Sometimes there is a silver lining with the storm cloud of backordered US desiccated thyroid.
Erfa, the makers of the Canadian version of natural desiccated thyroid, simply called “Thyroid”, has recently announced that the FDA is not requiring the extensive FDA Form 1572 from US citizens and their doctors when they fill their prescriptions from Erfa directly. i.e. it’s now a lot easier to get your prescription filled directly from them.
http://www.erfa-sa.com/thyroid_usa.htm
And those who have started to use Erfa’s Thyroid report being quite pleased. A cherry on top is that Thyroid has that old sweet taste we used to all like with the old Armour, and it can be done sublingually as well! You can see the ingredients here.
Also, I am continuing to get emails from patients that both Armour and Naturethroid is starting to appear on pharmacy shelves, even if in small quantities. I’m personally not too excited about Armour reappearing if Forest continues to make the reformulated version. Just too many patients reporting a return of hypo symptoms, even when they raise it, plus new symptoms of undertreatment and/or challenged adrenals thanks to the reformulated version. Sad. Oh how we will all miss the old Armour.
In the meantime, here are options for thyroid treatment we all have until we see a good return of desiccated thyroid, including Naturethroid and Westhroid. They are all far, far better than being on T4 alone like Synthroid, Levoxyl, levothyroxine, et al. You’ll also note compounded thyroid, which can be a good option, and you can read about on a recent blog post. Australians happily use compounded in their own country. Any option you and your doctor choose may mean a readjustment by your body, by the way.
Want to talk to other patients on how they are dealing with the shortages? Join the Coalition for Desiccated Thyroid. Or if you simply need patient feedback about your hypothyroidism, go to the Talk to Others page. Remember that no patient group is meant to be a substitute for your relationship with your doctor.
**The next Thyroid Patient Community Call will be held Thursday Oct. 8th on TalkShoe, and our topic will be iodine and your thyroid with patient expert Stephanie Buist. Come join us and listen right on your computer, or you can also talk live to Stephanie or Janie with your questions.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 and is filed under desiccated thyroid, shortages of desiccated thyroid. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Charles said:
Sep 29, 09 at 7:07 pmI got my ERFA order. It took a couple of tries to get it through customs and the FDA, but a very good facilitator at Fedex was able to get it to me the second time. I only had a doctor’s prescription, not the FDA form.
And it’s good medicine, definitely.
Debby said:
Sep 30, 09 at 5:51 amI’ve been taking Erfa Thyroid for around 10 days now (switched from Armour) and I feel like I’m already getting my life back. Yes, the Erfa has the sweet taste!
Nancy said:
Sep 30, 09 at 11:17 amJanie, I have better information for the Pharmacy in Germany ( from my sister in law that lives in Germany)
website: https://www.kloesterl-apotheke.de/Archiv/Service/Beratung/beratung.php?edit_document=1
Tel : 011 4989 54343211
She also told me that anyone that had over a grade school education speaks english, so language is not a barrier.
I just sent off an email asking the basic questions of what needs to be written, what if any fillers they use etc.
The only think I forgot to ask was cost.…
I will have to get back to you on that. Nancy
Jane C. said:
Sep 30, 09 at 6:16 pmI too just received my Erfa Thyroid from Pharmacy-online in Calgary, AB. I ordered on Sept. 17 and it arrived via parcel post to my home in Portland, OR on Sept. 28. No FDA form needed. The only problem I had — my doctor was reluctant to fax a prescription directly to Canada, so he faxed it to me then I faxed it to the pharmacy.
So far I’m very pleased with the Erfa and it works well sublingually.
Debby said:
Oct 01, 09 at 11:09 amI ordered my Erfa Thyroid from AffordableDrugs.com — located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I had a prescription from my doctor and even though it was written for Armour, he signed it on the “can substitute” side and I faxed it myself to AffordableDrugs. Very good price also, I got 200 — 60 mg pills for $22 + shipping (although I think they have raised the price recently). It took over 2 weeks to arrive, that is my only complaint, I guess due to customs.
