Wondering which desiccated thyroid brand to take? Any other good options? Here is a list with summaries of your options.
These are in no particular order. All are good, and if there are any issues, it’s explained in the summary.
- NATURETHROID: This tried-and-true desiccated thyroid has been around since the 1930′s, and is made by RLC labs. It appeared to have been reformulated in 2009, but many patients still swear by it. Some chew it up before swallowing for better absorption; others do well just by swallowing it.
- ERFA: Turns out Canada’s pharmaceutical “Erfa Canada, Inc” has always produced an excellent desiccated thyroid product, which they simply call “Thyroid”, but which patients call Erfa. It’s almost exactly like the old Armour used to be (before Armour was reformulated in 2009 and ruined), thus you can do it sublingually. The FDA allows US citizens to order this from Canadian website pharmacies. List below. I, Janie, use this and love it. See the January 20th, 2010 blog post about favorite Canadian pharmacies.
- ARMOUR: Until 2009, Armour by Forest Labs was the darling of all desiccated thyroid products. We could do it sublingually, and even if swallowed, it worked well. But, by early 2009, it had been reformulated with an increase in cellulose (which binds the thyroid hormones) and a decrease of the sucrose. Both the latter meant we were suddenly unable to do it sublingually, plus, patients reported a serious return of symptoms. Gee thanks, Forest. Since then, many innocent newly-diagnosed thyroid patients did still get on it, and they report success. Others just don’t like it. So it’s up to you. You may do a lot better on it by chewing it up before swallowing.
- COMPOUNDED DESICCATED THYROID: This is a method of “making” your desiccated thyroid via a compounding pharmacy. It works, but is more expensive than any of the above. And beware of two important problems: 1) some compounding pharmacies just use synthetic T4 and synthetic T3 and still call it “compounded Armour”. ASK for proof of what you are getting — that they are using “desiccated porcine powder” 2) many of these pharmacies still try to use cellulose as a filler, which binds the thyroid hormones, even if they deny it. Instead, ask that the filler be something like powdered Acidophilus or oil. Use this link to find a compounding pharmacy and you’ll need a prescription: http://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Compounding-Pharmacy
- ACELLA’S N.P. THYROID: In late 2010, there suddenly appeared a generic version of desiccated thyroid–a real shock to patients since the FDA, in all their wisdom (cough), shut down all generics in 2009. And so far, it appears the Acella version is very workable, say patients, plus there’s the bonus that it can be done sublingally. It appears to be made very similar to what Armour used to be made before it was reformulated in 2009.
- NUTRI-MEDS and THYROGOLD: Nutri-Meds has been available for several years, and is an OTC desiccated thyroid product in both bovine and porcine. It’s far weaker so you’ll have to take a lot more, but we’ve always been thankful for its presence. Tell your doctor you are using it to maintain the relationship. http://www.nutri-meds.com/ Thyrogold is sold by Dr. Lowe and many are happy with it. It’s very strong and many end up on only one tablet.
- THYROID-S or “THIROYD”: These are two different brands of desiccated thyroid made in Thailand that many patients swear by. Google “thyroid-s Sriprasit” or “thiroyd greater pharma” to find sources. Information on ingredients here. Keep your doctor informed of your use.
- A GERMAN PHARMACY will supposedly send the medication abroad, prescription required and credit cards accepted. They source the thyroid from Europe and have no shortages. They will also compound any strength and combination you require. ”THYREOGLAND” from Munchen (Munich), Kloesterl Apoteke, Waltherstrasse, 80337 Muenchen. Phone: 089 54343211 (Let me know if my information is incorrect, please)
- INTERNATIONAL VERSIONS OF DESICCATED THYROID shown here. Use the Contact form at the bottom of any page on STTM to let me know if I need to list others or make corrections, please.
- SYNTHETIC T4 and SYNTHETIC T3: Patients who have tried this combo, then switched to desiccated thyroid, report the latter has even better results. But the synthetic combo is still a much better choice than being on T4 alone. You can even choose to be just on T3, which is especially important if you make too much RT3. But if on T3 only, remember that you’ll have no T4, the storage hormone, to covert to T3 for you. Also, many patients report disliking the slow release version of T3–it’s an inexact man-made release and often runs out…and you feel it. Patients prefer dosing the T3 themselves with Cytomel of Cynomel. Read more here.
- HEALTH FOOD STORE products: There are good over-the-counter products with raw thyroid you can check out. But as it true for Nutri-Meds, they are far weaker. Additionally, to raise these products high enough to get some relief of hypothyroid symptoms can result in you getting too much of added substances in these products. Check the labels.
IMPORTANT NOTE: if you aren’t doing well on most anything you try, don’t blame the product! That points to either an adrenal issue and/or low iron/low ferritin. You could also have an underlying illness like chronic EBV, Lyme, or others. But check out your adrenals and iron/ferritin FIRST, and dose correctly according to what patients have learned. Teach your doctor!
How to find a good doctor: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/how-to-find-a-good-doc
Ingredients in different thyroid brands: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/armour-vs-other-brands
Why desiccated thyroid is a better choice than T4: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work
Order your own labwork to show your doctor later: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommend-labwork
Order the Revised STTM book for even more details: http://book.stopthethyroidmadness.com
***************************************
CANADIAN PHARMACIES LIST: Updated pricing for Erfa Thyroid as of Feb. 7, 2011. Most will ship for free if order is over $100. Otherwise it’s usually $10 or less for shipping to anywhere in the continental USA, or different prices for international shipping. All pricing is in US dollars. There are some very good deals to be had. Thanks to NTH member convictuz for getting all the updates below.
www.77canadapharmacy.com
60mg – 100 Tablets – $40.00
30mg – 100 Tablets – $30.00
125mg – 100 Tablets – $60.00
30mg – 500 Tablets – $150.00
60mg – 500 Tablets – $200.00
125mg – 500 Tablets – $300.00
www.canadamedicineshop.com
60mg – 100 Tablets – $50.
60mg – 300 Tablets – $150.
www.universaldrugstore.com
30mg – 100 Tablets – $18.
60mg – 100 Tablets – $19.
125mg – 100 Tablets – $36.
www.canadadrugsonline.com
30mg – 100 Tablets – $40.
60mg – 100 Tablets – $45.
125mg – 100 Tablets – $60.
www.pharmacy-online.ca
30mg – 100 Tablets – $38.99
60mg – 100 Tablets – $26.75
125mg – 100 Tablets – $30.28
www.doctorsolve.com
30mg – 100 Tablets – $45.
60mg – 100 Tablets – $47.
125mg – 100 Tablets – $63.
www.canadadrugstore.com
30mg – 100 Tablets – $45.
60mg – 100 Tablets – $47.
125mg – 100 Tablets – $63.
www.discountrxmart.com
30mg – 100 Tablets – $37.70
60mg – 100 Tablets – $39.46
125mg – 100 Tablets – $43.43
www.crossborderpharmacy.com
30mg – 100 Tablets – $28.84
60mg – 100 Tablets – $32.84
125mg – 100 Tablets – $35.04
www.CanadaDrugsUnited.com (as of 3-9-11_
30mg – 100 Tablets – $23.00
30mg – 300 Tablets – $67.00
60mg – 100 Tablets – $23.00
125mg – 100 Tablets – $48.00
www.valuepharmaceuticals.com (This is Armour and in quantities of 500)
30mg – 500 Tablets – $99.
60mg – 500 Tablets – $119.
125mg – 500 Tablets – $130.
