Lou, the story on wild yam creams is, they either are - or aren't - progesterone. Mostly aren't.
See, progesterone can be manufactured from the wild yams, but only in a laboratory - our bodies lack the enzymes to convert it.
Progesterone cream is available from other sources. It is really unclear at this time whether it would increase or decrease cancer risk. Probably it will turn out like other hormones - too much is bad, too little is bad.
Armour thyroid is no more variable than Synthroid (Synthroid HAS been whacked by the FDA for exceeding permissible limits on variability in potency from batch to batch). I think this is an old saw that got started by drug reps in the 70's to convince doctors that their new synthetic product was superior, but there is absolutely no evidence to support that claim.
Armour does contain T4 and T3. T4 is long-acting, so blood levels stay fairly stable, but T3 is short-acting and gone in a few hours. Therefore, people on Armour should be taking it twice a day to keep T3 levels steady. Some people are overly sensitive to T3 and cannot take it, but most people tolerate it well if the dosage is increased gradually and you monitor resting pulse and basal body temperature. Labs can be helpful but it is a mistake to give the lab numbers more weight than the patient's symptoms and vital signs.
