Armour Thyroid Medication Reformulation Part II
by patient-advocate
Filed under Thyroid
When Forest Labs changed how Armour Thyroid Medication was formulated, there apparently was no announcement made to physicians, pharmacists or patients taking the drug. Forest has not responded to my request for information or an interview regarding this issue although their Pharmaceutical Customer Service Telephone Number (866-927-3260) states that there are “unexpected production delays” with certain strengths of Armour Thyroid.
When my hypo-thyroid symptoms re-appeared after getting my thyroid prescription refilled, and it was the second time that this had happened, I went online to research possible causes. And imagine my amazement when I discovered I was not the only one having difficulty with the new Armour. I found hundreds of other patients with similar stories reporting brain fog, tiredness, muscle and joint pain, hair falling out, feeling cold, weight gain. All symptoms I was all too familiar with and which were associated with improper levels of thyroid hormone in my body.
According to sources who have been able to speak to someone at Forest Labs, the laboratory changed the fillers in Armour Thyroid. The changes that were reported to have been made include the following: increasing cellulose (this has made Armour more difficult to dissolve), and reducing the amount of dextrose (which was the ingredient which gave it a slightly sweet taste). The “active component” of Armour has said to have remained the same.
Why you must stay vigilant regarding any medications that you take: Medications are made up of “active ingredients” which is the actual part of the tablet containing the specific “medicine” and in-active ingredients which can be flavors, fillers, and dyes. This is why you may have a brand name medication that is similar to a generic version of a drug, but generic versions may work differently for individuals. Because all of us are unique in how we respond to medications, certain fillers or non-active components of a medicine may help or hinder your body from absorbing or responding to a particular medication. That is one reason why in certain cases some physicians will not allow substitution of a generic drug for a brand name, or perhaps vice-versa. In the case of the Armour reformulation it has nothing to do with generic vs. brand names but it is important to understand how fillers, dyes and flavors can effect your response to a medication. From the hundreds of e-mails I’ve received from thyroid patients who had read my first post regarding Armour Thyroid’s reformulation it appears that there are many of us whose bodies are not responding properly to the medication change.
If you are taking Armour Thyroid and have comments about this issue please enter your thoughts below. Let me know if you are experiencing any problems or if the medication is still working for you. One way to tell if you have the “old” Armour or new formulation is that the old formulation had a stronger smell, whereas the new one is less pungent. If you’ve taken Armour before you will understand.
In the next installment, I’ll explain what thyroid medication I am now using, and the good news is that I am slowly getting back to my old self, and the hypo-thyroid symptoms are slowly disappearing.
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Hi, I am on the new reform and having alot of problems. It took yrs of feeling terrible when I was on just T4, I asked to take armour now for 5 yrs I felt great!! Now all my problems are back. I don’t know what to do. Can anyone help ? Diane
Diane, I know what it’s like to go this. Sure wish Armour wasn’t reformulated..it’s a terrible inconvenience, hassle and not to mention problem dealing with not feeling great, while you try to find some other options. For most of the ladies who’ve written in, I’ve heard that many have chosen to switch to some other type of Natural Thyroid Hormone. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of Natural Thyroid Hormone that is causing everyone who was in this same situation as you some additional challenges. There are some options on the article on Options for getting Natural Thyroid Hormone Replacement during the shortage that may help. The biggest thing I can pass along to you is don’t wait if you’re not doing great on the new reformulation. See what other medications may work for you, even if you have to work with a compounding pharmacy until this shortage thing is cleared up, but don’t just keep feeling poorly and accepting that as your new normal. From your note you felt great on the Old Armour, which means you can feel great again, you just need to find out which medication will work best for you. Good luck and please keep me posted on how you’re doing. Thank you for sharing.
I’m speaking for a computerless friend. She has had to go from taking a 1/2 grain and a 1/4 grain to (the only thing she can get) a whole grain. This means cutting them in half then half again. These pills being so small then, turn to crumbs. How is one supposed to know if they are getting the proper amount? Is there any other way?
