An underactive thyroid gland is a surprisingly common condition, affecting up to 5 percent of adult Americans. More people experience subclinical hypothyroidism than overt hypothyroidism. Nonetheless, plenty of folks suffer with troublesome symptoms such as fatigue, cold intolerance, puffiness around the eyes, constipation, dry skin, hair loss, muscle or joint pain and depressed mood. Although doctors usually consider hypothyroidism to be simple to diagnose and treat, our readers often report that their experience differs. Delays in diagnosis and difficulty finding the correct dose or the best treatment can be frustrating.
Armour vs. Synthroid for Underactive Thyroid:
Q. My thyroid was removed 38 years ago. I did very well on Armour thyroid replacement all of those years. Recently, my endocrinologist insisted that I take Synthroid instead. It made me feel awful.
Finally he put me back on Armour, but kept reducing the dosage. He insisted that the blood work showed that I was getting too much.
I reached a point where I was so fatigued that I could do nothing. When I saw another specialist, she said that my thyroid dosage was too low. In three weeks on the higher dose she prescribed, I have begun to feel better. Quality of life is important!
Which Thyroid Medicine Will Work for You?
A. For many people, levothyroxine (Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid) is an effective treatment to replace missing thyroid hormone. However, up to 15 percent of those with an underactive thyroid may have a genetic variation that makes them less efficient at converting levothyroxine (T4) to the active form, triiodothyronine (T3).
Many of these individuals feel better taking a desiccated thyroid preparation such as Armour, Nature-Throid or Westhroid. This is not appropriate for everyone, as these products are derived from pig thyroid gland. As a result, they are not desirable for vegetarians or people following Muslim or Jewish dietary laws. Doctors may worry that these natural products are more variable in dose than synthetic levothyroxine, though we have not seen head-to-head studies.
We agree that quality of life is an important consideration. You can learn much more about levothyroxine, treatment with T3, desiccated thyroid and getting the best treatment for your thyroid condition in our Guide to Thyroid Hormones. You’ll also find out why you should not take your levothyroxine with your morning coffee or multi-vitamin and mineral supplements.
1/7/19 redirected to: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/taking-synthroid-in-the-middle-of-the-night/
