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Posted 1/16/2017 7:58 PM (GMT -5)
Hey everyone. I'm not new to this site but I forgot my old account login info so I had to make a new account. I've been treating my lyme and co's for about a year and a half. My LLMD has me get hood work done every four weeks or so. This last blood work my TSH was high-4.12. I saw him today and he wants me to start a medicine called armour thyroid Starting at 15mg. I'm not very well informed on thyroid problems and what symptoms they cause and also how it relates back to chronic Lyme. Can Anyone who has been on this medicine let me know what to expect? What symptoms are from thyroid issues and how do you determine if it's thyroid or lyme/co's??? Not really sure what to expect with this. I didn't think I would end up having this issue as well. Do thyroid problems resolve with lyme treatment as well???

Any help with this is appreciated. I can't believe I have something else to worry about now.

Also my T4 and T3 have usually Been within the right range. My LLMD doesn't check those every time I get blood work for some reason.


I'm kinda worried about this.

Is a symptom of thyroid issue bloating in the stomach area??? I have noticed that recently. I'm pretty skinny (usually around 110lb) but my stomach definitely seems more bloated than it should be. That's really the only symptom I have that I would think would be thyroid ??? I do have fatigue but usually that comes with babesia herxing.


Thanks everyone
Posted 1/16/2017 8:12 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Kittycat14


I'm not taking thyroid meds...but from reading about thyroid issues...and posts on here from other members, I have learned a few things:

- TSH alone should not be used to prescribe meds for thyroid. What was the range for the TSH test?
FT3 and FT4 are important.

Did you have thyroid antibodies testing done?

Could you post your more recent lab results with the FT3 and FT4, along with the TSH that was done at the same time? They should be in the upper end of the ranges to be optimal. (T3/T4)

Chronic lyme can affect our thyroid. No matter what causes it, if you are hypothyroid, then supplementation is needed.

We have a few thyroid savvy members on here...hopefully they will post: Krimpet , Astroman, and cd3764.
(there maybe more...as well)

I don't know if stomach bloating is one of the hypothyroid symptoms.
Posted 1/16/2017 8:43 PM (GMT -5)
My last blood draw before this level Was dec 1. The tsh was 2.98 and the range was 0.44 to 3.98. the t3 reverse was 9.5 and the range was 9.0 to 27.0. the thyroxine free was 0.83 and the range was 0.78 to 1.48. there was another test listed that he wanted done but that wasnt done for some reason...called the triiodithyronine??? My blood draw before that was nov 7. the tsh then was 2.43 and range was 0.44 to 3.98. The t3 reverse was 8.8 and the range was 9.0 to 27. This was flagged low. The thyroxine was 5.7 and the range was 4.5 to 11.1. And the triiodothyronine was 94 and the range was 80 to 210.


So do these numbers mean I do have a thyroid problems since they're at the lower end?
Posted 1/16/2017 9:33 PM (GMT -5)
I think your doc is making the right call. Armour is a very good thyroid med, it's what I take. Your thyroid is your body's thermostat so a messed up or sluggish thyroid can slow everything down. Digestion issues like constipation and bloat are most definitely caused by thyroid. Feeling cold, fatigue, trouble sleeping, weight gain or loss, hair loss, dry skin even. Getting your thyroid optimal will help you to gauge how your Lyme treatment is going. Most people feel best with a tsh around 1 or even lower. I know I do!
Posted 1/16/2017 10:00 PM (GMT -5)
Ok cool thanks for the info. When u started this medicine did you have any side effects at first? Will this make my stomach bloating go away? I always kinda thought stomach bloating could be from babesia as well. Thank you
Posted 1/16/2017 10:41 PM (GMT -5)
The medicine is just giving you what your body should be making so side effects will only happen if you end up getting too much. In that case you'd go to a smaller dose. Those side effects are things like diarrhea, heart palpitations, fast pulse, feeling hot, weight loss in spite of increased appetite. Basically all the same symptoms as being hyperthyroid. Right now you are hypothyroid. Probably you will start feeling a bit better rather quickly. It can take some time to get the dosage right but you are on the right track. smile
Posted 1/17/2017 1:21 AM (GMT -5)
15mg of Armour? Dear, thats not enough. Unless your doctor thinks you have heart issues that Armour will negatively impact, 15 is the wrong way to go. What will happen is your pituitary will recognize the supplemental thyroid hormone and signal the thyroid to lower production. Its already low. Yes your TSH will drop, but with only 15mg you are going immediately become even more hypo. Ill let others who usually answer these chime in, but....been there done that a long time ago. Question this one. Good luck.

