Q. After years of begging my doctor to check my thyroid, he finally ran tests eight years ago and found that I am hypothyroid. At first he prescribed Synthroid, but even after increasing the dose every year for five years the tests were no better and I still felt terrible. I had no energy at all and felt I needed a nap many afternoons.
He sent me to an endocrinologist who prescribed Armour Thyroid, a natural glandular extract. The change was unbelievable! The Synthroid (synthetic levothyroxine) contains only T4, while the Armour desiccated pig thyroid has both T3 and T4. That’s what my body needs. Maybe others will find it helpful too.
A. Some people find that the mix of hormones in natural thyroid extract (Armour, Erfa, Naturethroid, Westhroid) is better than levothyroxine (Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid) for relieving symptoms of hypothyroidism.
To learn more about symptoms of thyroid imbalance and ways to diagnose and treat it, you may wish to read our Guide to Thyroid Hormones.
Symptoms of low thyroid function include fatigue, dry skin, constipation, sensitivity to cold, low libido, slow pulse, brittle fingernails and mental sluggishness.
You will also find a very complete discussion of thyroid problems and treatment options in our book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy. In addition to the chapter on thyroid, you will find chapters on a wide variety of health problems from hypertension and heartburn to arthritis and allergies.
