Utahgal, Astroman, CD, Marigold - question

They need to tell you what the original bottle says it is.

For some reason some pharmas call Acella NP thyroid an Armour generic. Its not a generic. Its just less popular brand and newer than Armour, its like old Armour actually, and what I use.

It could be Nature Throid brand, too. They have 2 versions.

there are no actual generic dessicateds left, unless its new this year.

It's Erfa. I don't know if Armour is available in Canada...I think it may be the closest to Armour.

I will go on the STTM website and see how it's rated there.

Darn...

Oh, I forgot your Canadian. Erfa simply calls their dessicated thyroid med "Thyroid". It was like old Armour one time. I took erfa (from online Canadian pharmacy) after both Armour and Nature Throid were changed in 2009.

Even though something changed in Erfa Thyroid, some people thought it was changed back- not any good info on that. Yet some claim it still works for them.

Can you order online from US with a faxed Rx (if you want Armour)?

Girlie-

This can be simple.

Its best to do saliva cortisol when you've been on a steady thyroid med dose. So, before the change or months after. A stressed thyroid stresses the adrenals. Starting a new thy med stresses the thyroid for a few months.

I have split Erfa 60's into quarters with a good pill splitter. But, they wont be all the same. So first you figure your weekly dose, then split them and put in one of those weekly pill compartments.

What you dont want is a bottle of pills that you split ahead of time- the dose will be off.

Note: All desicated brands are near identical T3/T4 ratio, even the one from Thiland is the same. Pigs are pigs. Its the fillers that make these work different for different people.

Most on dessicated dont add T4, their body gets used to the "pig thyroid ratio". This option can be tried later on (like 6 months later) if curious. Some like it, some cant tell.

One thing about real pig T3 is it has way less of a "hit" than the synthetic T3. I've read this, have experience with both, and have to agree.

You figure the final dose by symptoms and lab results, charts are only ballpark if that.

I think you have a good idea on ramping up the med from the other post. Really no need to get super mathematical about increases per week. Fact is, he wont feel better for at least 4-5 weeks out. Thats the way it is. So at least theres some comfort in knowing that will be normal. I've started new thy brands and types 7 or 8 times in 18 years, you just have to deal with the first four weeks, then it gets better.

Ya, most Drs dont know this stuff at all..........most of its not tought in med school.

Erfa is supposed to be very good! Let us know how he does. Your doc should be willing to provide 2 scripts. One for 60 mgs and one for 15 mgs. You can always split the 60 to make 30 mgs. But, hubby really needs the 15 mgs to gradually make his dose adjustments. That's how it is supposed to be done.

AND.....there is nothing magical about 60 mgs! Some people only need 30 mgs, while others need 180 mgs or even 240 mgs! It's very individual and depends on many factors.....body weight, body's ability to absorb thyroid hormone, cortisol levels....... Your LLND should not be hellbent on 60 mgs......unless he has a crystal ball!

Let us know how hubby does! Most Americans would prefer efra. In fact, many do order it from Canada.

Girlie- For everyones info - Armor and Nature Throid were both great until 2009. Both were reformulated. Yet some people still swear by them, and some swear AT them. And in 2014 Erfa had some changes, the pills are harder, similar to current Armour. No thyroid med works for everybody.

When these companies reformulate thyroid med- the results dont effect everyone symptom wise. Unfortunately they did effect me, that's why I use Acella NP, which is the new "best one" for many people. I've used all the above in old formulations and post reformulations.

2009 was the "year that sucked" for dessicated thyroid users in the US. I lost a job because of all that reformulation BS! I was a thyroid zombie with lyme in 2009. The FDA caused it all (gee thanks a lot) and closed down 2 generic dessicated companies in the process due to huge compliance changes in cost- for drugs that have been almost the same for 100 years. The FDA hates dessicated, its not a chemical. FDA is only on big Pharmas side for big $.

about 60's -I like splitting 60's since its only one RX price, and you can build any MG dose size with these. All the manufactured doses have the same PHYSICAL size. The smaller mg just has more filler.

The correct way to figure dessicated thyroid med is a weekly dose divided into 7 days as close as you can, its not always even. Its how real thyroid prescribing MD's do it. It is that way because they dont make that many dose sizes to be exact. To fine tune my weekly dose, I cant take the same exact dose everyday. Four days a week I take 15mg more (135mg vs 120mg). My weekly dose is 900mg per week. I try my best to split one in exact haves, then quarters. But if one half is not split perfectly into quaters-it doesn't matter since I will use both quarters in the same week, (which came from a very close half).

Your splitting question answer- Its impossible to split these "exactly" into halves or quarters. So the more splitting you do, the more inconsistent you are.

My example will be very very low doses for simplicity-

Example 1)-say you split one in "half" but its really 70/30 not 50/50. If you take both these uneven halves in the SAME week it doesnt matter since they both add up to one, and your weekly dose will be correct.

Example 2)NOw say you split TWO pills , one 70/30, and the other also 70/30 and put into a container full of them all mixed up. And then when you grab them you take two 70% in that week. 70%+70% = 140%, way higher than 100%- very bad!!!

That why you use a daily divided pill container, and used those that week. If your grabbing from a bottle that you split up ahead of time- you wont have a consistent weekly dose.

Hope this make sense now.

The best thyroid Dr is one that has thyroid issues. That would be a dream.

Congratulations, you now know WAY more than your Dr and other Drs as far as thyroid goes. Most Pharmacists too.

Always look at your new thyroid prescriptions, so you know what your getting. Not uncommon for people to be given other brands as substitutes, and then they go hypo since the cells dont recognize it yet (cells are slow learners, that dont like change)!

Yes we are going crazy!

I honestly dont think fine mathematics will make much of a difference right in the beginning. Weeks Later on, yes. Fact is, he will not feel good for a while, but he'll survive!

Being hypo is always better than being hyper. And when you first try T3, a couple days later your body is confused and very cranky with itself LOL.

Remember that T4 in him yesterday will still be there in several weeks to 6 weeks.

"Hubby picked up the prescription, opened it up and downed 1/2 of the 30....so I told him to take the other half in a few hours...he also took 1/2 T4" - that sounds good to me.

I've read on other forums so many people that just took a big start dose and went nuts later that week. You cant slow down hyper, you cant! Its like a top fuel dragster on crack. But hypo, you lay on the couch more, take ibuprofen and drink more coffee till it improves. What sounds better? Both screw up sleep patterns, both make night sweats, both make body aches.

You got the splitting down.

I read somewhere to chew it up first, I think it's because with the new fillers it was harder and maybe didn't dissolve like before.

Nature Thyroiditis 32.5 and 65 mg are actually different sizes, the 32.5 are so small you couldn't split them very well.