With so many folks reporting problems with the newly-formulated Armour, there is a growing body of individuals stating they are switching to Naturethroid by RLC Labs (formerly Western Research), another prescription brand of desiccated thyroid. Here is info to carry with you if you switch:
1) Naturethroid has a coating on the outside, and some patients state they bite on the pill to remove the coating, and still try to do it sublingually. No sugar, but some are determined.
2) One grain of Naturethroid is 65 mg rather than the 60 mg that Armour users have been used to. Two grains are 130 mgs, etc. (One grain is actually 64.8 but it’s easier to round it up). Strengths are 1/4, 1/2, one grain, two grains, three grains.
3) The makers of Naturethroid will be creating a 1 1/2 grain tablet by next year to add to the sizes they currently have. Other sizes are in the works, as well.
4) Ingredients are:
- Porcine Thyroid Powder, U.S. Pharmacopeia
- Microcrystalline Cellulose
- Dicalcium Phosphate
- Sodium Starch Glycolate
- Magnesium Stearate
- Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
- Stearic Acid
- Carnauba Wax
- Polyethylene Glycol
5) Naturethroid uses the same USP thyroid powder as any good desiccated thyroid product—it “adheres to full pharmaceutical purity and standardization on the consistency of the hormones along with full pre-and-post testing procedures associated with quality prescription products.”
6) RLC Labs is a small and friendly pharmaceutical company, and you are going to see improvements to their website coming.
7) Twitter has a new Nature Throid website.
8 ) RLC labs also distributes Westhroid, which is identical and mostly used by veterinarians. There won’t be newly-created strengths for Westhroid as there will be for Naturethroid.
9) When switching, you will have to figure out if you need to be on a similar amount as before, or a different amount, according to symptoms.
10) And finally, it’s been around since the 1930′s–another tried and true desiccated thyroid product!
*From the UK? The Royal College of Physicians isn’t too smart. See below. And for other still-very-relevant posts, scroll down.
*Want to be informed of my blog posts? Curious what’s on my mind? Use the Notifications on the lower left of the links.
105 Responses to “Are you switching to Nature-throid? Here’s 10 good things to know!”
Cris
Hypothyroid patient dealing with symptoms and this medication craziness since September 2007 when had partial thyroidectomy due to thyroid cancer. Switched from Levoxyl to Nature-throid about a year ago as T4 only medication was horrible. Was only ever able to take ¾ grain Nature-throid which I did by chewing and swallowing one ¼ grain 3 times a day (6am, 10 & 12) and felt “better” but not great, still tons of symptoms.
Being frustrated, in September 2012, switched to USP desiccated compounded thyroid with sustained release (made to take one capsule in the AM) felt a bit better but gave me horrible insomnia every few days. I thought something was “wrong with batch” and went back to Levoxyl for 5 days until I could get Nature-throid which I am currently back on (one ¼ grain 3x day).
From what I can gather, the USP compounded thyroid had more T4 & T3 than Nature-throid (estimate: NT T4=28.5 T3=6.75; USP compounded thyroid T4=33.3 T3=7.85 with sustained release). My TSH tests have always been so/so, but best with the USP compounded thyroid but stopped it because of the horrible, constant insomnia.
I feel like none of this medication is working for me because I still don’t feel right and still having all these other crazy symptoms (constant fatigue, numb/cold hands and feet, head to toe tingling sensations, dry eye, constipation, bloating, gas, brain fog, anxiety, palpitations, headaches, emotionally hyper sensitive, elevated cholesterol, dry/brittle skin, nails & hair etc. etc., etc.).
Just want to feel good. Feel better. Feel “normal.”
Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
(Patient groups: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/talk-to-others)
Charity
if i were you i would contact a naturopath, it sounds like it could have something to do with your adrenals and the only way to test it properly is through a saliva test to test your cortisol levels , etc. alot of your symptoms sound like adrenal fatigue and your thyroid won’t be optimal until your adrenals are good.
Tanja
Adrenal fatigue, leaky gut, and sympathetic dominance -/ you have to treat those before loading your body with thyroid meds. You will never tolerate higher doses because your body has the brakes on to save you…
Janie
FYI: my sympathetic dominance improved just with using NDT. i.e. it was caused by a continued hypo state. So “treating” it was by being on NDT.
LeAndra
Dr. Udell is a both a regular doctor and natural doctor who gets it. He is the only one who diagnosed me with Hashi. Fax him all the correct reports and he will see you. He gives free 15 min consults and you can gain a lot of insight from that. Two days ago I had full thyroid removal … nodules were HUGE and he is putting me on naturethroid.