Re: therapy cost/lLet me explain/Janie/

[Guest guest]

Let me explain .... The doc I'm using was listed for both " 's " and

Armour....

Thanks to you wonderful people on this list I went " armed " with at least some

knowledge of what to expect and what tests to ask for. SO... because he tends

to favor the 's (and I knew he did before I went for my first visit) I was

smart enough to know I'd have to use the " Sandyism " ...lol method of dealing

with his " whitecoat " ego. SO... I went along with going on the 's

therapy for a while to pacify him until I could honestly say I couldn't afford

it and

that I'd prefer to try Armour so my insurance would pay for it, and it WORKED!

Yeah! I never intoned to stay on the 's. It was just a means to get him

to put me on Armour. Now if I can get him to be more generous with the dosage

I've got it made! He was certainly generous enough with the 's T3!

He would only give me a 30mg dose for 30 days. I started that on the 4th of

Feb.

Thirty days later.....redrew blood on March 2, (I've got the panel results back,

I'm

still waiting on the " free " results) and he upped it to 60mg. The bottle says I

can

refill it 3 times @ the 60mg dose. Which tells me he intends to leave me on

60mgs

for a total of 4 months right? I don't think I can do it.... I feel terrible!

Me thinks

he's kicked me into hypER as I'm COLD now, especially my hands and feet....

I have a friend in Houston who's doc is very generous with her Armour scripts.

I

can get a " stash " from her. Or, I can try and get may doc to let me " tweak " my

dose some more. I've not been on it that long so he may not do it. Either way

what do you guys recommend I up it to? I just want to feel better again.....

I did tell his little weasel of a PA that if they didn't work with me on the

Armour that

I didn't have a problem " self medicating " ...lol Kinda got his attention

anyway....

The 's DID make my feel better. SOME hormone for my hypo was better

than NONE I suppose???

Just wanted to explain things so that you guys wouldn't think I was advocating

's

over Armour.....*oink!

(((Hugs)))

Becky

[Guest guest]

Let me explain .... The doc I'm using was listed for both " 's " and

Armour....

Thanks to you wonderful people on this list I went " armed " with at least some

knowledge of what to expect and what tests to ask for. SO... because he tends

to favor the 's (and I knew he did before I went for my first visit) I was

smart enough to know I'd have to use the " Sandyism " ...lol method of dealing

with his " whitecoat " ego. SO... I went along with going on the 's

therapy for a while to pacify him until I could honestly say I couldn't afford

it and

that I'd prefer to try Armour so my insurance would pay for it, and it WORKED!

Yeah! I never intoned to stay on the 's. It was just a means to get him

to put me on Armour. Now if I can get him to be more generous with the dosage

I've got it made! He was certainly generous enough with the 's T3!

He would only give me a 30mg dose for 30 days. I started that on the 4th of

Feb.

Thirty days later.....redrew blood on March 2, (I've got the panel results back,

I'm

still waiting on the " free " results) and he upped it to 60mg. The bottle says I

can

refill it 3 times @ the 60mg dose. Which tells me he intends to leave me on

60mgs

for a total of 4 months right? I don't think I can do it.... I feel terrible!

Me thinks

he's kicked me into hypER as I'm COLD now, especially my hands and feet....

I have a friend in Houston who's doc is very generous with her Armour scripts.

I

can get a " stash " from her. Or, I can try and get may doc to let me " tweak " my

dose some more. I've not been on it that long so he may not do it. Either way

what do you guys recommend I up it to? I just want to feel better again.....

I did tell his little weasel of a PA that if they didn't work with me on the

Armour that

I didn't have a problem " self medicating " ...lol Kinda got his attention

anyway....

The 's DID make my feel better. SOME hormone for my hypo was better

than NONE I suppose???

Just wanted to explain things so that you guys wouldn't think I was advocating

's

over Armour.....*oink!

(((Hugs)))

Becky

[Guest guest]

Sneaky, sneaky!! LOL. But.....you have to do what you have to do.

Yes, that is LUDICROUS of that doc to think it's OK to be on one

grain of Armour for four months!! He obviously knows SQUAT!! (This

is exactly why I tell folks that YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST ADVOCATE.

Because here's a doc who said he prescribes Armour, but he has a

preschool level of understanding about how to dose it.)

From what we have observed over the past few years, it appears safe

to raise 1/2 grain or so at a time, holding each dose at least 2

weeks just to be sure. When you get up to 2-3 grains, it cam be wise

to hold each dose raise about 4-5 weeks to allow the T4 to build

(it's not immediate like T3) and to see the results of it's

conversion to T3 as far as how you feel. After that.....again

depending on how you are feeling and where your temp is at...it can

be wise to only raise 1/4 grain at a time. Just trust your gut, your

temp, your symptoms.......etc. Labs can be helpful, too. When folks

find their optimal dose, the TSH is very suppressed (mine is .009,

for example, and some are lower than mine!) and the free T3 is at

the top of the range, if not over.

Yes, I'd bet that you felt better because as you said, some hormone

is better than none!!

Janie

> Let me explain .... The doc I'm using was listed for

both " 's " and Armour....

> Thanks to you wonderful people on this list I went " armed " with at

least some

> knowledge of what to expect and what tests to ask for. SO...

because he tends

> to favor the 's (and I knew he did before I went for my

first visit) I was

> smart enough to know I'd have to use the " Sandyism " ...lol method

of dealing

> with his " whitecoat " ego. SO... I went along with going on the

's

> therapy for a while to pacify him until I could honestly say I

couldn't afford it and

> that I'd prefer to try Armour so my insurance would pay for it,

and it WORKED!

> Yeah! I never intoned to stay on the 's. It was just a

means to get him

> to put me on Armour. >

> The 's DID make my feel better. SOME hormone for my hypo

was better

> than NONE I suppose???

>