I used to take Armour, and then when I went to the endocrinologist for the 'official diagnosis' he changed it to the synthroid.  His reasoning is that the Armour isn't a steady dose.  You get a rush of hormone when you take it, and it decreases all day.  He said that synthroid makes your hormone level the same all day.  I'm thinking that I may ask my naturopath to swich me back to Armour.   So, Armour has the t3?

Yes, but from what I am reading, it is not really similar in percentages to human thyroid.  Apparently, Armour has
a higher percentage of t3, so many do not do well on it.  In the past I have had thyroid panels done by a functional
md and my levels were all pretty good.  Now after thinking about this, I wonder if it's not a mineral thing going on
with the hair loss for me.  I am perimenopausal, at 50, but have been having pretty heavy periods for about a year
now.  I wonder if I am not anemic.  I saw a post from Lola on another thread about thyroid and iron.  I wonder if taking fucus would help in this respect because of it's mineral content.....this is very confusing to me.....

Now if only I could get all my facial hair to fall out!!!  

Hey paulam, why not try the fucus? Or better yet, start slow w/ Deflect (lower dose) and see how you do?  If I take Deflect first thing in the morning, I can usually tell if the dose is right by whether or not I warm up (including hands and feet).  I started off taking Deflect with all meals, but kinda ran into "overdrive" after a few weeks!  
But get it right and - whoa - I'm feeling good.  

My endo has me on levoxyl plus a compounded capsule that includes a small amount of Armour plus extra T3 and T2.  We've been playing with the doses for a few years.  He thinks that for most people about 2% T3 helps with a lot of the symptoms.  My case is a little different because I had a near total thyroidectomy in 1996 (small thy. cancer that was discovered when I had one of my parathyroids out).  
I've often wondered if tyrosine would help me at all.  I've been taking carnitine lately but maybe I should try the tyrosine too.   Isa, what do you think?
Jane

Just took some deflect now, I hope it will be helpful.  I have tried catechol in the past, it helps a bit also.  But lets see
about the deflect for now.  Jane, this thyroid stuff is tricky, but I know that when it is off, it isn't pleasant....

thatswhy I am on l'tyrosine, so it kicks both levels T3 & T4.....they've to match together ....

about facial hairs ....here we see our descendencies ....I am happy that mine aren't dark..
......

hey, I think I"ll try that too, Isa - adding a tyrosine with my Deflect - I have tried it in the past & can't remember why I stopped. Carnitine is good too, but not exactly the same. I get the pressure on the right side of my thyroid too, if I don't eat those nasty potatoes. I've figured out they ARE inhibiting my thyroid; problem is, my thyroid can't keep up w/ out them.    But neither do I want to go to a doctor, so I'm going to keep working with the Deflect/bladderwrack & tyrosine.  I know it takes 3 -6 weeks for the thyroid to "catch up" if you change your dose, so that's why it's going to take me some time to ditch the potatoes & get my thyroid working right again.  I"ve read that bladderwrack contains di-iodotyrosine; two of them put together make T4 (thyroxine) so your body can make the thyroid hormone from it. But not enough if you've had yours removed or ablated.  Also halibut is thyroid-boosting, at least for this O, and it's tasty to boot!
yes, facial hairs *sighs heavily* I shave the black "beard" whiskers, but at least my moustache is blonde!!  My mom & my grandmother both had them.  My grandmother was a red-head -  I guess that says something about my "descendencies"    Shucks, I even have more body hair than my husband!  I used to envy the European women who don't have to shave their legs - that is right, isn't it?  I wish there was something to do about it, but I think I might just as well accept my genes for what they are.  

I've read in several places that an omega-6 deficiency will cause hair loss.  

Perhaps if you tried an oil source that is neutral or beneficial for B's and which is also high in omega-6's, it might help your problem.

some european women don't choose to shave their legs but not because they don't have hair there...!

shaving only makes it worse!!
I ve waxed ever since I can remember, and by now I am practically hair free!!
shaving makes your hair grow back stronger!
waxing debilitates it in the long run........

bump, I think the tyrosine is helping me!  

For what it's worth...I was on a very high soy protein diet and I was having severe hair loss.  I went to the allergist and found out that I was HIGHLY allergic to soy.  I now try to avoid soy and my hair is back and I haven't had any problems any more.  The soy was also causing severe sebborreah dermititis which has also cleared up significantly.  Hope this helps someone...

thanks Julie!

have you perhaps thought of finding out your secretor status and serotype, or subtype?
might have a lot to do with your reaction to soy.

I just received my secretor test in the mail today.  I will set up for pickup tomorrow.  How long does it take to get the results?

around two weeks, depending...
results can also be checked by internet
http://www.dadamo.com/napharm/secreport.html

Julie,
   I know that soy can be a problem, my two O sons who have acne, I believe they are nonnies, and they
stopped soy, the acne has significantly improved.....but I don't use much, or any soy myself....I think it's my
synthroid/thyroid situation.  I thought tyrosine was helping, but I noticed lots of hair again.  Now I am wondering
about anemia....heavy periods before meno, etc that I have been suffering.....
Good luck with your secretor status, what are you hoping to be?

I'm glad soy doesn't bother me. I get acne from meat and milk (I think it's the hormones) and I would have practically no options if I couldn't eat the soy.

Soy is supposed to be A friendly, glad it's not bothering you.  I agree about the hormones
in dairy and meat, and also with dairy, I think it effects the insulin mechanism, further disrupting hormones.   My one son was eating something called "Think Thin" bars, they were supposed to be gluten, sugar, etc free.  But turns out we really didn't see the casein, whey, etc, sometimes peanuts as a problem, but obviously they were not safe.  I am now buying
some almond and rice milk instead of soy milk  too....he's doing better.....

Quoted from 552

Now if only I could get all my facial hair to fall out!!!  

bahahahah!  

Seriously, my sister is a type A and lost an embarrassing amount of hair following the Atkins protein overload diet.  You could see her scalp through her hairstyle!     I think it's connected.  

singing,

that's entirely possible.  

Ron, glad you are back up and running!

test

I felt like I was losing a lot of hair too but my stylist says I have tons of hair.  I think it's because I scrunch my hair to encourage the curl and don't brush it so when I wash it in the shower I always see hair around the drain.
You might think that this is weird but if my thyroid is way off, my watch doesn't run....or runs slow.
I feel lately like I'm taking too much stuff...between the Deflect, the tyrosine, sometimes carnitine, polyflora, glucosamine with MSM, l glutamine, proberry, glycosia, catechol plus my thyroid meds and Asacol for UC in the AM and cal,mag, zinc plus D and Asacol in the PM...WOW!
Jane

It's good to take periodic breaks from supplements.  This can be as simple as not taking select ones on the weekends.  Or skipping Wednesday and Sunday.  Or taking a week off every couple of months.  Or skip a week or two every time you finish a bottle.

I'm not referring to prescription meds.