>The way to reduce the swelling is to take enough thyroid medication to
>suppress the production of thyroid hormone.

Is this true for all people?  My endocrinologist told me this week that a
person was medicated according to their size.  Since I am a small person, I
would not require as much medication.  However, I have no TSH and therefore
no thyroid production of my own at this point.  I thought that different
people took different doses, depending on how much thyroid hormones they
were able to produe on their own.  I am currently taking 5 grains of
armour, which I get from the States, but my endo believes only in taking
synthetic T4, there is no gain from taking a combonation T4/T3 drug and of
course there is no such thing as rever
se T3  (that belief I will never
understand.  It can be tested for, but yet it doesn't exist! Yeah right!).
But there is no explaining this to a closed minded doctor!  I asked if she
would give me Thyroid since that is much the same as Armour, but no every
hypothyroid person is on Synthroid and that is the way it should be.  Yeah
right, tell me another one!

Anyway she said that since I am so small, I would likely be fine
with .088mg of T4 but said she would give .1mg saying if it were too much,
it would not be a lot too much.  I asked if that was okay for a person with
no TSH and no more thyroid hormones of my own.  She said the fact that I
have no thyroid production of my own is irrelevant, I have a small build
which means I would not require high doses of medication.

Has anyone ever gone from Armour to a synthetic T4?  And if so, is my endo
correct or could we venture a guess as to what wou
ld be needed.  I am
currently on 5 grains armour and my T4/T3 levels are normal?  Also, how
much am I likely to suffer?  I am not looking forward to changing to
Synthroid, but unfortunately right now I do not have much of a choice.  At
least until I can find another endo.

Thanks!




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