Re: Any luck with armour thyroid?

Hi Tammy, Sometimes what shows normal on lab tests isn't normal for what makes the person feel their best. I'm curious to know what your lab results actually were. As for the fatigue, do you possibly have it during the day but have insomnia at night? Possibly any heart palpitations? Do you notice your pupils dilate, then constrict/contract quickly? These are just some of the few signs associated with adrenal fatigue. I also have Hashimotoes and went the Synthroid route. I will never go back that way either!! I'm not saying Synthroid may not be for you but it did bad things for me. When I was on it, my thyroid lab values showed "normal" but I was so extremely exhausted and depressed. Also, my throat hurt every day (a feeling I get when my thyroid is not up to par) and I had joint pain as if I had the flu everyday. I'd get home and plop on the couch not even able to make dinner for my family or play with my kids. Then I saw a natural doctor and was placed on Armour. In 2 weeks, my sore throat went away, my fatigue let up alot, I didn't feel depressed and I didn't have the joint pain as much. However, about 1 year later I started to have shortness of breath--not like asthma so much, just that I felt like I could never get in a full breath. I'd wake up exhausted, too, but didn't know if this was because I had insomnia which caused me to stay up all hours of the night or because of the shortness of breath making me so tired or possibly both! I even considered I may have had a heart problem!! Well, since I had been doing some researching at this time, I found that the adrenals are closely tied in with the thyroid, in fact, the whole endocrine system is related and works together (e.g. pituitary, ovaries in women, testes in men, pancreas, adrenals and thyroid). So, I got my cortisol levels checked to see how my adrenals were working. My 8 a.m. blood result of cortisol was normal (in the mid-range) but my 4 p.m. level was at the very, very bottom of the range, just inside the range. My doctor told me that I did have some adrenal fatigue (he said this value should have also been in the mid range) so placed me on DHEA 25 mg. per day at 12:00 noon and also Melatonin 3 mg. each night to sleep. After my sleep cycle was regulated I went off the Melatonin as could sleep on my own. I only take the DHEA every other day now and sometimes even skip 2 days. I also added to my program for my adrenals: Vitamin C (in calcium ascorbate form as the ascorbic type upset my stomach - 4000 mg./day) and B-complex with added pantothenic acid (B5). These things made a major change in me. See, in my case, I didn't feel my best yet, even on the Armour and it was because the adrenal issue wasn't addressed. After it was, I felt I was finally back to normal. Of course, once in a while I'll have a bad day, but it's usually because I have forgotten to take my vitamins/supplements because I'm always on the go and very busy. I once thought that I was always going to feel tired with a thyroid problem but this isn't true!! From experience and talking to others, it is difficult sometimes to find out where the problem lies with each individual with a thyroid problem because so many issues can come into play, but don't give up! Oh, by the way: I was on Synthroid for 4 years and it was the most miserable 4 years of my life--I also feel it was the Synthroid that caused my borderline osteoporosis and bone loss, along with the fact that my thyroid wasn't "really" being regulated on the Synthroid as the lab tests showed. I could tell this because of all the other low thyroid symptoms I had such as hair falling out, etc.. Also, make sure you are getting a multivitamin and mineral supplement containing Selenium. Selenium is very important for the thyroid. If you do decide to get your adrenals checked, the saliva cortisol/dhea test is the best as it is taken 4 times during the day, however most hospitals and insurance plans don't do this. But at least make them do 2 blood draws, one at 8 a.m and one at 4 p.m.. You will have to go have blood drawn twice; however, one blood test many times will not show a problem. For example, lets say I went in only at 8 a.m. to get one blood test done--they wouldn't have found a problem, as it was the 4 p.m. levels where the cortisol levels dropped. And the reason for the shortness of breath I was having was due to my cortisol levels dropping so low at night. Please go to this site for more info. www.thyroid.about.com They may even have some info on where you can order an adrenal saliva test if you are interested.
Hope this helps you. Sincerely, Gina Tweet