I have been taking two grains of Armour for about two months now and think I am overmedicating. My test results came back and my TSH was 0.017! The free T3 and Free T4 were normal she said. I feel okay. My body temp never goes over 98 usually. A lot of times in the morning it is below 97! I guess I will have to tell my doctor that I have self-medicating! I'm going to start taking only one grain. My pulse is fine. Have you ever heard of someone having that low of a TSH and not being hyper?? Please advise. Thanks! Hope ya'll had a great Turkey day!
It think it depends on how you feel.When you get up in the morning and your temp. is over 98.2, then you are getting too much.
I have heard here on the board from others that when you are on your medicine, the tsh doesn't matter. The ft3 and ft4 is what you look at.
I am on one grain of Armour. Started off with 1/2 and upped it to 1 grain.
My tsh was suppressed but my ft4 was low(with hypo symptoms). My doc only looked at the TSH(very common for some doctors).
Did you know that the TSH can be suppressed from having depression. I am not saying you are depressed. Just wanted to throw that in. I read it on a very well known thyroid site. Don't know if I can say which one.
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** RAI ablation for Graves disease 2004**
I've just had the same experience as you and I got myself in right old mess from upping my meds too fast.
How do you feel? If you feel hyper, call your doctor and ask him/her what to do. Just say you got your dosage in a mess and you feel hyper. Do not cut it down too fast as you will end up hypo again, like I did. And boy, did I regret it! I'm now having to work out just what dose I need to be on.
If you don't feel hyper, don't cut your dose. My TSH was 0.001 when I was no way hyper.
Oh, gosh thanks a lot for the input! I don't really feel hyper, I'm not losing weight at a rapid pace (actually, I've only lost a couple of pounds) and my body temp is usually around 98 in the morning and moves up to 98.1 thru 98.6 later in the day, which I think is good.
I do suffer from depression and at one time I was on antidepressants, but I quit taking them because of weight gain and numbness feelings (especially sexually). However, Armour has greatly helped my depression and I finally have more energy and bounce in my step that I never had before.
I'm going to cut backto one grain for now, but Idon't know what to tell my doctor. Do you think I should tell him the truth, or what? I'm really scared!
The nurse said my Free T3 and Free T4 were normal, so maybe that is what I should look at!
You should only pay attention to how you feel and your free ts and - even then - you should really pay attention to how you feel I think...If your free ts are normal - I should think that you should NOT change your dosage! It sounds like you are on the right track...TSH is not a viable method to determine your optimum thyroid levels - even if it is suppressed!!!!!!!!!
I agree as well....monitor it closely however and be aware of signs of hyper in case you visit hyperland in the near future. If your Frees are ok, I would not cut the dose in half. If I were you, I would fess up with the doctor and let him know what you are actually taking. Perhaps 1.5 of 1.75 grains is more appropriate for you but listen to the signs...if you feel good, then stick with it. If you cut to that low of a dose, you might toggle back to Hypo land.
The doctor's nurse called and said he wanted me to come in because my tsh was 0.017 and he needed "to discuss my options". Remember, I have not been prescribed Armour. I started taking it on my own. They are sending me my complete results in the mail. When I get those, I will post them. Do I have to go back to the doctor if I don't want to? I mean just because he said he thinks I should? Thanks.
Silly sunday, How did you get the armour yourself? are you in the states? I have looked on the internet but they either want a script or sau "out of stock". If you have a good suggestion please e mail me.
Yes, I think I will wait and see what my free t's are and cancel my appointment if they look okay. What is an osteopath? Oh, for the one that was looking for Armour, I originally got it from www.myrxforless.com, a Mexican pharmacy. But, I guess they got in trouble and are no more! But, I found a website called anti-agingsystems.com and they have "naturethroid" which is the same thing as Armour, but without fillers. You can get it there.
I got mine at the same place. Don't know about you, but I am getting a little worried that someone is trying to stop some of these pharmacies. I could be wrong. Worry wart is what I am.
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** RAI ablation for Graves disease 2004**
Hey, Lady, you aren't being paranoid....myrxforless and others were closed because of pfizer - it is based on the allegation that these pharmacies were selling fake viagra. Had nothing to do with the thyroid meds. There are still several on the net and are probably safe because pfizer isn't after them....and folks there you go..the 'hard' new. Oh, my that was a bad, bad, joke!
As far as the TSH, I wish docs would get over it! If you frees are in a good range, I wouldn't worry.
Oh Lilly you made me feel so much better. I also heard about pfizer and the viagra thing. Surely they wouldn't shut them all down right after I got mine.LOL
Yeah I wish the docs would come to their darn senses about just going by the TSH. Somebody needs to teach them a thing or two.LOL
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** RAI ablation for Graves disease 2004**
Hey Sillysundy43, I forgot to tell you that my TSH was 0.04 but my t4 was low. I had hypo symptoms.
Mine may be a different story though. I had graves and took antithyroid drugs and had RAI. That could be why mine is suppressed. I don't know. My doctors only looked at the TSH.
I think it just all depends on how you feel. When you are on t4 meds, you definitely don't go by the TSH.
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** RAI ablation for Graves disease 2004**
I go to the Drs on Wednesday, I feel the best I have in years, my freeT4's are still only in upper normal range but that pesky TSH is .03 (I had a test done recently for something else!) I just know she will say I'm under medicated!!!!!
I really think that TSH levels are different for everyone and that doctors should look at FT4 and FT3 for a more accurate diagnosis. I am cutting back to one grain for now because I don't want to go hyper.
Have you ever wondered why America has this huge obesity problem; why people are starving on less than 500 cals a day and still can't lose weight??
Ok I am going to quite being whiny and depressed. I am not going to get my meds off the internet and I am taking control of this issue. HA. I got on the phone and found a doctor that will perscribe Armour. I am going in tommorow at 11:30 and I am taking the sheet from that armour web page reguarding the dose modification from levoxy. So I want to thank you all for letting me have my fit last week. Yes I did go sit in the stairwell and cry and I think it made me feel better since I don't show the people in my life how I am feeling about the thyroid thing. But I have wiped away the tears and am moving forward. Again, THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Hi Sheritap, I know I did a lot of crying when my thyroid was all messed up.
I'm hoping the doctor will prescribe you Armour. The only reason I had to get mine from the internet is because my doctors would not give me ANY KIND OF T4 meds. They just looked at the good ole TSH.
I even cried because the doctor wouldn't give me any. My family probably would have had to put me in a mental institution if I hadn't got on medicine.
I wish you luck on getting what you want.Hope you feel better soon.
__________________
** RAI ablation for Graves disease 2004**
I have been taking two grains of Armour for about two months now and think I am overmedicating. My test results came back and my TSH was 0.017! The free T3 and Free T4 were normal she said. I feel okay. My body temp never goes over 98 usually. A lot of times in the morning it is below 97! I guess I will have to tell my doctor that I have self-medicating! I'm going to start taking only one grain. My pulse is fine. Have you ever heard of someone having that low of a TSH and not being hyper?? Please advise. Thanks! Hope ya'll had a great Turkey day!
Re: Uh Oh! Overmedicating myself??? 
