Armour Thyroid and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Lit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2020

For Underactive Thyroid "I started taking Armour again after trying Nature-Throid and NP. I had previously taken Armour for many years, but the price went up, so I asked my Endo to find a cheaper alternative. However, after being on both Nature-Throid (which gave me chest pains) and NP (smelled like cat urine and tasted bad), I decided I had to go back on Armour. Armour is not the same as it was years ago. I used to do so well on it. Now I am anxious, cold, not sleeping well, itchy, experiencing heart palpitations, and having vision problems. I know something has changed with the formula. I don't know what to take. Synthroid is not an option. Why did they change Armour when it was fine the way it was and also raised the price??"

• Aut...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 6, 2022

For Underactive Thyroid "Something changed with the formula again between late 2021 and early 2022. My body doesn't lie! And it's getting more expensive. Armour is now causing me to have daily anxiety/panic attacks, headaches, more hair loss, and severe nightly insomnia, even at a lower dose. It's gotten so bad I've had to quit my job. I may have to discontinue thyroid medicine altogether and just take supplements, as nothing currently on the market works, is without horrific side effects, or is affordable. Someone please bring back Nature-throid and WP the way they used to be! Seriously, I am at a loss here. I (and many others) are suffering horribly without them. Two years and counting..."

• Spi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 11, 2022

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "WHAT IS HAPPENING? I've been on Armour since 2018 (before that NP) and I've never in the 15 years that I've been on NDTs experienced this type of thyroid hell. Gained 20 lbs despite being in a calorie deficit, dry skin, insomnia, anxiety through the roof, achy joints, painful heavy periods, and a 24-day cycle. TSH is anywhere between 1-3 (it's usually suppressed down to zero). FT4 is between 0.7-0.9 (usually 1.4) and FT3 is between 2.1-2.9 (usually 3.5). Again, I repeat WHAT IS HAPPENING? I'm praying I can get ahold of NP again or I'm gonna have to go back to synthetic, and I haven't been on those since 2007. I don't even know what dose I'd be on."

• Anonymous
• January 31, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "Had taken Armour Thyroid for 20 years but starting 2 years ago I experienced brain fog, aches and pains which was thought to be fibromyalgia, no energy, severe headaches, insomnia and hard to get out of bed and always tired. I have taken many tests, scans and seen many doctors during that time and couldn't find an answer to my complaints. I felt like I was losing my mind and in desperation began searching the internet and came across information about Armour. I understand Forest Labs bought Armour in 2014 and Actavis bought them in 2015 - lo and behold! I saw complaints which were identical to mine and quit taking them on September 22, 2015. I felt better within 2 days and am angry that I lost 2 years of my life."

• Mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 13, 2021

For Underactive Thyroid "I was prescribed this medication for mild hypothyroidism. I think doctors need to be very careful when prescribing thyroid medications for people who have mild hypothyroidism. I wish I would have done my research beforehand, otherwise, I would have really reconsidered taking this medication. Anyhow, I started at a very small dose, 15 mg for about two weeks. Then increased to 30 mg for a few days until I woke up one night with heart palpitations. It was a very scary experience. I had a slew of other symptoms after that such as dry mouth, eyes, insomnia, anxiety, diarrhea, and the list goes on. My body definitely did not want/need this medicine. After about 2 1/2 months of discontinuing this medicine, the side effects are mostly gone, however, not completely. I share my story because I think people need to really do their research on medicines. I had a terrible reaction, and sometimes doctors think they are prescribing a medicine to help, when at times it can be harmful."

• Jan...
• September 17, 2019

For Hashimoto's disease "I took this medicine, Armour Thyroid, prior to 2015 with excellent results. Six weeks ago, I went back on it because NP Thyroid had been reformulated. I had a bad reaction to Armour, both the 45 mg and 90 mg tablets. I could no longer get up in the morning, took naps at 2, had a severe rash on my fingers and scalp, felt anxious, depressed, and was not sleeping. I am in adrenal fatigue and can’t think straight. I don’t know if these reformulations are a way to push people towards synthetic medications, or if some new fillers have been added, or if the pig thyroid is being processed differently. My main concern is that my symptoms became much more pronounced within days of taking it, to the point where I could not function at 20% of my prior activity level. Also, the medicine seemed to be very uneven in consistency, I had several pills that almost made me feel like I was speeding, while 95% of the other ones put me in bed. TSH, which had been in the normal range for 11 years, plummeted to the edge of 0."

• wha...
• February 26, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "I've been taking Armour for several years now. Somewhere along the line, all of my symptoms such as constipation, weight gain and trouble losing weight, hair loss, trouble falling asleep despite being extremely tired, low energy, headaches, brain fog, etc., came back with a vengeance. My endo sees nothing wrong with my labs and tells me it must be something I'm eating. I went along with this theory until one day I went online to find out why my prescription cost went up so much. Much to my surprise, I stumbled across many others like me complaining of symptoms coming back despite lab work being in range. Everyone noticed the changes came about when Forest sold! I'm switching doctors and hope to find another medication!"

• ato...
• March 30, 2017

For Hashimoto's disease "Been diagnosed with Hashimoto's for over a decade, and started out taking 90 mcg of levothyroxine. As my disease progressed I had to take more and more, and was up to 150 mcg when I started feeling bad: sick and depressed, had trouble sleeping. Blood tests showed that my T3s were low, and I had been flogging my T4s to produce more T3s. This may be one of the symptoms of Hashimoto's: an inability to convert T4 into T3. Not a doctor, don't know, but switching to Armour a month ago has made a huge difference in my health. I am not getting those cramps in my hands and feet at the end of the day, and my energy has gone way up. It's still too early to know for sure...one month isn't much...but so far so good!"

• Why...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 19, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "Why can't they go back to the old method of making Armour Thyroid? I've tried the synthetic meds before. I don't feel like myself and had many issues with side effects. Even a mix of two different ones trying to get my t3 right. TSH levels always good or played games of too high or too low until the T3 was studied. Yes, I've had more issues with sleeping, insomnia, irritability, focus, weight loss, hair loss, and for the first time in my life, I had a migraine over a year ago and now need to take daily meds for them. Does anyone know of another company, even out of the US, where we could buy the old formula from? Use of pig glands certainly can't be expensive. Just another company filling their pockets while giving a lesser product, we suffer."

• don...
• October 14, 2013

For Underactive Thyroid "Diagnosed with hypothyroidism over ten years ago with body aches, insomnia, brain fog, weight gain, etc. On Armour all my symptoms went away except for weight gain despite heavy exercise and dieting. I keep up my regimen but I'm desperate to lose the weight. I don't understand why the Armour has helped everything but the weight gain."

• gui...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 8, 2022

For Hashimoto's disease "Today is Sept 8 of 2022, I have had them all from expensive Tirosint SOL to pathetic Synthroid generics. They all have terrible side effects that I can't handle. Lately, I've been a guinea pig to Armour Thyroid for the past year and guess what? I've been pushed to see a psychiatrist because of the anxiety, depression, insomnia, and panic attacks it's caused me. I was fine on NP Thyroid for 2 years before the big distributors and politicians decided to stick their greedy hands in what did not involve THEIR own health. Ever since the 2020 downfall, I have been forced to anti-depressants and counseling... as if 'WE' THE PATIENTS have no absolute idea what our bodies feel like after living in it for years or changing medications. And surviving COVID wasn't difficult enough. For now, I am stuck with anxiety, chest pains on and off, depression, and somewhat hair loss. If anyone knows a better remedy... please pass it on. Best of luck to everyone out there still fighting the uphill war."

• Swe...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 8, 2023

For Hashimoto's disease "I have been on Armour since 1999, except for the time a few years ago when it wasn't available. Have had good luck with it until last year and started experiencing a dry mouth, clenching/snapping jaw, extreme hair loss, nausea at night, and extreme insomnia. Armour is the only medication I take, and I take no supplements. I think there is a serious problem with this medication that is not being addressed."

• Anonymous
• November 12, 2015

For Underactive Thyroid "I was on Levo meds and I felt like I was overloaded with hormones. I would have outbursts of anger and sadness. Gained 10 lbs in 6 months, insomnia, etc. These behaviors were abnormal for me. I switched to Armour meds and in one month I lost 3 lbs, sleep well, and have not had any mood swings."

