Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

[BackToAtkins]

I know that my border holistic doctor in the past was against Synthoid and very much for Amour Thyroid. My new (not holistic) Doctor is much more sure of the Synthroid. She just said that it was more consistant and that the Amour is not. How it is explained it actually makes more sense as to why. But, did you know that Doctor Atkins in his interview with Larry King said to a caller on Synthroid, That Synthroid only addresses T3 and not T4 and that he felt more natural supliments were a better choice. It is all very confusing.....
Any imput?
Is there a compo drug not mentioned above?
Thanks!

[2big4mysize]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

actually Dr Atkins had it backwards the synthetic thyroid meds levoxyl and synthroid where were all required by FDA law to be standardized with a certain dose being administered in a certain amount of time which Armour isn't cause it was grandfathered contain syntheitc T4, Some folk have a type of hypothyroid that is caused by the inability to convert T4 to T3 (the active form of the hormone) and swallowing all the T4 in the world will not adress those folks issues. that was what he was refeering to.

[BackToAtkins]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

Thanks Again! I guess I should stick with the Synthroid. But, I am going to try to get my actual numbers from my recent test. They only sent me a notice that it is in normal range. I don't know why they don't just give you the numbers?

[goin2Bgood]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

You can have them send you the actual numbers just ask for them. I've been put back on Armour after being on Synthroid for a number of months now. My Dr. (an internal medicine guy) wanted me on T3, not just the synthroid so he prescribed a compound cytomel (synthetic T3) and synthroid dose these past 6 weeks. I just retested and my TSH shot up to 95, so it appears my body is not breaking down whatever they use for compounding. I'm beyond frustrated. I'm never goin to lose weight again. At least I'm not gaining either

[BackToAtkins]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

Hi. So are you taking Armour and Synthroid? I guess I am a little cofused by that. I really need to find out what normal ranges are? Did you have a problem with regulating your thyroid on Synthroid? Thanks.

[vamps-n-tramps]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!! READ THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEB SITE! A WISE member of this board passed it on to me when i was first diagnosed with hashi's and if i could remember his SN i would send him 1000 kudos!! i was on synthroid for 3 months and was still having symptoms. i went to my endo with the info from this web site. seeing thati was well informed he prescribed armour HOLY HECK what a difference, in just 2 days i felt like a whole new person. even if you don't switch it is worth reading the info on this site just to be well informed!!!!!! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

xxxooo, niko

[dnncbrn]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

I have had trouble with my weight for many years and was diagnosed as hypothyroid about 20 years ago. I've been on synthroid every since and can't convince my dr. to try anything else. Thank you so much for that article, and I'm going to contact an endochronologist because I believe I need more help than a GP can give me.

[Xx Fat Skeleton xX]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

It's funny I ran into this site about Synthroid vs Armour.

I had a near death experience w my thyroid. I became very ill as my body was rejecting my meds. I have several modules on my thyroid as well, which was a scare for a minute as my Dr's actually thought it may be cancerous. I had a really hard year with this disease.

When I was on Armour I felt so much better than I ever did on Synthroid, which is why my appointment at my Dr today was to have my Synthroid stopped. I will never go back to Synthroid.

Keep in mind that typically, conventional DRs are not trained in natural medicines. Thus, it makes sense that they will use their own medical terminology to cover up what they do not know and magnify emphasis on a drug that will not only be financially costly, damaging to other body parts, but that will also get the DR a incentive bonus pay for pushing a name brand drug, or for pushing the latest drug trend for drug sales companies.

* IT's all about the money. It's no secret. I see those guys unloading boxes and boxes of drugs at my DRs office for the same reasons your local grocer has Pepsi and Coke unloading their products. Promotion of sales for their product that comes with a guarantee to satisfy you.

Besides, why take Synthroid ( syn= synthetic= fake= chemically altered to reflect an image of the natural medicine ) when you can just take the natural one, Armour and save everyone a little time off from mass manufacturing a drug we already have?

PS- Hi I am new to this forum. ☺

[jenivieve74]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

Hi, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos 10 years ago. I started on Synthroid and after 1 month lost 14 pounds. My dr. adtmitted she didn't know much about the disease. i went to an endo. I read tons of articles saying that synthroid was bad and each pill could have a diiferent dose. Everything said armour was better. I asked my dr to change me. She di, but I didn't notice much difference. I moved out of state and my new dr would only give me syntroid. he said Armour isn't good when your thyroid problems are autoimmune. Everything is so confusing. I don't know who is right. I think we know our bodies better than the doc do and should use what makes us feel the best!

[lisan61]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

Since beginning Armour and compounded T3 I feel so much better- there are no words!! I completely got off antidepressants (known for weight gain) recently. I'm so glad to have had a doctor open to alternative medications. The same doc also pretty much determined that a lot of my depression and mood swing issues were hormone-related and took me off synthetic estrogen and put me on bioidential hormone replacement therapy- estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. I had a hysterectomy (took my ovaries) and everything has improved impressively. I've been on the bioidentical hormones for 7 years now.

[jenaselene]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

Armour Thyroid (desiccated porcine thyroid gland) and Synthroid (levothyroxine) are used as replacement therapy for thyroid hormone when the thyroid is under-active, nonfunctioning, or has been all or partly surgically removed. The thyroid hormones naturally produced in your body are liothyronine (T3) and levothyroxine (T4). These hormones are necessary for metabolic regulation, normal growth, development, and mental function, among other things. T4 is found in the body at approximately four times the level of T3, but T3 is four times more potent. T3 is the active thyroid hormone used in the tissues, whereas T4 is a storage form that is stored in the liver, converted to T3 as needed. This storage mechanism acts as a buffer to help the thyroid keep up with the body’s demand for thyroid hormones. The controversy over whether to use synthetic versions of thyroid hormone (Synthroid, Levoxyl, et al.) versus natural forms (Armour Thyroid) is better stated: “whether to use T4 alone or a T3 and T4 combination.” Armour Thyroid was the only treatment for hypothyroidism for about 50 years, but it was found that the amounts of T3 and T4 varied greatly from batch to batch. Eventually, synthetic T4 (Synthroid) was being produced and widely used because it did not have similar problems of standardization in common with the naturally derived Armour Thyroid. A disadvantage of Synthroid is that some patients do not feel quite as well on T4 alone as they do on T3/T4 combinations.

http://www.netwellness.uc.edu/question.cfm/24516.htm

[carlybee]

Re: Synthroid VS Armour Thyroid?

I did better on Armour before they changed the formulation. Then I switched to Naturethroid which worked great...unfortunately they both went on national backorder and I couldn't get it. Now the healthcare plan I belong to has no doctors that will prescribe anything but Synthroid. I think they are getting kickbacks or they are just too stubborn to do any research on the effects. It has been a pain in the butt and I am not happy about being back on Synthroid. My doctor even went so far as to lower my dosage and I immediately gained 10 lbs. I lost 10 lbs on the Naturthroid without doing anything differently.