Thank you for your response. When I was on just t4 I got heart burn so bad and had three scopes to see if I had othe problems and none. I stopped the t4 and that’s when the hearburn left after many tests done and lots of money spent. Other problems on t4. Now after many years the new armour I have back the heart burn and I never had it until I went on ner armour. what could it be in the armour?
Hello,
I’m wondering if the people who are having difficulty with the new Armour formulation are chewing their Armour tablets? I’ve always chewed, rather than swallowed, both the old and tne new, and have had no problems with the new formulation. i would think chewing would get around the problem of difficulty dissolving the tablets, so perhaps it will solve the problem of bioavailability of the active ingredients.
Julie
What medication are you taking now? I’d sure like to know as I can no longer get Armour.
I have been having difficulty getting my thyroid at the right levels also. I have been fluctuating up and down for several months and now have other hormonal imbalances that may be due to the thyroid not functioning well for some time. I am losing hair and feeling fatigued with many memory loss issues. The doctor is having difficulty finding the right dosage and now I may understand. He continues to tell me to switch to the synthetic formula and I continue to tell him I did not respond well to any forms of the synthetic brands. I am considering switching to Nature-throid, although I know he will be reluctant to help me. Does anyone have any ideas for me to advise my doctor. I am so upset, I was doing so well on the old Armour and now I can not seem to find the right level – I am too high and then too low. Right now at 135 mg I am too low, yet 150 made it too high???
Exasperated
Hi Sherry, I’ve only heard of 3 patients who’ve written in to say that they are doing ok with the old Armour. Most everyone whom I’ve talked to here and in other groups is having the same difficulties with the new Armour. Right now, it is challenging because of the shortages. What I can tell you is that out of everyone that I’ve heard from who has ordered the replacement Thyroid Medication from Canada (It is just called Thyroid and is manufactured by Erfa) is so far having good results from it. Some are saying it’s just like the old Armour and others are reporting that it seems to be working for them even a bit better than the old Armour. I’m going to give this a try myself as I was going to wait and see if I could just get a refill on my Nature-throid which has been working great for me since I changed from the old Armour, in November when it’s supposed to be back in stock, but because the prices on some of the Canadian sites are doubling within days and the shortage just seems to be getting worse, I’m going to err on the side of caution and go ahead and get some of the Canadian Thyroid medication because I can’t risk running out. Synthroid was horrendous for me…it didn’t work at all, and I’d go to the ends of the earth to avoid taking that medication again. Everyone is different, and I have one neighbor who has taken Synthroid for years and she says it works for her, but I think she is definitely in the minority as most patients whom I come in contact report much better results using the natural thyroid hormones vs the synthetics.
What I’m telling everyone who is struggling with these issues is to really take a step back and realize that you know when you are not feeling well. Trust your body and yourself. If the synthetics aren’t working ask your doctor to prescribe the natural hormones. You may need to get it from Canada, or Germany right now until there is stock again in the US, but it’s not necessary to keep on taking something that isn’t working for you. Another option is to see if you can find a compounding pharmacy in your area and ask if they have a supply of natural dessicated thyroid on hand to compound your medication. Note: Make sure that they are using natural dessicated thyroid hormone, we have heard of some patients paying extra to use a compounding pharmacy and not getting the natural dessicated thyroid hormone. If your current doctor won’t prescribe the natural thyroid hormones, then find another one. I know it can be difficult to find a good MD to help you with these issues, but they do exist. And if you can’t find an MD, then many people report having better luck with finding a D.O. or Doctor of Ostepath who can prescribe either Nature-throid or the Canadian Version of Thyroid for you, so look in your area for a Doctor of Osteopathy if you can’t find an MD who will help you. Be persistent, don’t give up, it’s your life, and you deserve to feel well. As of right now, there are very, very few pharmacies at all in the US that I’m hearing even have any Nature-throid, so I think right now most of us are left with ordering from Canada or Germany or using a compounding pharmacy that still has a supply of the natural dessicated thyroid hormone in stock.
