Why I am Having Difficulty with HC Replacement?

[rumpled]

Armour is a great drug, but it has a very high ratio of T3 (higher than usual in a human) which is not right for everyone so you may do better with a T3/T4 combo including cytomel so you can control how much T3 you get or add T4 to the armour.

DHEA sulfate, IGF-1, prolactin, renin, aldosterone, I would ask for and mind you - renin is just as fussy as ACTH - chilled lavender topped EDTA tube, spun immediately and frozen promptly or you results will come out lower than they really are as they degrade at room temp in minutes so if the lab tech tosses the room temp tube in the bin - you are sunk. Did lab error skew your last results?

Usually HC only lasts 6-8 hours so weird that you can go the afternoon without. The other meds may be the factor.

[sparkles916]

I dont' know how accurate the ACTH was, but one can only hope....

I did have the DHEA-s done, and it was 40 ug/dL (32-240) 2/8/08
(day 8 cycle; 8:30 AM) - I did some reasearch and saw it is a level typcial of the geriatric population

I am still thinking Armour is too high T3 for me, as you point out. I was thinking of doing the thyroxine/Armour combo.

Incidentally, I tried to go back on thyroxine only back in February and it was still a no go. I was soooo upset.

I do crash in the afternoon, but feel like I have a hangover each morning anyway. There is something out of whack. But, I know the CRAZY train was related to the 3x a day dosing, Can't go back there at the moment.

I did find somethig of interest re my "sensitivity" to 20+ HC. I found that There is an enhanced effect of corticosteroids on patients with hypothyroidism Apparently, this is due in part to a slower metabolic clearance of steroid.

Finally, I wondered if you have encountered any stories related to photosensivity and HC. I seem not to be able to go out in the sun. It seems to have coincided with my HC treatment. Very upsetting.

I really appreciate your replies, Rumpled.

[whitbywife]

Hi there

I am wanting to go on HC replacement in order to get my Armour up, however I wouldn't be able to do it if my ferritin levels were down there. The ideal is between 70-100.
If you are not getting the adequate thyroid hormones you would most likely suffer the associated black moods. Your HC is needed to get the T3 into the cells, but the ferritin is needed for you to tolerate the thyroid hormones. I am sure there is a lot more to it than that too, but I am not an expert just another sufferer.

If I were you I would work on getting the ferritin up. Also have you tried B12 and folate, and B6 all needed to dispell anxiety, you would probably need b12 if it is under 550.

lotsa luv
Whittersx

[sparkles916]

Yep. I know about the moods. The only thing that keeps me going is when I reflect on how wonderful I felt on Armour. Not only did I have energy, and had started to see my eyebrows back, my skin regain its oil, but my mood was so fantastic. It was like I was looking through rose-colored glasses, literally. Things seems to have a hue, like in those homey commercials on tv. I was "present" in the world (= no anxiety) and just so calm and happy.

On my bad days, I remember it and know I can be there again. If it weren;t for this knowlege that there is something better than the state i am in, I would have given up long ago and just slogged on until my body and mind fell to pieces.

I was taking iron on an irregualr basis (44mg elemental), but obviously, not much changed in a year. I am now doing twice daily at the prompting of my dr.

I have tried to read around on the issue, and I have found the same thing you say about the 70 -100. Did you have intolerance and did it resolve with optimizing your ferritin?

I do attend to my b12 which was in the tank and I take the 2000mcg methylcobalamin sublinguals every day. I also take b complex sublingual.

What is your adrenal situation and current Armour dose? I am always glad to compare notes with a fellow sufferer thanks!

[whitbywife]

Hiya hon
I am currently just tolerating 1 3/4 grains of Armour, I am having problems with anxiety too when I raise, takes ages for me to level out and I feel wiped out and breathless, however I am still nowhere near as wiped out and breathless as I was when I was on Levothyroixine.
I had a scary episode on that when I became confused, vomited, dizziness (I had had periods of dizziness for months) and apparently my pupils contracted and then relaxed when the doc shined the light in, I was admitted to hospital and they found nothin on a CT or any other problems. I have high BP and due to the confusion I suppose thats what the CT was for, but they did not put the episode down to anything at all.

So I have the problem of low saliva results for cortisol and no doc who is willing to prescribe me anything for it because my am cortisol was considered within range. My ferritin was 60 when I had it tested not as bad as yours. My B12 was also within range but when I took some my peritonitis stopped (gums had been bleeding for months and was getting infections) and I could breathe better.

Your question about the intolerence, yes I do to a certain extent have that as I explained I feel rotton on a raise, I understand when I raise I should be increasing adrenal support for a while each time, however my adrenal support is insufficient anyway as I cannot get hold of hc. The reason I mention the ferritin is that on the sites I have been on really regularly they always point to that as a major issue if you have problems tolerating armour or t3 and I do believe Janie says why in her book Stop the Thyroid Madness.
I honestly think a lot of this stuff happens because we suffer malabsorbtion due to our slow metabolisms and vital nutrients are missing. I am trying to put all that back with supplements. I use magnesium and calcium and the magnesium helps with muscle spasms. I use B comples sublingual, B12 sublingual, garlic for inflammation, vit c high dose for adrenals, adrenal cortex extracts sublingual, turmeric for inflamation, iron and vit C tabs, multivits, Q10, Vit D3 and unfortunately I am also stuck with old stuff from the seperate diagnoseses of depression and anxiety over the years, diazepam which unfortunately uses the T3 transporters, Seroxat, I am on Bp lowering meds which interfere with my Aldosterone called Olmatec and a water pill.... catches breath lol.
I am STILL looking for a suitable doc. One thing that did happen since I went on Armour which is worth a million, is that I no longer take my asthma meds as much, and the pains come and go whereas on Levo they were always there and I don't have as many black moods. I am still way under dosed so I do still have a lot of problems. That is why your post struck my eye. Adrenal issues are close to my heart, I read loads of forums and take part in quite a few to try and further my knowledge of this darn disease. I also read with interest papers on AI thyroid problems and adrenal issues. I also have a great interest in nutritional disorders and their relationship to anxiety disorders and mental issues.

Sorry to ramble lol.

God bless
Whitters