NOTE: this post starts with what was going on in September 2017, and there are updates to it at the bottom of the article. If you didn’t know about this, you need to sign up for blog post notifications at the bottom right of the STTM website.
UPDATE: since the new Naturethroid has come out in 2018, there have been an awful lot of patients reports in seeing their hypothyroidism return, with labs to prove it. It has not been pretty.
Feeling panicked or frustrated by the shortages of two particular brands of Natural Desiccated Thyroid? Let’s take a look at all of this and what you can do.
Brands of NDT
Nature-Throid® and WP Thyroid® are two brands of NDT produced by the U.S. pharmaceutical RLC Labs. (There’s even an older third brand occasionally still foundable: Westhroid, which is said to be exactly the same as Naturethroid, though in less strengths than Naturethroid provides.)
As mentioned in the most sought-after patient-to-patient hypothyroid book on the market, RLC (formerly Western Research) has been around a long time—since the early 1930’s. And it appears they aren’t about to end that long tradition of their existence.
Why the shortage
RLC explains that the shortages are due to “significant upgrades to our facility and equipment”. And though that has created great inconveniences to and frustrations by users of their products, it’s clearly stated by RLC to be a temporary issue, though the resolution may take awhile.
Steps to consider in the meantime
- Writing the prescription differently First, make sure you doctor writes your prescription in a way that you are able to get any other brand of NDT your favorite pharmacy provides. One way is for him to write simply “desiccated thyroid”, then the amount you use, instead of mentioning a brand.
- Call around to different pharmacies. Patients are reporting that some still have their supplies of Naturethroid or WP, and especially WP. See if that makes you lucky.
- Consider other NDT brands. For example, NP Thyroid by Acella has been proven by patients to be a solid and well-made Natural Desiccated Thyroid, similar to the old version of Armour. And there are no shortages of NP.
- Compounding pharmacies Though more expensive, these versions of pharmacies are a way to have your NDT made according to you or your doctor’s specifications, especially fillers used.
- Using synthetic T3 with synthetic T4 If the two synthetics are used, patients have learned that their goals end up being the same as Natural Desiccated Thyroid as far as lab results with the free T3 and free T4, plus removal of symptoms, as well as not going by the TSH lab test. To see different brands of synthetic T3 like Cytomel and others, go here and see them in pink.
Why a pharmaceutical might be doing an upgrade
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states they inspect pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities worldwide, based on standards outlined by the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMPs) regulations. This is especially true for those facilities which manufacture active ingredients like “thyroid tissue”, as well as the finished pill or liquid product from the contained ingredients. They state “inspections follow a standard approach and are conducted by highly trained FDA staff.” 1
Says the FDA:
CGMPs provide for systems that assure proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. Adherence to the CGMP regulations assures the identity, strength, quality, and purity of drug products by requiring that manufacturers of medications adequately control manufacturing operations. This includes establishing strong quality management systems, obtaining appropriate quality raw materials, establishing robust operating procedures, detecting and investigating product quality deviations, and maintaining reliable testing laboratories. This formal system of controls at a pharmaceutical company, if adequately put into practice, helps to prevent instances of contamination, mix-ups, deviations, failures, and errors. This assures that drug products meet their quality standards.2
If you really want to get detailed information on CGMPs, here you go: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/ucm064971.htm
Stop the Thyroid Madness has not seen anything stated from RLC that this is the reason for the upgrades causing the shortages. But it will be interesting to see what the Naturethroid and WP Thyroid tablets look like, and act like, after this upgrade and catchup.
UPDATE as of OCTOBER 10th, 2017:
Heard the following from a gal who called RLC Labs: They have been working on the one grain tablets, and stated they should be finished in about two weeks. Then they will be mass shipping to pharmacies after that time around the first of November.
UPDATE as of November 2nd, 2017
From RLC Labs:
We are happy to announce that Nature-Throid 1 grain (65 mg) is shipping! Shipping for this strength began a few weeks ago and it should be hitting pharmacy shelves soon, but that can be variable; some locations may even already have it stocked and available. If your usual pharmacy is unable to fill your prescription, we recommend contacting other local pharmacies to see what they have in stock. You can also try any of the mail-order pharmacies listed on our website for a potentially faster turnaround. Strengths are being prioritized based on highest demand, starting with Nature-Throid 1 grain, and we are releasing in all counts. The next strength to be released will be Nature-Throid ½ grain (32.5 mg), and we will post here when it starts shipping. We are unable to provide any updates around WP Thyroid at this time, but will share them and any other new details on this page as soon as they are available. Every effort is being made to have all strengths stocked and available as quickly as possible while still maintaining our strict quality standards–the industry allows for a monograph discrepancy of +/-10% between T4 and T3, but WP Thyroid and Nature-Throid are not released outside of +/-2%. Patients are and always have been the top priority at RLC Labs, and we are literally working day and night to get back to our usual pace as quickly as possible. Your understanding and continued support are greatly appreciated as we do our best to get back to our usual pace. *Please discuss all health-related questions or concerns, including those about symptoms, with your physician.
UPDATE as of January 15, 2018
https://getrealthyroid.com/product-availability.html
In the meantime, NP Thyroid by Acella is a good one to switch to. You may have to adjust it for your own needs.
MORE INFORMATION:
- Can Hashimoto’s patients do well on Natural Desiccated Thyroid? Find out here.
- Is it true that thyroid cancer patients should avoid NDT? See this.
- How do I use Natural Desiccated Thyroid? See what patients have learned here.
- What if I want to use synthetic T3 instead? See this.
- Where do I get the Stop the Thyroid Madness books I hear so much about? Right here.
1. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalprocess/manufacturing/ucm169105.htm
2. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalprocess/manufacturing/ucm169105.htm
Important notes: All the information on this website is copyrighted. STTM is an information-only site based on what many patients worldwide have reported in their treatment and wisdom over the years. This is not to be taken as personal medical advice, nor to replace a relationship with your doctor. By reading this information-only website, you take full responsibility for what you choose to do with this website's information or outcomes. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use.
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663 Responses to “UH OH–Naturethroid and WP Thyroid Shortages and what to do”
Slim
Here we go … again! I found this on the Inspire forum yesterday and thought I’d pass it along.
https://www.inspire.com/groups/thyroid-diseases/discussion/recall-of-nature-throid-and-wp-thyroid/?source=email&utm_source=email&utm_medium=AS&utm_campaign=AS&utm_content=2020-09-08
Here’s the link to Drugs.com >> https://www.drugs.com/fda/rlc-labs-inc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-all-lots-nature-throid-wp-thyroid-current-expiry-14397.html
Slim
Diana VP
Here is the link to the FDA report on Form 483 for RLC Labs from August 2017
https://fdazilla.com/store/form483/3002523846-20170811
Renee
$595.00 in order to download it and read it??????? Did I read that right???? What the? Why isn’t this free for public consumption? I can’t afford almost six hundred dollars to see the results of their audit, and I doubt many people can! Wow.
Lissa
After a year-long battle trying to obtain Naturethroid, I finally gave up and had my Endo switch me to NP Thyroid. When I went to get my refill last week, guess what!? I AM NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NP THYROID!
The NP Thyroid website states only the 2-grain strength is on backorder, however I have been unable to order it in any strength from any pharmacy I’ve called so far. I was lucky to get what they had in-store at Costco for now, but I’d love your input. (Note: Their website indicates that CVS may no longer carry NP Thyroid at all, but this doesn’t explain the same problem at other pharmacies in ALL strengths – not just the 2gr Acella admits to.)
I’ve Googled and been mostly unsuccessful so far. What the heck is going on with NDT drugs?? Everyone I talk to keeps trying to push me toward Armour, and honestly, I’m starting to feel like it’s an orchestrated push to make it impossible to get any other NDT.
Janie Bowthorpe
No it’s not an orchestrated push. When Naturethroid and WP became unavailable due to the changes they were making, then when nature throid became an awful NDT after it came back out, everyone had to switch and it put a strain on Acella. They’ve been working hard to catch up and deserve our kudos for that. Other strengths are available besides 2 grain. Just have to do a lot of calling around. Or move to Armour and also call around.
Lori
I’m not sure what’s going on but supplies are getting low in my area, Orange County California. Many pharmacies do not have any NP thyroid and the only place I found to fill my Rx only had 1 and 1/2 grain tablets which do not match my dosage, I have to cut one of the tablets in 1/3 which never comes out in even amounts. I filled the 3 month Rx so hopefully I won’t run out before they start making more.
Judy
I am using Thyrovanz and it is amazing.!! I feel like the old me before they removed my thyroid and I have lots of energy. I used to be on synthetic and tried Armour but neither of them made me feel right.
Alex
Hello Judy,
I am also thyroidless and have had the great difficulties with all that “new” NDTs in the last time. Could you tell me please what a dose you are taking actually, and how you have started taking it.
Some years ago I tried Thyro-Gold, it is also a NDT from Bovine. Could you (or someone from here) tell me please, if Thyrovanz is the same NDT as Thyro-Gold?
Thank you very much for answering in advance.
Alex
Angie F.
Where are you finding it? Is a ‘script required?
Angela
What is up with the “back order” of Nature Throid?? And I’m hearing that WP Thyroid is also not available. Both from RLC Labs, which has absolutely NO updates about any of this on their web site. Synthroid began not working for me and I went on Nature Throid in May of 2017. I adjusted well to it and really felt much better on it. Less pain, etc. I use Express Scripts, which has been unable to get Nature Throid for me for the past three months. My local pharmacy is almost out. What are we thyroid patients supposed to do when we need these meds to not just give us quality of life but to keep us alive?? I’ve lost faith in RLC. I want to switch to NP Thyroid but my doctor is on vacation. It feels like options are limited. What other natural thyroid meds are available out there? This med problem is causing madness.
Janie Bowthorpe
Both NP and Armour are available.
Angela Frye
RLC has, interestingly enough over the past couple of days, removed all of my posts from their Nature-throid and WP Thyroid Facebook page, including those referencing my petition, and blocked me, as they did John, from commenting or replying. Unconscionable, IMHO…I would appreciate support for that petition being publicized via STTM. I do not want nor need personal credit for the info or petition..I would, however, like to see RLC respond to their customers in a meaningful way.
Janie Bowthorpe
I support what you are trying to do and is why I’m letting you post about it here. I’m not signing as of now, as people want to put way too much on a leader’s shoulders for change. We as leaders cannot carry that much weight. We need ALL OF YOU as patients to sign.
jeff
np thyroid not workin for you at all?
Marsy
Ohhhhhhh yes !!! WP Thyroid on board !!! Signs of life of WP Thyroid !!! It’s been… how long…? ! Over a year !!!
I know that many of the WP Thyroid users had to, needed to, it was absolutely necessary for them to resolve to alternatives in the meantime. However, let us not forget there are people who have NOT found a suitable for them ALL THIS TIME. I am glad it’s back, and hopefully, HOPEFULLY, it will work JUST AS WELL as it used to, with some getting used to its…”new format”, for all those who do need it.
Well done RLC Labs ! ? ! I never thought I will see the day WP would be back.
Angie F.
Marsy…I hope you’ll keep us posted…as indicated in earlier posts, I/we put up a petition to RLC at MoveOn.org’s petition website..Although we have not formally delivered the petition, we have posted the petition announcement and link to the Nature-throid and WP Thyroid Facebook page and all over thyroid patient advocate pages and websites…Since putting up the petition, we have seen two announcements (the first since September 2018) regarding WP. Although we can’t say for sure, I’d like to think this was related to our efforts. I hope you’ll take the time to post and share…here is the link to the petition…https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/nature-throid-and-wp.fb50?source=c.fb&r_by=3013015&fbclid=IwAR0prKLXpWXbLRbfgpO-Us9EcGary9Oh0V3H8upxvfE9I6Bt21CCFPXjm50
Marsy
Angie F., thank you for the post. Yes, I have already seen the petition below, and thanks for re-posting it. As for updates for the effectiveness of the “new” WP, I would say I will probably be among the last to know. As I live overseas and I was purchasing WP through an international pharmacy, it will take quite some time before the international pharmacy will have it available as it did in the past. Even though production has begun, the shortage will be occurring for quite a while.
In the meantime, I am continuing with Germany’s natural desiccated hormone I had found in my very long search and for which I am so grateful as it has suited my system without the dangers of allergic responses (which was my problem with other brands and the very reason I was taking WP).
I will be following up on things.
Angie
I have put up a petition to the Owner/CEO of RLC at MoveOn.org. I encourage everybody that has had problems with Nature-throid and WP, whether plummeting free hormone levels a/o backorder/fill issues to sign it. Please forward and share…https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/nature-throid-and-wp.fb50?source=c.fb&r_by=3013015&fbclid=IwAR0prKLXpWXbLRbfgpO-Us9EcGary9Oh0V3H8upxvfE9I6Bt21CCFPXjm50
Jessica Lee
I signed I would like to take out a class action lawsuit considering how negligent this has been to my health and how awful I look and feel from rapid weight gain, hair loss, hair not growing in over a year, unbearable fatigue, pain, heart palpitations, and on and on…
Janie Bowthorpe
Understand that NDT is not considered an “approved” drug by the FDA. Yes, that’s totally ridiculous, but a fact. And so far, they have left it alone. So by doing a lawsuit against RLC, you are only bringing NDT to the attention of the FDA–the very wrong thing to do. Your power is in refusing to buy their products anymore until they come clean and fix the problem.
Lori
I agree with Janie, I do not think FDA will help NDT thyroid patients, it’s best not to upset the apple cart. I’ve been on NDT for 41 years and seen a lot of ups and downs, best to switch to NP thyroid if you can and wait out this thyroid storm. NP thyroid is the closest thing I’ve found to the old Armour thyroid.
Angie F.
Jessica: Thanks for signing the petition…I’d like to politely request that we give RLC some time to respond…We have seen two announcements, since putting up the petition, on the shipment of WP 1 grain tabs…I’ll formally deliver the petition to all three RLC executives once signature activity tapers off. If you signed via email, you’re now included in my email information updates about all this, so stay tuned. …It’s fairly obvious to me, however, that simply switching to other suppliers has had little to no effect with getting RLC to respond to their customers, andI do believe we’ll have to exert more pressure than that in as big a numbers as possible. Let’s see what happens with our petition….if we then don’t get a response, then perhaps it is time to increase the pressure. It is unacceptable for RLC to have changed their formula a/o their processes to such a degree that we have collectively become, and even perhaps dangerously so (in my case, hypothyroidism leads to constipation and resulting diverticultis), severely hypothyroid. This is serious business. I too have had many of the symptoms that you’ve described (I had extraordinarily thick hair all my life and I’ve lost close to half!) and while I’d occassionally noticed some batch “inconsistency” with Nature-throid, I’ve been reasonably content with it since my last “reformulation” experience (ERFA) . I feel and share your frustration! It is also unacceptable for RLC to not own up to or communicate with their patient base as regards the problem. I do have optimism that this previously reputable and responsive company will eventually do what is right..if they don’t, we’ll all then have to make a decision about what we want to do about it. Thanks again for signing..
Janie Bowthorpe
Just understand that possibly the worst thing anyone can do is report all this to the FDA. NDT is an unapproved drug (which is silly, yes), and we don’t necessarily want to point out the problem to the FDA. They have for years now turned their heads the other way, and we want that to continue.
Angie F.
It’s my understanding that several patients have already reported their problems to the FDA, so that ship has already sailed, Janie…And, there is also an FDA recall on Westminster Thyroid and I have not seen, you’ll have to let me know if it is the case, the sky falling with regard to other dessicated thyroid preps/brands,….I have not as yet, reported my problems to the FDA, but I absolutely will proceed to the next logical steps if we don’t get an appropriate response to our petition. .. Jessica did not say in her post that FDA notice was her next step..what she appears to be considering is legal remedy, which is nobody’s prerogative but hers….I’m hoping she will wait and I’m willing to give them plenty of time to respond, but what I’m not willing to put up with is NO response….As I stated above, I will likely formally deliver our petition early next week…it would be great if, especially after reading some of the horrific patient experiences with this debacle, thyroid patient advocates could add their voice to the petition and advocate…..Mary Shomon, as recently as Nov 29th, on her Facebook page, somewhat hubristically claimed that (and I’m not sure where she got this information) there had been no Naturethroid formula change…which, if you read the updates, RLC has pointedly NOT claimed. And I have to say, after what I’ve experienced and what I’ve read that others have experienced, that makes me more than a little angry.
Janie Bowthorpe
It doesn’t matter if the ship has already sailed. What matters is that everyone else who thinks it’s a good move…thinks twice. I can’t prove it, but there’s good reason to believe that reporting this to the FDA is skating on thin ice, considering that the FDA sees NDT as an unapproved drug. READ this, LEARN it: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/desiccated-thyroid-unapproved-drug/
We all need to use our power by putting our dollars elsewhere, like NP Thyroid or even Armour, and making SURE all our doctors know what has happened to Naturethroid and NOT prescribe it. Many are moving to self-treatment.
Yes, some leaders walk the pharmaceutical line in what they say, just as they walk the western medicine line. It’s RLC who has claimed that they changed nothing, just as Erfa once claimed that (when their NDT went south.) We can’t dispute that, but I personally can’t lay heavy on that, seeing what is going with patients. Wherever the truth is, the BOTTOM LINE is that it’s both ludicrous and insulting to ignore what a huge majority of patients are reporting with the new Naturethroid.
Your petition is fine if it’s directed towards RLC. But LEARN what is in the article I posted above…and pause when it comes to the FDA.
Janie Bowthorpe
And again in reference to “we’ll all then have to to make a decision about what we want to do about it”….read: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/desiccated-thyroid-unapproved-drug/ and the part about NDT being an unapproved drug. There is a possibility that reporting this to the FDA is skating on thin ice.
We all at least have other brands to use, and NP Thyroid has been excellent. And as always has occurred, other pharms do step up. We can put our money where it counts, not towards a pharm that won’t address what’s going on….
Angie F.
Going to take your comments in reverse, Janie, and hope to clear up some confusion as well as to add some add’l information with regard to RLC and FDA involvement. First and foremost…drugs “grandfathered in” as GRASE (generally recognized as safe and effective) by the FDA upon its creation are further required via both DESI (Drug and Efficacy Study Implementation-1962), and UDI (Unapproved Drug Initiative-2006) to submit to FDA inspection and to follow CGMP guidelines. ALL manufacturers of prescription dessicated thyroid are subject to FDA compliance audits and have had, via notice by the Federal Register, communication from the FDA with regard to manufacturing processes. FYI…Forest (Armour) was subject to an FDA audit in Nov. 2013, head auditor Shafiq Ahadi; Acella in October of 2013, head auditor Jawaid Hamid, last but certainly not least, RLC was the subject of an audit in August 2017, head auditor Andrea Schmidt, perhaps coincidentally or not, immediately prior to their discontinuation and revision of manufacturing processes in Sept 2017. So a couple of points to be made…the FDA does not “turn its head” with regard to these medications..nor does a lack of “FDA Approval” indicate a hands-off approach with this class of drugs.
Also..let me say again that RLC, quite pointedly, has NOT claimed that they have not changed their formulation in any public announcement that I can find. So, if you have a link or direct quote with reference that you can provide us all with regard to that claim, I’d appreciate it, as I’m sure would others. And with regard to links, references, etc., I’m quite happy to review anything that you might deem helpful, as long as it is presented to me in the form of a polite request…not a demand in all caps.
Finally, followup on my petition, or this issue, notice to FDA or other, is my call…and will be predicated on what I believe is paramount to the well-being and safety of all concerned..and that includes those still purchasing what appears to be a defective and perhaps inefficacious product from RLC. I’ll let you know if I change that position for any reason.
Janie Bowthorpe
It has been stated by a few patients that RLC said to them when contacted that nothing has been changed. All we have is heresay.
Janie Bowthorpe
Also, send me verifiable links to the information you stated about the audits. I can add them to the page on STTM.
Angie F.
Janie…the FDA issues and archives a Form 483 for every facility inspection performed and maintains an archive of F483s at fdazilla.com. Some are available under FOIA and all are available for purchase at apparently varying expense and brevity through the fdazilla “store”….I am, especially now, considering obtaining the 8/17 RLC Summary Audit Info, as RLC has, interestingly enough over the past couple of days, removed all of my posts from their Nature-throid and WP Thyroid Facebook page, including those referencing my petition, and blocked me, as they did John, from commenting or replying. Unconscionable, IMHO…I would appreciate support for that petition being publicized via STTM. I do not want nor need personal credit for the info or petition..I would, however, like to see RLC respond to their customers in a meaningful way.
Jlg
My first prescription of the new formulation was in May 2018. I was doing wonderful on the Nature Throid (97.5) dose I was on. The hypo symptoms came back toward the end of june. I was losing hair, dry skin, no energy, muscle weakness, depression and withdrawal and gaining weight. It didn’t occur to me that it was the nature throid. Then a few nonths ago I read that with the new formulation, patients were increasing their dose to get what they used to. So my doctor and i increased. I ended up getting worse symptoms. At this point, I blamed it on pituitary then adrenals. So I treated both and my symptoms did not improve. I have gained fifteen pounds since june. I have zero desire to socialize or workout. I am so incredibly frustrated with the makers of Naturethroid. As of last week, I switched to Armour. I am praying this will get me back to some sense of my “normal” health. I am agrry that I had to go through this because it’s like I lost six months of my life.
jeff
np thyroid not workin for you at all?
Janie Bowthorpe
NP works. People need to read why and correct: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
waveylines
Hi -can anyone tell me whats happening with Acella NP Thyroid? Pharmacies in the UK are unabke to ontain it. Is there a stock issue?
I really hope it hasnt gone down too……🙄😩
Janie Bowthorpe
No, Acella hasn’t “gone down, too.” 🙂 Also, it’s using a private and very quality source of porcine desiccated thyroid.
Understand that with the fall of Naturethroid, and the fall of Westminster, demand from those who used either has switched to NP Thyroid; some have switched to Armour. It has been a sudden and huge demand on fewer facilities. So probably, Acella has been forced to be careful how much stock pharmacies are getting to better spread out the stock during this challenging time. I’m sure things will improve over time.
Jenny
I got switched to Nature-Throid last fall in 2017 due to the shortage issue with WP Thyroid. I have been feeling awful since then and my recent lab result done in 09/2018 showed my TSH shot up to 150 (I had a complete thyroidectomy in 2010). This is so shocking! My doctor immediately switched me to NP Thyroid and all markers have come down to normal ranges within two weeks. I want to warn all those people who are still on Narture-Throid. Please get your thyroid labs done as soon as you can.
Ashley
Hi All,
Hoping to get some feedback. I’ve been struggling with hypothyroid symptoms for a long time. My TSH was about 3.5, T4 in middle of range, T3 below the midpoint of the range, and slight antibodies. After trying several natural remedies, my doc finally put my on 1/4 grain of naturethroid. I’ve been on it about 5 weeks now, and the first two weeks I maybe noticed a slight increase in energy, but now in the last couple weeks, I’m back to my regular level of fatigue, I’ve rapidly gained 6LBS out of nowhere (I’m very consistent with everything so I know it has to be the thyroid med), I’ve also been very irritable, and in the last few days I’ve had some small bits of skin itching (also something I never have). I meet with my doc next week. Any thoughts on how to tell if I’m just underdosed, or if I’m not responding well to naturethroid. Maybe this was me being naive but I thought since my hypothyroid is subclinical that I would only need the minimal amount. Nervous about whether to go forward and do more trial and error or just say forget it and deal with being tired all the time. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I hear some people say starting a thyroid med changed their lives for the better, but then I read so many nightmare stories too :-(.
Janie Bowthorpe
Two reasons you are having problems: 1) Naturethroid doesn’t work well anymore for the majority, it appears. NP Thyroid has proven to be a far better NDT right now. 2) It’s not about starting on such a measly dose of NDT. Study, don’t just glance…this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Mary Urban
Have your dr prescribe something else – maybe Armour. Google Naturethroid problems 2018 – sites with LOTS of complaints about effectiveness since “new facilities” which one person suggested are in Puerto Rico!!!
Janie Bowthorpe
RLC Labs stated there were no new facilities in Puerto Rico.
housemaid
I advise everyone to forget about WP and buy Acella’s NP thyroid. I finally ran out of WP and Nature-throid did nothing for me, so I bought some NP from an online pharmacy. I have been using it for months and to tell the truth, it really wasn’t do anything for me, either. I was still suffering from low body temperature, hair loss, flabby gums, fatigue, 30 lb weight gain, aches & pains, etc. However, NP was all I had after WP vanished. I knew I could not digest the pills with cellulose in them and NP has no cellulose. Because it was so expensive from the online pharmacy, I went to Good Rx website recently and found that I could get NP for $100 less than I was paying.
I ordered it from the local CVS. They didn’t have it in stock, so I had to wait a few days. I started taking the new NP thyroid pills and the very first day my brain fog vanished, my hair loss stopped, my temperature went up to 98.5 and stayed there. I was so happy! It was like having WP back only better. Acella has not yet done to me what RLC Labs did, and they have my loyalty now. I will not go back to WP again. I do not know why the other NP pills did not work, but I suspect the online pharmacy was selling me old stock or that the heat during shipment affected them. I advise to buy your NP thyroid from a local pharmacy and if they say it is on back order, call Acella. They will call your pharmacy and tell them which supplier has it. This page has the phone number to call Acella with questions about availability:
https://npthyroid.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/AC-092_NPThyroid_DearPharmacist_DAW_v6.pdf
Starr D.
I agree with you about NP thyroid….although I’m still finding my way with it, I think it’s trying
to help me better than WP was when I finally ran out, and I have no plans to go back to WP,
either, if they ever bring it back. I think WP’s manufacturer has handled this whole thing
in a horrible and irresponsible manner, and I still question whether they are telling the truth
about what’s really going on. I’ve been burnt by thyroid drug companies before in ways
similar to this, and I resent being treated like this again by RLC Labs–even though I’m
grateful to them for the help their WP medicine truly did give me, for awhile. By the way,
I get my NP from Sam’s Club (not online), and it’s always been fresh, for me. A good tip is
to ask them to put a desiccant packet in it—keeps it fresher for longer (the pharmacist told me this.)
Renee
I also agree. I have said goodbye to RLC labs. I still check their website all the time, just out of curiosity, to see if there are any updates. Here is the latest from September 24, 2018.
“September 24, 2018
There is no new information at this time. Please check back soon for updates on the availability of Nature-Throid and WP Thyroid.”
It’s now been over a year and they haven’t given us any information. It’s always the same. “There is no new information”. Meh.
Starr D. It does take some “finding your way” with the Acella NP. It took me about 9 months of changing the dosage and checking blood work every few months (or more!), but I finally found the right dosage for me. I also take 200 mcg of selenium every day along with Vitamin D and K2, and I eat a mostly paleo diet. I also take natural compounded progesterone and a small dose of testosterone cream every day( as I am premenopausal and my hormones were all out of whack). I’ve also recently started taking fish oil (ultimate omegas).
As a result of all this, my hair has stopped falling out, and it is shiny again instead of the dried out snarled hay I used to have. My skin is good. My nails are no longer peeling and breaking. I’ve lost a lot of weight (using the hcg diet), and the inflammation and water retention are gone. The heart palpitations, adrenaline rushes and panic attacks are gone. My blood pressure has come down. My A1C is perfect now and I was pre-diabetic before. My cholesterol is perfect. My temperature has come up. My antibodies have dropped significantly. Acella NP does work, but it did take diligence on my part (and I do realize that NP obviously won’t work for everyone). I’m just thankful that I’m feeling well again. I lost two decades of my life to hashimoto’s. Good luck to you!
jeff
how are you able to get acella np thyroid for lcoal cvs? what are steps or process to get it? do you need a prescription from a functional medicine? are you aware with np thyroid has t1,t2, iodine, and calcitonin in it? im not able to find my answers anywhere
Janie Bowthorpe
Most are getting it by prescription via a doctor. Not sure what answers you aren’t finding….maybe this will help? https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
jeff
from a functional medicine doctor? primary care provider, endocrinologist?
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s not about any one specialty. It’s about finding that doctor in any specialty who will listen to your knowledge that you got from STTM.
Jan Romeu
I am also desperate to find a substitute for WP Thyroid and am researching frantically for a replacement. I came across a product called Thyrovanz, https://thyrovanz.com/ It is a product from New Zealand and is made of 100% NDT. It is available worldwide. It requires no prescription in the US since it’s classified as a supplement, not a drug. The only hitch is, it is made from freeze-dried bovine thyroid gland, not porcine like I’m used to. The cows are certified to be free of BSE, antibiotics, and BGH and are free range pasture fed on non-GMO crops. It comes in capsules which can be opened. The price for 100mg is $32 with free shipping. It all sounds promising but does anyone know if there are problems associated with taking bovine thyroid? Are the T4/T3 levels the same as in porcine? Does anyone have experience with this product?
Lyn
I would love to hear Janie’s thoughts on the product you mentioned! How would the dosage be determined? I am on 97.5 WP and as we all know there is NO WP!
Janie Bowthorpe
All the OTC brands have done well for different people based on their reports. There is also ThyroGold, Thyroid-S, Thiroyd, etc. Just like prescription, one needs to be optimal on them, and use labs to figure out the right amount i.e. free T3 and free T4.
Pat M
I tried the bovine stuff. Was not able to get it to work for me. I am currently using some nature Thyroid 97.5 mg. It is more than what I usually take (65) and am finding I am taking naps in the afternoon and feeling dizzy. This was the last stuff Walmart had so when it runs out I’m stuck with the synthetic which I hate.
So, I found the bovine stuff really expensive and really useless. YMMV. Good luck.
Janie Bowthorpe
Might want to look into NP Thyroid by Acella. And also might want to read whether you have an adrenal and/or iron problem, to boot: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Marilyn
I’ve done a ton of research due to me having issues with both Armour and Nature-Throid when Westhroid aka WP Thyroid became unavailable and have found great reviews for NP Thyroid, which is composed of something like 3 ingredients just like WP Thyroid! I started having pvcs on Armour and Nature-Throid. I now have a prescription for NP Thyroid waiting for me at Walgreens! I hope this is the answer to my pvcs!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hooray! And REMEMBER: you still have to find your OPTIMAL dose, plus have good iron and cortisol, to avoid problems. When people have problems on NDT (not talking about Naturethroid–IT is the problem), they blame the NDT and it’s actually what it’s revealing. This page will explain the iron and cortisol: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol And this page explains OPTIMAL, not just “on” ndt: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
AnnMarie LaBarge
Can someone help me!? I was taking Thyroid NP 1.5 GR from august 2017 to just about two weeks ago (aug 2018) so I started back on Nature Throid 97.5 two weeks ago. I have recently been feeling blue and a little down.. is this a side effect? I havent felt this way in a while and I dont like it!
Janie Bowthorpe
Apparently, the new Naturethroid is far weaker than the former version according to the reported experiences of many people. So you could easily be more hypothyroid now, thus feeling blue. As others are doing, you could try raising, or move to a different NDT right now. No matter which you decide, always do your labs, as optimal means a free T3 towards the top part of the range and a free T4 midrange. Both.
Lori
I wonder if it has higher levels of cellulose in it? The Nature Throid from 2009 through 2016 had higher levels of cellulose and I had to soften it then chew it with a drop of organic raw honey then rub it on the inside of my cheeks with my tongue to help it work better.
daniela
I’ve had the same experience 🙁 i think the shortage is affecting their quality. my thyroid level are totally messed up and it happened all of a sudden. i’m pretty sure the quality isn’t good anymore.
Angel
I am going through the same thing. I have been on Naturethroid for years. And been doing pretty good. I just had labs done and I’m severely hypo with a TSH of over 14!! And I just had labs done in May where if was about 1. Which is where I feel good. Why are they doing this to us?? They should be sued. Messing with people’s health like this. What’s is a good choice to switch to??
Mary Urban
Google NatureThroid problems 2018 – found sites with MULTIPLE patients writing to complain that since “upgrade” to facilities, they have felt as if they are taking no meds at all. I have put on 20#, depressed, can’t sleep, brain fog, etc. Labs look as if I am taking nothing! Getting prescription for Armour. Just want them to fix it!!!
Ginnie S.
I was getting my thyroid meds from a compounding pharmacy which closed down. My MD approved getting NP Thyroid and wrote the scrip. A large pharmacy chain in my town claims they can’t fill the scrip because Acella told them they are out of it and don’t know when production will be resumed. I called Acella’s patient info line and left a message, but no response (3 days ago). I also emailed them re: this and no response (2 days ago). Are they very slow to respond? Is there really a shortage? My old supply is running out.
Janie Bowthorpe
There is no shortage of NP Thyroid.
Michael
They (Acella) were slow to respond to me last month. I left 2 voicemails and sent 2 emails via their web form over the course of a week or so until someone finally returned my call. The rep was very nice once I got to speak with him. He said he did not get my other messages, so I suspect a potential technical issue on their side. I would try calling during business hours, and leave another message & email if necessary until you get a call back.
Also, the rep confirmed no shortage of NP. He said that any pharmacy should be able to order it from their normal distributor within 1-2 days. Acella can get on the phone with the pharmacy if necessary to sort it out, if they have questions. I was able to get 2 strengths at Walmart within a couple of days, without issue.
Lyn
They must be thinking of WP or Naturethroid which are both made by RLC labs and both have been on backorder for months. WP is STILL on backorder with none to be found. I am thinking of going to Acella NP. I have about 2 weeks of WP left. I think I got the last ones in existent from HT pharmacy this week. They had 6 and had checked with all their pharmacies in the area.
Erin Menard
OH MY LORD!!! I could SCREEEEEEAM!!! I am 30+years diagnosed HYpothyroid (hereditary 3+ generations, petuitary slows/stops at puberty) and have been on this Thyroid Medication YO YO for WAYYYY TOO LONG here in Northern California!!! I need support or who to call information to STOP THIS INSANITY!!! I swear I am going into the Porcine business if this crap of porcine powder shortage doesnt come to a halt!!! I am being told AGAIN that my compounding pharmacy can NOT get anymore desiccated Porcine Powder and NOW they ran out of the WP THYROID medication. What in the HELL is going on here?!!!!! You would THINK I am asking for PAIN MEDS the way this Thyroid Medicine is treated in this country!! I am a FOUNDING family descendant here in North America and I am DISGUSTED with the way we are being treated with Thyroid Conditions that are Hereditary and or environmentally caused. Proper Thyroid care and treatment is the cause of sooo many health issues(depression, weight gain, lethargic, psychiatric,etc) in the world today and it is a simple fix if allowed and backed up by our government and healthcare system. I feel like SCREAMING because NOOO ONE IS LISTENING and CHANGING THIS ISSUE!!! I went through this back in 2007 when the Big Pharma CHANGED the ingredients for Thyroid medicine and added the DREADFUL MICROCRYSTALINE CELLULOSE to the fillers, which makes it HARDER and impossible for many patients stomachs to digest and process therefore giving Test results as “Too much” Thyroid in their system BUT the Thyroid is NOT being processed properly by their body due to the Microcrystaline Cellulose binding to the Thyroid hormone and not letting the body absorb it properly!! SOOO PLEASE TELL ME WHO IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Has Desiccated Porcine Thyroid at their pharmacy so I can refill my prescription and keep the quality of life I deserve and the REST OF the WORLD DESERVES!!
Starr D.
Hi. I’m in Southern California, and I can get NP thyroid (natural) by Acella at Sam’s Club Pharmacy–and I think
you don’t have to be a member to use their pharmacy. I was on WP, too, until I couldn’t get any more. Frankly, I
was having trouble with WP in the last several months I was on it (was harder for me to tolerate), and the NP might end up being better for me in the long run…..too early to tell, for sure. I agree with you about the microcrystalline cellulose, as I had major side effects from Levoxyl (synthetic drug) when they took out a couple of the fillers they’d been using and replaced them with microcrystalline cellulose and crosscarmelose sodium. I don’t know which one made me sicker (or maybe it was the combination of both), but I’ve STILL got some leftover problems with this, from 2003. I also agree with you that thyroid treatment & diagnosis needs a lot of improvement…..if I ever get in a position to do something about it, I will. Good luck to you, and maybe check out the NP by Acella. I actually learned about it on this website, that it was a decent option to try, and that’s why I asked my doctor about getting on it when my WP ran out. Thanks to Janie for this website!
Marsy
A WP Thyroid user myself, in my long search into all others available and what possible allergies fillers can cause, I found (by talking to a pharmacist who was trying to help me understand of the different fillers and possible allergies) that the mineral oil used as a filler in Acella could be a cause of possible abdominal disturbance or rash (allergic responses I myself had to fillers, and therefore the reason of my reluctance to get Acella). It would be good for anyone to be aware of what choices they have and possible allergies, and depending on each one’s sensitivities to what possible allergic reactions they had, they can come to their personal conclusions.
Janie Bowthorpe
You are welcome. STTM is a labor of love….
Starr D.
I can tell you put a lot of care and thought into this website. Just know that it’s much
appreciated by people like me. I really felt much better about trying NP thyroid after
reading that you thought it was a decent choice, because I respect your opinion.
Had read some bad reviews of NP on other sites, but I felt you wouldn’t just say a
drug was a decent choice if you didn’t think it was true. So, that helped me a LOT.
I do wonder what’s really going on at the WP factory, though. Like you, I don’t
think we have the full story….I’ve been through a lot of havoc over the years when
these thyroid drug companies have been doing something “not good” for patients, but the patients don’t find out about it until much later. My examples are–Old Synthroid (which really helped me) but then it changed “inactive ingredients” in 1982-83 without having to tell patients or test it for safety & effectiveness on anyone…I’m actually still dealing with after-effects of that mess. Also, there was Euthroid (by Parke-Davis) in the late 1980s–early 1990s (a synthetic T3-T4 drug) Took it for a few short weeks then got much sicker from it….found out a few years later they’d been cited for making it poorly at the factory….rather than fix things, they just quit making it. And on and on…Ugh!
Marsy
Before sealing the last remaining WP Thyroid pills in their bottle, I looked once more RLC Labs’ site to check on any recent updates, which was that “There is NO further new update”, and here I post my update from my side of the world:
A WP Thyroid user, and after a long painful process and endless search, even being on the phone (internationally) with helpful people but whose language I do not speak, I have probably been the last one to switch from WP to another brand, Germany’s Thyreogland, and feeling pretty good with it. The last WP pills sealed tight and well in their bottle, as I waited patiently, but realizing in the Spring of this year that RLC Labs will not be starting production of WP for a good long time. That ‘miracle’ never happened, but another did.
I’ve started on Thyreogland last week. So far, clear of signs of facial rash, abdominal movement, good, heart beat rhythm, good, energy level, good. Feeling good. This bottle will last me for about 6 months. Perhaps…enough time for RLC Labs to…start production of WP…?? !! ??
RLC Labs, you have definitely put us on quite a ride!!! How could you do that for so long to so many people who relied on you for their health so many years? !
I really wonder…why is it that the simplest thing, of putting an amount of desiccated thyroid hormone, together with an innocent filler, into a clear capsule is made so complicated into months and years of making a tablet form, with one preservative being added to offset any negative effects of another preservative, which in turn all can cause allergies, or be harmful in the long run. This is no science. It is so basic that I have found myself in my long search keep feeling I was at such basic level, to find a pure natural desiccated thyroid hormone that will not cause me an allergy.
I believe I found one, and I am so grateful and thankful to the people who helped me achieve that.
My many thanks also to Judith Auerbach on this blog. You really cared, and I thank you for it.
And I truly hope, you have found the one available from Women’s International Pharmacy you were going to switch to (if you already have switched to) suit your system well. My best wishes.
Judith Auerbach
Marsy,
I’m so glad that Germany’s Thyreogland is working so well for you! What a relief.
Yes, the Women’s International Pharmacy compounded thyroid product has worked out very well for me and although it’s costing me more than the WP Thyroid, I think I’m going to stay with the WIP product even if RLC Labs were to restart production of WPThyroid. The chronic muscle pain/tightness that I’ve had for so many years is slowly disappearing. My energy level could be better, but I’m hoping it will improve.
The only thing that I’m concerned with is that each month, they say that there is a shortage of the base product and they can ship me only one month’s supply. I hope nothing dire happens.
Wishing you continued good health!
Marsy
So glad to also hear from you, Judith, that the one from Women’s International Pharmacy is working out for you, and finally after all the troubles you had also! Yeah, I really will hope for you that what they say about the shortage of the base product does not become a problem (but if they ship one month at a time hopefully that means it works with time for the production of the base product).
Depending from where each place may be receiving their base product, what may have happened was that a lot more people needing to switch to compounding pharmacies…we’ll never really know why these shortages of a base product, and why, oh why RLC Labs has withheld the production of WP.
I don’t know which I may continue with, if and when RLC Labs begins WP production. So far so good, it’s been still just 11 days. I will have my blood test on August 3 and see the balance of the hormones. I still hope RLC Labs brings WP back in store.
Judith Auerbach
Well, I had been doing quite well on the thyroid product compounded by Women’s International Pharmacy (the only additive is olive oil) but on Monday I received a letter stating that the provider of the thyroid base product had a voluntary recall as the FDA tested two batches which did not have equivalent strengths. They’re trying to find a substitute supplier but I’m back to square one. I can’t use any of the desiccated thyroid products on the market because of the fillers/additives. Their only other option was to use synthetic T3 & T4 in a capsule, using olive oil so I’ll have to try that in the meantime.
Is there a shortage of porcine thyroid? With all of the pigs in our country, you’d think that someone would go into business to furnish the desiccated product. The supplier that the pharmacy used is actually in China.
Marsy
Hi Judith! I just saw your email. Ohh, it’s so hard to have the situation in which the moment one finds the one that suits them something else comes up 😔 it’s really hard to understand how there can be porcine thyroid shortage really, and with all the pork at the table, but yeah, having to do with who is in the making of the desiccated thyroid powder (and a little doubtful whether there are makers of it in the States at this point..)
As you mentioned before that the International Women’s Pharmacy had said there was a shortage (and therefore they could supply for one month at a time for a while), and now the other issue that arose, it sounds like there may be some problem with the place in China that provides them with the base product.
With the very many people who have thyroid conditions and in need of thyroid treatment, it is surprising to me there isn’t more about this problem (and about desiccated thyroid hormone) in medical news. It is almost as if this has been left solely onto the big pharmaceuticals to handle…! This is so hard.
It would seem to me though Women’s International Pharmacy will do their best to find another supplier, especially as they seem a very considering pharmacy (using only olive oil instead of the rest). It may take a while and hopefully not too long.
I don’t know, Judith, whether you have ever been on synthetic T3 + T4 before. As for the problems you have been having with fillers/additives of the certain desiccated hormone brands, you may not experience that with the synthetic, and both T3 + T4 together will be helping to stabilize the levels of both thyroid hormones. It sounds like an option for now, and hopefully it won’t take long for the pharmacy to find another supplier (not of a shortage necessarily, but actually starting a new contractual thing going with a new supplier).
I hope it works out for you. I’m keeping on with the German one, always on my toes when I place an order until it reaches me (I’ll be placing another order soon, even though my bottle is still 2/3 filled, just so that there is plenty of time if anything doesn’t go quite as smooth on the way).
Keep well!
Breanne
I’ve been taking Armour Thyroid for a couple months (switched from Nature Throid during shortage) and I’ve been experiencing a significant amount hypo symptoms. I just read the bottle today and it lists levothyroxine & liothyronine as ingredients. To my understanding, that’s the generic form of synthroid & cytomel, correct? Does that mean that Armour Thyroid is no longer a NDT?
Janie Bowthorpe
Those are not the generic names. They are the synthetic names. BUT….makers of NDT have always used those names to describe the natural T4 and T3 in NDT. They also don’t even mention the T2, T1 and calcitonin, but those are in there, too. 🙂 All is well.
Sounds like you need a raise or two. Optimal will put your free T3 at the top part and your free T4 midrange. Always go by labs starting about 4 weeks after you do a raise to give the raised amount of T4 time to show its conversion results.
Alan
I was taking 81.25mg of WP and was very stable, then moved to 65.0 of Nature-Throid because of availability. Boy was I miserable, all kinds of hypo symptoms, terrible sleep, gut problems too. I started cutting the 65mg pills in quarters, and now taking approx. 81.25mg of Nature-Throid (65mg + 1/4 of another 65mg). The change was dramatic, I am feeling so much better. I am still planning on returning to WP if it ever becomes available again, but so far the Nature-Throid has been ok too. It been two weeks since I’ve upped my dose, my labs were taken after ten days, everything is within norms, just a bit lower than with WP.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Wanted to make sure you know that lab results have nothing to do with just falling in the normal range. It’s where in those ranges that count, i.e. an optimal result. Otherwise, if you are not optimal, it backfires due to the normal suppression of the feedback loop. See the green graphic on this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Alan
Hi Janie, thank you for responding, I’ve been visiting this blog for a long time, thanks for your effort, and thank you for helping so many. My t3 is just a bit shy of where I was with (optimal) WP Thyroid now that I am on Nature-Throid, my T4 is actually one point higher. I can tell you I am feeling pretty darn good, so much better than the past few months, the anxiety I’ve dealt with from too low a dose (quite a surprise for me and hard to figure out) of NDT has been very difficult, but I feel I am on track again, no more anxiety. I am fortunate to have two doctors who have helped me, so much easier for me than with many folks on this site. I will continue to monitor my symptoms, if all is well, I will stay on Nature-Throid I think. Thanks again Janie, I truly appreciate your response. Best wishes.
Bobbi Shick
I haven’t been feeling well since on the new batch either. Thought I was going crazy ….or worse, something else going on. But it all changed after taking the first new pill! Symptoms very similar to what others are saying. Now,…how to fix?!
Janie Bowthorpe
Raise. Do labs.
Michael
Definitely not crazy. My wife and I both felt it within 2 weeks on the “new” NT. We have only been bumped up 0.25 grains each, to our old doses, so I expect to go up again at least 0.5 grain, but we will see after the next round of labs.
Michael
Hello all,
Has anyone been able to successfully tweak their dose on the “new” Nature-throid? My wife and I are both on NT and have felt the change since recently taking the new batch. The significantly lower free T3 & T4 has already shown up in my lab work. I would be curious what dose you were on, and how much you had to increase, for those who have successfully done this. I’m trying to see how many rounds we are going to have to “fight” with our Endo on raising this.
Marsy
I was not, and I am not a Nature-Throid user. I have though a method which I used to find the equivalent amount for my daily intake while I needed to switch brands, but it is only if there is a difference between the amounts of Thyroid U.S.P. (indicated on the back of the bottle) of the old and new bottle (Thyroid USP is, I believe, the total amount of dried thyroid hormone (which includes T3, T4, T1, T2 and the naturally derived product of Calcitonin).
The method I used, I believe, will work the same if there is a difference of the amounts of T3 and T4 indicated on the back of the bottles, between the old and new Nature-Throid.
Look at the back of the bottle and see if there is a difference in the amount of either Thyroid U.S.P or amounts of T3 and T4. If there is, I can take you through the steps I used (and worked well for me). If, however, there is no difference of neither the Thyroid U.S.P. or amounts indicated of T3 and T4, then I’m afraid there is no other way but to get a sense of how much you need to increase and go from there, while seeing the results of blood tests.
If the doctor you see is unwilling, then perhaps you may consider finding a more willing and supportive doctor. I always believed the doctor is there to be supportive, listen and find the best way together with the patient, and not for the doctor to complain.
Michael
Thanks Marsy. Unfortunately I am given only the translucent pill bottles from the pharmacy, with a printed label on them. I do not get the manufacturer bottles, so I don’t have a way to compare. Even if I asked, it would be tough to find the “old” ones at this point. Since RLC states nothing changed, I would not expect the amounts to be printed on their bottles any differently. All I can assume is that the ratio of inactive ingredients or the method in which the pills are made changed enough to alter the way it is absorbed or used in the body. My doctor has raised me 0.25 grain, which was actually my old dose, so I have noticed only minimal improvement. Unless my T3 is high on my labs, I will probably raise 0.5 grain on the next round, otherwise this process could take months.
Lyn
Michael, my doctor tried to change my Armour to synthetic because my T3 was high and T4 was low. After 27 years enduring hypo symptoms on Synthroid, I refused to go back to synthetic. I just “happened” to read that minerals such as zinc and selenium can help with absorption and thus balance out T3. I started supplementing a little of both and T3 leveled out. I have MTHFR genetic mutations which affect absorption and detoxification pathways so when labs show a high level in my blood, it does not mean my levels are good since I am not getting the benefit to the receptor sites. I have been on WP for several years and just this week, cannot find anymore. I am thinking of trying Acella NP. I wonder if anyone here has any experience with Acella NP.
Marsy
If other Nature-Throid users who have been on the old Nature-Throid and now are on the new, have gotten a good idea of the difference (despite that RLC Labs says there is no difference, and based on that, I doubt there is a difference in the amounts indicated on the old and new bottles and therefore the method I used may not be helpful), that would be the best way to know.
From what I saw from others’ postings, everyone felt a difference between the old and new Nature-Throid (I am a WP Thyroid user and still waiting for production to begin…), and I hope someone has the answer while working through this.
If it does have to do though with increasing gradually depending much on how you feel, and while seeing lab tests, with the help and support of the doctor assisting on the way, then what we really need is exactly that, a helpful, supportive doctor assisting on the way.
Judith Auerbach
Marsy,
One of the pharmacies listed by the maker of WPThyroid was mentioned on their Facebook page by another user who said that they do compounding and the only inactive ingredient is olive oil. Their capsules are something called capsugels which you can google. They are vegetarian. The other option is is made from pine bark(methylcellulose). which she admitted would be difficult to digest. I asked if they shipped to Japan and she said that they did but stopped at one time. Again, they’d have to verify that the doctor is who he says he is and the prescription could be filled but it would have to be sent to a friend in the States, who would then send it to Japan. this is what she said about shipping to Japan if a friend sends it:
“If the order is shipped by the friend via FEDEX, that requires an import permit which would probably be a hassle for your friend to get. If it is shipped by USPS Express Mail, then no such permit is needed.”
Perhaps your doctor could contact a US. doctor who might be a correspondent of his to issue the prescription?
When my current supply from the other compounding pharmacy is completed, I’m definitely going to try this pharmacy. She said that their pharmacy in Arizona usually takes care of If you’re interested
Women’s International Pharmacy, Inc.
2 Marsh Court
Madison, WI 53718
Phone: (800) 699-8144 Fax: (800) 279-8011
website: http://www.womensinternational.com
Connect With Us on Facebook!
Marsy
Hi Judith, I actually posted a message to you yesterday also, in the thread we were communicating below, and I was mentioning to you what I came across since the last we were in touch, the German Thyreogland, 99% porcine with 1% bovine, capsules with only rice starch as a filler. They ship overseas with a doctor’s prescription (and no need for license verification) and it’s not done by email or fax but by sending the original description by post. I am seeing my doctor this week to go with that. I posted the links in the thread below.
Yeah, the Women’s International Pharmacy don’t seem to ship overseas. If anything arises on my way of purchasing Thyreogland, I could certainly talk to them. My daughter lives in the States, and shipping to her wouldn’t be a problem) . My doctor himself also suggested that he works with a doctor there, doctor to doctor, for a doctor in the States to place the prescription. So far though I do not know how to do that, unless at one of the pharmacy they could suggest some way, to have my doctor here communicate with a doctor there.
I also was in touch with PTSI, also listed on RLC Labs, and now part of Durbin UK, global compounding pharmacy. The person who was in touch is waiting to hear from the other departments involved… I don’t know how they were doing it before they became part of Durbin, but on Durbin’s site it indicates that they work with professionals and international pharmacies for import, and not directly with patients. I would have been asking them if they have any other way for me to get it where I am.
In any case, I am getting what is needed ready and present my doctor with what information he needs to put on the prescription for Thyreogland when I see him this week, and I will go ahead with that and hope for the best.
And Judith, I am soooo glad you found what sounds like a healthier way for you through the Women’s International Pharmacy. And thank you sooo much for asking them about me as well.
Let’s hope this stress we have been under will be relieved.
Ju
HI, Marsy,
There wasn’t a reply link on your comment to your June 11 comment, so I’m replying here. I had read some comments on Erfa which were not too encouraging and then I looked at their ingredients- Contains 30 mg, 60 mg or 125 mg of desiccated thyroid derived from porcine thyroid glands containing lactose. Nonmedicinal ingredients: cornstarch, magnesium stearate, sugar and talc. I’m lactose intolerant which is why other thyroid products gave me so much trouble. I think I’ll stick with the Women’s International Pharmacy since they add only olive oil and their capsule ingredient seems OK. The German Thyreogland sounds as if it would be a good option. Let me know how it works out for you.
Let me know if you decide to try to open up a Facebook account. You don’t have to give them any personal information
Marsy
What the Women’s International Pharmacy has sounds perfect for you, Judith. I mentioned Erfa to you as an option (which I had considered for me) before you had spoken to Women’s Intern. Pharm. and your post about them.
I don’t quite see me opening a Facebook account (smiley mark), but if at any time it happens, I will look for you (smiley mark). In the meantime I will be on this blog to see what will also be happening with our…WP.
I hope the one from Women’s International Pharmacy suits you perfectly, and as for me I hope things will go well on the way for it to reach me so I have one I believe will suit me during this prolonged hold up time from RLC Labs.
I hope all goes we
Barbara
I have been on Nature-throid for almost 5 years. According to my research the formula was changed in the latter part of 2017.
I only learned of the change in the last month when I has a rise in TSH and one of my antibodies. My doctor increased my prescription from 1/4 grain to 3/4 grain. After a couple of weeks I started itching terrible leaving welt-like bumps on my legs. Within a week those bumps changed to a rough feeling wart like surface. I also developed some sort of scabs (eczema, psoriasis or cradle cap) on my head around latter part of 2017 after my doctor. I welcome comments from anyone who has experienced the what may be Nature-throid?
January
I have been on Naturethroid since the change in Armour several years ago. I started the new formulation in January. It makes me itch and I am feeling all of the low-thyroid symptoms I had before I started on dessicated thyroid meds — depression, weight gain (20 lbs.) and itching without a rash. My doctor says my labs haven’t changed — I trust her. But my experience indicates that isn’t true.
Janie Bowthorpe
Interesting. Have you seen your lab results on the same amount to confirm they haven’t changed?? A lot of people are finding they HAVE changed and are worse.
Susan
Just thanks for sharing your need for adjustment to the “NEW” Nature Throid, after taking this med for years before the “shortage” and a brief switch to Armor Thyroid, I am now back on Nature Throid, and went through the “what is wrong with me phase” having hypo symptoms but being in denial because I was taking the same as usual dose. Talked my Doc into T4 and T3 lab and while everything is normal range my T4 is low thus the hypo symptoms. Still have the symptoms even though I have added an additional 1/4 grain to my dose. Now taking more Thyroid Med than I have ever had to take since 2001. I may be crazy….but not about this!
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, the “normal” range means nothing. They clearly were testing people who had hypo. Optimal will put the free T3 towards the top along with a mid-range free T4. Both.
Michael
Susan, from the few comments I have seen on other sites, a quarter grain may not be enough. It is very individual, so it could be enough for some, but keep raising and doing the labs until you feel right. I will post as I keep raising and testing my own dose.
Renee
Hey Janie,
So, I have a quick question. I just got my labs back this morning. I have increased my Acella NP to 2 grains per day (have been on the increased dose for a little over a month). The reference range for TSH is 0.40-4.5 and mine is 0.02. The lab is reporting that I am OUT of range and TOO LOW (which would indicate too much medication). The range for free T4 is 0.8-1.8 and mine is 1.0 (in range). The range for free T3 is 2.3-4.2 and mine is 3.5 (In range). My TPO antibodies are 26 which is out of range and too high (although it used to be WAY WAY higher before I went on WP thyroid). I see my doctor in two days to discuss the results. I’m wondering if I should just stay where I am on the NP or to raise it a little. DHEA is in range and vitamin D is in optimal range. Progesterone, estradiol and testosterone are in range. My hair is still falling out though!!!!! Other than losing my hair, I suppose I feel okay, but I think I could feel better. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Janie Bowthorpe
Always always ignore the TSH when on NDT. See https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless It’s about the free T3 and free T4, NOT the TSH. See the green graphic on this page as to what optimal is: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Renee
Thanks for the information! Seems like I’m almost there. Whew.
marsy
Judith Auerbach, I post a fresh post here in continuation to our conversation below, beginning of May. How are you doing on Thyroid-Gold?
I have reached out to a compounding pharmacy (that ships overseas) to look into receiving compounded USP Thyroid, and yes, they do use cellulose for a filler. The more I find out about cellulose, and also about Opandry used in Nature-Throid and the mineral oil used in Acella, the more concern I still have as to possible allergic responses in my system, and as what to try next…since WP Thyroid is nowhere to be heard of.
I am seriously considering Thyroid-Gold. Have you continued with Thyroid-Gold, and how have you been doing on it?
Marsy
Judith Auerbach, I post a fresh post here in continuation to our conversation below, beginning of May. How are you doing on Thyroid-Gold?
I have reached out to a compounding pharmacy (that ships overseas) to look into receiving compounded USP Thyroid, in the hope that one can have it custom made with a filler such as inulin, which we know is tolerated by us, and yes, they do use cellulose for a filler with no other option.
The more I find out about cellulose, and also about Opandry used in Nature-Throid and the mineral oil used in Acella, the more concern I still have as to possible allergic responses in my system, and as what to try next…since WP Thyroid is nowhere to be heard of.
I am seriously considering Thyroid-Gold. Have you continued with Thyroid-Gold, and how have you been doing on it?
Marsy
One the other hand, I have come across a list of all fillers, where they are derived from and what possible side effects they may have:
http://blog.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/2014/07/01/excipients-in-supplements/
Cellulose is listed as an organic compound (very important to me rather than a synthetically made ingredient) and which broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower for example are high in, and are foods that are often included in my diet and feel good with. Obviously you have a sensitivity to it.
When I started taking WP Thyroid, for about a month it did cause me a bit of bloating in the intestines, and I believe that was Inulin. But then my system tolerated it and settled well (I wouldn’t know how my system may deal with celllulose as an intake from the table versus as an intake from the vegetables, if any difference).
I would very much like to hear how you have been feeling on Thyroid-Gold, if you continued taking it. If my understanding is correct, the fillers in it seem organic and innocent.
I am trying to come to terms of whether I should decide on the compounded thyroid USP with cellulose or go for the bovine Thyroid-Gold.
Judith Auerbach
Sorry for the delayed response, Marsy, but I don’t check this website regularly; wish it would automatically send an email when there’s activity.
I thought I was doing OK on the Thyroid-Gold. My stomach hasn’t been rebelling and my hair hasn’t been falling out, but I did start to have sleep disturbances again and getting constipated. The instructions were to start at the lowest dose and see in a couple of weeks how you felt and then adjust. So I started taking two (150 mg each). My sleep got better but the constipation hasn’t. I might try the compounded thyroid again without the capsule and see how that works. I found this pharmacy when I had been googling to see when WPThyroid would become available. They advertised that they have been compounding for years and could be used during the WP Thyroid shortage. It was a bit pricey but without WPthyroid, I’m in a bind. I did start to have issues as I mentioned earlier but after you described the capsule issue and I took the ThyroGold without the capsule, it occurred to me that perhaps that was the problem with the compounded one.I had discussed with the pharmacist what could be in the capsule and what not and since inulin is in WPThyroid (& fiber bars that I use, NuGo, which are bit the way delicious) I knew that inulin was ok. Inulin is actually a prebiotic
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318593.php
Cellulose could be from broccoli, etc., but also from wood…that’s also organic but that is what gives thyroid patients problems. I’ll definitely look at the link you showed about the fillers.
If you’re interested, the compounding pharmacy is Pavillion in Atlanta
https://www.pavilioncompounding.com
By the way, I LOVE the letter that you sent to RLC. I don’t suppose that they have deigned to reply hav they? If they did, please let us know what they said.
Marsy
Hi Judith, glad to hear from you, and at the same time sorry that Thyroid-Gold didn’t quite work. It does sound like it needs to be a much higher intake of Thyroid-Gold in order to get the dose of Thyroid hormone one needs, if as you say you started with 300 mg daily (twice a day of 150 mg each time) and that is considered the lowest dose for Thyroid-Gold.
Having constipation to me is a sign of low hormones in the body. What was your daily dose on WP?
Thanks for posting the compounding pharmacy in Atlanta (I would doubt they are doing international shipping however, but will be giving them a call anyways).
I was just talking with the compounding pharmacy I mentioned (which does do international shipping) to convey to them what my doctor is willing to do – to fax in the prescription from the clinic, with his information, medical license number, issuing authority and the prescription for me, but not feeling comfortable sending a copy of his medical license, issued by the Ministry of Health of Japan. It is the same as the FDA database is for verifying a medical license with the medical license number (it was their closing time and I was unable to speak to their pharmacist to see if it’s possible. It appears though that they may not do it with the license number, unless they have a copy of the license.
I do not wish to press my doctor on it, since he doesn’t feel comfortable sending a copy of his license overseas. I can see that with only the license number and the issuing authority one can easily verify the name of the doctor through the ministry of health.
No, I did not hear back from RLC Labs. Truly, I considered the possibility of a reply to be very low, as their silence shows that they are actually not ready to say anything about production of WP yet. I am not on Facebook, but the public view postings of RLC Labs do claim that “…progress is made…with no timeframe –including WP ”…
As for me, I am back to step 1, trying to find either which one would cause me the least side effects or finding a compounding pharmacy that is willing to ship overseas with the doctor’s license number and a fax directly from his office (through the compounding pharmacy that ships overseas, I was even willing to give a go with ‘sawdust’ cellulose…shall we laugh or cry about it all…)
Judith Auerbach
Hi, Marsy,
No, I started with 150 mg. because when I told Tammy that I was taking 81.25 mg of WP Thyroid and asked what the closest equivalent of Thyroid Gold would be she said to start with the 150 mg. Then when I was having sleep disturbances again as well as the gastrointestinal issues, I started taking 300 mg (two capsules). I don’t know if I should continue with that for a week or so to see if it makes a difference (at first it seemed to, but then…) or to just to try the compounded one.
I didn’t realize that you were still overseas. For some reason, I thought that you had been in Japan but were not now. Anyway, you can email Pavillion and they do respond right away. The head pharmacist was communicating with me. Email: Staff@pavilionrx.com You never can tell, they may ship internationally and it might not be such a problem . What if your doctor were to email them directly from his practice email and then Pavillion could go to the site to see that he was a bona fide doctor? I’m sure there should be a way that they could work with your doctor .
The “sawdust” cellulose isn’t so funny. That’s what kept upsetting my stomach with the capsules. I’ve been putting a little raw honey in a soup spoon and sprinkling the contents of the capsule on the honey and then gulping it down.
The formulation of the WP Thyroid is so simple, I don’t understand why there are not other companies making something similar.
At one point, a few years ago, my doctor gave me a trial dose of Tirosint, which is just liquid levothyroxine in a clear gel and that didn’t bother me at all. Of course that’s just T4, but it’s so simple that I don’t understand why they can’t do something similar with desiccated thyroid. Thyroid patients are particularly sensitive to fillers and stabilizers so why do they make these with so many additives in them?
Actually, in the April comments, RLC said that WP Thyroid was “in the works” but in May, they were back to silence about WP Thyroid.
Aren’t there any compounding pharmacies where you are? I’m sure there are; does your doctor know of any?
Let me know how things progress with your search for resolution.
Marsy
You are so very right, Judith, questioning as to why they can’t keep things simple, thus and my comment on ‘sawdust’ cellulose to show how ridiculous the situation is with what pharmaceutical companies come up with to add in the tablets. Sorry, I didn’t mean it to be funny, but to show the ridiculousness of it all.
As I know my allergies from tablets came as a facial rash, I was still willing to try the compounded with cellulose. But then there is the belly to think of too, hoping it may tolerate it over some time. And then I had allergic responses to some unknown to me ingredients in tablets, sending my heart racing, and that is also a main concern for me.
I am living in Japan for many years now, and I don’t travel overseas often–it’s rather more on occasions. I was treated in Japan 16 years ago, after I had a partial thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism, during which time pharmaceutical companies in Japan were still making desiccated hormone and I was receiving it compounded. Unfortunately, as desiccated hormone was not the preferred method of treatment by many doctors in different countries, the same in Japan, a few years ago the last pharmaceutical company making desiccated hormone stopped production altogether.
Since then I have been on WP, and my doctor following me through, and himself seeing through my blood tests how well suitable it was for me (other thyroid patients in Japan are treated with synthetic, and for those with allergies they are treated with synthetic in powder form (minimizing the risk of adverse effects to fillers) but my heart was racing when I tried to take that. I don’t do well on synthetics.
I’ve reached out to another international pharmaceutical (trading) company in the States but have not received a reply yet. It may be that they only deal with healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies. If that would be the case I wanted to ask them if they know of other pharmaceutical companies that provide service to patients directly.
I would also reach out to the Pavillion pharmacy you mentioned, and thank you so much for posting it. I will need to figure this out (ask my system whether it will prefer sawdust {cellulose}, petroleum {mineral oil} or some asbestos {in talc}…again, how ridiculous the situation is we are facing).
And yeah, please also be in touch how things will work out for you.
Judith Auerbach
Marsy, I did a reply to my own message because there was no reply button on yours (it might be simpler to use Facebook, if that is not a problem for you…just look for me as Judith Auerbach-no picture and it shows UPS next to my name) and do a friend request to get connected
You didn’t say anything about compounding pharmacies in Japan where you could stipulate the acceptable inactive ingredients?
The other thing I’ve noticed was that I’m exhausted when I wake up and all day. I’m thinking of going to a doctor who was well reviewed by thyroid patients. He looks at everything, not only the thyroid because it is all interconnected of course. I suggested it to one of my friends and she went to him and really loved what he does. The only thing is that he’s not covered by Medicare. But I’m getting to the point where I would pay to get someone to resolve this. I didn’t think about it but they also list international doctors. They list only two doctors in Japan http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/japan.htm I know you like your doctor, but you never know what someone else might know and be able to direct you to a source
Just a thought
Marsy
Judith, thanks again for all. I will look also into the list that you send for the two doctors from Japan, see if there is a thread to this.
What happened in Japan is that pharmaceutical companies stopped producing the desiccated hormone (they didn’t import it but they were manufacturing the dried thyroid hormone). This occurred because just like many other doctors in other countries, doctors were not favoring to prescribe the natural hormone, the main reason being that it is more difficult to keep hormones steady. Well, it worked so well for me for so many years, needing to adjust the dose only a few times.
But here it is, they stopped producing desiccated hormone because it was not medically preferred (and therefore no company will neither import dried thyroid hormone). I had no problem at the compounding pharmacy in Japan as long as there was dried thyroid hormone being produced and available.
Feeling tired from morning and all day Judith, if you have a thyroid condition that requires thyroid hormone replacement (this is the case for me), is one of the signs we know that the body is not having enough hormone. But visiting with the doctor you mentioned could also be helpful.
(I am not on facebook…)
Judith Auerbach
Marsy, I found this thyroid conversion page
http://www.pauljonesblog.com/2015/09/06/the-amount-of-t3-and-t4-in-thyro-gold/
from the Paul Jones blog
BTW, I went back to the compounded thyroid product and was feeling ok but today I crashed and the texture of my hair is changing again. This is ridiculous
Marsy
Judith, thank you for the conversion page/link you sent; it is very helpful for knowing at least the starting point for switching.
Since the last we were in touch, I really came to a point I was really unsure which way was feasible for me, and for getting one suitable for me, and to find me where I am. I began to look again into the Canadian Thyroid by Erfa. It has talc, but otherwise sounding less burdensome to the system than cellulose, mineral oil or coating dyes. But then I was not able to find that either through a reliable international pharmacy, and to be certain it will be the one manufactured by Erfa and shipped from Canada (on the terms and conditions for shipping, CIPA licensed Canadian pharmacies indicate that depending where the order comes from, they ship from other centers from all over the world, and it could be manufactured elsewhere; a big concern for that).
For the States though it seems much easier I believe to get Erfa, actually manufactured by Erfa and shipped directly from Canada. Have you considered Erfa?
And then, I came across this (through a very round about way on my online search):
https://www.kloesterl-apotheke.de/
It is all in German, but if you type in Google Kosterl Apotheke and click on English Translate, you can get the site in English.
I needed to call and I was able to speak to someone in English. It is the German Thyreogland, 99% pig and 1% bovine, capsules with only rice starch as a filler. They ship overseas, but at first uncertain themselves how it will get through my side of the world. And I told them that Japan seems alright for bringing this medication in, just as I was purchasing WP (twice already opened at customs with no problem) one bottle at a time for personal use. I am ready to give it a go.
Russ
I have also noticed something different about my new Nature Throid. Not working as good as it was prior to the shortage. Feeling hypo again.
I just Emailed my Dr. and asked to switch my prescription to NP Thyroid.
Nicole
I was also feeling different on the new formula. Yesterday, I tried increasing my dosage by one half grain. I immediately felt better… more motivated, less sluggish, and happier. This morning I chewed the Nature Throid pills in hopes it will be more effective. I will also continue with the half grain per day increase.
Janie Bowthorpe
Bingo! Though we’re not sure why the new Naturethroid is weaker, your experience underscores that those who want to go back to it will need to tweak. Doing the free T3 and free T4 is also helpful to find one’s optimal dose.
Russ
Day one on NP Thyroid and still going strong.
Brain fog has lifted.
Also, First time in ages that I didn’t feel like falling asleep in the afternoon and on my drive home.
Michael
Thank you for this information and confirmation! My wife and I both take NT, and we both lowered our dose .25 grain right when changing over to the medications coming from the “new facility”. Reason being, we both were having mild hyper symptoms on the “old stuff” (we had raised slowly and then appeared to go a bit too high). I guess this was terrible timing for us! My T3 and T4 took a dive – I am on 2.75 grains (from the “new facility”) now and my T3 and T4 are in the ranges from when I was on 1.75 grains! And symptoms have followed, of course. So good to know that there are others experiencing this and that there may be an explanation to why my wife and I suddenly are not doing as well. I am seeing my Endo on Monday so finding this information now is good timing. Thanks again!
Marsy
I post this here as an open letter; I have just sent it to RLC Labs.
To RLC Labs Team:
It will be almost a year since you stopped production of WP Thyroid, along with Nature-Throid. Fortunately for Nature-Throid users you have started production beginning of this year and they can now have their health back.
Very unfortunately for WP users, those of us who have been on it for very good medical reasons – and here with gratitude toward RLC Labs for WP-Thyroid as it has been the one thyroid hormone replacement form that has given back our good health to all those of us with allergies to both synthetic hormone and fillers of other desiccated hormone pills – as of May 14th, your latest update, you have not yet started production of WP Thyroid.
Your apologies that extent to patients on every one of your updates are accepted by Nature-Throid users, as you are fulfilling the promise of being ‘up and running’ with the production of almost every strength of Nature-Throid. As for the WP Thyroid users, let me kindly remind you of something that may have skipped your attention: Withholding production is not a mere “inconvenience” but it has gotten many people sick because they can not find other replacement suitable to their somewhat more sensitive system.
Many of us wonder, why the hold up…?? ! If you do have the ‘raw material’ needed for Nature-Throid, as your claim states a ‘key raw material’ was the reasons of the shortage, you certainly have what is needed for WP Thyroid production as well, with less fillers in it, as this is the plain difference between Nature-Throid and WP. The ‘key raw material’ you speak of can only be desiccated thyroid hormone, and there is certainly NO shortage of that. So why is that while you ARE producing now almost all strengths of Nature-Throid, production of WP has not yet started??
On the one hand, with all our gratitude for your consideration for producing WP Thyroid, as close to plain, pure and simple form of thyroid hormone replacement as can be, and a form of thyroid treatment that existed for over 200 years ago! On the other hand however, it is a gift wrapped up and NOT given, as we know you can produce it, you say you will, but you DON’T.
Many people have been feeling unwell since the shortage occurred, suffering all possible side effects by having to switch from one brand to another for over 8 months now. It is in fact WP Thyroid that was medically first needed to be produced, since it is meant to be for people who can not possibly take any other because of side effects to fillers. If this was not the case, people wouldn’t have a problem being on Nature-Throid or ANY other brand for that matter!
Your silence on production for WP Thyroid is deafening. It is time that RLC Labs takes the medical responsibility you undertook seriously, as far as WP Thyroid is concerned. There is a very good medical reason you have been producing WP Thyroid in the first place. We are not just customers! We are thyroid patients with medical needs! And you are not just a company! You are providing medical treatment, the most fundamental for people’s well being! This is a responsibility you undertook, and all the patients that have entrusted you with their health and being on WP for years are awaiting for results so that they can have their good health back!
Renee
Thanks Marsy! Nicely written letter, and you make some excellent points. Please let us know IF they respond to you! When I wrote to them I didn’t get any response at all. I hope they say something soon!
marsy
I can say with almost complete certainty that either there will be no reply, not that I would want one necessarily, or a reply with more reassurances. We heard enough apologies and reassurances already. It’s already been too long. What I would just like to see is RLC Labs to get going with production of WP as well! Even if we’ve waited patiently, health is a daily thing and can’t wait.
It’s time for RLC Labs to recognize the truth behind their undertaking. RLC Labs on their updates state that we need to speak to our healthcare providers for any health concerns or questions…but what can even a healthcare provider do when what works for us is ‘on hold’ of being produced. They need to recognize they broke the chain of our healthcare!
Laura Tait
Thank you Marsy and Renee. Both very well said. I am in the exact same boat. I have been trying different medications since December and have had awful reactions to them all! I have lost my health again and I am scared that the medicine will never come back and I will always feel this way. I look forward to any update of any sort and I pray you get one too! (I did want to add that my pharmacist said their used to be a date of return in the system and it recently went to 12/31/9999… so she fears that it will never return)
Janie Bowthorpe
Laura, if you had a bad reaction to two other NDTs, it’s time to do all four iron labs and then the Discovery Steps here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info i.e. reactions like that are usually always due to an iron and/or cortisol issue, and both are very correctible. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Sherry Gillis
I am so furious about what is happening with WP Thyroid that I could scream. They have hung every one of the WP patients out to dry since Fall of 2017. RLC Labs absolutely refuses to give patients any idea of when they will begin to make the medication again. They put up an update April 2nd, then they finally put up another update May 14th on their websites. They said they are adding in new strengths to NatureThroid. They mentioned nothing about WP. Why are they doing this? Many of the patients are worried that RLC Labs is going to stop making WP and they are just stringing us along.
