Problems with Armour Thyroid - Thyroid Disorders Message Board

livi16 · 05-29-2003, 10:06 AM

Hello all!

After 10+ years on Synthroid for treatment of hypothyroidism, the last 5 while still experiencing numerous hypo symptoms, I finally convinced my GP to start me on Armour Thyroid. At the time, I was on 25 mcg Levoxyl (labs were - .81 Free T4 and .643 TSH,) and I was experiencing some hyper symptoms which included angina like chest pain. After switching to Armour (30 mg) I felt a change for the better in the first week, and for the next 6 weeks I felt absolutely great (labs - 1.19 Free T4 and .457 TSH.) Shortly after the first six weeks, I started experiencing the chest pain again and sleep disturbance, swelling hands and weight gain. My GP prescribed a calcium channel blocker for my heart (I have mitral valve prolapse). I also began cutting my pills in half and taking them several hours apart. I've been doing this for 5 - 6 weeks and I still have angina pain nearly every day. My questions are this: Is my dosage too high? and could the calcium channel blocker be interfering with my thyroid meds? I do not smoke, drink no caffeine and attend water aerobics once or twice a week, I'll be going in for more blood work in a couple of weeks, and I'm curious to see what my levels are. Any suggestions as to what to try next? I am really wanting to make the Armour work, it's the only thing that has even come close to making me feel like my old self.

dea4 · 05-29-2003, 02:37 PM

Calcium can affect thyroid meds if taken too close, you need to space the two at least 4 hours apart, also if you have mitral valve prolapse, are you taking magnesium? Magnesium Citrate is suppose to be really good for heart palpitations and is usually recommended for people with Mitral valve prolapse, its also good to take when you have thyroid problems. You should be consuming at least as much magnesium as calcium, magnesium is very important.
Hope this helps you, good luck

livi16 · 05-30-2003, 06:40 AM

Thanks Dea for your input. Yes, I am taking a calcium magnesium zinc supplement 4 hours apart from taking the thyroid. Anybody else have any thoughts?

stanno · 06-28-2003, 09:46 PM

I know it's hard to believe, as many symptoms as we
all have with our thyroid, but it is possible your
angina is unrelated and a different problem altogether.
If this is so, the Armour may STILL be the best thing for you, and approach the angina from a separate angle.
I hope you find the right combination!!

------------------
Clowns to the left of us,
Jokers to the right.....

daldre1269 · 06-29-2003, 07:19 AM

Hi... 30mg of armour is an extremely small dose.. pretty much placebo effect! Problem with this small dose is exactly what you explaine... Yes.. you feel great for the first few weeks and then the symptoms return... this is because the dose is so SMALL that it is actually suppressing the function of your thyroid... yet it is not providing enough for you to function normally. It sounds like you need an increase. This happend to me also and I improved when my dose was increased to an appropriate level. It sounds like you may have heart issues.. but under normal circumstances it is not recommended to start a patient on less than 90 mg armour because of this suppression at the low dose. It sounds like this is what has happend to you... don't give up on the armour so fast!!