Re: NATURAL THYROID 101 new to list

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this post. It is very helpful in understanding all

this. Although I am aware of the wonders of Armour thyroid I have

been unable to find a doctor in my area to RX it for myself.

Actually two pharmacies looked at me like I suddenly grew two heads

when my teen was rx'd it. I have found a pharmacy to fill her out of

town pediatrican's RX and she has done well on it. So now it's off

to find some for mom!

Thanks for the helpful explainations.

MC

>

> 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 or orally. i.e. you place the tablet

between

> your gums and inner check, or under your tongue, 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.

>

> Another excellent way to know if you are taking enough is by taking

> your temp--preferably with a mercury thermometer which is more

> accurate. Generally, you want your morning temp (before rising) to

> be 97.8 to 98.2, and your afternoon temp to be around 98.6.

>

> 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!! )