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. Currently, there is no cure for hypothyroidism and, in most cases, medication will need to be taken for life. Armour Thyroid is the brand name for desiccated thyroid extract , made of dried and powdered thyroid glands, usually from pigs.
One grain contains around 38 micrograms of T4 and 9 micrograms of T3. Grains can be taken in multiples or fractions e. Desiccated thyroid extract also contains unmeasured amounts of calcitonin, diiodothyronine T2 and monoiodothyronine T1. However, these components are not thought to have any significant effects in the body. Synthroid is the brand name for a synthetic thyroid medication also known as levothyroxine sodium. It contains only synthetic T4, which is biologically identical to the T4 produced by the body.
Once ingested Synthroid is converted by the body into T3, the active thyroid hormone. There is an additional thyroid medication called liothyronine. Armour Thyroid and Synthroidare the two main medications used to treat hypothyroidism. There is also a third type of medication made of synthetic T3. Desiccated thyroid extract was the original medication used to treat hypothyroidism.
During this time, thyroid hormones were not completely understood and there was a lack of reliable diagnostic tools blood tests to measure circulating levels in the blood. As a result, the dosage was often too high and serious side effects were often reported.
Also, due to inconsistencies in the strength of medication, some people were not seeing any improvements. Conversely, Synthroid levothyroxine was thought to offer a safe and consistent dosage. Two things lead to this switch:. Summary: Desiccated thyroid extract was the first type of medication used to treat hypothyroidism. Eventually, a synthetic T4 medication was created and found to be a safer and more effective option.
Synthroid levothyroxine is the recommended treatment for hypothyroidism and prescribed by most doctors. The American Thyroid Association along with other international thyroid organizations agree that Synthroid is the most effective treatment option.
There is no strong evidence to suggest Armour Thyroid or a combination therapy of synthetic T4 and T3 produce better results than Synthroid in most people 1. The European and American guidelines also acknowledge that experimental use of synthetic T3 may benefit some people.
This will be discussed in more detail below. Summary: Current thyroid association guidelines recommend Synthroid as the first treatment option. Our research shows that patients generally feel better on Armour Thyroid compared to levothyroxine. Armour Thyroid is an effective medication to use for patients who remain symptomatic on levothyroxine and should be considered as a viable option in clinical practice.
However, our study also indicated that patients may have more adverse effects on Armour Thyroid when compared to levothyroxine and further studies are needed comparing the two medications.
Limitations of our study include the retrospective nature of the study and the sample size. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.
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