Question:
po RNY looking for Website that supports Armour Thyoid Medication?

3 yr po RNY would like to change (Synthroid) thyroid medication to Armour Thyroid. Since my RNY, my hypothyroid levels have been flip flopin quite a bit, which means if it gets to high the weight can go up along with other symptoms. I've heard/read that Armour Thyroid (pig thyroid)is closely related to human thyroid where as Synthroid is synthetic. Does anyone know of a website that supports the use of Armour Thyroid and/or a site for people with hypothyroidism. Greatly Appreciated Thanks    — Barbara M. (posted on May 7, 2004)

May 8, 2004
It is possible for thyroid hormone levels to change without medication being the cause. If you eat a lot of soy products, your TSH will go up because thyroid hormone binds to the soy protein. (I work with a young woman who is normal weight, but is a vegetarian and eats a lot of soy. She felt lousy and came to find out her TSH was 17! She cut out a lot of the soy stuff she eats and it is coming down.) I was on Synthroid for about 6 months after I had part of my thyroid removed. (All doctors seem to think Synthroid is the "gold standard" for treatment of hypothyroidism.) I asked to switch to Levoxyl when I felt my hypothyroid symptoms returning, even though I was on a therapeutic dose of Synthroid! That change has made all the difference. My thyroid labs don't vary too much and I feel "normal". I've been on Levoxyl for a couple of years, now, and I would not go back to Synthroid. You can find a lot of information on the about.com boards. Go to diseases and then to thyroid. There are some people on the thyroid disease forums that are adamant about taking Arnour thyroid. Personally, I don't see that it's much better than the synthetics, and you may find that your physician is not real keen on prescribing it. Good luck!.
   — koogy

May 8, 2004
After my WLS 10 months ago my thyroid levels started flipflopping. My doctor put me on Amour Thyroid and took me off Synthroid. I haven't had any problems taking it and now my levels are back to normal.
   — kkubinski99

May 8, 2004
Susan makes a good point -- you may want to try another brand of synthetic thyroid hormone if Synthroid isn't working for you. I also see no advantage to Armour, synthetics being much easier to regulate and keep uniform in doseage and quality. But, the synthetics use different fillers, so sometimes, people will have a better result with one synethic over another. And for sure, you should not only be avoiding soy, but also be keeping all of your calcium and iron supplements at least four hours away from your thyroid hormone pill, because calcium and iron will block full absorption of the thyroid hormone.
   — Suzy C.

April 18, 2005
SYNTHROID IS NOT THE ONLY ANSWER! Please beware that family practitioners are NOT trained about the thyroid in medical school. Endocrinologists should always be approached when you are hypothyroid. There is another factor that many women are affected by and that is a lack of the thyroid hormone T3. If you have a T3 problem, no amount of Synthroid will help you because it only provides the hormone T4. I nearly died from this oversight and not knowing better... You know yourself. Don't be shy to demand to feel ok. Good Luck! -160 lbs and counting so far!!! http://www.geocities.com/propesrl/surgery.html
   — Rachel Propes