NATURAL THYROID 101

[Guest guest]

For those who are new to our list, and/or new to natural dessicated

thyroid hormones:

1) Armour is the most well known of the Natural Dessicated Thyroid

meds and oldest on the market--since the late 1800's! But there is

also Westhroid, Naturethroid and prescription generic Thyroid such

as by Time Cap Labs. All come from pigs, and all are supposed to

have their thyroid powder meet the stringent guidelines of the US

Pharmacopia.

Natural Dessicated Thyroid contain the same hormones that your own

thyroid would produce--T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin, and that's why

natural thyroid is SO superior over T4-only meds. They meet the

stringent guidelines of the US Pharmacopoeia and are approved by the

FDA.

2) There is also OTC natural thyroid, such as Nutri-Meds and others.

These are not regulated, and the potency may be less than Armour and

others, so you may have to take more than the FDA-approved brands

for the same effect. This may also be true for any " generic " thyroid

preparations---they appear to be weaker than the name brands

mentioned above.

3) The most biologically effective and direct way to take Natural

Thyroid is sublingually. i.e. you place the tablet between your gums

and inner check, or where the least amount of saliva is in your

mouth, and forget about it. Either way, it is absorbed by the

millions of capillaries that line your inner mouth--taking the

hormones straight to your blood, bypassing the stomach and liver.

Armour has a touch of sucrose in it, making it more palatible.

Natural Thyroid meds CAN be swallowed, of course, and since those

like Nature Throid do not have the suitable taste like Armour does,

it can be necessary. But it will be important to avoid iron,

estrogen and calcium supplements at the same time, since both bind

the thyroid hormones to some degree. Swallowing also brings stomach

acid into contact with the Calcitonin in Armour, and you may lose on

some of it's benefits to your bones. But it's OK if you have to

swallow your meds!! You'll get great benefits!

4) Many folks find dividing their dose to at least twice a day, if

not more, is optimal for them. It contains T3, which is short-lived,

and peaks about 2 hours after you take it. An example is taking 2/3

in the morning, and the other 1/3 in the early afternoon. Some folks

dose 3-5 times a day. A few even do it once in the morning, and find

that to be very effective. But most folks seem to notice a

difference when they multi-dose. Experiment to find what is best for

you.

5) Before labs were developed, doctors treated patients solely by

symptoms....and successfully. This is still an ideal way to treat---

by symptoms. But in today's world, labs play a disappointingly huge

role in treatment. Top docs in the thyroid field are recommending

that your free T3 be in the upper part of the range, if not above.

But you have to figure out where it is great for you, based on

symptoms. When you get your free T3 at the top, (or when you dose

yourself to eliminate all symptoms) you will often have a TSH quite

low. Many of us on an optimal dose (i.e. a dose which eliminates

symptoms) have a TSH LESS than one. The TSH is less important once

you start treatment, and just because one's TSH can get lower than 1

while getting the free T3 up there, does NOT mean you have become

hyper. Many docs are uninformed about this, so be prepared.

6) Armour et. al is bar-none superior to T4-only meds treatment

(Synthroid, Levoxyl, etc) because it is natural (your body accepts

most ALL of it), it contains direct T3 (the most active hormone and

necessary for every cell in your body), and it also contains T2, T1

and calcitonin. T2 has some role in metabolism. Calcitonin keeps the

calcium in your bones, and certain docs have noticed improvement in

bone density with folks on natural thyroid.

7) Most docs are very ignorant about the efficacy and safety of

natural thyroid. If you want to find a smart doc, use Armour's

LOCATE-A DOC in the LINKS section of this site. But be careful! You

will STILL need to CALL and make sure this doc prescribes Armour

REGULARLY, checks the FREE's, and pays attention to SYMPTOMS over

labs.

Another option is to visit a large pharmacy in your area and ask the

pharmacist if anyone prescribes Armour. And note that it is not

uncommon to drive great distances to find a knowledgeable doc.

8) It is not uncommon to discover that you need more natural

dessicated thyroid than you realize. An amount that gives you

excellent energy may not be quite enough to stop hair loss, etc. Or

vice versa. Before the TSH lab came into existence (and played a

huge part in ruining good thyroid care), most folks were on 3 grains

and more. This is not to say that you will need that much, but it

does speak to the reality that you may need more than you realize,

or more than lab-obsessed docs will allow.

ALSO NOTE THAT THE Synthroid-to-Armour conversion charts are VERY

inaccurate. You will need more than stated.

9) Often, there are other areas that need assistance when you are

treating yourself with Armour. For one, many folks need to optimize

their Ferritin level (storage iron), which is low in many with hypo.

Why, we don't know yet. But low Ferritin can cause very similar

symptoms as being hypo, OR can cause you to have hyper-like symptoms

when you try to raise the Armour.

If upon starting Armour, you have very strange symptoms, including

anxiety, insomnia, shakiness, it's a strong sign that you may need

adrenal support. You might need to stop the Armour and get on that

support for a few weeks before starting the Armour again. There are

several adrenal supplements listed in the ADRENALS file on the site--

all are used by different folks here. It is strongly recommended

that you get an adrenal test though. ZRT labs does a good 24 hour

saliva test. See LINKS.

10) Take a Selenium tablet with your thyroid. Helps with the T4 to

T3 conversion. L-Tyrosine helps, too. Zinc and Vit. C may play a

role. There are many other supplements we are all taking. Check out

the supplement recommendations in the FILES section of this site.

11) If you are able to buy a large quantity of Armour, keep it the

freezer or refrig to preserve it's potency, pouring out about 1-2

months at a time. Armour does have a long shelf life, though.

12) And finally, if you find you have to self-treat, be prudent and

wise. Many start on less than one grain, and check it out for 2

weeks or so, then they raise, a little at a time. Some folks can go

up fairly quickly, but others have to be more careful in case there

is an adrenal problem....or low Ferritin....or other.

As a general rule, once you get up to 2-3 grains, it may be wise to

hold for at least 5 weeks to allow the T4 to show it's effect, and

rise on small amounts. The T3 is more immediate and potent. If you

have any heart issues, the T3 can initially aggravate palps. A few

folks also need to be on good adrenal support for a few weeks before

they can even tolerate T3, but you usually know that a lot earlier.

Others may need to optimize their Ferritin levels. Again, the bottom

line is wisdom, being prudent, and patience.

Hang in there!! Natural Thyroid works!! )

Janie

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormones/