My Thyroid Meds – Armour Changed Their Formulation Without Telling Patients
by patient-advocate
Filed under Thyroid
Armour Thyroid: A Patient’s Story – What Happened When Forest Labs Changed Armour Thyroid
PART I: My Thyroid History and Background
It had taken a better part of two years to get to the bottom of my thyroid issues. I had been told for so long that there “was nothing wrong with my thyroid” that I almost started believing it myself. But deep down inside, I knew that there was something very wrong. And whatever it was, it wasn’t getting better, but worse. To make a long story short, I ended up in an operating room, far from home, after finally, getting a doctor to admit that not only was their a problem with my thyroid, but it needed to be removed because it was dangerously large. Fast forward to after the operation.
At first, of course, I was prescribed the synthetic medication Synthroid. Almost all doctors do, especially those associated with major medical centers. After a while on the Synthroid, when I found myself with raging headaches, bloating, and a face that looked unusually swollen, I decided to take matters into my own hands and I asked my primary care practitioner to change me over to Armour Thyroid. Trouble was, my primary care doctor thought she knew better, and refused to switch anything with my medication as she thought the Synthetic thyroid medication called Synthroid, and touted by most all the endocrinologists, would be just fine for me. I’m usually a very calm and kind person, with a very slow fuse, who will give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but after my 2 year journey of being misdiagnosed or just plain undiagnosed at all, my patience was a little thin, and I heard myself tell my doctor that I didn’t care what everyone else was prescribing or even if she thought the synthetic Synthroid was better. The one thing I knew for sure after two years of being tossed about and patronized by the medical professionals I had placed my trust in, was that I understood my body better than anyone, and I knew that Synthroid was not working for me and I needed to try something else. I then said that it may not matter to her, but it mattered a great deal to me, and if she wasn’t going to help me find an alternative, I would find someone else who would.
That was the last time I saw that primary care doctor. I found another physician who was more than willing for me to try Armour, and after a few days on the new medication, I was feeling like I was on the road to recovery. Several months passed and there were several medication adjustments, and I learned how to fine tune my thyroid dosage by paying attention to how I felt along with charting my body temperatures, and keeping an eye on my lab work. Note: Although the most important part of getting my thyroid medication regulated was finally having the courage to pay attention more to “how I felt” rather than “what the lab work said”. I learned that there is a big difference between my labs being within normal range, and “being optimized for me” . After two years had passed, on an Armour Thyroid dose that was optimized for my body, I was finally feeling “normal” and had my previous energy back along with the zest for living and enjoying each day to the fullest. The muscle aches had vanished. Where before every muscle in my body had felt like I had been run over by a truck, now there was no pain. Exercising had become a joy again and no longer did I take a shower to find large clumps of hair left behind, or on my car seat when I drove. My face lost it’s roundness, and I dropped the weight that had crept on like an unwanted guest during my previous thyroid struggles. So everything had reached a place where I felt healthy and vibrant, and full of life. Until the time came when I placed a refill order with a new pharmacy. A mail-order pharmacy. You see, my insurance company used to reimburse the cost of a three month prescription refill only if one went through their mail order pharmacy. So I had my Armour prescription transferred to the mail order pharmacy and began taking the new tablets when they came in. After a few days I noticed that I was beginning to feel swollen and bloated again. And my energy started dipping. I spoke to some friends and told them that I thought perhaps I had “received a bad batch of medication”. Maybe the medication was left in the heat too long during transport or maybe the mail order pharmacy didn’t fill the prescription correctly. I didn’t know what was the issue, but I was certain that the medicine that I had relied on to bring me back from the depths of such deep tiredness that it was almost too much to stand up, wasn’t working.
So, I went back to my local pharmacy and asked them if I could change/transfer the remaining refills on my prescription and paid for another batch of Armour Thyroid. Apparently, my local pharmacy must have still had the “old” stock on hand because I very quickly felt better and made up my mind not to use the mail order pharmacy again.
When my medication ran out, I was back to refill my prescription. But this time when my tiredness and muscle pain returned I was thinking that perhaps I had just been working too many hours, or it was the summer heat taking a toll on my body. Maybe I had been exercising too much and needed to reduce the intensity. Even after everything I had experienced how quickly and easily it is sometimes to revert back to trying to come up with alternative reasons why we may not be feeling up to par. I never dreamed that there would be something that had changed in the prescription that had become so important to my daily life. I had no idea that the Armour had been reformulated and for whatever reason, my previous symptoms were starting to return.