Hi, I’m taking Nature-throid Right now, but will be ordering some replacement medications this week from one of the Canadian sources. I’m getting concerned because the prices are consistently raising, and I don’t want to wait until mid November (when the Nature-throid will be back in stock in the US, to find out there was some other delay or problem getting it restocked.) So I’ll be changing yet again…. (sigh…..) to the Canadian Version of Thyroid which is simply called “Thyroid”. I’ll post here when I get my supply and let everyone know how the ordering process worked, shipping etc. I’m going to ask that they ship it using an ice pack because it can get really quite warm in the FedEx trucks when they are out driving, and the thyroid medication shouldn’t be exposed to high heat.
Hi Julie, thanks for your comments, and you are correct, there were many people who had used the old Armour sublingually, but there have been an equal number of reports from patients who are saying that they were swallowing the new Armour and were still having trouble. The most disheartening part of all this was that there were patients who were taking the same dosage of the new Armour whose lab levels suddenly went way out of line for their TSH and Free T3 and Free T4 levels, and we had reports of patients whose hair started falling out again, along with others who were having the same deep fatigue and hypo symptoms that they had prior to starting thyroid medication. I’m so glad that you are not having any trouble, that’s wonderful, but for many of us the change in fillers or whatever they did has not had a good effect. Keep us posted please and let us know if the new Armour continues to work ok for you, and thanks again for the suggestions:-)
I am disgusted at any changes that have been made to armour thyroid. I have had my thyroid surgically removed and do not have a thyroid at all. Armour has been the only medication that has worked for me. I am exstremly distrubed about the situation and my health. If their is anything I can do to get the original formula back please let me know. I have tried the new formulation and it is not the same. I can see a difference in weight gain within just one week of using it.
Hi this is Diane again and I cut back on the reform thyroid and my hair is not falling out and feel better!! I took 90 one day and 75 the next and I felt good but heart racing and hair loss. My doctor said to stay on it so I did until I could not take anymore. Now I’m taking just 60mg and feeling so much better. My hair stopped failing out and no more heart racing. I hope I didn’t drop to much. I don’t knoe what I will do when I run out. Thanks for any help… Diane
I have been on Armour thyroid for over 7 years after having been on Synthroid for most of my life. I have had Hashimoto’s since the age of 7. I immediately felt wonderful on Armour. However within the past year of difficulties in getting Armour I have had symptoms again but didn’t really recognize them as thyroid related at firss (I have other medical issues that could have explained them). I have been able to get Armour Thyroid EXCEPT for last month when my pharmacy offered me generic. I took it but feel that “something just isn’t right”. To make matters worse, my wonderful endocrinologist has moved out of state and I’m left with one that is not as knowledgeable. (looking for another one as present time) I live in CT and the general theme I’m hearing from armour users is that they’re now being prescribed Synthyroid with Cytomel. I may have to go this route also AFTER having my labs done………..Too bad for Forest Pharmacueticals!. The only notification I gotabout Armour was thru my insurance carrier and even that was 6 months after I had trouble getting the correct dosage. I know a fellow Armour taker in Seattle who hasn’t been able to get Armour for over 7 months. This site was the first I had heard about a reformulated version. Thanks for the information. Could explain a lot of my symptoms.
Thanks for your help about not giving up. I did try compounding armour and still having alot of problems,I can not take it. I am going to doctor and will try the nature throid. The doctor will have to take blood work to see if anything has changed. The burning in the throat from the new armour is so bad!! I am so frustrated trying to find what works and hope I can get nature throid. Is there anything we can do to get the old armour back? Thank you for all your help. Diane
I am having a lot of stomach problems. Which is the new thyroid you are taking. Experiening a lot of pain
Thank you
Hi Mary Ellen, I have some of the Nature-throid left but I am also trying the Natural Dessicated Thyroid that I ordered from Canada and I don’t know if it’s wishfull thinking or not, but right now it seems when that the Thyroid that I ordered from one of the Canadian Pharmacies is working for me like the old Armour used to. I was going to wait a few weeks more before posting about it just to make sure that it was working like it seems to be for me, but so far I am really very pleased with it.
What type of thyroid medication are you taking now? Are you chewing the tablets or swallowing them? Some of the people who used to take the old Armour sublingually are saying that they aren’t able to do that with the new Armour. Not sure if you’re on the new Armour or something else but stomach pain can be miserable……