This will probably result in an INCREASED demand for thyroid hormone in your body. If you transitioned from Levothyroxine (T4 only medication) then you should know how to properly convert your medication. Here’s how your baby’s growing in your body each week. The charts will vary in how conservative or aggressive they are and I will link to studies which support their use when appropriate. I am actually switching to Thyroid which is the Canadian version of Armour. I buy my meds cash-price, no insurance, for brand-name Synthroid. In my experience 1 grain of Armour Thyroid is closer to 50mcg of T4. People around you may mistake you for a meth addict! According to the package insert for Armour Thyroid, the typical starting dose is 30 mg. One of the downsides to the original chart that I showed is that it is purely theoretical and based on what we believe is happening. So, this pushes their chart away from the T4 bias that exists in the original chart that I showed. I do still have hypo symptoms though so far. It still isn't perfect from the perspective of NDT to T4 conversion but it's a good starting point. Sit down and dig into these posts. It would be impossible for me to create conversion tables based on each factor below but you should be aware that these things DO impact your thyroid function and therefore your conversion. Have you tried to convert between thyroid medications? This changes what type of thyroid medications you may do best on and your conversion table! I go through great lengths to help my users better understand their health; however, the content you see here is not a substitute for medical advice. If 1 grain of NDT contains 38 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3 and if T3 is 3x more potent than T4 then 1 grain equals 65 mcg T4 equivalents (38 + (9x3)). It doesn't matter if you are switching from T4 to NDT or NDT to T4 or any combination. Based on the numbers here the chart suggests that T3 is about 4x more potent than t4 as a thyroid medication. Can do online with prescription. You should be aware that there are several different charts that I'm going to show you. Are you taking one type of thyroid medication but considering switching to another? You can read more about his own personal journey here. Switching from desiccated thyroid to levothyroxine. Download Our Catalog. Seemed like a lot but I have not had any hyper symptoms at all. Cautions and Side Effects. #1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24673558, #2. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/98/5/1982/2536971, #3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/402379, #4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3821486/, #5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3978663/. This has to do with a number of issues including your own personal genetics, factors which influence thyroid conversion, and cellular receptor sensitivity of thyroid hormones. It is unique among thyroid medications for two very distinct reasons: #1. This chart is better, in my opinion, because it is founded on REAL results and REAL patients. I was taking 112mg of Synthroid and doc prescribed 120mg of Armour once a day. Some factors, such as genetics, are out of your control but there are others which you should be aware of. Its tough, but you need to stick it out longer than a week and a half. Even though this chart is still better than the original, and based off of newer studies, I find that it's may still leave a large number of patients underdosed. : Probably not. From my own experience in treating hundreds of thyroid patients, I find that most patients do the best on a combination of both T4 and T3 medications. I find the best results with my own personal chart but feel free to use the one that suits your philosophy and personal preferences. Read more here. hifsosjf Ok dokey - Boy, I am sure learning a lot about thyroids and medications from this forum and stopthemadness.com Went to regular dr today and he gave me prescription for Synthroid Currently I take Armour 3/4 grain/1 grain every other day. Synthroid is a T4 med so, if increasing doses don't seem to help, there's a good chance you need T3 also. That is just one of the issues with the standard conversion chart but there are plenty of others as well. What you are probably already accustomed to is what I will refer to here as the conventional or ultra-conservative thyroid conversion chart. Page 2 of 2 - Synthroid to Armour - posted in Thyroid Disease General Discussion Forum: For me, it lasted the first 2-3 months, but I was on way too low of a dose and wasnt going up as quickly as you are (every 6-8 weeks). Any input? I do not smoke or use alcohol at all and never have. Recent weight loss - Recent HEALTHY weight loss will mean you need less thyroid hormone but recent UNHEALTHY weight loss may require more. The other way round seems to make it far more complicated. I have to see the doctor in August 17th and have blood tests in 4 weeks to see levels, he didn't say to increase the NT and I'm thinking to increase either next week (a week from starting nt) by 1/4 or wait one more week and increase 1/2 gr. Switching from Armour to Synthroid - I need some encouragement :( Any advice? Adjustments can be made as needed 15 mg at a time, depending on lab values. What do you all think? Then my dosage was dropped to 59 Thyroxin and 40 Armour for a while I ended up in hospital now suddenly with a liver reading with raised Directi Biliruben levels and a high Gamma GT levels - this seems to be lower and yet now have raised Alkaline Phospate levels. By using this Site you agree to the following, By using this Site you agree to the following. In the meantime every day taking 1gr of Nt. It is the only thyroid med I have tried. That's right! I went on Synthroid and my hair fell out in chunks. From now on, whenever you read “T4” you can think of that as the same exact hormone that is secreted from your thyroid gland. I’m Dr. Westin Childs. Of course this will happen if you are switching to a lower effective dose of thyroid medication! The dose of either the levothyroxine or the Armour Thyroid was adjusted after six weeks so that the TSH was between 0.5 and 3.0. Changing from Armour to Synthroid - posted in Thyroid Disease General Discussion Forum: I am at that point where I want my life back so I made a drastic decision to get off the new formulation of Armour. Because of that, I've created my own conversion chart which is less conservative and based on my own experience. I understand why you may want to look at something like this and even though I am going to provide the information I would encourage you to not go by the charts listed below. Didn't find the answer you were looking for? They are only rough estimates to help you figure out what your body needs. We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure, Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them. This is unfamiliar territory for me and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their experiences or advice when taking this medication. I had all of the bad side effects while being on synthroid that I got my doctor to switch me. Unfortunately, most patients (including you reading this) are probably taking a T4 only medication such as levothyroxine. They continued on that dose for an additional 10 weeks. You can find more information about our return and refund policies here. Levothyroxine is the most common form of thyroid hormone replacement therapy. According to a study published in 2009, Armour Thyroid holds only 0.008%. For this reason, many hypothyroid patients undergo extensive dieting programs which can negatively influence thyroid metabolism. Then if we add the 38 mcg of T4 found directly in the NDT in addition to the 36 mcg of T4 equivalents from the T3 component we get a total dose of 74 mcg of T4 equivalents in 1 grain of NDT. focusing on personalized and Functional Medicine and my passion is in balancing hormones for long last weight loss, more specifically I focus on Hypothyroidism, Insulin resistance, and Leptin resistance. For most patients, the brief peak T3 level from T4/T3 or T3 products is entirely inconsequential. I'm going to include 3 basic charts for you to take a look at. Armour Thyroid and Synthroidare the two main medications used to treat hypothyroidism. I recently made the switch from synthroid to Armour all at one time.I also found it to be too much of an overnight change. It isn't necessarily the best and using this chart does result in underdosing in many patients. I am a Doctor (D.O.) They also created this information based off of studying patients taking both T4 and NDT and looking directly at their lab tests. What's interesting is that newer studies have suggested that the conventional chart (the one I listed above) is probably not as effective as we once thought. I am on .5GR of Armour and have been since I started meds in June of 2017. Although the FDA has approved many generic levothyroxine products as bioidentical to Synthroid or Levothroid , physicians and patients report that not all generic products seem to be identical to each other. That makes T3 about 3x more potent because 3 times 25 is equal to 75. Why Did Doctors Switch from Armour Thyroid to Synthroid? The more aggressive the conversion you use, the more likely you are to experience symptoms, even if this rate is probably only around a few percent (2-3%). It doesn't make any sense and this is part of the reason that I really don't suggest using this standard conversion chart. My pharmacy aslo had to order but had it the next morning. Doing the opposite, I have read, is easier. I myself do not even know what all of this means. Bouncing back and forth between medications is going to make it worse. I was having my hair cut and when she went to wash my hair, it literally washed off my head and filled the sink. Switching from armour thyroid to synthroid for adavert vs propecia What is the youngster's response to one, combine two agents, then try to become healthy, each synthroid to armour from switching thyroid member must achieve individual developmental tasks for children with cah are diagnosed in a manageable perspective. Of course, but I find it's best used as only a very rough estimate to help you get on track. I know you probably want to lose weight but you MUST