PS...Getting your thyroid in check may or may not decrease bloating. I go through this myself right now. My issue is Bartonella causing decreased intestinal motility. In my case, its a signaling issue. Your case might be similar, it could also be decreased acid production from being hypo. Could be candida. Many things can cause bloating. Fingers crossed you get it sorted. Its rough some days.

Post Edited (trader758) : 1/16/2017 11:26:11 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/17/2017 8:03 AM (GMT -5)
Well you definitely need some thyroid support, however the first step is not always thyroid medicine. There are many natural products as well that could help. Also have you considered having your adrenals checked with a 24-hour saliva test? The adrenals and the thyroid go hand in hand. Typically a malfunction in one leads to a malfunction in the other.

However if you are going the medicine route, starting low is best as it gives your body the ability to acclimate. You may end up on a higher dosage, but as you heal, you may not need thyroid meds anymore and may be able to just suppprt naturally.

Oh and also have your iodine levels checked. This is also important in thyroid function.
Posted 1/17/2017 10:43 AM (GMT -5)
No offense Krimpet, but are you advocating 15mg? Again, barring heart issues, 15mg will only work to suppress natural production. The manufacturer and knowledgable physicians alike recommend at least 30 for this reason in otherwise healthy individuals.
Posted 1/17/2017 10:58 AM (GMT -5)

trader758 said...
No offense Krimpet, but are you advocating 15mg? Again, barring heart issues, 15mg will only work to suppress natural production. The manufacturer and knowledgable physicians alike recommend at least 30 for this reason in otherwise healthy individuals.

No offense taken trader. What I advocate is starting low and building up. So in this case, the doctor prescribed 15mg which should be bumped up in 2 weeks to at least get to a dose of 30mg. Testing will determine where they go from there. Neither of us know why the doctor is starting at 15mg, but I'm assuming that he's taking precautions for some reason.
Posted 1/17/2017 11:04 AM (GMT -5)

Krimpet 🍔 said...

trader758 said...
No offense Krimpet, but are you advocating 15mg? Again, barring heart issues, 15mg will only work to suppress natural production. The manufacturer and knowledgable physicians alike recommend at least 30 for this reason in otherwise healthy individuals.

No offense taken trader. What I advocate is starting low and building up. So in this case, the doctor prescribed 15mg which should be bumped up in 2 weeks to at least get to a dose of 30mg. Testing will determine where they go from there. Neither of us know why the doctor is starting at 15mg, but I'm assuming that he's taking precautions for some reason.

I completely agree. Treating hard and fast is not a good idea. I have had thyroid problems for 8 years now. Overmedicating feels miserable and it taxes your body too. 15mg might be plenty for someone who's tsh is slightly elevated. And it might not. That's why most docs test often when they are trying to optimize treatment.
Posted 1/17/2017 11:15 AM (GMT -5)
Just talked to my LLMD on the phone. I am gonna retest my thyroid levels either today or tomorrow and most likely start the armour thyroid next week. Starting new medications ALWAYS hits me super hard for some reason. Even increasing herbals is rough for me so my doctor has learned to be careful when starting me on new medicines. And I've recently been having more heart palpitations and stuff so maybe that's why. My doctor is pretty conservative with some stuff and I like that about him. So I shouldn't have any bad side effects when starting this?
Posted 1/17/2017 11:24 AM (GMT -5)
Kittycat it sounds like your doctor is knowledgeable and I think you're in good hands 😊. So are you retesting TSH, FT3, FT4, and RT3?
Posted 1/17/2017 2:04 PM (GMT -5)

Krimpet 🍔 said...

trader758 said...
No offense Krimpet, but are you advocating 15mg? Again, barring heart issues, 15mg will only work to suppress natural production. The manufacturer and knowledgable physicians alike recommend at least 30 for this reason in otherwise healthy individuals.

No offense taken trader. What I advocate is starting low and building up. So in this case, the doctor prescribed 15mg which should be bumped up in 2 weeks to at least get to a dose of 30mg. Testing will determine where they go from there. Neither of us know why the doctor is starting at 15mg, but I'm assuming that he's taking precautions for some reason.

I understand why doc is starting at 15, but ill not go there. Again, been there done that. Roller coaster ride coming. Wishing kittycat a lot of luck!
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