In the next installment, I’ll share with you how I found out that Forest Labs had changed the formulation of Armour Thyroid Medication and I’ll share with you what I did about it. Stay tuned for more information about my thyroid journey back to health and how I hope by sharing my story, that it will help others who may be wondering about Armour Thyroid or struggling with health issues that have yet to be properly diagnosed or acknowledged.
I’m not one to normally do this; however, if there is ever a class action lawsuit against Forest Laboratories for their “newest” armour thyroid and how it has affected patients who have used it,contact me. Like everyone else, I have a life to live (and business to run) and do not appreciate the life-changing affects I and others have had to endure since switching back to their “armour” thyroid. We deserve to be more informed and to be able to get what we need here in our own country. I am once again going to rely on an international company’s armour thyroid. I may check out Naturthroid.
I have been going through Thyroid hell for the past two years. I used to be a hair model with very long thick blonde hair. Over the past two years I have watched my hair fall down the drain in addition to a 20 lb weight gain despite a heavy workout schedule and diet modification. I am calling my new doctor today for Naturthroid. I think Forest Labs sold out under pressure. Shame on them. I wish you all renewed health in the future. Best of luck!
I can’t believe that Armour thyroid changed and didn’t bother telling any patients nor their doctors. I took it for about 8 months after it was reformulated and was very very ill. Hair falling out, no energy, and when I say no energy I really mean none. My TSH went up to over 30 and I got every virus or sickness going around. Of course, my employer wanted to know why my work efficiency was so bad, and no one in my family understood why their spouse, mom, cheerleader, support person, and friend couldn’t participate in family activities anymore.
The best thing I did was to switch to NatureThroid. It was night and day for me.
I’ve been taking Armour thyroid medicine for 3 years now. Never realized there could be problems with it. But now maybe this would explain why I still don’t feel any better. How come doctors are not bringing up the fact that the ingredients were changed?
I think your Free T3 and Free T4 are likely too low but I’m sure someone with more experience in this will also chime in sometime today. My thyroid problem was very undermedicated for a long time and my Hashimotos got a lot worse because of it. So it is very good that you have read and learned things about the thyroid on your own.
Hypothyroid or being hypothyroid is not easy. It’s hard to get the proper testing, difficult to get the right medication and just when everything seemed to be falling back into place–Armour changed their formula. It was a challenge for me to find another thyroid medication that worked as well as the old Armour once did. My Physician’s Assistant whom I had seen for about 12 years thought it best to go back to Synthroid. Bad, terrible decision. I should not have listened to him but thought –he was the expert and should know. WRONG!!!! I almost ended up in the hospital because of that and am now back on Natural Thyroid. Taking Naturethroid but may also give the new generic a try.
I too had been taking Armour thyroid after a thyroid surgery 6 years ago. At first, it worked so great for me. I had lots of energy, was able to keep my weight down with good diet and exercise, and my memory was sharp. But after Forest Labs changed the Armour formula. Oh, my goodness — things went downhill so quickly. I gained about 25 pounds, despite eating and exercising the same or even better than I had before. My mind was foggy- couldn’t concentrate on anything and my hair started coming out. I looked and felt miserable. Trouble was, I wasn’t told about the change and my doctor just told me that all I was feeling was ‘normal’ because of my age. Then I found out from reading –that others were also having difficulties with Armour. I am on the generic Natural Thyroid now and it is helping me get back to my old self.
After spending most of the weekend here reading all of the thyroid info everyone has listed here I am almost certain that I have a thyroid problem. But my doctors have said they have been testing me for the thyroid and they tell me ‘its also normal’. I guess I need to ask for copies of these tests do you think? Are there any other things I need to ask for? Thank you to each of you who wrote in and talked about your experiences. This gives me hope.
Armour changed the way the medication was made and didn’t tell anyone? This makes me so upset I could just cry. I’ve been complaining to my doctor for a long time now that I didn’t feel right and have been taking Armour thyroid medicine for a very long time. I even asked him if it were possible that the batch I got was bad or something and he said that none of his other patients were having trouble and so it must be something else.
Although it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one having major problems with Armour Thyroid I wish it were easier to choose the best course of action. I’m very healthy, eat a mainly vegetarian diet and watch my calories closely. Do you know I gained 13 pounds over the course of a few months? Not fun. And if anything I work out even harder than ever before. Technically–if I do the calories in/calories out formula, with what I’m eating and my level of activity, I should be losing weight not gaining. Has anyone had success once they changed to another thyroid med with their weight?
Re: New Amour and Not feeling Well
Gramma Spice, welcome to our thyroid discussion group. You’re not the only one as you can see who has struggled with the newly formulated Armour.
