{"id":3326,"date":"2009-12-29T07:54:38","date_gmt":"2009-12-29T13:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/?p=3326"},"modified":"2021-09-16T10:18:09","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T15:18:09","slug":"if-you-take-thyroid-hormones-please-read-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2009\/12\/29\/if-you-take-thyroid-hormones-please-read-this","title":{"rendered":"If You Take Thyroid Hormones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the tens of thousands of patients who use Armour thyroid tablets have discovered, the product has simply vanished from pharmacy shelves across America. Without getting into details of why this occurred, let me say first that the product allegedly will be back sometime in mid-2010. Here\u2019s<\/strong><\/em><\/a> a bit of investigative reporting on the subject. Used to treat underactive thyroid gland, Armour thyroid is often called \u201cnatural thyroid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do some people do better on natural thyroid than synthetic thyroid?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Synthetic thyroid<\/strong> (Synthroid, Levoxyl) is pure T4 (thyroxine), an inactive form of the thyroid hormone. Your body converts T4 to T3 (triiodothyronine), which is the active hormone. However, some people can\u2019t convert T4 to T3 efficiently, so even though they\u2019re taking what they believe is thyroid replacement hormone, it doesn\u2019t work well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Natural thyroid,<\/strong> which is made of dried pork thyroid glands (Armour, the Chicago meat packer, was the first manufacturer), is a mixture of both T4 and T3. Your own thyroid secretes a comparable mixture of T4 and T3. Natural thyroid is simply a closer match to what your own thyroid produces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re currently taking Armour thyroid, you have four options:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1. Your pharmacist may suggest that you switch to Synthroid<\/strong> (Levoxyl) and tell you there\u2019s really no difference. You can try it and hope for the best. Remember, though, that if you\u2019re doing fine on natural thyroid, you may feel sluggish a few weeks after making the switch.
2. You can order all the natural thyroid you want from Canada.<\/strong> You\u2019ll have to pay for it yourself, but it\u2019s quite inexpensive (100 tablets for $18). Go to www.universaldrugstore.com<\/strong><\/em><\/a> and register as a new customer. Then email my assistant Liz (Lizz@wholehealthchicago.com). Include your name, address, thyroid dose, and customer number. She\u2019ll then fax them my prescription for 100 tablets with four refills.
3. You can take two separate prescriptions,<\/strong> Synthroid (T4) and Cytomel (T3). This is close to what your thyroid produces and while both are synthetic, this combination does work. Both are generic and available in any drugstore. I find the combination superior to Synthroid alone.
4. Some people respond really well using Cytomel (T3) in a slow-release form.<\/strong> Your dose becomes one capsule twice daily, with the active form of the hormone released slowly day and night. However, this product needs to be prepared by a compounding pharmacist. I use www.thecompounder.com<\/strong><\/em><\/a> .They probably have more experience making slow-release Cytomel than just about anybody. On the negative side, you pay upfront (about $54), receive an insurance form, and submit it yourself for reimbursement. Here\u2019s an article<\/em><\/a> about using slow release T3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re interested in having your current thyroid dose converted to slow-release T3, send Liz an email and we\u2019ll fax the prescription to The Compounder. Just remember, any time you change your thyroid dose or your medication is changed, you need a follow-up blood test to ensure it\u2019s doing the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be well,
David Edelberg, MD<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the tens of thousands of patients who use Armour thyroid tablets have discovered, the product has simply vanished from pharmacy shelves across America. Without getting into details of why this occurred, let me say first that the product allegedly will be back sometime in mid-2010. Here\u2019s a bit of investigative reporting on the subject. Used to treat underactive thyroid gland, Armour thyroid is often called \u201cnatural thyroid.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2087,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,62,246],"tags":[1108,1109,1110,1111,1112,1113,1114],"class_list":["post-3326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-knowledge-base","category-t","category-thyroid-adrenal-sex-hormone-issues","tag-armour-thyroid","tag-cytomel","tag-natural-thyroid","tag-synthroid","tag-t3","tag-t4","tag-thyroid-hormones"],"yoast_head":"\r\nIf You Take Thyroid Hormones<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As the tens of thousands of patients who use Armour thyroid tablets have discovered, the product has simply vanished from pharmacy shelves across America.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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