Armour Thyroid and Headaches: What Users Say

• Che...
• July 9, 2013

For Underactive Thyroid "When I was diagnosed with thyroid problems around nine years ago. My TSH was a 6.7. I was placed on Synthroid. I developed terrible headaches right from the start. The doctor decided to switch over to Levoxyl brand. Let me tell you, it has been a whirlwind of problems from tiredness, to aches and pains coming out of nowhere. I gained 50 lbs in the last nine years. Constantly dieting, going to the gym, nothing worked. Swelling and cloudy thinking. The doctor said my TSH was normal. Okay, just started on Armour Thyroid 60mg. Unbelievable. My aches and pains are gone. Lost five pounds in these last two weeks. Swelling is gone and I am alert! Do your homework and take charge. I finally did! 'Armour changed my life'."

• Aut...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 6, 2022

For Underactive Thyroid "Something changed with the formula again between late 2021 and early 2022. My body doesn't lie! And it's getting more expensive. Armour is now causing me to have daily anxiety/panic attacks, headaches, more hair loss, and severe nightly insomnia, even at a lower dose. It's gotten so bad I've had to quit my job. I may have to discontinue thyroid medicine altogether and just take supplements, as nothing currently on the market works, is without horrific side effects, or is affordable. Someone please bring back Nature-throid and WP the way they used to be! Seriously, I am at a loss here. I (and many others) are suffering horribly without them. Two years and counting..."

• Man...
• July 24, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "Found a 4.2 cm & 1cm nodule on my thyroid. I had a biopsy, it was non-cancerous. The doctor wanted to take it out immediately. I got a 2nd opinion, the 2nd doctor wanted to take it out but gave me an option to take medicine to make me hyper to shrink them. My thyroid levels were normal, but my T3 was sorta low. I requested Armour Thyroid from the doctor. For the first 2 weeks, I had a bad headache. Keep going if you get a headache, don’t stop, it will pass in 2 to 3 weeks. I was able to quit all of my antidepressants & feel normal again for the first time in years. I got another ultrasound, to my surprise, the Dr. said my 4.2 nodule shrunk to 2 cm! I’ve also been doing keto diet, no gluten and sugar. I also eat 2-3 Brazil nuts every day and take 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily. I also wasn’t hungry for sweets anymore, give it 4 to 6 weeks to really start feeling it. It also fixed my constipation. I can’t recommend this medicine enough!"

• Anonymous
• December 13, 2011

For Hashimoto's disease "I found out I had an underactive thyroid about 2 years ago, and as a college student, I found it so hard to focus in class. My doctor placed me on Synthroid, and I took it for about 6 months. I had severe headaches, depression, weight gain with no weight loss in sight, and feeling tired and horrible. I went to my ob-gyn for a yearly check-up, and he checked my thyroid, and now I'm taking Armour. I love this medicine. All the headaches, loss of focus, and the weight gained again are gone! I take it at the same time every day, and this pill works for me!"

• Lee...
• August 28, 2018

For Underactive Thyroid "Diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2013. I am a 49-year-old female. I had tried different meds prior to Armour Thyroid (AT). I have the best results with AT. Unbeknownst to me, Walgreen pharmacy switched my AT for Levothyroxine/Levothyronine (L/L). I was distracted with relocating my family and trusted Walgreen pharmacy would continue my medication. Symptoms began: headaches, very dry brittle hair, dry skin, gained 20 lbs, and heart pounding. On July 10, 2018, I realized the prescription was L/L instead of AT. I went back to Walgreen and inquired why. I was told L/L was generic for AT. I called my old pharmacist. He told me the drug is synthetic and not the same as AT. It is now August 26, 2018, and I've been back on AT since July 10, 2018. I lost 21 lbs and I feel great! I neglected to pay attention to my prescription medication."

• Anonymous
• January 31, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "Had taken Armour Thyroid for 20 years but starting 2 years ago I experienced brain fog, aches and pains which was thought to be fibromyalgia, no energy, severe headaches, insomnia and hard to get out of bed and always tired. I have taken many tests, scans and seen many doctors during that time and couldn't find an answer to my complaints. I felt like I was losing my mind and in desperation began searching the internet and came across information about Armour. I understand Forest Labs bought Armour in 2014 and Actavis bought them in 2015 - lo and behold! I saw complaints which were identical to mine and quit taking them on September 22, 2015. I felt better within 2 days and am angry that I lost 2 years of my life."

• wha...
• February 26, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "I've been taking Armour for several years now. Somewhere along the line, all of my symptoms such as constipation, weight gain and trouble losing weight, hair loss, trouble falling asleep despite being extremely tired, low energy, headaches, brain fog, etc., came back with a vengeance. My endo sees nothing wrong with my labs and tells me it must be something I'm eating. I went along with this theory until one day I went online to find out why my prescription cost went up so much. Much to my surprise, I stumbled across many others like me complaining of symptoms coming back despite lab work being in range. Everyone noticed the changes came about when Forest sold! I'm switching doctors and hope to find another medication!"

