Do drugs for hypothyroidism just suppress the thyroid gland?

Question

I am on armour and i am sick of spending money on it as i think the only benefit i am getting from it is a placebo effect. I read levothyroxine suppresses the thyroid gland thats why i stopped taking it. So does armour too. Also does anyone actually know what armour is ? Is it the dead thyroid glands of pigs. If it is then how can it be effective medicine if it is dried dead flesh from a pig. Does the dead pig gland reanimate in the blood or does it just do nothing. ??????????????

Answer 1

First of all, have you been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder by a medical doctor? Or have you been ordering Armour off the internet because you *think* you have a thyroid disorder? Many overweight pepople think they do, when in fact less than 5% of overweight people have an actual medical disorder causing their problem.

If you DO have a diagnosed thyroid condition and do not feel better medicated, have you stopped to think that perhaps your dose is not right and needs to be adjusted? That would be the first issue. The second issue is to make sure you are taking the medication properly, regularly, and that there are no other medical problems going on.

Soy can interfere with thyroid hormone absorption and uptake, I would avoid all foods containing soy. Also, take your pill(s) at the same time each day, and try to NEVER miss a dose for proper effect. It is also hard to regulate your dose based on your blood tests if you are taking thryoid hormone erratically. Obviously. Also, try to take your pill either with food OR without food, do not alternate with both, as food will affect absorption of your pill. Lastly, Armour must be taken at least TWICE (sometimes more) per day for best results. 1x every 12 hours. Regular bloodwork must be done by your doctor every couple of months or so.

Some doctors do NOT recommend Armour because of 2 reasons:

-Some people create more antibodies to pig thyroid hormone than the synthetic human thyroid hormone (Synthroid or levothyroxine) made in the lab. This interfers with its action.

-Pig thyroid hormone is not identical to human thryoid hormone.

-It is hard to standardize pig thyroid hormone doses, meaning that each batch of the drug *may* have different strength.

For these reasons, many doctors no longer prescribe Armour, now that synthetic human thyroid hormone is available. That said, some patients and doctors swear by Armour because it contains T4, T3, T2, T1, etc. Some people feel better on Armour, some on Synthroid. It depends on the patient. Why haven't you tried levothyroxine or Synthroid if you feel that Armour is not working for you?

Now, about levothyroixine "surpressing" the thyroid gland...I think you are not understanding the context of what you read. Oral thyroid hormones are meant to replace thyroid hormone in those who can no longer make the proper amounts for good health and survival in most cases. Another reason to use thyroid hormone is to surpress the thyroid gland's OWN production of hormone by increasing the levels in the blood by pill. The thyroid gland will not put out more hormone if the levels in the blood are normal. This is done ONLY in case of thyroid cancer, hyperthyoidism/Grave's Disease, and sometimes in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis when the autoimmune attack is causing erratic hormone release. This is a GOOD thing to surpress thryoid hormone in these cases. Otherwise, if you have true hypothyroidism, or Hashimoto's Disease, your thyroid gland is malfunctioning or even completely destroyed. It is not making the correct levels of hormones no matter what. So it makes no sense to think that taking Synthroid would be harmful, it can only help if you need more thryroid hormone.

Most cases of hypothyroidsim in the Western world result from an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. This is where the immune system mistakenly attacks the thryoid gland and destroys it. Possible triggers may be soy, iodine, and viruses (there is also a genetic component). Avoid soy and iodine if you have autoimmune thyroid disease. There is NO way to fix this condition, and you MUST take oral thyroid hormone unless your doctor says to stop (a small percentage of cases are self-limiting and reverse for unknown reasons). If you don't, you not only risk uncomfortable symptoms like feeling cold and sore joints, you can develop heart disease, severe weight gain, irregular heart beat, and myexdema coma leading to DEATH.

Just as a Type 1 diabetic must replace the insulin they no longer make with an injection, you must replace the thyroid hormone you no longer make with a pill to avoid coma. There are NO miracle or herbal cures. Only thyroid hormone can replace thyroid hormone. You wouldn't try and replace a heart with a herb, would you? The fact is, NO, if you NEED thryoid hormone because your body doesn't make enough/any, oral hormone will NOT surpress your own thryoid glad. Also, if you need more thryoid hormone, you NEED MORE. There is no other option but to replace it.

