Unless Armour Thyroid is taken in large doses, the amount of weight loss is generally insignificant. Armour Thyroid should not be taken to boost energy levels or as a diet pill for people who don't have a thyroid condition.
Taking higher than prescribed doses can lead to symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism causes your thyroid gland to make an oversupply of the hormone thyroxine. The condition can lead to sudden weight loss, sweating, anxiety and an irregular heartbeat. Talk with your doctor about treatment adjustments that might be right for you.
By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics. Health Tools. Reviewed: February 22, Medically Reviewed. Use these six strategies to jump-start weight loss with hypothyroidism. Cut Out Simple Carbs and Sugars Kelly Austin, ND, a naturopathic doctor specializing in hormone disorders and the director of the Prime Wellness Clinic in San Diego, recommends a moderate- to low-carbohydrate diet that focuses on complex carbohydrates think starchy vegetables and legumes and avoids simple sugars pass on the candy and soda.
Indeed, anxiety alone can often lead to overeating or comfort eating, adding to weight gain. Thus, excess thyroid hormones or taking a larger dose of thyroid medication is unlikely to lead to dramatic weight changes. Suppose your thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH and T4 levels are borderline, or you have subclinical hypothyroidism.
In that case, weight gain may be enough to support your doctor's decision to prescribe medication. If this is the case, you will want to watch for signs of hyperthyroidism and be diligent in having your thyroid levels assessed per your doctor's recommendation.
While treating hypothyroidism is likely not the only solution for helping you slim down to your ideal weight, it will help you get back on track. Normalizing your thyroid hormones usually improves your energy levels, reduces fatigue, decreases muscle and joint pains, relieves constipation , and improves low mood.
Shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store is an excellent strategy for eating well because that is where you find fruits, vegetables, and meat. Center aisles usually contain the processed foods, which are often high in saturated fats and refined sugars, which can inhibit your weight loss efforts. Daily exercise is necessary for everyone, especially in our sedentary, overly busy world. But, if you force yourself to run and you cannot stand running or it hurts too badly , you likely will not stick with it.
Do something that you find fun and enjoyable—maybe gardening, a pilates class with friends, or water aerobics. One of the leading causes of hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto's thyroiditis. People with autoimmune diseases may benefit from trying the autoimmune protocol , a temporary elimination diet. The AIP diet helps you identify which foods may be causing inflammatory markers to wreak havoc on your system. Working with your thyroid doctor , nutritionist, trainer, and even therapist can help you attack your weight gain from all angles.
Excess weight is often a multifaceted, complex problem, and everyone has a unique profile that deserves individualized weight loss plans. Weight gain is a frustrating symptom of hypothyroidism. Meeting your weight loss goals with a thyroid condition often requires you to approach your weight from many angles. Schedule a consult with one of our board-certified thyroid doctors or thyroid nutritionists to help you get back on track. She believes managing chronic illnesses requires a balance of medical interventions and lifestyle adjustments.
I have been taking Armour for about 10 weeks, and I have gained about lbs. I swallow the pills. My TSH went from 3. Am I on the correct dose? Any explanation for the weight gain? Should I speak to my doctor about other medications? So my tests came back and apparently my TSH, T3, T4 are all in the lower side of optimal ranges so I though they were OK but my physician insisted that they should be on the higher end instead.
So they changed me to Armour Thyroid 60mg and hair loss still happening I have half of the amount of hair I used to have or even less plus my anxiety and depression came back and I had to stop it …three days free from Armour and I no longer feel depressed! I suffered from migraines since I had thyroid surgery and I was placed on Synthroid.
I finally got a doc who would listen that agreed the headaches were related to the thyroid meds and switched me to Armour. I felt a difference almost immediately, and have not had a migraine since he put me on Armor, and am finally starting to gradually lose weight. I also feel human again. I actually have energy and feel like I can do more than just go to work and then to bed. I feel like a new person.
Child I was on 88mcg synthyroid and 15mcg Cytomel and never felt great always thought my levels were to low but a Dexa Scan revealed osteopenia and my Endo went to toon town telling me my bones are going to crumble and I could have heart failure because my TSH indicated I was hyper…at no point have I ever had hyper symptoms absolutely the opposite I was a wreck with massive body pains,weight gain and terrible mood swing.
I was also diagnoised with Psoriatic Arthritis and apparently Ive been in a flare that was brought on by having the thyroidectomy and was told I have a lot of inflammation because of it…. I have been taking Armour 30mg for 3 months.
