Posted by tealady on March 5, 2005, at 2:33:16
In reply to Yuck, it's too much already, posted by gardenergirl on March 4, 2005, at 23:47:07
> Okay, two doses of 90mg of Armour, and I'm already feeling ramped up, and I've already got that frontal headache.
>
> I checked with the pharmacy, and they don't recommend cutting it. Also, 90mg of Armour may be equivalent to more than 150mg of Synthroid. I was only on 50mg when I had the last labs drawn. No wonder!
>
sorry. I should have said something...I knew that was the supposed equivalent..but the I thought you'd recognise the headache anyway if it was too high a level of T3 for you...:-))
90mg is a pretty standard dose though, so I wasn't too concerned about danger
and yes the supposed equivalent is 150mg..but it doesn't really hold exactly in individuals and I hate to interfere with docs prescriptions..unless I think they are dangerous, when I can't help commenting at least..like I've done b4 , sigh.
besides I'm training myself to stop panicing about posts :-))BTW 90mg would give me a T3 headache too.
If I was you..I'd give 75mcg T4 and 7.5Mcg a go for starters(with the thought of maybe going up to 100mcgT4 and 7.5mcg T3 once your body is used to it and you've retested in 6 weeks with TSH, FT3, FT4..all of those are needed for a good decision on where to go, not total T4 or TotalT3)OR if you really want to try Armour..start with 30mg or 45mg Armour(whatever is easier to cut your tablet into) and 50mcgT4(if that's the amount of t4 you were on in the last blood tests, then retest in 6 weeks and go from there.
Thousands of people seem to successfully cut their Armour tablets up BTW.(chemist is wrong there).
> I think I'm going back to Synthroid, and maybe going to 75mg on my own until I can see my doc. I'm going out of town today, though so I don't want to be messed up and in another city.well 75mcg will be an improvement on 50mcgT4. Your doc seems to make the mistake that many docs do thinking T4 and T3 are the same strength wise..when really T3 is 4 times the T4 strength equivalent.(theoretically) At least its a reasonable starting guide.
>
> Darn it! This is the second time he's messed up my thyroid dose by going too high.
>yeah, I suspected as much..with Armour though you may eventually reach that dose ..as somehow a lot of people's bodies eventual get used to it. Mine didn't though.
I need about 125-135mcgT4 equivalence..but really about 45mg armour and more T4..not sure how much as yet..and I've been adjusting for 3.5years now...
at present I'm on about 45mgArmour and 75mcg T4.(I think)..I have a strange combo of capsule mixtures at home at present..you wouldn't want to know..
I do know 65mgArmour(1 grain) with 60mcgT4 is to high for me though..but we are all differentI think I'm best around 3/4grain Armour (approx 45mg Armour) ..so for me anyway I would end up on 1/2 of one of those tablets of armour I suspect as well as 50 to 75mcg of T4 on top of that! But most people have to work up to their final dose...unless their bodies used to thyroid hormones, or ..well too many exceptions.
Hope this helps as some guide,
Jan
PS. can look up a link if you want a calculator for this.
I started with excel spreadsheets but another wonderful girl put up calculators on the thyroid forum for everyone to use based on the excel spreadsheets (a great idea for adjusting guides for starters, then let your body and tests guide you)..you wouldn't believe the no of docs who appear to be not aware of strength equivalences, or many the don't think the impact is so great..
anyway..remember to take some magnesium to help in the short term
poster:tealady
thread:462910
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050225/msgs/466812.html