noneof the doctors use these tests.Armour Thyroid--The Natural AlternativeWhen one has low T3 levels, which are typical withsynthetic hormone use, the brain does not workproperly. It is important to use a preparation with T3because T3 does 90% of the work of the thyroid in thebody. So one should use a combination of T4 and T3which compensates for the inability to convert T4 toT3. Armour thyroid is desiccated thyroid and has bothT3 and T4.A 1999 study published in one of the most prestigiousmedical journals in the world, the New England Journalof Medicine, showed that the natural hormone product,such as Armour, was far better at controlling thebrain problems commonly found in hypothyroidism.Nearly all natural medicine doctors tend to use Armourthyroid which is a mixture of mono anddi-iodothryonine and

T3 and T4, the entire range ofthyroid hormones.Armour Thyroid Dosing-- TWICE a day.The most common starting dose for patients withhypothyroidism is Armour thyroid, 90 mg which is cutin half with a razor blade and half is taken afterbreakfast and the other half after dinner. Taking itafter meals also helps to reduce volatility of theblood-level of T3. If the patient has any problembreaking or cutting the pill, they should purchase apill-cutter at the pharmacy. The TSH, Free T3 and FreeT4 are then repeated in one month and the dose isadjusted.Taking the Armour thyroid twice a day overcomestraditional medicine's major objection and resistanceto using natural thyroid preparations - itsvariability in its blood-levels. Most doctors usingArmour thyroid are not aware that Armour thyroidshould be used twice daily and NOT once a day. Themajor reason is that the T3 component has such a

shorthalf life and needs to be taken twice daily to achieveconsistent blood levels.Dose Adjustments With Lab MonitoringOnce on hormone replacement, the dose should beincreased until the TSH falls below 0.4. Then oneneeds to optimize the 2 thyroid hormones by using theFree T4 and Free T3 levels.The Free T3 and Free T4 are used to monitor thetreatment. They should be above the median (middle)but below the upper end of the laboratory normalreference range. The goal for healthy young adultswould be to have numbers close to the upper part ofthe range, and for cardiac and/or elderly patients,the numbers should be in the middle of its range.The Free T3 and Free T4 levels should be checked everymonth and the hormone therapy readjusted until the FT3and FT4 levels are in the therapeutic range described.Once a theraputic range is acheived the levels shouldbe checked at least once a year. A

small number oflarge, overweight, thyroid-resistant women may need6-8 grains of Armour thyroid or the equivalent ofthyroxine per day (counting 0.1mg of T4 as 1 grain ofArmour Thyroid).For those people who are already on once daily Armourthyroid should split their doses immediately and takehalf after breakfast and half after dinner. Since theonly change will be in the FT3 level, which has ashort half-life, the serum FT4 and FT3 levels (andTSH, if indicated) can be measured 48-72 hrs after thesplitting of the doses if the patient had been on thehormone for 4-6 weeks before the splitting of thedoses. This is because the Free T4 hormone is the onethat takes a number of weeks to build up to itssteady-state serum-level.Symptoms of Excessive Thyroid HormoneThere are frequently only temporary during theadaptation stage. The symptoms may include:palpitationsnervousnessfeeling hot

and sweatyrapid weight-lossfine tremorclammy skinWhat To Do If You Can Not Tolerate Armour Thyroid orWant To Continue Synthetic HormonesMy experience is that well over 90% of people do muchbetter on Armour thyroid. However, there are a smallnumber of people who do not tolerate it. This is mostfrequently done with Armour thyroid. However, Cytomel,which is T3 only, can be used in combination with oneof the T4 only synthetic preparations mentioned above.It is important to recognize that T3 should always beprescribed twice daily due to its shorter half life.This is typically after breakfast AND supper forcompliance reasons.If you are currently taking Synthroid (thyroxine),your Free T4 level is usually at or above the high endof its normal range and your Free T3 level is usuallybelow. In this situation, one may then add 5-12.5 mcgCytomel (pure-T3) after breakfast and supper

daily,rather than Armour Thyroid or Thyrolar (syntheticT4/T3 combo).Once or twice daily dosing one can then optimize boththe T4 and T3 levels, with whatever thyroidpreparation is required. This is not possible in mosthypothyroid patients with T4 only preparations.People Who Should Not Take CytomelThe only exception to pursue optimization of the T3level without using Armour thyroid is in severe acutecardio-pulmonary conditions, such as congestive heartfailure, when the metabolic slowing effect of a lowFT3 level can actually be life-saving. However, thevast majority of hypothyroid patients do not have thisproblem. ---------------------------------------------©Copyright 1997-2001 by ph M. Mercola, DO. AllRights Reserved.

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