I feel amazing! During my last visit, my T3 went down 1 My Dr wants to lower my dosage. What would make the T3 go down? Many different things can cause your T3 to go down including issues with thyroid conversion and absorption. Hi, thanks for all the information. I am in Canada and have been taking natural Thyroid 90mg equivalent to 3 seeds of Armour I think. I still feel terrible. TSH and t3 and t4 all normal but I have thyroid antibodies of to No weight loss i eat very healthy and exercise hard 5 days a week and all the same symptoms that I initially had before being diagnosed.
Could the natural Thyroid meds not be working on me? Should I switch to synthetic meds? This affects every aspect of my life now every day even though I try to be positive and not dwell on it. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism at age 18, I am now I have been on Armour for the last 15 years currently 60mgmg and done quite well.
Recently I have gained 12 lbs and cannot lose a single pound. I have not changed my diet or exercise. I have had to buy new clothes even. I am always tired, foggy brain, dry skin, etc.
More so than previously. Not sure if I need to switch to something else. My last blood work showed TSH. Free T4 is 0. What should I do? Is it possible to be over dosed on Armour Thyroid and not feel it until 4 to 5 hours later? I have no thyroid. This is all great Information. Ive been taking armor for 6 years now and have been steadily gaining weight since I started taking it. My question is, how do I find someone that will listen to me and at least consider some of the things mentioned here.
He wanted to switch me to Syntroid. No way!!! I also have low energy and I seriously suffer from the cold weather in the winter. I was taking. I went to an endocrinologist, and requested to be changed to Armour Thyroid based on my internet research. He put me on 1 grain which I have been on for a little over a month. No other symptoms except some sluggishness, and a tad brain fog.
Excellent article thank you. Was diagnosed with Hashimotos two years ago. Many symptoms are getting worse — sweats, chills, insomnia, brain fog, fatigue, rashes, depression and anxiety, inflammation to the point of being disabling me many days. Do you know of a practitioner in MI who specializes in Hashimotos? I have tried Armour — 30 mg starting dose. After starting Armour, I started having hot flashes, my hair fell out, my fingernails turned to mush, I would have chills in bed in the morning, and I lost about eight pounds.
This horrified me, so I started cutting the pills in half, then in quarters. If finally stopped about 12 days ago and, in the last three days, have put on four pounds of water and feel the familiar tightness in my ankles from fluid retention. I am still having hot flashes. I am following dr. No gluten, no dairy, various supplements.
Otherwise, I am very healthy. What am I doing wrong? I feel awful without the medication, but I feel worse with it. I have been on Armour Thyroid for about 18 years.
I try to go to endocrinologists to help me regulate this medication. But, they all want to put me on Synthroid or levothyroxine which I recently tried.. So, I stopped it and went back on Armour. I guess my quandary is this: I look at your symptoms of excessive and insufficient doses of Armour and I get confused. Thank you…BTW.. I had thyroid cancer in , and have been trying to regulate my thyroid medication intake since then. My first endocrinologist had it much too high, which gave me severe muscle spasms and other side-effects, but she refused to lower my medication except in small 6 week changes.
The high dose was mg of Synthroid. After about 7 months, I was able to find another endocrinologist who immediately lowered my dose to 75 mg. I asked if I could take Armour thyroid, and he did put me on 75 mg of Armour Thyroid. We finally were able to regulate it to 60 mg with 15 mg every other day.
Unfortunately, he retired and I now have a PA, but she will not do a thyroid panel with T3 or reverse T3. My TSH is. It seems to be an orphan disease. After a year it changed to hypothyroid, and I finally found a doctor willing to prescribe a low dose of Synthroid.
After about a year, it went into remission and I could stop taking the medication. Then I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Could I have had Hashimoto disease and could I have it still? Typically, though, the symptoms in this setting would be very minor compared to those with more thyroid gland tissue. A very informative post, Dr. While I was was warmer and the joint pain improved, I have never been able to lose weight no matter what I do. I weigh my food have a journal, construct my macros, etc.
I have noticed that if my carbs are too low below net I feel hypo. Does it make the Armour more effective?? Overwhelmed by my case, I think he thinks I am dishonest. I believe I have been hypo all my life judging on symptoms.
I have a lot of resources for people who fit into your situation on my blog. I have lost weight on Armour, only 10 lbs. My endo kept me at 3. Hello, I had a question regarding the side effects from the additives to armour thyroid, specifically the headaches. I have been taking armour thyroid for 1. The only complaint that I have is these headaches.
I never really had headaches like this until after my thyroidectomy. The frequency is getting less, I have one probably only once a month versus 3 times a month but they can last anywhere from days.