Carla said:
Oct 01, 09 at 8:43 pmDid your dr have to write down the amounts? For instance I take 1.5 gr. of Armour, so I’m thinking that I would take 60+30 of each package. Did your dr have to write the Armour dose or did he have to be explained to write the Erfa dosing + quantity in bottle size?
Debby said:
Oct 02, 09 at 6:01 amCarla, yes, my doctor had written 90 mg Armour (or generic) on my script.
Maude said:
Oct 02, 09 at 11:02 amso is it legal for americans to buy scripts from canada without any FDA form? I called the above pharmacy affordable drugs.com as I need a 6 month supply of 90mg and they told me no other forms were needed, they said quntity size of other more expensive drugs are usually “seized” or problematic thru customs, but since this is so cheap of a drug & even though there are 200 each of 60 and 30mgs he said it shouldn’t be a problem. I am just curious if the FDA comes around knocking on your door in the future to arrest you or something, or is that just unlikely, must be that old fear mongering from bush’s administration acting up I’m assuming if it some meds were to be “seized” then the FDA goes after you, but if its not then one is okay?
What do you all think? Does anyone know other people who get their meds through canada without being hunted down by the FDA?
Maude said:
Oct 02, 09 at 11:07 amJust a followup I found this:
http://www.suddenlysenior.com/canadiandrugstores.html
I read the bottom update and I’m trusting its validity…kindof…hopefully…because I went ahead and orderd my script.
Lovely said:
Oct 03, 09 at 7:58 amHow does one tell the difference between the old and new Armour?
I switched to Armour just two months ago from a generic synthetic.
(From Janie: old is sweet and can dissolve well under the tongue: new is not sweet, chalky, hard to dissolve under tongue)
stuart said:
Oct 08, 09 at 10:49 ami still don’t understand why,(it really burns me up!) that you have to have a prescription to buy a NATURAL thyroid med. i don’t have ins. & can’t afford to see a doc to get one. your heart is the most important organ in your body, yet you can buy all sorts of natural supplements for it. if your heart fails, you die. if your thyroid fails, you live, but you’ll need t-meds for as long as your alive. since dessicated thyroid meds aren’t fda approved, you would think a script for natural t-meds wouldn’t be necessary.
BILL said:
Oct 09, 09 at 12:05 pmI AM NEW TO THIS BUT DOES ANYBODY HAVE AN IDEA WHY THEY DECIDED TO MESS WITH SOMTHING THAT WAS WORKING FOR YEARS (ARMOUR THAT IS)I STILL HAVE A 60 DAY SUPPLY OF OLD ARMOUR BUT I DON’T LIKE WHAT I’M READING.SO WHAT IS THE NEXT BEST THING?
Colette said:
Oct 10, 09 at 3:30 pmI ordered the Erfa thru Canada 77 Pharmacy on a Friday evening, after faxing my script for Amour to them. They told me they would call my Dr. and get his OK to change it to Thyroid (Erfa). They called him Monday AM and they shipped it out Thursday evening, USPS and I received it the following Tuesday. I take 1 grain + 1/4 grain twice daily. Since it doesn’t come in 1/4 gr. size, I have to cut the 1/2 gr. in half-not a problem, they cut fairly even. I also was able to get a years supply at once and I keep them in the fridge. The taste is like the old Amour and it dissolves easily under the tongue, something the ‘new’ Armour and Naturethroid didn’t do (chalky & pastey). I also look and feel like I’m back to normal again. I love it! While on the new Armour and then Naturethroid when I couldn’t get Armour anymore, I had my symptoms start to appear and in general just looked lousey. I’m thrilled with how I look and feel now.
Colette said:
Oct 10, 09 at 3:33 pmI forget to add that the people @ Canada 77 were extremely polite, articulate & helpful.
