swhitt21I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism, with a TSH of 8.6. My doctor started me on 30mg of Armour Thyroid, and asked that I come back in 6 weeks for another blood test to determine if I will need a different dose. Today is the 5th day I have taken it (in the am on an empty stomach, 3 hrs before breakfast). So far I don't feel anything. I may even be more tired these last few days, definitely not any better. I am trying to be patient, but I was so hopeful this medication would let me feel like myself again! I would really appreciate if anyone could answer these questions.
1) When did you first start to notice ANY effects after first starting Armour (not switching from another medicine, but starting the first time after diagnosis)?
2) How long until you felt 100%? (or as better as you got if not 100%)
3) Did anyone feel worse before feeling better after starting Armour? (I was thinking maybe if the dose isn't high enough, it could still trigger your natural thyroid stimulation to drop - and since I'm not replacing enough thyroid with Armour, I could initially feel worse until my dosage is upped?)
Thank you for your help! ~Molly
How long to feel the affects after starting Armour?
- Posted:
- 16 Mar 2011 by swhitt21
- Topics:
- armour thyroid, underactive thyroid, thyroid disease, hashimoto's disease, hypothyroidism, blood disorders, doctor
Responses (7)
teknotard16 Mar 2011
1) The full therapeutic effects for armour thyroid isn't seen for 1-2 weeks. It takes time because your body has to balance it self.
2) Once your TSH drops and gets to normal you should feel 100%, but this is always rather subjective.
3) I have not taken the medicine. I see where you are comming from, but I don't think it will drop that soon. You should start feeling better when it kicks in, even if it wasn't enough.
You raise very good questions and I would keep my eye on the way you are feeling and present the info to the doctor when you get your blood work. If things get drastically worse or you start feeling like your body is in overdrive contact that doctor sooner.
Good luck let us know how you are doing!
Brian PharmD Candidate
30 Apr 2011
I understand your impatience, Molly. This is one of the big challenges that anyone seeking health must deal with. Timothy J. Smith M.D. devotes a chapter to thyroid in his excellent book "Renewal." He says (p. 486) that he himself suffers from hypothyroidism. He went on natural thyroid hormone. He writes, "Initially, the treatment didn't seem to help (which, by the way, is fairly typical.). But after a month, I felt better. And after two months, my fatigue completely disappeared. The improvement was so gradual, though, that I barely noticed it... You need to give it at least three months. Just be patient. The results are well worth the wait."
meyati7 Aug 2011
Hi, I'm sure that since you posted this, that you found out that 6 weeks only shows if your body is responding. It takes months to get leveled out and sometimes the dosage needs to be changed. Here it's the law that a thyroid patient must have lab work done once a year. TG. Also the symptoms of too much thyroid are about the same as not enough. I'd loudly complain to the doctor about feeling tired or run down. There's another factor. You've been fighting to stay on your feet in spite of the lack of thyroid, so you might be relaxing now and feeling the effects of relaxing.
I do have hypo thyroid-I'm glad that your doctor diagnosed it for you. Anytime you want to talk-feel free
Anniegoose7 Oct 2011
Hi, I went straight to Armour Thyroid Extract. I was feeling better in about 2 weeks. The schedule your doctor set up for testing is close to the schedule that I've always had. I do recommend that you ask the lab to send you a copy of each test, and keep your own records. You sound like you have an excellent doctor, but it's good to have your records-note how you feel. I feel best when my TSH is about 2. It suits me. About every 6 years my thyroid changes, so I need to take more or less. I just had my 12 week test, as they had to reduce my dosage. I'm a 69 year-old grandmother, and I go hiking, walk coonhounds, load a pickup truck with trash, etc about 3 times a year, unless I'm replacing drywall or something in this old house. I had some great sex. I started college in my 50s, and graduated with honors. I had lots of fun. I still have fun.
life4me
20 Feb 2012
Thank you so so much for your post. I am getting to the hopeless point as I started menopause and my thyroid levels are not so great. I can't seem to find an answer to be me again. Just started Armour 3 days ago. I am praying because I am feeling depression like never before. Thank you for your words of hope
meyati
21 Feb 2012
Armour thyroid isn't for everybody, just as synthetic thyroid, and compounded thyroid isn't for everyone.
Maybe you feel depressed because subconsciously you expected things to move faster in your system. If you get seriously depressed or this feeling lasts over 2 weeks- get into your doctor-ASAP- Matter of fact you might want to make an appointment now so you can go in. Good doctors that treat thyroid patients need to do lots of hand holding-and it's not mental. I took a synthroid and in 4 days, I was punching and kicking adobe walls. I went in to the doctor and got switched to Armour. It took a few days for the one to quit and the Armour to take affect. I became very stable. When Armour was temporarily closed down-I took a compound- The lab work showed normal- but I felt poorly. I almosyt exploded inside=blood pressure went up big time- drooled from fatigue, sleep problems. Armour went back into production-and those symptoms went away. So each person is different and bug your doctor.
shn7903
3 days ago
This is nice to know. I have been on Levothyroxine for the past 4 years and have constantly battled fatigue, hair loss, insomnia, and an overall depressed feeling. My doctor just changed my medicine yesterday to Armour 60mg, and I am so ready for some relief. This morning was my very first dose and I am so glad to read that you finally have energy. This is exciting!
4 Apr 2012
60mg is a low dose? My doctor just started me on 15mg (1/4 grain) of Armour a day. How will I know whether or not this dose is high enough to end my symptoms? The good news is, in the 4 days I've taken it, i have not felt depressed. That's a big step. But i still feel anxiety, sleepy, fatigued, cold, etc. I guess i'll know in a matter of weeks. I just have to be patient.
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Thanks Brian! I'm glad to hear that it may be too early to see the effects. I will definitely bring this up with my doctor if it's still an issue when I next go in. Do you know if it is standard to wait 6 weeks before re-evaluating dosage? I've seen a few other posts by users who say they adjusted their dosage every 1 or 2 weeks! Others have suggested that it could be detrimental to wait too long before upping the dose, but I'm not sure I understand why? (other than just prolonging the time to get within optimal ranges)
According to my text book results typically normalize within 2 weeks (which makes sense since this is about the time it takes to feel normal). However it can take up to 6 weeks in some patients. So this may be the rational. According to Harrison's practice it recommends checking 8 weeks later. I also checked LexiComp Lab/Diagnostics and they recommend 6 to 8 weeks as well. The other thing to consider is that Armour Thyroid is can be more variable than the most used drugs Synthroid (levothyroxine). Because of this the doctor might want to wait for stabilization.
I think it is a bit of a balancing between convenience and cost vs necessity. The other thing is you don’t want to go back to quick and have your dose increased if you don’t need it. Personally, I think 1-2 weeks is a bit quick between 6-8 weeks is optimal in my mind.
Brian