It feels like a mix between a tension headache and a migraine. The most concerning thing to me is noting touches it, as far as pain control, I have tried everything. Tylenol, ibuprofen, excedrine, hydration, reiki, pressure points… I think I have covered it all! Or are the headaches something completely different? Thank you! I had been taking Armour thyroid first medication after hypo diagnosis for 10 years with two small dosage increases during that time.
I felt great and had finally hit a goal weight through diet and exercise. I had been about lbs overweight. My dr sent me to an endocrinologist and he told me that Armour is not good for my organs long term and switched me to synthroid. I gained 15 lbs in less than 3 months. Although I feel a tiny bit better, the weight gain is still there and I am still exhausted and have brain fog and depression.
Is this true about Armour and should I ask to go back on it? Yes, Gina. Go back on Armour. Get rid of the conventional endocrinologist and get a functional medicine doc who specializes in weight loss. I just had a telemedicine consult with Dr. David Borenstein in NY. I liked him. He prescribes NDT and T3. Will taking Armour Thyroid help you lose weight, feel better and have more energy?
But will it work for you? Let's jump in:. How do you know if you have Leptin resistance? What happens when Reverse T3 levels are too high? How do you fix high Reverse T3 levels? What is Armour thyroid? So where does Armour thyroid fit in here? The question is why? I know it sounds weird but it works incredibly well for several reasons: 1. This may work for many patients but it absolutely does not work for everyone! Levothyroxine, on the other hand, only contains T4.
Download my Free Resources:. Foods to Avoid if you have Thyroid Problems: I've found that these 10 foods cause the most problems for thyroid patients. Armour also contains less biologically active thyroid hormones such as T1 and T2 Another very important beneficial aspect of taking Armour thyroid is that you are getting more than just the combination of T3 and T4 thyroid hormones. But did you know that there are other thyroid hormones?
Armour thyroid requires less "activation" and is, therefore, more active when compared to Levothyroxine and Synthroid I mentioned previously that Armour thyroid is more "potent" and more "active" than T4 medications such as Levothyroxine and Synthroid and part of this is because it contains the active T3 hormone but another important part is that it doesn't require as much activation. Activation or conversion are both words for the same process: The turning of inactive T4 into active T3.
So how does this relate to Armour thyroid? Reasons to try or consider using Armour thyroid:. You've tried Synthroid and Levothyroxine and you still experience hypothyroid symptoms even with a "normal" TSH. You are gaining weight or remaining weight neutral on T4 only medications even with normal labs and after trying dietary changes and adding in exercise.
You are suffering from infertility or menstrual problems despite taking thyroid medication. And these patients may simply do better on traditional T4 medications. T4 medications may be better for people who experience heart palpitations, anxiety or other symptoms when taking Armour thyroid or NDT.
T4 medications have many different tablets and variations which means that you can adjust dosing easily. Patients may benefit from taking the combination of T4 and T3 in individual doses and medications to titrate specifically to the needs of the patient.
Some patients have no issues with peripheral thyroid conversion and they readily and actively convert T4 to T3 when it is supplied. One of the biggest and perhaps more important question that most patients have when considering Armour thyroid is this: Will Armour Thyroid actually help me lose weight? Why does this happen? Another hormone imbalance Poor diet Too much stress Lack of sleep Environmental exposure You get the idea.
Insufficient Dosing. One of the biggest issues is that many patients may be undertreated or underdosed. Transitioning from T4 only Medication to Armour Thyroid If you transitioned from Levothyroxine T4 only medication then you should know how to properly convert your medication. But remember that each grain of Armour thyroid only has 38mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3. Using this conversion you can see how many people may end up under-treated. This is sometimes used by the physician as "proof" that Armour thyroid doesn't work.
A more accurate conversion process may look something like this:. A couple of important points when considering this information: First: If you are transitioning from a T4 only medication do NOT start yourself off at the maximum dose of Armour. Second: Thyroid dosing is highly individualized and depends on factors such as your current metabolic rate, your sensitivity to T3 and your peripheral thyroid conversion status.
While Armour does contain some T3 it is possible that your body may actually need more. If this sounds confusing, don't let it be: Armour thyroid and other forms of Natural Desiccated thyroid contain fixed ratios of T4 to T3. How do you know if you are someone who needs more T3? Patients who need more T3 usually fall into one or more of the following categories:. They have high levels of Reverse T3 They have Leptin Resistance They have Diabetes, Prediabetes or Insulin Resistance They have extremely low body temperatures They have a personal history of bipolar disorder or a strong family history of mental health disorders They have a personal history of Fibromyalgia or Chronic fatigue syndrome.
