Comments on: Are we running out of desiccated thyroid powder???

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:12:48 +0000

First of all, I don’t care if the manufacturers of armour ever get their act together again…has anyone else besides me noticed their new formula tastes just like talcom powder and has the medicinal effect of the same? Just 30 days on the new stuff & I went full blown hypo! Not to mention all the scrambling around to get it only to discover that it didn’t work at all and then all the hassle and time to try to find an alternative. I am now on levothyroxin (t4)and liothyronine (t3). Not fond of the synthetic stuff but I am atleast feeling human again and it doesn’t cost an arm & a leg that the compounding pharmacy was charging. They can stuff it! Whatever their reasons were/are, why weren’t any of us notified? Why was this allowed to happen? You have plenty of Doctors writing in their opinions, where are the lawyers without thyroids?

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:04:04 +0000

I am in Pittsburgh and dependent on Armour as I have no thyroid gland due to cancer.
My regular pharmacy and others I have called all say the same thing — Armour is unavailable, and they do not know when it will be back in stock.
I am fortunate to have a compounding pharmacist nearby who will make some, and I asked him about the shortage. Here’s his take -

In early 2009, Armour reformulated (with apparently less than great results!). In any case, this allowed the FDA to step in and say ‘Aha! This is a new drug. Now you are subject to the approval process to show that it is safe and effective.‘
Armour did not have to go through FDA approval since they existed prior to FDA rules and were grandfathered in, but now with the new formula, they do.
Anyway, this process can take months or even years, and typically costs the pharm. co. upwards of 600 million dollars (!!!).
This explains the delay — and also makes me wonder if the costs are too high, whether Armour will pull the med altogether.

‘Why’ they would reformulate after 100 years of success is beyond me. That’s the real mystery. The rest is the FDA.

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:57:22 +0000

While reading the comments about the pharmacist and his/her comment about “synthetic being better” is totally ignorant. If it was better DA— wouldn’t we all be taking that. It is not better — for some individuals– THERE IS NO Thyroid CONTROL WITH SYNTHROID. And do you think for a minute that pharmacist is not in the back pocket of big pharma??
I have my suspicions that the maker of synthroid has some influence on FDA requiring clinical trials. It is really going to be embarassing 10 years down the road when we find out Armours is better. Great –except we will not have it in that time and Abbott Labs will be laughing all the way to the bank.

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:56:21 +0000

While reading the comments about the pharmacist and his/her comment about “synthetic being better” is totally ignorant. If it was better DA— wouldn’t we all be taking that. It is not better — for some individuals– THERE IS NO Thyroid CONTROL WITH SYNTHROID. And do you think for a minute that pharmacist is in the back pocket of big pharma??
I have my suspicions that the maker of synthroid has some influence on FDA requiring clinical trials. It is really going to be embarassing 10 years down the road when we find out Armours is better. Great –except we will not have it in that time and Abbott Labs will be laughing all the way to the bank.

By: Joan Parker

Joan Parker — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:34:48 +0000

I saw on one site I read that it would be good to contact the FDA and let them know how I feel. I did just that, and they did e-mail me back. They are just saying that the makers of this medicine are being asked to get them approved, but that the FDA has not taken them off the market. They say the medicine is still available to consumers, and the problem is a shortage of product and manufacturing delays. All things that everyone has said and been told. What can we think when our pharmacies are telling us that the medicines are not available and won’t me in the future because the FDA is expecting the companies to go through trials, which can take a very long time? The pharmacist I talked to said that I should get a synthetic thyroid medicine, which was much better, and more stable anyway. The companies who supply the medicine don’t let us know anything really. All this does is make people suspicious. I have not been on Armour medicine for very long, but I do know that for the first time I have been able to lose weight and feel more energetic. Before that, all that happened was each year I needed a higher dose of Synthroid. I would be happier to know that if they are not going to have desiccated thyroid available here in the USA, then we could go the Canada. They are just stringing us along, and keeping our hopes up.

Joan

By: Edna

Edna — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:36:17 +0000

Well, that’s what my site was all about!
Suggest you look especially at Barnes, Murray, Hertoghe, Gull.
Don’t think I’ll ever be able to add anything else to trc.
But check most weeks — 06–12-09 visitor no: 53416
lots of love,
Edna xx

By: Siobhan

Siobhan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:47:13 +0000

Darlene, Clark’s Pharmacy in Arizona has Nature-Throid and Wes-Throid Your doctor can call or fax in a prescription, and then, you’ll have to pay the pharmacy upfront to ship it to you, but you can then send that to your insurance for reimbursement. (480) 488‑2007 is their number.

By: Darlene

Darlene — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:55:53 +0000

I can’t find Armour or Naturethroid at any local pharmacies. I’m going to call my endo and have her call a script to a compounding pharmacy. This whole situation SUCKS!!!!

By: Charlene Schum

Charlene Schum — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:29:40 +0000

Have been on a compounded version for 8 days. So far I’m doing ok. At first I felt a little lightheaded and speedy but all seems ok at the moment. Hope to get back on regular Armour as soon as it is back and hopefully the way it used to be. I’m lucky to have a compounding pharmacy to help me out, the first place said they did not make it. So keep trying.

By: Dwayne

Dwayne — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:56:57 +0000

I have been very lucky to get my armour– it’s not always the full amount but every time I start to get low– they get another shipement in thank god. And the armour I have gotten the last two months has been much better again. I can tell the difference. I hope it continues or I will be switching. This is not the time of year to be feeling like shit LOL