Armour Thyroid Review
Armour Thyroid is a sought after thyroid hormone medication which contains desiccated thyroid extract. Amour Thyroid is derived from pig thyroid and contains both T4 (levothyroxine ) and T3 (liothyronine) hormones, which are naturally occurring thyroid hormones in the body.
The medication is all natural and is indicated for supplemental or replacement therapy for patients suffering from hypothyroidism, resulting from the partial or total absence of the thyroid gland, primary atrophy, functional deficiency or damage caused injury, drug use or radiation. Armour Thyroid is also used to treat or prevent some types of euthyroid goiters and nodules as well as for the management of thyroid cancer.
The ingredients of Amour Thyroid are sourced from porcine thyroid glands which are taken from gain-fed pigs that have been inspected by the USDA.
Find out everything you need to know about the popular animal thyroid supplement in this Armour Thyroid review.
Armour Thyroid is a prescription formula of T3 and T4 hormones derived from pigs. The medication is developed by Allergan and is available in the US and UK. There are no other ingredients in Armour Thryroid other than animal thyroid hormones.
Because Armour Thyroid replaces or supplements the lack of thyroid hormones in the body, the most common side effects associated with the drug are generally similar to the symptoms of underactive or overactive thyroid.
If you take too much of the medication, your thyroid hormone levels can increase, causing signs and symptoms related to overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism. These symptoms include:
Side Effects of Armour Thyroid
If you take too little of the medication, the hypothyroidism symptoms will continue to manifest and will leave you feeling weak, sluggish, sensitive to the cold.Some of these symptoms are quite mild while others are also quite severe. Still it is important to pay attention to these symptoms because they are usually a sign that you’re getting more thyroid hormones than what you actually need.
In very rare cases, some individuals may experience an allergic reaction to one or several components of the medication, and this can cause dangerous allergic reactions such as hives, swelling of the face and mouth area and difficulty breathing. If you happen to experience any of these allergic reactions – call your doctor right away.
Many people believe that once they start taking Armour Thyroid, all their weight loss problems will fade away and they will start to quickly drop pounds. However, many users of Armour Thyroid are shocked to find out that the supplement isn’t helping them lose weight. The following reasons could be why you’re not seeing the desired weight loss even after taking thyroid hormone supplements:
A lot of people taking thyroid hormones are either taking too much or too little. Often, the T3 levels in Armour Thyroid aren’t enough to trigger weight loss. If you are concerned about under-dosing or over-dosing, consult with your doctor and have your hormone levels tested and your dosage adjusted.
Armour Thyroid is low in T3 compared with other thyroid supplements. You might need more than the medication contains. Armour Thyroid has a fixed ratio of T4 to T3, which means if your body needs more, you might need to take an additional T3 supplement. If you have diabetes, insulin resistance, or leptin resistance, you are more likely to need higher levels of T3.
Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells. This hormone tells your brain to kick up your metabolism so you can burn fat faster. However, if you have leptin resistance, your brain won’t send the signal to burn more fat, and you’ll remain heavier. If you suspect you might have leptin resistance, you can get your blood tested by your doctor.
Armour Thyroid is pulled directly from pigs, which means that it contains other things in addition to thyroid hormones. You might be reacting to other inactive ingredients in Armour Thyroid. If you have low stomach acid, you may find it harder to access the thyroid hormones in the supplements, due to having trouble digesting the medication.
What To Tell Your Doctor When Taking Armour Thyroid
If your doctor prescribes Armour Thyroid, make sure that you let your doctor know a couple of things about yourself first.
The first thing you should let your doctor know is if you have any current medical condition. Likewise, do not forget to mention everything about your medical history. Armour Thyroid should not be used if you are suffering from thyrotoxicosis or adrenal gland problems. Some other conditions are not so serious, but you will still need to let your doctor know about them in order to have your dose adjusted. These conditions are as follows:
- Angina
- Coronary artery disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
Armour Thyroid and other desiccated thyroid supplements are classified as Category A, which are not harmful for unborn children. However, let your doctor know if you are pregnant or if you become pregnant while taking the drug as your dose may need to be changed.
The biggest pro to animal hormones is that they are similar to human hormones. This means there won’t be as many issues with the hormones as there might be with synthetic hormones. Pig hormones and DNA is surprisingly similar to human, which is why this medication uses pig hormones to supplement for missing human thyroid hormones. The supplements are all-natural, which is another plus.
However, some doctors do prefer synthetic hormones over natural ones, for several reasons. One issue is that Armour Thyroid supplements aren’t purified in any way, meaning that some ingredients not naturally found is humans is left in the medication. A synthetic version will only contain what is needed for the human body.
Some manufacturers can have a wide variation in how much hormones are included in animal thyroid hormone supplements. Since the supplement is pulled directly from an animal, precise dosing is more difficult.
Animals require different hormone levels than human, which makes it difficult to find the right balance for humans using animal sources.
For a long time, animal hormones were used because they contain both T3 and T4. However, the body can convert some T4 into T3 over time. Additionally, manufacturers now can also make synthetic versions of T3, making the use of animal thyroid supplements a little outdated.
Only take the medication if it is prescribed by your doctor and make sure that you consume only the prescribed dosage. To ensure that the medication is properly working, your doctor may need to do tests on a regular basis – so you should not miss out on any follow-up check-up.
If you start to feel any symptoms or side effects associated with the drug, call your doctor right away.
Continue to take the medicine, even after you start feeling well. Hypothyroidism is a lifelong condition, so you may need to use Armour Thyroid for the rest of your life.