do it the healthy way or you risk damaging your metabolism and thyroid. Now let's look at the NDT to T4 conversion. Again, my thanks to all of you...this forum has been so helpful to me and I'm just glad to know that I'm not alone and that my symptoms aren't "in my head". Here are the most common things that do this: 3 thyroid conversion charts which range from conventional and conservative to more modern and aggressive. The way around these potential problems, says the specialty, is to use T4 alone, as in Synthroid. I have been on the new formulation since the beginning of Sept. and now I am to the point where I want to sleep all day and my hair is coming out so bad. You'll notice here that I am suggesting that 25 mcg of T3 is roughly equal to about 75 mcg of T4. I then went to Erfa and started all over at 1 grain, then 1.25, and up 1/4 until I’m now at 3.75 grains. 25 times 4 would be 100mcg so if you are taking 25mcg of T3 you can consider that to be 100mcg of T4 equivalents. My  new Dr now removed the Armour and have me on Thyroxin as a T4 and Cytomel as a T3. We aren't going to go into detail on these specific topics but you should be aware that they exist and they can all influence how well you transition or convert between thyroid medications. Dr. Westin Childs is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. There are a number of factors which should always be considered when you are transitioning between thyroid medications and each of these factors may influence how that transition goes. I would suggest starting at a low dosage and working your way up. Combining Armour with Synthroid Question about symptoms, Will refractive surgery such as LASIK keep me out of glasses all my life, 2018 General Information on Dry Eyes-Now known as Ocular Surface Disorder, Helping People With OCD During The COVID-19 Pandemic, A Peek Inside: 5 Amazing Fetal Development Photos. We are going to talk about switching from T4 only medications (levothyroxine & Synthroid) to NDT medications (Armour thyroid, NP thyroid, etc. I developed severe headaches, sweating, tremors hands, and neck. I've had hypo. This 65mcg of T4 equivalents is slightly lower than the 75mcg of T4 that you may be converting from. More recently, however, there have been newer studies which suggest a newer conversion schedule based on the results of these studies. Could I have Hoshimoto's with normal antibodies? You can find more information about me here. I find this chart to be more useful for most people as it makes the claim that T3 is around 3x more potent than T4 and this idea is supported by studies. Most physicians who use it are aware of this but there aren't really many other options to go by so they use it anyway. And, if they are optimally medicated on Armour, their TSH is below-range. Recent weight gain - A recent change in your weight is going to impact how your body utilizes thyroid hormone. Let's break this down by looking at a couple of these individually. Levothyroxine is the preferred treatment of hypothyroidism, but some individuals, such as those who cannot convert from T 4 to T 3 efficiently, may benefit from desiccated products. Hey There! Thyroid hormone levels were compared in 40 patients who had their therapy switched from desiccated thyroid to levothyroxine and clinical benefits were assessed. Also Synthroid only replaces Thyroxine also called T4, while Armour Thyroid replaces everything a human thyroid has, namely T1, T2, T3 (triiodothyronine), T4 and calcitonin. Lost a lot of weight and experience high level of muscle loss as well. I'm taking half dose in the am and half pm, thinking the increase will be another dose at night. Have questions for us? Restartmed.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I did well on Armour Thyroid years ago when I was first diagnosed, but my current doctor doesn’t like it. So far I'm doing fine, no funny side effects, palpitations, headaches. However, it is still prudent to know about the unintended consequences of using Synthroid. ), and also how to convert between T4 only to T3 only and vice versa. If I had to do it again, I would request that the change be made by gradually phasing out the synthroid, while gradually replacing it with Armour. After 16 weeks, patients were switched over to the other compound with the same adjustment at 6 There is also a third type of medication made of synthetic T3. Are you thinking about converting between thyroid medications? Well, because most doctors would rather underdose you than overdose you. They concluded, based on the results of their study, that there is a better way to convert between NDT and T4. I think taking the higher amount in the AM is better. For 20 years I took Armour and it worked great. If you have questions regarding your health you should seek qualified information from a medical professional or your doctor. When the dose is a teensy bit too high, we may have symptoms of hyperthyroidism, and when the dose is a teensy bit too low, we have symptoms of hypothyroidism! Used for over a century, this type of thyroid medication can cause some serious side effects, such as … My doctor is switching me off of my 125mcg of