Patients Switching from Armour (Forest Labs) to Nature-Thyroid (RLC Labs)
Thyroid Gland Jeffrey Dach MDA few months ago, Forest Labs reformulated their Armour Thyroid medication. Since then, a number of thyroid patients have raised questions and concerns about the new formulation posted on thyroid message boards and blogs. The comments fall into two categories:
1) Many thyroid users notice a return of hypothyroid symptoms on the new Armour formulation, such as fatigue, hair loss and depression.
2) Many thyroid users notice elevation of TSH on the new Armour after the TSH was low and stable on the previous medication.
Here is what Janie Bowthorpe of the Stop the Thyroid Madness Blog says: (below quoted from STTM)
I Am Done with Armour, say a growing body of individuals:
Once again, (another) comment of someone who has had it with Armour, and is switching. On the new Armour, she states she has a return of her former hypo symptoms: hair loss, joint pain, fatigue, heart palpitations, low body temps are back, etc.
And you see it happening all over thyroid patient groups on the net. Many folks are done with Armour.
It’s too chalky. It tastes terrible. It doesn't’t break into smaller pieces well anymore. It’s lost the ability to be done sub lingually. And even worse, it has caused a return of symptoms.
In case you are wondering what this is all about, read the 40 current comments attached to the June 2nd post Trying the Newly Formulated Armour? Before that, you can read my May 7th post Why the party is over with Forest Pharmaceuticals and the current 37 comments. And especially powerful is the April 28th post Patients say PHOOEY to new Armour formulation and Forest Pharmaceuticals with a current 57 posts.
So what’s their next step?
Right now, doctors of patients on Armour on being asked for a prescription for Naturethroid. Many report it working wonderfully; some state they need a little more to be as optimal as Armour. A small minority aren’t sure about it yet. But overall, the majority are happy. (endquote Janie Bowthorpe).
Here are a few comments posted on the Stop Your Thyroid Madness Blog (quoted courtesy of Janie Bowthorpe).
Naturethroid and Armour come from pig thyroidAnon said: "my hypothyroid symptoms have escalated. Now Forest Labs changed the formulation and for the past 2 months, my hypo symptoms have come back, worse than I have ever had them in my life. It is back to square 1, if I can get out of bed or off the couch long enough to attempt this whole mess again, as I found out the civilian doctor I saw last summer moved away."
Left Image: a Pig, courtesy of wikimedia commons. Both NAturethroid and Armour are made from a pig thyroid gland and are called dessicated thyroid.
Debbie said:
I loved Armour. I’d been on it for a year and was just starting to feel myself again after 4-5 years of incompetent doctors. Then Forest switched Armour’s formula. At first, I didnt’t realize what was happening.
I didn't’t know if it was a problem with my adrenals (another problem I’ve been treating) or vitamin/mineral deficiencies (also being treated for them). I couldn't’t figure out why any of that would be happening because I had been feeling so well. My hair fell out. I became incredibly depressed. I was constipated for weeks and in serious pain from it. My hair and skin became very, very dry. My fingernails got ridges. Pain from inflamed joints returned. I gained 8 pounds in 4 weeks after having just lost 10. The worst was losing my hair, I think, and the heart palpitations and tachycardia and high blood sugars. I’m a Type 1 diabetic and have been so for more than 50 years (with no complications). My glucose became out of control. I questioned the strength of the insulin. I bought new insulin. I started eating much, much less carbohydrates. Nothing worked. I had to increase my insulin a tremendous amount and it still didn't’t help.
Then I read about the change in Armour’s formula. Suddenly, it all made sense. I switched to Nature-thyroid. My blood sugars returned to normal within a day or two !!! My hair stopped falling out and the depression disappeared. Forest put cellulose in Armour. I couldn't’t take it sub lingually anymore. People with thyroid problems often have digestion problems, too, so why would Forest put something into their medication which would require us to swallow it, thereby forcing us to try to digest it? And then that substance they put into Armour is cellulose, WHICH HUMANS CANNOT DIGEST !!!
Buy Nature-thyroid. I’m so glad that I read of other people’s success here taking that medication. I just hope it doesn't’t become scarce due to so many people switching to it now.
Gail said:
I can’t find when Armour was actually reformulated. Every site I find says “spring 09?. My bottle was filled in March – wondering if I have the old stuff – it smells pretty bad still – and I don’t take it sub lingually so I don’t know (but may try it that way tomorrow just to see!)
I do know that I have gone from .05 to 8.0 TSH and Ft3 way low. Guess I’m changing meds…
Liza said:
I started Naturethroid about two weeks ago (after being on Armour for 3 years) and I feel great already. Since the reformulation I was noticing very odd symptoms, including erratic body temps.
And the Naturethroid seems to work better than the old Armour (and I was an Armour advocate because of STTM). On Naturethroid my symptoms and body temps are already much more stable! And the terrible mood swings I always get on Day 19 of my cycle didn't’t happen, which was an absolute miracle. I am not sure if this is entirely related to Naturethroid but it seems significant. Overall I feel more stable.
But I am having to coordinate with the Pharmacy & Supplier to get my next refill for Naturethroid. But I gave the pharmacist the phone for RLC labs and sat there while they called to coordinate. Stay on top of it (like everyone here says) and you will succeed.
Lisa said:
I honestly think that if a thorough investigation was done, we would find that there is NO thyroid at all in the reformulation…I think we’ve all been duped and are taking empty fillers. I have felt so awful for the last couple months….have had arthritic carpal tunnel symptoms return, horrible anxiety and panic attacks, heart palpitations, and a much lower body temperature…AGAIN…after having all that stuff relatively under control. I started taking Naturethroid a week ago and already feel so much better…my energy is returning and I’m feeling some relief. No more Armour for me!
(endquote)
Thanks to our long standing relationship with RLC Labs, Daryl Turner, and Thyroflex, we started using Naturethroid many years ago noting excellent results and high patient satisfaction over many years of experience with the medication.
Why worry about possible problems with Armour when Naturethroid is available?
Jeffrey Dach MD
4700 Sheridan Suite T
Hollywood Fl 33021
954-983-1443 |