• Jsg...
• January 18, 2021

For Hashimoto's disease "I have taken Armour Thyroid for 30+ years after Synthroid did not work. In the spring of 2020, I began to feel terrible. Headache, tiredness, pain in my joints, no energy at all. My IM ran a thyroid panel on me. Everything normal (I don’t think he ran antibodies). I asked him to switch me to WP Thyroid. He did, and within weeks I started to feel like my old self. That lasted for 6 months, and WP Thyroid was pulled from the market. I had to go back on Armour Thyroid. All my previous symptoms are back, and I feel terrible again. I am sure that Allergan has reformulated Armour Thyroid. We must report and complain to the FDA to get RLC Labs preparations back on the market."

• Ano...
• February 15, 2015

For Hashimoto's disease "Like many others, I received a diagnosis after getting so bad that I could barely walk. I couldn't get out of a chair without rolling over to the arm and pulling/pushing myself out. I was prescribed synthetic medication and got a bit better, but my hair started falling out and I got headaches. I started the research and insisted on the Armour. Huge difference, especially in mental performance. I make my living by doing analyses on high-risk complex things. It was so wonderful to get my brain back. I had some help from a naturopathic doctor who suggested that I add supplements to address any adrenal damage (adrenal rebuilders). The final step has been traditional Chinese medicine, and I am now almost off the Armour too. Western medicine will tell you that thyroid treatment is a lifelong path. Maybe."

• cso...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2012

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "I had Graves' disease 20 years ago, and my thyroid was burned out with irradiated iodide. I was put on Synthroid daily and gained almost 80 pounds over the years. I had all the bad headaches, fatigue, water retention, brain fog, etc. Finally, I started working for a functional medicine doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormone treatment. I signed up, and we switched me over to Armour. I have only been taking it for about a week, and I am already starting to feel better. I will report back in another week to say how I am feeling."

• AFF...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 16, 2022

For Hashimoto's disease "What has changed with this medication? Something's seriously off since about mid-last year. Headaches, anxiety through the roof. Is there a new API supplier? What? I've taken NDT for two decades. Never experienced anything even remotely like this."

• Mpc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2020

For Underactive Thyroid "I had a total thyroidectomy 13 years ago. I was put on Synthroid, or generic versions. I only noticed some paranoia/anxiousness with those over the years. About a year ago, I started feeling like I was taking the meds for nothing, as I was tired, foggy, etc. I went to see a new doctor who prescribed Armour Thyroid and suggested '2 grains,' which is two pills. I took one to start, and it made me totally anxious. I started taking half and made myself stick with it for a week. I had been having headaches to begin with. I decided to up to one pill and have done that for about 5 days. I am totally foggy, my body aches, I’m extremely anxious. I’m not taking this anymore. I feel disconnected, like I’m not even myself. I hope to go back to my previous doctor and start back on Synthroid. I’m happy Armour helps so many people, but unfortunately, I am not one of them. ;("

• KWd...
• December 2, 2015

For Hashimoto's disease "Was on Levothyroxine and I noticed some improvement, but still felt symptoms. We increased the dosage and noticed improvement, but still not quite right. Over time my symptoms returned, and I was continually complaining that my dosage was not right, even though my numbers were within normal limits. My doctor recommended the switch to Armour. The first week I wanted to die, I couldn't stay awake, I had constant headaches, and I was irritable. After 5 days, I was ready to call the doctor and get taken off... and then MAGIC happened. Week 2 I had energy, I started to sleep better, no headaches. So far, so good. I am hopeful!"

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2021

For Hashimoto's disease "Progressively got sicker on Armour Thyroid. Abdominal pain and bloating, back pain, brain fog, headache in the morning, dizzy, blurry vision, extreme fatigue, pale skin, weight gain (10 lbs - thin my entire life - never had weight issues), high cholesterol. I've never felt so ill. I finally put 2 and 2 together, stopped taking the meds, and within two days, I started feeling better. I lost 5 lbs in one week and feel like my old self again. Today was the first day in 5 months that my stomach didn't hurt."

• NYA...
• February 3, 2014

For Underactive Thyroid "I had been experiencing undiagnosed hypothyroidism symptoms for a long time without really knowing what was going on: extreme fatigue, brain fogginess, mood swings, and cold. I had been having my thyroid tested for years due to my mother having had a tumor and removal of hers, and yet the doctors all kept telling me the levels were fine. I went to an integrative doctor, and he prescribed for me. I've gradually worked up to taking 45 mg a day. 60 mg was too much: headache, very painful and hardened breasts, really bad PMS-type symptoms, and the bloating! My biggest issue is also the puffiness and inability to lose weight! Protein shakes, cardio exercise, and strength training and nothing helps. It's so frustrating!"

• Alb...
• September 9, 2015

For Hashimoto's disease "This medication has had the adverse effect for me. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto's, my doctor expected that this medication would help me with brain fog, energy, and tiredness. I experienced the opposite. Within a few days of taking the 60 mg dosage, I felt worse. I began sleeping extremely heavily, had a huge amount of trouble waking in the morning, and could barely keep my eyes open past 8:30 pm each night. I gained five pounds in two months even though I had improved my eating habits and exercise. I began getting these dull headaches on the top of my head. I became extremely irritable with everything, which is not my normal disposition. My doctor told me to stop taking it immediately and is prescribing Nature-throid. We'll see how that goes."

• Dra...
• January 8, 2018

For Underactive Thyroid "I struggled with this medication. I had intense headaches and all of the other side effects."