• myj...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 7, 2017

For Underactive Thyroid "Naturopath put me on AT in August 2014. My TSH was 4.0, but she said I would feel better if we could get it under 2.0. I gained 32 pounds before Christmas. I thought it was stress because I had gone back to work full-time in August after our youngest started college. I went into menopause and had a period every other month for 4 months, and my cycle stopped in February 2015. I also attributed the weight gain to this. I also got insomnia, night sweats, and severe brain fog, which I also attributed to the menopause. (age 46) I began having acid reflux/heartburn, trying PPIs and eating TUMS. My AT prescription ran out over Christmas 2016, so I took 1 every other day to get by and instantly lost 5 lbs. My heartburn and PM sweats stopped. My period came back! I'm still losing weight, and the fog is gone."

• Jul...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 3, 2016

For Hashimoto's disease "I've been taking levothyroxine for 15 years or so, and I just felt that it had become stagnant after all those years. I started taking Armour and it was fine for the first 2 to 3 years. Then I noticed that I have been having anxiety, trouble sleeping, and I just overall feel like I'm hyperthyroid. Blood levels are fine, but we just thought I needed to adjust my dose. A couple of months ago, I started breaking out in random hives, allergy tests came back negative. However, it is not every day. Because of the hyperthyroid feeling, I stopped taking it for a week and felt fine. I started back on it, same feeling. I also have started getting a humming in my ears and want to know if anyone else has experienced this before I see an ENT."

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2022

For Hashimoto's disease "What happened and what helped. Was prescribed Armour for Hashimoto's. Before diagnosis, I was constantly exhausted, gained 10 lbs in a short time, and experienced anxiety. On Armour, I experienced severe anxiety attacks and nightly insomnia. Took myself off of it. Removed gluten, dairy, alcohol, and caffeine from diet immediately. I also removed kale and Brussels sprouts, as I found irritation towards Hashimoto's. Incorporated fish 2x per week as well as real whole foods as close to their original form (really started to cook!). For supplements, I took with breakfast: multivitamin powder, curcumin, D3K2, selenium (my multivitamin only provided a small amount). In the evening with dinner, I took my omegas if I did not consume fish, as well as my probiotics (I have a Garden of Life 100 billion strain with sleep herbs in them). 100% turnaround. Within 6 weeks, an absolute change in everything. No anxiety. Weight dropped. Sleeping all night. It takes time but worth the investment in change."

• Cbo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 16, 2018

For Underactive Thyroid "I was prescribed Armour Thyroid for four years. The first year was great! Felt better than ever before (currently 42 years of age), but at about the two-year mark I noticed a difference. My energy plummeted, almost seemed depressed. So I started taking antidepressants. That did not help. So to answer all my problems, my doctor kept increasing my Armour Thyroid dose. I went from 60 mg to 160 mg in a four-year period. I could not sleep, I felt depressed, and had absolutely no energy. I went to a cardiologist and endocrinologist to help see what the problem could be. They both advised me it was the hormones: testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, and Armour Thyroid medication."

• Jam...
• August 24, 2016

For Hashimoto's disease "Was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease several years ago. My doctor prescribed step increased doses of Synthroid. I felt increasingly worse with feelings of anxiousness and insomnia. I changed doctors, and my new doctor prescribed Armour. After one dose adjustment, my TSH numbers were good, and I felt great. That was eight years ago. I still feel great and would not use synthetic TSH. So glad some doctors understand Armour works better for some patients."

• Hyp...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 4, 2021

For Hashimoto's disease "My endo told me in June of this year that Armour had stopped working for her patients. I continued on it, I trusted Armour. It has been around forever. Big mistake. I have had inconsistent dosing that made me hypo, which showed on labs and labs that showed my hyper. I had inconsistent dosing in bottles where I'd take a pill and feel fine, another hypo, another like I'd taken speed. Symptoms were terrifying: anxiety, anxiety attacks, racing heartbeat, palpitations, hot flashes, irregular periods, spotting, hot flashes, migraines, dizziness, high cortisol had to be tested for Cushing's-negative, thank goodness-high blood pressure, panic attacks, insomnia, agitation, inability to handle stress of any kind, hair fall, vision problems, nausea with the migraines, all sorts of digestive issues including food intolerances and diarrhea. I've been in fight or flight for months. I was switched to Levoxyl. My last labs on Armour were normal, but I had all the above symptoms."