You need to check in often with your doctor. Find out exactly which form of hypothyroidism you have, how it is treated, and how to adjust your medication depending on your symptoms (with your doctor's help). It is not uncommon for those in early stage Hashimoto's to have wildly fluctuating hormone levels, and this can make patients feel very unwell. Only your doctor can help here. Make sure you have regular blood tests and have your medication (hormone replacement) adjusted often.

Also, it takes at least 6 weeks to a few months to feel better once your medication dose is correct and/or adjusted.  It won't happen overnight.

Armour is not expensive (generally) and levothyroxine is dirt cheap. In contrast, NOT treating hypothyroidism can result in heart disease, abnormal heart beat, myexdema coma, and DEATH, not to mention the uncomfortable symptoms you'd have in the meantime like a constantly cold feeling, fatigue, mental irrationality, and joint pain.

If you are under 18, low thyroid levels can cause a low IQ in children (cannot be reversed) and stunt growth.

It makes no sense to stop replacing a hormone you no longer make without first speaking to your doctor. Usually, swtiching to another brand or dosage adjustment solves the problem.  Also make sure you do not have any other medical conditions going on. Although autoimmune thyroid disease does NOT cause other autoimmune diseases like Type 1 diabetes, Addison's Disease, Celiac Disease, etc. (this is a common misconception), there is a shared GENETIC overlap to these diseases and it is common for one person to have more than one of these diseases. So it's important for your doctor to watch out for them and screen you if you are still feeling unwell.

Also, if you are severely oveweight due to untreated thryoid disease, you can also develop Type 2 diabetes, the kind usually related to obesity and lifestyle. This is due to a slowed metabolic process and/or the excess weight gained due to hypothyroidsim.

There is nothing wrong with "dried hormones", don't worry. Most hormones and/or medications that are taken orally are dry form. It does not impact their effectiveness.

Lastly, please beware of herbal and alternative medicine web sites promoting that oral hormones are "bad" and that taking this "seaweed iodine" supplement will cure you...There is so much propaganda and misinformation out there.

Since all of our food in Western countries is supplemented with iodized table salt in one form or another, there is virtually no risk of developing iodine deficient thryoid disease (if you live in Arfica, that's another story). In fact, studies have shown that in people with autoimmune thyroid disease (the most common cause in Western countries), iodine can be a TRIGGER to cause the disease. So avoid any supplements containing iodine, which can make things worse.

Please, see your doctor ASAP and discuss all of this with them. If you truly have a thyroid condition, the longer you go untreated, the worse it will be. These questions should be directed to a medical professional that knows your individual case.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Well, I'm not a doctor so I don't know allt he technical info on it.  But drugs for hypothyroidism should boost your thyroid activity, not suppress it.  Hypothroidism means that your thyroid gland isn't working hard enough and needs a kick in the butt.  Hyperthyroidism means it's working too much and needs to slow down.

Answer 3

The drugs for hypothyroidism are synthetic hormones. Where did you hear it was pigs?! Synthetic hormones basically do the job that your thyroid can't do anymore. I've been taking levothyroxine for 20 years, and I can honestly say that it is definitely not a placebo.

If you go off the medication, you can have all kinds of medical problems because the thyroid regulates so many things in your body. It can lead to uncontrollable weight gain, enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), enlarged tongue, scaly skin, difficulty swallowing, achy swollen joints, hair loss, depression, lethargy, memory loss, etc. Long term, without the proper thyroid levels you can develop diabetes, arthritis, carpal tunnel,  auto-immune disorders & a goiter among other illnesses.

After I was diagnosed, the doctor recommended all immediate family be tested. My grandmother (who was overweight, diabetic & confined to a wheelchair from swollen joints) discovered she had it. My uncle, (also very overweight) who 2 years later died of ALS, had it. My sister, who had always been very overweight & had carpal tunnel, had a severe form of it called Hashimoto's Disease. She is doing well on the levothyroxine.