Levothyroxine (1Xday) and putting me on Armour Thyroid (45mg 2X daily). Answered by Dr. Tsu-Yi Chuang: Don't know. This is the chart that you will see in major pharmaceutical textbooks and the chart that most doctors are probably using. Download more free resources on this page. I'm takine the same amount am and pm, 1/2 grain each time, my plan is when I stop the Levoxyl for good I will increase the NT and then take more in the am and less in the pm. Are there other more effective charts to look at? You can get away with using any of these charts, but you should always be prepared to make adjustments to your thyroid medication based on your lab tests. If you have questions about our policies or supplements please reach out to us via email at [email protected] or call us: (480) 331-9431. I am not an Armour fan at all as it really did not do much for me at all. His focus is on managing thyroid disorders, weight loss resistance, and other sex hormone imbalances. Some folks get good results with Armour Thyroid or switching up their regimen with levothyroxine + Cytomel. You can click to enlarge the image here to look at the details. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Navigation Menu Desiccated thyroid extract was the original medication used to treat hypothyroidism. This is why switching back and forth between different brands of thyroid medications is not recommended. They found that T3 was slightly more than 3x more potent than T4 (3) (which is similar to the calculations below). Synthroid is a pure T4 drug and Armour Thyroid is an NDT drug (Natural Desiccated Thyroid) drug. The chart suggests that 1 grain of NDT (which is equal to 38mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3) is equal to 100mcg of T4. I have not noticed too much of a change but I have only been taking it three or four weeks. Synthroid is a synthetic compound identical to T4 (levothyroxine) produced by the human thyroid gland and Armour Thyroid is a natural product made from animal thyroid glands. This list includes optimal ranges, normal ranges, and the complete list of tests you need to diagnose thyroid hypothyroidism correctly! The difference isn't big but it's still there. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. I've been suffering from Hahsimoto's for 10 years. But don't be surprised if you use this chart and find that your hypothyroid symptoms return as you transition. These common ADD/ADHD myths could already be hurting your child, The Content on this Site is presented in a summary fashion, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. If that is true, then 88 mcg (the new 100mcg equivalent in this table) is also equal to 25mcg of T3. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy. Your FreeT4 and FreeT3 levels will let you know if this is the case. In contrast to levothyroxine, Armour provides both T3 and T4 hormones. Just so everyone is aware.. on the side effects of headaches. I had tried every medication for thyroid replacement and Armour had been the only thing that worked until they reformulated it and I had an allergic reaction. I mentioned before that it wouldn't be as easy as just plugging in your current dose and then transitioning to a new dose. And we are going to dive into those next. Someone suggested I should switch to levothyroxine and see if that resolves my issues. Using this chart will result in underdosing by about 25% if you use it to transition from T4 to NDT! Is that it contains both the active thyroid hormone T3 and the inactive thyroid hormone T4. Instead of suggesting that 1 grain of NDT is equal to 100 mcg of T4, they found that 1 grain of NDT is more equal to 88 mcg of T4. I have observed— scrutinized is more accurate—many hundreds of patients who were using Armour or plain T3. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. My doctor wanted to do it cold turkey, stop the levo and start on nt but I told him I rather do it slowly so, I'm taking 100mcg levoxyl every other day and introduced the 1gr of Nt, by the 22nd I have to space the levo through the 28th and then through the 31st, that's the last day on levo. This tracks somewhat closely with my own real-world experience but is still slightly more conservative than what I see in real life. Lois, 43, lost 15 lbs within 2 months of switching from levothyroxine to Nature-Throid, without changing her diet. Subscribe to MedHelp's free newsletter for Community Support, Experience, and Guidance. You can find a more complete version of the chart that I created below for you (based on their results): The study did not include conversions for T3 but I extrapolated from the original table which said that 100mcg of T4 was equal to 25 mcg of T3. "can switching thyroid brands levoxyl, (thyroxine) synthroid armour and to synthroid cause hair loss?" Prior to the availability of the pure levothyroxine, desiccated animal thyroid extract was the only treatment for hypothyroidism and some individuals still prefer dessicated thyroid extract as a more “natural” thyroid hormone. Please contact us here. MedHelp is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. The very names of these medications cause confusion. Also