• txm...
• July 15, 2017

For Underactive Thyroid "This is my second day of taking Armour. I may have to get used to it. I haven't slept well since I have taken it. I feel very alert and not relaxed. I am going to stick with it since it is more of a balance of T3 and T4, I hope. I was getting no results from levothyroxine."

• Hei...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 18, 2021

For Hashimoto's disease "Was put on Armour after NP Thyroid recall, they never told anyone they changed their formulation. NP Thyroid made me really sick. Even though I took my meds every morning, I ended up with a TSH of 19. I switched to Armour and was doing fine until last year in December when I started having racing heartbeat, palpitations, insomnia, cortisol spikes, vision changes, diarrhea, chest pain, tightness in my back, neck, shoulders, digestive issues, and hot flashes. Irregular periods, really bad anxiety, and even a panic attack. My TSH has been all over the place like a yo-yo. One month it's suppressed, the next it's in the 1's, then it jumps to the 3's, and then drops back down again. If my TSH is doing all that, you know my free T3 and T4 are all over the place too. One day I'd take my meds and feel fine, two days later, anxiety and complete instability. I ended up on blood pressure medications to control the racing heartbeat. My endo said a few months back that Armour had stopped working for people."

• AZG...
• August 20, 2011

For Underactive Thyroid "I've been on Armour for over 3 months now, and my TSH and T4 levels are only getting worse. I go to the doctor every 3 weeks to have my blood drawn, and there has been no improvement! Every time I go to the doctor, they keep having to up the dosage to 30 mg, and each increase I feel worse and worse. My hair has fallen out, I feel lethargic and achy all over, I can't sleep at night, and when I finally do get to sleep, I wind up staying in bed for 13 hours! I have no energy."

• Mem...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2022

For Underactive Thyroid "BEWARE! I don't know how this medication gets so many good reviews. I guess I must be one of the few that this has not helped one bit. I have hypothyroidism and started with Synthroid. I didn't like it all that much and started researching for an alternative and asked my Dr. if I could switch. I thought Armour would be a more natural and better approach to my issue. BIG MISTAKE. This medication does zero for me, it's like not taking anything at all, but you are paying for pills that do nothing. I took this medicine for 4 months because I thought it might take a little extra time to get the benefits everyone raves about. In the course of those months, my hair started falling, my skin was/is looking awful, I felt cold all the time, I have gained weight regardless of what I do, I felt tired every day, I couldn't sleep. I switched to a different brand of porcine thyroid med that does not have great reviews online, but works."

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2021

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "I had a total thyroid removal in February and was started on Levothyroxine 125 mcg. In March, my TSH was 7.5, so my NP increased it to 175 mcg. I began to have terrible side effects and possible allergic reactions. She switched me to a low dose of Armour. I was feeling terrible after a week. My TSH had increased to 32.9. She increased my dose to 60 mg twice a day. I started having horrible side effects, depressed, anxious, BP increased, very irritable, could not sleep. I stopped taking it for 24 hours and already feel better. Now I will have to try something else."

• Iga...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 22, 2016

For Hashimoto's disease "Synthroid did not help: zero improvement in quality of life and bad side effects. Have been through all possible medications, none helped, same story as Synthroid. Am now on Armour, 3 grains. Doesn't help at all and gives me side effects: weight gain, hair loss, difficulty sleeping, hyperpigmentation, no patella reflex, brain fog, extreme fatigue, etc. In fact, I feel better, and most of the signs/symptoms are lessened if I take *nothing*, even though my TSH is 90 and my T4 and T3 are undetectable (i.e., no T3 nor T4 in my body). I overwhelmingly prefer taking nothing as that gives me the best quality of life (albeit a pretty poor quality of life). I take medication, Armour, (and suffer) only because my doctors insist that I take medication."