Rachael Proumen, DO. Runa Acharya, MD. Amy Patel, MD. Select Format Select format. Permissions Icon Permissions. Abstract Treatment of hypothyroidism is predominantly with levothyroxine due to its ability to generate stable T3 levels and its long half-life. For commercial re-use, please contact journals. Issue Section:. Download all slides. View Metrics. Email alerts Article activity alert.
Advance article alerts. New issue alert. In addition, some patients who continue to have symptoms of hypothyroidism when taking levothyroxine report improvement in these symptoms when switched to desiccated thyroid extract. This study was performed to compare levothyroxine to desiccated thyroid extract in terms of thyroid blood tests, changes in weight, psychometric test results and patient preference.
J Clin Endo- crinol Metab ; Epub March 28, After each treatment period patients were weighed, had blood tests, underwent psychometric testing and were asked which therapy they preferred. Desiccated thyroid extract use was also associated with more weight loss. This will be discussed in more detail below. Summary: Current thyroid association guidelines recommend Synthroid as the first treatment option. There is little evidence to support the use of Armour Thyroid over Synthroid.
Anecdotal personal reports claim Armour Thyroid leads to increased feelings of wellness and reduced symptoms as compared to Synthroid. In a double-blinded study of 70 participants, those taking Armour Thyroid lost nearly three pounds more than those taking Synthroid.
This may have to do with genetics. Some people with specific genetic mutations may not be able to either convert T4 into T3 or transport T3 in and out of cells from the blood.
Blood tests do not always accurately reflect the levels of T3 inside tissues such as the brain and liver 5. This means people may still experience the side effects of hypothyroidism, yet appear to have blood levels of T3, T4 and TSH within the normal ranges. Summary: Some people claim to feel better when using Armour Thyroid, but there is limited evidence supporting this opinion.
One of the main arguments for the use of Armour Thyroid is that it contains T3 as well as T4. However, there is only a small amount of evidence available to support this theory 5. A trial of combination T4 and T3 therapy is recommended for patients who do not experience symptom relief on Synthroid. This is experimental and should be stopped if no positive results are seen after three months 3.
While it may be beneficial, there are some issues associated with using Armour Thyroid to replace T3, including:. T3 levels may spike or become elevated and symptoms such as heart palpitations and others seen in hyperthyroidism can occur.
Slow release or multiple daily doses of synthetic T3 are likely to produce much more consistent blood levels and less side effects 2 , 5. Summary: A certain subpopulation of hypothyroid patients may do better on a combination of T4 and T3.
However, the best results will likely be achieved with synthetic T3. The ratio of T4 to T3 in Armour Thyroid is not ideal for humans and can lead to side effects associated with elevated T3 levels. Because synthetic T4 and T3 are biologically identical to the natural hormones, they produce exactly the same actions within the body 2.
The only difference is that Armour Thyroid also contains calcitonin, T1 and T2, which may be biologically active meaning they produce effects in the body. However, there does not appear to be any evidence that they produce any significant effect in these amounts. Summary: Synthetic thyroid hormones are biologically identical to animal hormones and will produce the same effects. Many people with hypothyroidism have difficulties with weight loss. Losing weight can often help bring thyroid hormone levels back to normal.
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