My point is, you're on this medication for a reason. The alternative is worse & its about the safest medication you can be prescribed. I would recommend you talk to your doctor if you're so concerned. I think its a very dangerous thing to stop taking a medication that your body needs.

Answer 4

Hypothyroidism is the condition of having a thyroid gland that does not produce enough of the hormone T3/T4; which functions in stimulating your metabolism, among other things.  

Thyroid medication DOES NOT suppress the thyroid.  It provides the hormone that your body is not making enough of naturally.

Armour thyroid medication works because the dessicated pig thyroids still contains the hormones which work in your body as well.    Levothyroxine and other similar medications provide synthetic forms of hormone.  Many people are actually desperate to get their doctors to prescribe them armour thyroid instead of synthetic versions.  Many people have trouble with converting the synthetic T4 into the usable form-T3.  Since armour thyroid already contains some T3, many people benefit from taking it.

Please do not stop taking your medication.  Without it, you may suffer from extreme fatigue, hair loss, constipation, brittle nails, dry skin, a sluggish metabolism, weight gain, cold intolerance, etc.  If you feel that your medication is no longer working for you, you can see your doctor and explain to them why you feel a change in medication is necessary.  Good luck!

Answer 5

Hypothyroidism is thyroid hormone deficiency. It is diagnosed by clinical features such as a typical facies, hoarse slow speech, and dry skin, and by low levels of thyroid hormones. Management includes treatment of the underlying cause and administration of thyroxine.

Both T3 and T4 are used to treat thyroid hormone deficiency (hypothyroidism). They are both absorbed well by the gut, so can be given orally. Levothyroxine, the most commonly used synthetic thyroxine form, is a stereoisomer of physiological thyroxine, which is metabolised more slowly and hence usually only needs once-daily administration. Natural desiccated thyroid hormones, also under the commercial name Armour Thyroid, is derived from pig thyroid glands, it is a "natural" hypothyroid treatment containing 20% T3 and traces of T2, T1 and calcitonin. Also available are synthetic combinations of T3/T4 in different ratios (such as Thyrolar) and pure-T3 medications (Cytomel).

Synthetic thyroxine was first successfully produced by Charles Robert Harington and George Barger in 1926.

Levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone, is used to treat hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Without this hormone, the body cannot function properly, resulting in poor growth, slow speech, lack of energy, weight gain, hair loss, dry thick skin, and increased sensitivity to cold. When taken correctly, levothyroxine reverses these symptoms. Levothyroxine is also used to treat congenital hypothyroidism (cretinism) and goiter (enlarged thyroid gland).

Answer 6

Firstly I would suggest that if your doctor has prescribed levothyroxine, you should discuss it with him/her before you stop taking the medication.

Levothyroxine does not just suppress the thyroid, it is the hormone that the thyroid gland produces. In hypothyroidism, the thyroid for some reason is not producing enough hormone so this is a replacement. In normal circumstances the thyroid 'monitors' the amount of thyroxine in the blood and when it is low it secretes more, when it is high it secretes less. In that way taking levothyroxine suppresses the thyroid but that's not its main action.

An extract of a thyroid gland of an animal contains the hormones which the gland secretes and hence acts as a replacement. It being dead is not the point, it doesn't need to reanimate to act. Insulin injections for diabetic are prepared form the appropriate gland (pancreas) of a pig but are still effective.

Answer 7

Levothyroxine is by far the best treatment for hypothyroidism. I think you're right to have suspicions about 'armour', though I don't know much about it myself.

As far as I know, levothyroxine doesn't suppress the function of the thyroid gland. And if it does, they can just increase your dose. The worst that can happen is you have to take a dose equivalent to the full amount a healthy thyroid gland would release; this would not be dangerous. Many people have their thyroid removed completely then take levothyroxine; it doesn't cause any problems at all.

If you're unsure about medication, visit your doctor to get some professional advice. They'll know all about side-effects and risks, and can give the best advice.