Would you mind reposting your labs including your lab ranges? For example
TSH 0.8 (Range .4 -3.0) or whatever your range is. Please list your result and your lab ranges
Also, what was your Free T3 result?
Have you ever had your ferritin checked?
Many thyroid patients are having better luck with NatureThroid, it is another natural dessicated thyroid medication like Armour, but seems to work much better than Armour does now. The other benefit is that it is comparable in price to Armour. The compounded meds are soooo expensive and for most it seems the NatureThroid does really well, so you may want to give it a try before going to the compounded meds.
It’s not always available at every pharmacy, but generally speaking I can get mine at Walgreens or Sams Club or Costco. Sometimes they have to order it in. There’s also reports that people get there NatureThroid at Safeway with a one day turnaround if they have to order it. If you want to try it and are having trouble finding it in your local area please let me know and I can help you further.
Also, if you want some feedback on your labs, just post them here and you may get some really helpful feedback on them. Thanks for joining the discussion!
RE: Taking my thyroid out was the worst decision I made
Glenda, this sounds awful. I’m so sorry you’re having such a difficult time with your thyroid medication. Could you please let me know the answers to the following questions and I’ll do my best to help give you some ideas on things to try.
1. What type of thyroid medication are you on now?
2. What other thyroid meds have you tried?
3. Do you have a copy of your most recent lab work? If yes, please post the results including ranges
If no, please get a copy of your bloodwork from your doctor. They must give it to you, they are your results.
4. Have you ever had your iron levels including ferritin tested? If so, what were the results?
5. Do you have other conditions besides thyroid that you are being treated for? If yes, what?
6. What other medications beside thyroid meds are you taking
I have to say to please don’t stop taking your thyroid medications without a thyroid gland. If you’re thyroid has been removed, you must have some type of replacement medication, otherwise you can go into a coma and die. So it is not something to take lightly.
The good news is that most people can find a thyroid medication that works for them that makes them feel better. The key is to know which ones to ask for and some of that is based upon what has worked or not worked for you in the past. Please post again and let us know how your’re doing.
Was on Armour years ago and did okay. When it was unavailable for awhile, I went with a compounded raw thyroid…did great. The new formulation became available and to save money went back. Felt horrible. Neck pain, indigestion, bloating, weight gain, fatigue, brain fog. My recent blood work was in normal range, I think: .06 for TSH and 1.1 for T4. But still don’t feel like I did on compounded med. A friend told me she had to stop taking the new Armour and then it clicked. Don’t know what’s going on, but now am sure it’s the new formulation…whether it’s the fillers or what. I am thinking I may have to go back on the expensive compounded version of the thyroid. The synthetics just don’t do it for me.
I had my thyroid removed two years ago, and since then I have been exhausted. I easily tire. The doctors keep changing my medication and adjusting the mg over and over. But the medication makes me nauseous and even more tired. If I don’t take the medication for about 2 days, the nausea and vomiting stops, but the fatigue is worse. I think I’m better off without the medication. Something is definitely wrong and I have to get better because I have 3 children to care for. Having my thyroid taken out was the worse decision I made in my life. I can’t make plans, my legs hurt. I’ve adjusted the times I take the medicine, and I gained so much weight before the surgery. Up to a size 18. I’m now size 12-14. I was reading and found out from here that I should not take the thyroid medicine with calcium or iron pills. Along with taking it one hour before eating and with water only. I’ve done that and it’s still not working. My question is why do I feel so badly when I take this medication? Please help me.
When did Armour Thyroid change their formulation??? I have been taking it for about 2 years. It took many to figure out that I had a thyroid problem. The fatigue, forgetfullness, joint pain, headaches, waking up at night and the weight struggle are a nightmare. After 3 months on armour thyroid I felt like I had my life back. My weight began to drop off, my energy came back, my headaches all but stopped and my joints didn’t hurt anymore. I wasn’t struggling to remember every day things. I can’t even describe how good that felt. About a year ago (maybe a little more), I told my doctor that my medication didn’t really seem to be working as well and that maybe I needed a higher dosage. He checked my levels and said they looked fine. The weight started to creep back on then the headaches and depression came back, just recently I have started experiencing joint pain again. What are my other options??
I just read the above article and I feel exactly the same way. Nothing like being guinea pigs for a company. That is totally unethical and wrong. What happened here in the good ole USA, what really happened? I am talking about greed, evil and loss of common sense. Why have we been turned into guinea pigs. I have noticed a tremendous difference in my hair, muscle, joints and energy levels. This is nothing but crude. Is this company wanting to up their sales in hair meds, joint meds and others. It is downright wrong. I also read an article stating that they feel there is not thyroid med in the new formulation. Sick.