Belle said:
Oct 16, 09 at 11:00 amI was just started on Armour and I am having difficulty finding armour to refill my prescription. I have had a long road just getting diagnosed and I am desperate to get on a thyroid med that will work effectively. Is it okay to switch immediately from Armour to Thyroid?
(From Janie: comments from patients who have made the switch said they have done fine with Erfa’s Thyroid. They state they either take a little more, or a little less, or the same. It’s individual. But most seem to love Erfa’s brand. http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/options-for-thyroid-treatment )
Amanda said:
Oct 16, 09 at 3:27 pmSo do you think Erfa is definitely a better choice than Armour? I’ve gotten my hands on some Armour again, but my doctor’s willing to let me order Erfa..I’m wondering if I should make the switch or not.
(from Janie: I can’t tell you what would be right for you, but for me, I would love to be taking Erfa’s Thyroid. I’m personally too suspicious of the reformulated Armour after reading of so many bad experiences.)
neti` j jenkins said:
Oct 19, 09 at 2:48 pmI just got blood test results back (required due to draconian thyroid ‘switch-out’!) & my [HMO] doctor said, your TSH is a little “low” which means your levels are too high so continue the 88 mcg of Levothyroxine (T-4 only) then DON’T take one on Sundays!
Upon my further probing, she actually SAID “‘WE’ don’t EVER write for “Armour” — T-3 is not really of any particular importance — we don’t TEST for THAT (!!) & NO one (like all snooty) ‘here’ (in her plebian medical group!) will EVER ‘start’ a new hypothyroid pt. on “Armour!” (Like THAT is a BAD WORD!}
I expressed my complete resentment over the ‘shifting’ by a draconian money-grubbing body politic of MILLIONS of women to a CHEMICAL DRUG! Then I asked her, “If I FIND a source for Armour Thyroid would [she] ‘be so kind’ as to write me my old Armour Thyroid Rx.”
She said she would, but she has no idea I am talking about Canada! I have a well-seasoned “hunch” that when I say I am getting it thru a Canadian pharmacy, she will BALK, & start lecturing ME about why THAT is “just NOT do-able!” End result? I won’t get the damned Rx!
See, no one at this medical group actually ‘hands you’ a piece of paper with your “Rx” on it. Its all done by FAX. Fax’s are ONLY sent to other pharmacies, within the U.S. Certainly not to ME! (a ‘lowly ignorant’& “tiresome” patient!)
I have previous print-outs of my Armour Thyroid Rx’s; but when THIS whole thing bagan comin’ down on everyone’s heads, the Armour scripts were replaced by the chem scripts!
Well … any suggestions, anyone? Seems like there oughtta be a LOT of us finding themselves in this same position, too.
In other words, what do you say that is ‘politically’ feasible to your U.S. doctor? I don’t exactly want to set myself up for some condescending ‘lecture,’ that is for sure!
[She’s already in MY ‘doghouse,’ a real INhumane, programmed ‘robot inna white coat!’ hehe Her name is “WOOD!” HAHA It totally describes her [NONexistent] ‘people skills’ & her bogus ‘superiority attitude!’]
Well anywayz, any feedback from anyone out there would sure be appreciated. I’m also very happy for those of you who’ve managed to ‘get back’ your beloved whole thyroid — congratulations! I hope to become as capable as you.
Thanks every one. I look forward … yay!
<3 Neti‘ J.
//^_^\\
Lisa said:
Nov 03, 09 at 3:15 pmIs dessicated thyroid more effective and less degraded if taken sublingually?
Can you eat or drink right away after it is completely dissolved?
Thanks, Lisa
(from Janie: Hi Lisa. I’d recommend using patient groups to get answers: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/talk-to-others )
Dina said:
Nov 04, 09 at 3:31 pmI need to find a doctor in Texas who is willing to write a script for erfa. Does anyone out there know of one?
(From Janie: there are actually many good docs in Texas who can do that for you. Join the NTH group and check the Files: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/talk-to-others )