Armour thyroid bone loss
Common Questions and Answers about Armour thyroid bone loss
armour-thyroid
Does your doctor know that thyroid meds do not cause any bone loss? The only effect from thyroid meds is to increase metabolism and thus speed up bone loss or regrowth, depending on whatever condition you are already in. The way to treat bone loss is to fix the underlying condition, not withhold necessary thyroid meds.
As described by the doctor, increasing levels of FT3 would only increase the rate of bone loss or formation. The bone loss or formation is dependent on the other factors listed.
For info, my TSH has been about .05 or less for over 30 years now, without ever having hyper symptoms, or bone loss. In fact I continued to have lingering hypo symptoms with that TSH level, until learning about the importance of FT3. Got mine tested and confirmed as low in the range.
I have been taking Levoxyl (levothyroxine) 125mcg for over 10 years and have gain almost 100 pounds. As I understand it, Armour is to be used in conjunction with the other thyroid meds and monitored closely, since it is a sythetic harmone replacement.
However, weight gain is part of the game and I've been reading these boards. Dr. Lupo will tell you otherwise but I don't think the medical world knows or wants to put the two together.
Thanks goolarra. You have reassured me. Last week a doctor at a major cancer center told me if my TSH was "off" it would cause bone loss. I had a TT many years ago. I have had osteoporosis for about 10 years. I currently take Armour Thyroid. Doctors continue to want to "fix" my low TSH.
s your thyroid have your hair loss evaluated by a dermatologist or hair loss expert to rule out any other causes. However, make sure your thyroid is not being under treated or change thyroid drug brands. It just might be the thyroid condition itself which just needs time to heal. Hair and nails are the last to heal and take the longest to heal than all the thyroid symptoms, so patience might be the only medicine.
It should not recur if the dose is kept lower than their threshold. Thyroid hormone does not cause bone loss, it simply increases metabolism and therefore the rate of the current bone formation or loss. Most older women are losing bone due to their combined sex steroid, DHEA, Vitamin D, and growth hormone deficiencies. The solution is not life-long hypothyroidism, but the correction of their other deficiencies.
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5 Armour Thyroid in the morning and .05 in the afternoon. I feel great my only problem is my constant hair loss. I also take 150 mg of Buproprion which I have cut down the last couple of weeks and am going to switch to sam-e in hopes that that is my problem. Am wondering if I am over medicated on the Armour.
Sorry, I hit the wrong button. I also wanted to add that in regard to the issue of osteoporosis, here is a previous reply I made to another member.
Keep in mind that numerous sources have said that conditions for bone loss are not caused by excessive thyroid levels. If bone loss conditions don't exist, then thyroid levels would have no impact. If bone loss conditions already exist, higher metabolism due to increased thyroid levels may increase the rate of bone loss.
I'm curious to know if anyone got their hair back using armour thyroid. I switched to armour two months ago...I'm taking 2.5 grains.. All my symptoms have almost vanished but my hair..My hair has not stopped falling yet,., I'm having all my hopes on armour. So please let me know if anyone experienced positive results for the hair using armour..
In the absence of hyper symptoms, you are not hyper, just because of a low TSH. Another concern they will sometimes mention is potential bone loss. Bone loss cannot be caused by the absence of TSH (low TSH test result). The only possible association would have to be from excessive T3 and T4, but as I understand it, this possibility only exists with levels that far exceed their reference range.
It should not recur if the dose is kept lower than their threshold. Thyroid hormone does not cause bone loss, it simply increases metabolic rate and therefore the rate of the current bone formation or loss. Most older people are losing bone due to their combined sex steroid, DHEA, Vitamin D, and growth hormone deficiencies. The solution is not life-long hypothyroidism or bisphosphonates; one should correct the hormone deficiencies.
Fraser WD et al.
DHEA treatment may not be the cause of your hair falling out BUT in combination with Armour the thyroid could be over producing. I see you stopped that DHEA but with taking the Armour - it may take time to fall back within the ranges you were comfortable at.
A TSH test is OK - but my advice is to have your doctor run a Free T3 along woth TSH. This may open up more information to you.
It should not recur if the dose is kept lower than their threshold. Thyroid hormone does not cause bone loss, it simply increases metabolism and therefore the rate of the current bone formation or loss. Most older women are losing bone due to their combined sex steroid, DHEA, Vitamin D, and growth hormone deficiencies. The solution is not life-long hypothyroidism, but the correction of their other deficiencies.
Please post your lab test numbers and reference ranges. To my knowledge hair loss is associated with incorrect thyroid levels rather than the medication itself. Even after starting on meds, and getting the dosage correct, hair regrowth may take some time. Armour is sometimes beneficial when a body has trouble converting enough T4 to T3 and some members have reported better results from Armour than one of the T4 only type meds.
however, his offer to prescribe Armour might be worthwhile. Armour itself does not cause hair loss. Hair loss would be associated with inadequate levels of Free T3 and free T4.
There is no need to wait for 4 months to see if the dosage change does anything for you That change will not help increase your Free T3 level.
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