Adding T3 to Armour Thyroid. The presence of Hormone Imbalances such as Leptin Resistance. As a quick primer: Leptin is a hormone that is pumped out by your fat cells yes they pump out hormones! You simply won't lose weight until it is treated. Not all forms of Natural Desiccated thyroid are created equal. This exact process is what happens when patients take Sustained release T3.
Bottom line : If Armour thyrod isn't helping you either with weight loss or you still remain symptomatic you might consider switching to a different from of NDT like Naturethroid or WP thyroid. Your Reverse T3 is too High. These conditions include:. Taking thyroid medications containing T4 Synthroid, levothyroxine but also NDT like Armour thyroid - This acts as a substrate and in the presence of inflammation or other hormone imbalances your body may produce Reverse T3 over T3 Inflammation - From conditions like SIBO, Hashimoto's, Food allergies, nutrient deficiencies, medications, etc.
Certain Medications : Anti-depressants, diabetic medications, anti seizure medications, blood pressure medications, Narcotics, etc. Please don't stop taking these medications if you are on them, but consider discussing options with your Doctor. Two things should pop out to you after reading that list: 1 Thyroid medications containing T4 may contribute to elevated reverse T3 levels And All of these changes ultimately lead to weight gain.
The real question is what do you do about it? For instance: If you have high levels of insulin - your focus should be on reversing this condition.
And so on. Dosing Armour Thyroid. If you decide that Armour thyroid is worth trying, then how do you dose it? If this happens to you don't let it scare you from using the medication further! If you are taking 2 grains of Armour thyroid then you are taking mg.
If you fall into any of these categories make sure you monitor your dose very closely. While none of these are hard and fast rules they can help you get started. In addition to these general rules there are also other factors that you should consider when using armour: Tips for Taking Armour Thyroid. Take Armour thyroid on an empty stomach. No doubt you've heard this one before! Taking your medication on an empty stomach helps fight this.
Splitting your dose. Another strategy worth considering is to split your dose throughout the day. So your total dose stays the same but you are "splitting" that dose throughout the day.
Consider taking it at night. Taking your medication at night offers several advantages: First is that you don't have to worry about taking it on an empty stomach because most people generally don't eat right before bed. Side Effects and Symptoms. Are there any downsides to using Armour thyroid? Well, yes. What is this? Symptoms of excessive Armour thyroid dosing Your dose is too high. Anxiety or Jittery sensation Heart palpitations Excessive sweating Intolerance to heat Rapid heart rate Diarrhea Trembling hands or extremities Increased blood pressure Irritability Insomnia Weight loss If you experience any of these symptoms you should seek help with your physician immediately.
Symptoms of insufficient Armour thyroid dosing Your dose is too low. Symptoms of reacting to the fillers or dyes in the medication itself You might want to switch medications. Rashes Acid reflux Abdominal pain Bloating or excessive gas Headaches. This includes inactive ingredients such as methylcellulose and dextrose and many others. Wrapping it up Armour Thyroid is a great medication and it CAN help you lose weight but it is not a magic weight loss pill.
Remember: You won't be able to lose weight unless all 5 of those areas have been addressed and reversed if necessary. Now I want to hear from you: Are you taking Armour Thyroid? Has it helped you lose weight? Why or why not? Leave your comments below! References Click to Expand. About Dr.
Westin Childs Hey! This is the best article! So thorough and easy to understand. Am I likely to have the same reaction in taking Armour? Heather Reply. Absolutely accurate scientifically correct. What are your thoughts? Does this sound like hypo? Really difficult to find a Dr here in Austin Tx! Any suggestions? Hey Diane, I wish I had an answer for you, the hardest part is finding someone who is willing to work with you. Thank you Reply. Hello Mr. Childs- My RT3 has been 16, 18, and 17 the past three readings.
Thanks Reply. Hey Tina, It depends on you and your symptoms, never base your thyroid dose off of lab work alone. Should my goal at least one of them be to keep rt3 15 or below? Hey Steph, All references should be linked to outside web pages when appropriate within the article itself. Thanks for responding. HELP Reply. Hey Debra, You really need a full evaluation much more than just your thyroid , most people seem to fixate on thyroid problems as the cause of ALL of their problems but I very rarely find that the case.
Hey Jon, Yes, insulin resistance will make weight loss impossible unless it is addressed. Such as? Hey Nikki, You are welcome, I hope it helps! Please help. Hi Sissy, I would make sure that you have a complete thyroid panel including reverse T3 to see if the demand for thyroid hormone in your body has changed.
Hey Robin, The best thing you can do is to find a Doctor who understands hormones and weight loss, generally you will have to look outside of the insurance model. Dennis De-nees Reply. Hey Dennis, I would recommend looking into other hormone imbalances like insulin and leptin levels.
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