Armour Thyroid is a prescription natural thyroid hormone replacement medication that comes from an animal source. It's used to treat hypothyroidism and certain other thyroid-related conditions. Common side effects are usually related to taking too much thyroid hormone and can include fast heartbeat, nervousness, and sweating.
Armour Thyroid is a natural combination of two thyroid hormones which your thyroid gland normally makes: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These hormones help control important functions like your metabolism, energy, heart rate, and body temperature.
If your body doesn’t make enough of these hormones, taking Armour Thyroid can help bring your levels back to normal.
| Common Brands | Armour Thyroid |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | Thyroid hormone replacement (T3 / T4) |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | No lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription only |
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:
Changes in appetite
changes in menstrual periods
fast or irregular heartbeat
hand tremors
headache
irritability
leg cramps
nervousness
sensitivity to heat
shortness of breath
sweating
trouble sleeping
vomiting
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Armour Thyroid can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Armour Thyroid shouldn't be used for weight loss. It’s not recommended, safe, or effective for this purpose. If your thyroid levels are normal, taking normal doses won’t help you lose weight. Taking high doses of Armour Thyroid can cause serious or life-threatening side effects, especially if used with other medications for weight loss.
In rare cases, you might have low thyroid hormones and low adrenal hormones at the same time. If your thyroid hormones are replaced first, your adrenal hormone levels can drop even lower and make you feel very sick. Your prescriber should check your adrenal hormone levels before prescribing Armour Thyroid. Get medical help right away if you feel very tired, weak, dizzy, lose your appetite, or have stomach pain.
Armour Thyroid can affect how your diabetes medications work and might change the dose you need. Be sure to check your blood sugar levels as directed by your prescriber. Talk to your prescriber if you notice blood sugar levels that are higher than usual. They might need to raise the dose of your diabetes medication.
Taking too much Armour Thyroid can cause heart problems, especially if you're an older adult or already have certain heart conditions. Contact your prescriber or get medical care right away if you have a fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, or trouble breathing. Your prescriber might need to lower your dose if you start having new or worse heart symptoms while taking this medication.
Armour Thyroid can change the levels of certain medications in your body. These include oral anticoagulants, insulin, and oral diabetes medications. On the other hand, some medications can affect the levels of Armour Thyroid in your system. These include certain cholesterol medications and oral contraceptives.
Before you start taking Armour Thyroid, talk to your prescriber about all the medications you take. They might need to change your dose or help you plan when to take each one during the day. This helps your treatments work properly and lowers the risk of side effects or interactions.
Tablet| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30mg | 30 tablets | $32.40 | $1.08 |
| 60mg | 90 tablets | $108.00 | $1.20 |
| 90mg | 30 tablets | $56.70 | $1.89 |
| 120mg | 30 tablets | $66.00 | $2.20 |
| 15mg | 30 tablets | $27.60 | $0.92 |
| 180mg | 30 tablets | $49.50 | $1.65 |
| 240mg | 30 tablets | $60.00 | $2.00 |
| 300mg | 45 tablets | $105.97 | $2.35 |
The dose of Armour Thyroid depends on what you're taking it for. Your prescriber will adjust your dose based on your response to the medication and the results of your thyroid level lab tests.
Hypothyroidism: The typical starting dose is 30 mg by mouth daily. The dose can go up to 120 mg a day, depending on your body's needs. Your dose might be lower if you have certain health problems. The starting dose for children is based on their age and body weight.
Lowering TSH: The dose is calculated by your prescriber based on your body weight and is typically given for 7 to 10 days.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Armour Thyroid will not be safe for you to take.
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Not usually. Most experts recommend lab-made thyroid hormone medications, like levothyroxine), as a first-choice treatment for low thyroid hormone levels. This is because Armour Thyroid can vary from batch to batch, which might make it harder to keep your thyroid levels consistent. Talk to your care team if you have questions about comparing the two types of hormone treatments.
No, Armour Thyroid isn't FDA approved. It was available before the FDA's current medication approval process was created. Even though it isn't FDA approved, healthcare professionals can still prescribe it, and some people use it to treat low thyroid hormone levels.
You can only buy Armour Thyroid with a prescription from a healthcare professional. Once you have a prescription, you can fill it at most local pharmacies or through an online pharmacy.
Not typically. Weight gain isn't a common side effect of Armour Thyroid. In fact, if you have low thyroid hormone levels, starting thyroid hormone replacement might help reverse weight gain caused by hypothyroidism. If you notice unexpected weight gain during treatment, talk to your prescriber. It could be a sign that your thyroid hormone levels need to be checked or adjusted.
Armour Thyroid and levothyroxine are both used to treat hypothyroidism, but they contain different forms of thyroid hormone. Armour Thyroid is made from pig thyroid glands and contains both T3 and T4 thyroid hormones, while levothyroxine is a lab-made medication that contains only T4. Levothyroxine is usually the first-choice treatment for hypothyroidism because it provides more consistent hormone levels. But if your symptoms don't improve enough with levothyroxine, your healthcare professional might try switching you to Armour Thyroid.
Armour Thyroid comes from an animal source and is made from dried thyroid glands from pigs. It also contains other chemicals in the medication that help hold the tablets together.
Children taking Armour Thyroid might have some hair loss during the first few months of treatment. This is usually temporary, and normal hair growth typically returns as treatment continues.
Armour Thyroid usually takes a few weeks to work. Most people begin to feel better after about 2 to 3 weeks. Your prescriber will check your thyroid levels with blood tests and might adjust your dose to make sure it’s working correctly.
