Take Pig Thyroid Every Day?

When you receive a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, you're told by your doctor that your thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormone. Your TSH--thyroid stimulating hormone--may be high; it is working hard to get the thyroid to produce more hormone. So the higher the TSH, the lower the functioning of the thyroid gland.

While some hypothyroidism patients can help their thyroid by using diet and exercise (regular exercise helps with metabolism, while avoiding soy, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can help the thyroid gland), others require a daily dose of thyroid replacement hormone to function well.

Common hypothyroidism symptoms include: weight gain, hair loss, decreased sexual interest, sensitivity to cold, constipation, "foggy" brain, fatigue, and a general sense of being not-quite-right. Depression is a common side effect of hypothyroidism; depression sufferers should always have a full thyroid test before going on anti-depressants, as anti-depressants can exacerbate thyroid problems.

The most common drugs used to treat hypothyroidism include Synthroid, Levoxyl, and Cytomel. Synthroid and Levoxyl are t4, one of the thyroid hormones that need to be replaced. Cytomel is t3, a different thyroid hormone that some hypothyroidism patients need as an added boost to the t4.

While these synthetic hormones are the most commonly prescribed prescription drugs for hypothyroidism, some patients find that they have side effects when taking the synthetic drugs. Some of the coatings in these drugs include lactose, which cannot be tolerated by some people. In other cases, the hormones have inconsistent levels; the FDA has issued warnings and recalls in the past on these synthetic hormones. in addition, taking only t4, or even t4 and t3, does not mimic the complexity of natural thyroid hormones. This is where Armour thyroid, or "natural" thyroid, comes in.