Armour Thyroid
| December 7, 2012 | Posted by admin under Thyroid |
What is armor thyroid? Key to understanding armour medications and thyroid problems is to understand that Armour thyroid is a medicine extracted from the thyroid gland of pigs to treat symptoms of thyroid conditions suffered by humans.
In preparing the pills, the pig extract is dried and ground into powder form.
Pork thyroid medications were developed over a hundred years ago, and continue to be prescribed in the treatment of under active thyroid gland. Armour thyroid is often called a natural thyroid hormone because it is a by-product of animals.
Thyroid armour contains a mixture of thyroid hormones of eighty percent T4 and twenty percent T3 that is identical to the proportion found in pigs. Armour received its name from the American meatpacking plant named Armour, which supplied the well-known brand of animal thyroid hormone.
The tiny sized thyroid gland, which is located in the neck, is in charge of keeping our bodies functioning at its peak performance. It works by producing a hormone called thyroxine, which normally is disturbed throughout our body via the bloodstream.
The hormones the thyroid gland secretes are essential for controlling normal growth and stimulating metabolism. An overactive thyroid can lead to Graves’ disease, while an under active gland can cause hypothyroidism or thyroid disease.
A severe deficiency in producing thyroid hormones is often characterized by weight gain, lethargy, and swelling of the glands. Armour is US-FDA approved and as consistent as thyroxine, the natural hormone secreted by humans.
Armour thyroid hormone
Armour for thyroid hormone is a brand name for a natural thyroid medication. The American company Armour formally made the drugs but the current manufacturer is Forest Pharmaceuticals.
The drug contains natural forms of the thyroid hormones T1, T2, T3, T4 and other substances. From the beginning of the 20th century, Armour medications was the only thyroid hormone replacement for entire first half.
A colleague was not showing any symptoms of thyroid disorder until his annual physical. Lab work came back with abnormal readings from his blood test. An endocrinologist performed further tests and started treatment for over active thyroid. A short time later, a sudden allergy reaction developed to the medication.
His doctor prescribed PTU as an alternate medication due to the intolerance of Methimazole. He is hoping his body will tolerate the medicine well enough to go into remission in the future.
Generally, many patients have satisfactory results using sodium T4-only drugs. However, some people suffering from hyperthyroidism may prove to be excellent candidates for taking Armour thyroid.
His doctor has advised if his body does not tolerate the second drug, there will be no choice but to remove the thyroid via radioactive iodine or surgery. If that is done, he will most likely have to take the synthetic thyroid for the rest of his life.
This is because it is not easy to control how much thyroid to remove or kill using the radioactive iodine. The removal of a thyroid turns the over active thyroid into hypothyroid as the thyroid no longer manufactures the hormone that is needed for our bodies to work properly.
Armour thyroid symptoms
In the spring of 2009, Armour changed its armour natural thyroid dried formula of the drug causing unwanted side effects for some patients taking the medication.
- Reported Armour side effects include:
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Dramatic change in thyroid levels
- Weight gain
- Hair loss
- Return of previous signs of thyroid disease
Armour thyroid medication
Armor thyroid medication offers natural benefits over synthetic medicines. Armour provides the extra energy boost needed for many users to remain productive individuals. Increased energy levels are due in part to the inclusion of both T4 and T3 hormones.
Compare strength to other drugs
Although the formula has changed recently, doctors suggest that in a short time and adverse symptoms experienced should diminish in a short time period. Many physicians consider Armour thyroid to be the most effective because many sufferers whose thyroids are suppressed by stress do not respond well to synthetic thyroxine, T4.
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