split the Armour through out the first 8 hours of your day, doc may say take it all in the morning = 3PM crash! Good luck. She began to have little “spikes” of new hair growth within the second month and is now proud of her lustrous, shiny hair. A. Latham, NY 12110. I was on low doses of the old Armour, 2 grains before switching to Synthroid and Cytomel for one month, then back to Armour 2 grains. How can 38 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3 be equal to 50 mcg of T4 and 12.5mcg of T3? This resource is dedicated to helping people with thyroid problems (and other hormone imbalances) find the help that they need. Tirosint literally saved my life. A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services. Armour Thyroid is a natural desiccated thyroid extract for treating hypothyroidism. They are suggesting that 25mcg of T3 is equal to 100mcg of T4. This is unfamiliar territory for me and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their experiences or advice when taking this medication. Learn which foods you should absolutely be avoiding if you have thyroid disease of any type. Inflammation - Inflammation, commonly found in thyroid patients with Hashimoto's, can. Brand names for levothyroxine, the main drug used to treat hypothyroidism, include Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, and Levothroid. The first thing you will notice from this chart is that it includes information which allows you to convert from T4 only medication to NDT medication to T3 only medication to synthetic T4 + T3 combinations. They have plenty. When I moved from Michigan to Wisconsin, the first thing the Dr. wanted to do was get me off Armour thyroid. Armour Thyroid is a desiccated thyroid extract made from pig thyroid and is all natural, while Synthroid is made completely synthetically. Welcome to my website! He provides well-researched actionable information about hormone-related disorders and formulates supplements to treat these disorders. If we multiply T3 by 4 (remember we already found that T3 is about 4x more potent than T3) in NDT then we get that the 9mcg of T3 found in 1 grain of NDT is equal to 36 mcg of T4 equivalents. For these reasons, don't use these charts as ABSOLUTE guides! These studies tested the relative effectiveness of T3 and T4 at suppressing TSH from the pituitary. I will talk to my doctor about making the change a gradual process. I did have a headache for about the first three days but after that I felt ok. A. Levothyroxine (Levoxyl, Synthroid, Tirosint, Unithroid) is a synthetic T4 thyroid hormone. Synthroid is just a T4 hormone that is a medication. Transitioning from T4 only Medication to Armour Thyroid. I am plagued by extreme fatigue, waking up in middle of the night with heart pounding and chronic constipation. Yes armour thyroid is a prescribed med - I didn't have any trouble with my doctor switching me, he just wanted to know why. 2. I switched from Armour to Erfa. As with Armour Thyroid and other prescription drugs, your doctor believes that the effects of this drug will help you and outweigh any potential side effects. Analisse, 33, saw a reduction of hair shedding within 1 month of switching to Armour Thyroid*. My doctor is switching me off of my 125mcg of Levothyroxine (1Xday) and putting me on Armour Thyroid (45mg 2X daily). If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product. Armour Thyroid is a thyroid medication used to treat hypothyroidism. The next most obvious problem is that the chart suggests that 1 grain of NDT (which, again, contains 38mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3) is equal to 1 grain of synthetic NDT which contains 50mcg of T4 and 12.5mcg of T3. The chart is suggesting that 1 grain of NDT is equal to 100 mcg of T4 but we just found that NDT only contains about 74 mcg of T4 equivalents! After 3 months of Synthroid, I became severely depressed, severely fatigued, sleeping my life away and became nervous and anxious. ), and also how to convert between T4 only to T3 only and vice versa. You can see that the numbers are shifting away from being T4 centric and giving T3 more value. Yes! Read more about our affiliate disclosure here. Armour Thyroid is made from dried pig thyroid glands. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. The last tests done now also indicate Myxoedema. I have been on Armour Thyroid since 1996 following a hysterectomy. If you run the numbers on NDT you will find that this chart still underdoses you slightly when you transition from T4 to NDT. I can say armour is hard to get; either back ordered or not carried at a lot of pharmacies - and I went from a dosage of 150 on synthroid to 90 of armour and I could only get the prescription filled with 60 mg so I have to cut them in half and they are a challenge … is it pig thyroid? I switched from Armour to Tirosint, due to being unable to take Synthroid and Levo. It will be possible, but very unlikely, for you to be able to look at the chart to help pinpoint your dose. But the doctor actually told me to take 1gr and 1/2 but reading at the convertion charts and the book Stop the Thyroid Madness I find it more smart to start on 1gr.