In , scientists discovered that T4 converts to T3, alleviating the previous worry that levothyroxine as a standalone treatment could lead to T3 deficiency. In addition, the specific lab test to check thyroid stimulating hormone TSH levels was developed in , giving healthcare providers a way to better monitor the effects of hormone replacement medication.
New awareness of T4's conversion to T3 and the advent of the TSH test sparked the trend toward increasing numbers of healthcare providers prescribing levothyroxine as the sole treatment for hypothyroidism. By , the treatment recommendations proclaimed levothyroxine "the agent of choice.
Despite the preference toward levothyroxine, DTE started to make a resurgence in the s as interest in natural medicine increased. At that time, patients who weren't feeling well on levothyroxine were also becoming more empowered and aware of treatment options—like Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid, and other desiccated thyroid drugs—thanks in part to the internet.
Scientists don't understand exactly why this is, but it could be due to problems with the way the pituitary gland, thyroid, and hypothalamus—all of which work together to stimulate thyroid hormone production—communicate with each other. If you're currently taking levothyroxine brand names include Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, and Tirosint and you're still not feeling well, you may benefit from talking to your healthcare provider about adding liothyronine synthetic T3 or switching to DTE.
There are several potential benefits of taking DTE. A online survey of 12, patients being treated for hypothyroidism with levothyroxine, levothyroxine with liothyronine T3 , or DTE, found that the people taking DTE were happier with their treatment and their healthcare providers than people on the other two types of therapy.
The DTE group also reported fewer problems with memory, weight, fatigue, and energy than the other two groups. A study compared DTE to levothyroxine, evaluating 70 patients ages 18 to 65 who had primary hypothyroidism. The patients were randomly assigned to either natural desiccated thyroid or levothyroxine for 16 weeks, and then switched to the opposite for 16 weeks.
Neither the researchers nor the patients knew who was taking what. At the end of the study, there were no remarkable differences between DTE and levothyroxine in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, or thyroid hormone levels, but HDL cholesterol "good" cholesterol was reduced. When asked whether they preferred the first or the second regimen, nearly 49 percent of the participants preferred DTE, almost 19 percent preferred levothyroxine, and about 33 percent had no preference.
Some Report an Improvement in Symptoms. In the study, some of the patients who preferred DTE said their mood and mental symptoms, such as happiness, memory, concentration, sleep, and energy level, were greatly improved while taking DTE. However, overall the study measured no significant differences in general health, or in neuropsychological testing, during treatment with DTE vs.
Furthermore, a meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials with a total of patients, in which treatment with T4 was compared to combination treatment with T4 and T3 found no improvement in body pain, depression, anxiety, quality of life, or body weight with combination treatment.
While some individuals may indeed feel better with combination treatment, treatment with T4 alone appears to be entirely sufficient for the great majority of people with hypothyroidism. There are some possible drawbacks to choosing DTE as your treatment too. Sometimes there are shortages of DTE, as there was in to DTE is vulnerable to the market conditions affecting pork. For instance, in to , an epidemic of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus wiped out an estimated 8 million pigs in the United States.
The virus killed as many as 10 percent of the country's pig population, driving up prices for pork products, including DTE. There are slightly varying amounts of T4 and T3 in DTE, making them a less precise treatment option and potentially creating more difficulty in finding the correct dosage.
As an example, Armour Thyroid states that the active ingredients in their medication are "similar" from tablet to tablet. Animals have different balances of hormones than humans. DTE contains a ratio of T4 to T3; humans have a ratio of This can translate into high T3 levels in people taking DTE. Thyrotoxicosis is a condition that occurs when you have too much thyroid hormone in your body.
The fetus through the first 18 weeks of gestation depends on T4 for normal neurological development, and higher-than-normal levels of T3 have been associated with impaired neurological development. Because the ratio of T4:T3 are much lower with desiccated thyroid in pigs vs in humans , desiccated thyroid generally should not be used in women of childbearing age.
As with any medication, there are some potential risks when you take DTE. Whether synthetic or natural, thyroid hormones shouldn't be used to treat obesity or to help with weight loss. Taking a thyroid hormone won't help someone with normal thyroid function lose weight.
Another concern is that taking too much thyroid hormone or using it along with other weight loss drugs can result in serious and potentially life-threatening complications.
You shouldn't use DTE if you're allergic to any of the ingredients it contains, such as pork, or if you have an overactive thyroid or untreated adrenal issues. You also should not take DTE if you are a woman of childbearing age. Other Serious Health Conditions.
If you have other medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, adrenal problems, or issues with your pituitary gland, your medications for these may need to be adjusted when you're taking DTE. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all prescription or over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products you're taking, as DTE can have interactions with many of these.
If you're pregnant, nursing, or plan to become pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider about taking DTE.
Let your healthcare provider know if you become pregnant while you're taking DTE as well. Over-the-counter glandular thyroid support supplements are neither the same as prescription DTE, nor a substitute for prescription thyroid hormone replacement medication. It can also be dangerous to your health to buy DTE from another country without a prescription and without your healthcare provider's approval and supervision.
As noted, the standard treatment for hypothyroidism is levothyroxine T4 alone. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is underactive. Usually made from the thyroid glands of a pig, Armour Thyroid works by replacing the hormones that your thyroid gland is unable to produce.
The level of hormones can affect many different body functions causing potential imbalances. These side effects are not common. Usually, they mean that your dose is too high and needs to be lowered. If your doctor is considering starting you on Armour Thyroid for your hypothyroidism, let them know about any prescription or nonprescription drugs or supplements that you take regularly, including:. Armour Thyroid is typically taken orally once daily. The dosage requirements are usually individualized based on patient needs.
Dosage is usually low at the beginning of treatment so that your body can become accustomed to it. Just continue with your medication normally. Natural desiccated thyroid is the original treatment for hypothyroidism.
It has been used for more than a century. This synthetic form of thyroxine is called levothyroxine or l-thyroxine. Even though natural desiccated thyroid contains two key thyroid hormones — thyroxine T4 and triiodothyronine T3 — as well as other elements found in an organic thyroid gland, levothyroxine has become the preferred treatment. There are better options available for treatment of hypothyroidism.
The explanation for this is not known, but this is the main reason some patients take Armour Thyroid. In general, when used in appropriate doses, either levothyroxine or Armour Thyroid should result in a good health outcome. We need to make sure the serum [thyroid-stimulating hormone] is kept in the reference range as we do for any patient with hypothyroidism on any thyroid hormone therapy. I would also be a bit worried about Mrs.
Clinton being on Armour thyroid, since older patients are at increased risk for heart rhythm problems if too much thyroid hormone is given. Bonnie Camo, MD , a retired family physician who specialized in treating mental illness through nutrition and who practiced in Kendall Park, N. However, she said, "I saw
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