I’ve read postings of people who are terrified because they can’t take anything else, they’ve tried every other medication and are allergic to all but WP, so they’ve gone for 8 or 9 months with no thyroid medication. This is completely crazy. Like I said before, why are they doing this? Have you ever heard of a pharmaceutical company doing this to their patients before?
Amy
Heads UP – May 2108 I have been unable to refill my nature-throid.
I am told by all pharmacists (Costco, Fred Meyer, Walgreens, Walmart etc) in the Portland Oregon area they are looking at months of back order and it is literally unavailable in any strength. Costo had 7 pills total. Several pharmacists said they think the company is going under despite what the website says re the shortages. I have no evidence just their comments.
I feel I have no choice but to switch brands and I have been waiting for pharmacies to restock and I have been using some expired Nature-throid I had around but I feel I am going hypo. It seems the product does lose strength (anecdotal).
Having thyroid disease is bad enough without having to struggle to find medication. I feel like a slave to this disease.
Amy
Janie Bowthorpe
Pharmacists REPEATEDLY make the most idiotic comments, like the one they may be going under.
If you feel you are going hypo on a different brand, time to raise and then do labs a few weeks later.
Amy
Does anyone know how stable NDT is, is it good past expiration (many meds are)? I have had to take my expired meds and wonder if that is responsible for my hypo/low labs. I am trying to switch to Acella due to this ongoing Naturethroid issues.
Janie Bowthorpe
NDT is stable for years as long as you keep it away from heat and moisture.
Amy
FYI I stored mine in cool/dark/dry and my meds were 1 & 1.5 yrs past expiration.
My hypo headache is gone within 2 days of fresh meds and I am already feeling “brighter”. Maybe something did go wrong with my storage but it is unlikely. I wanted to share my experience and I’ll get labs in a month to verify. I would have expected Nature-throid to be stable for several years so this is a surprise.
Lori
They removed some of the cellulose, thyroid patents usually have low stomach acid making it difficult for them to break down the cellulose, therefore getting less of the thyroid. Cellulose is a terrible thing to put in thyroid tablets. I have been on the new Nature Throid for a few weeks, went to an urgent care a couple of days ago and for the first time in years (since the changed formula of 2009) my temperature was 98.6. On the high cellulose version it was usually 96 point something.
I was able to stay at my usual dose but I have balancing herbs in my daily routine. I take 1 olive leaf extract by Gaia at 4pm and one at 6pm, this herb helps to balance the t4 with the t3, it must be taken at least 4 hours after your last dose or it will squash your thyroid levels. I think it tries to balance the medication and lowers the t3 if taken to close (just my thoughts) anyway I can tell you from personal experience that it will cause a low thyroid problem if taken to close to medication. Also around 4pm I believe is when my body converts t4 into t3. It’s ideal to take it with a teaspoon of organic, raw or unrefined coconut oil (I have found the best deal on Amazon, coconut oil can handle heat during shipping, herbs and vitamins can not) The coconut oil helps to balance blood sugar and the olive leaf can lower it, of course each person is different so you have to see what works for you.
Ashwagandha by Gaia also helps to balance, I take it at 9pm and 11pm as it also has a calming effect and is helpful if I can’t sleep, I may only take the 9pm does depending on how I’m feeling.
If my t3 has gone out of control which can happen if the dose is raised to quickly and with the 2009 change I had serious problems w/ it, symptoms can include all things listed above as well as failure to sleep and eventually I had whole body tremors. I have found nothing that will stop it as quickly as Milk Thistle by Gaia or I have had success w/ other brands of this herb. I have never been able to incorporate it into my daily routine as it ends up giving me low thyroid symptoms, but I keep some on hand in case of problem. I have not needed to pull out Milk Thistle since the new 2018 thyroid came out but my daily routine includes things that balance levels.
TD
I haven’t found any information on this yet and reading through the comments here is overwhelming, but has anyone talked about or heard of a class action lawsuit to address the health impact that those who have been forced off of thyroid hormone have been subjected to?
A serious health threat from this occurred amidst fighting to get my prescription refilled, like many of you:
I am on a very high daily dose and suddenly was unable to refill it anywhere- I was on my 3rd day without thyroid hormone when I collapsed on a street corner, police and emergency services were called, I was brought to the ER where I was told that my heart muscle cannot beat properly without enough thyroid, which caused my blood pressure to fall severely low and if I went any longer without treatment I could’ve risked coma and death. I am facing this again in 5 days.
After relentless [hundreds] of hours on the phone battling one pharmacy after another (who blamed this on RLC Labs not manufacturing it- because this is what the distributors/wholesalers tell them), what I found as a major culprit to the massive shortages is all chain pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens and others get their supply through a distributor/wholesaler who do not care about the quantity demand and have no reason to contact RLC Labs directly for updated availability or customer demand, like the need for a “special order”, which has become as extinct as “the customer is always right”. Nor do the pharmacists even correctly calculate the amounts that they need from the distributor/wholesaler based on their customer numbers and usage. I found this to be the worst managed system for a critical healthcare service and a serious problem when calculating correct figures of medication restocking, which appears to be nonexistent.
At what point has the norm changed to; now when you drive to the pharmacy to fill your prescription it is out of stock and you go home with nothing and you are forbidden to special order it to solve the problem?
According to RLC Labs 6 months ago they have been back in full production and all strengths of Nature-Throid have been available and shipping out. The current info says the same. The manufacturing issue was stated as only lasting 4 weeks last fall, according to the rep I talked to. So who is accountable for these ongoing supply problems?
Plus, to make matters worse, the control being exerted by the pharmaceutical giants manufacturing Levothyroxin on the health networks, doctors and pharmacies is nothing short of mercenary marketing tactics. Who is to be held accountable in creating and profiting from this health crisis?
How do we make the very unified statement that this is totally unacceptable?
Lori
Sorry you had to go through that, are you saying there is a shortage again?
I don’t think there is anything we can do as long as they use the current test, I’m on 4 gains am and 4 pm, every time my blood is tested by a standard medicine Dr. I have to here there song “Your levels are high and soon you will die” I’ve been on high doses of NDT for 40 years and not dead yet. I did almost die when they changed the formula in 2009 but again how would anyone prove that? As long as big pharma owns the medical schools and standard medicine itself there isn’t anything we can do, other than throw a fit but that’s not good for our blood pressure.
During the last shortage I had to go to a pharmacy and did have a problem with a pharmacist calling the Dr. to say the RX was against the standard of care, she did fill it but said she would put a red flag on it against the Dr. who wrote it. I went to a different pharmacy where they were happy to fill it, so I guess it’s a matter of shopping. If you can’t find one that is thyroid friendly my suggestion would be to ask your Dr. to write two prescriptions for half the amount, have them filled at separate pharmacies. Shouldn’t be a problem since it’s not a narcotic.
Dawn
Thank you for your infirmation in this mess.
I had heard that there was a push to get everyone on synthetic thyroid medication..guess a fake shortage might be part of the plan.
I read that women over 40 should not take levothyroxine, the synthetic thyroid medication, because it can cause Afib, an irregular heart beat. My mom was diagnosed with Afib, and I found a doctor for her that prescribed natural thyroid. She is doing much better but gets dramatically worse If missing her natural thyroid medication.
Thanks for the heads up for the fake shortage caused by the distribution companies.
Janie Bowthorpe
Not at all sure this is a fake shortage, Dawn. But also not sure that RLC has revealed everything, either. So who knows.
There has always been a push to put hypo/hashi’s folks on T4-only since the early 60’s. You can read what went on in Chapter 1 in the revised STTM book that caused this. http://laughinggrapepublishing.com
soveryval
Help! I’m ready to stop taking my meds. I feel I don’t have any other choice until the pharmacies get WP back in stock. Throughout the years I’ve been thru Armour, NatureThroid, WP (which worked great for me) and now because of the shortage and after using up my old prescriptions of NatureThroid and WP, I finally had to switch to NP. I was very optimistic because of all the wonderful feedback people have given about it but just 2 days in and I have redness and warmth across my cheeks, puffy, dry eyes and horrible constant dull headaches. I don’t want to continue with it another day and my current Dr is not very confident with Thryoid treatment let alone trying to deal with a compounding pharmacy. This shortage is more than just frustrating – it’s unacceptable. Can you imagine if it happened to Synthroid? What would Drs do for their patients? I feel like Drs and pharmacies have just left us patients to deal with all of this ourselves. No assistance or guidance what so ever. So glad we have STTM to help us through.
Janie Bowthorpe
We are so sorry for what you are going through.
Valerie Haschke
It is May 10, 2018. I actually got my hands on 97.5 mg for the month of April, then was told there is an National shortage again for WP Thyroid and they filled a script for Nature-Throid for the month of May and I can tell a difference. I was ecstatic to have WP back in my system and was so hopeful! And now I feel myself spiraling down again. I was prescribed a compounded formula when the shortage took place and have been living life angry, irritable, gained 10lbs, had issues at work with performance, sleep disturbances, I don’t think I will ever feel like having sex again, and the list goes on and on. My husband and I have call every singe pharmacy on the website and none of the ones listed can get access to it? I don’t understand why they would list on their website that they are happy to announce they have begun production for several doses and fulfilling back orders, yet no one I know can get it. SO frustrating. WP is the ONLY med that works. I have tried everything from the disgusting levothyroxine, etc. I really hope this changes soon. It is like a cruel joke for those of us who have to have thyroid medication to live, and the only one that works, we cannot get our hands on.
Marsy
Valerie, RLC Labs began WP Thyroid reproduction?? Could you please post which site of RLC Labs talks about the start of WP reproduction?
When I go to http://www.rlclabs.com/ there is nothing about neither the upgrade-shortage or reproduction…
Marsy
Valerie, if you mean this site: https://getrealthyroid.com/product-availability.html , updated April 2, 2018, it does not actually speak of reproduction and active shipment for any WP strength… WP Thyroid is also indicated as being back order, but it is not indicated that reproduction of WP has began and that is actively shipped.
It is puzzling how you were able to get WP in April… From the announcement on the site above there is no indication of actively shipping WP (or that reproduction has began…)
Marsy
Valerie, I was in touch with the international pharmacy from which I purchase WP (as I live overseas) and he said RLC Labs has not began production of WP.
My perception…whether RLC Labs began production in a trickle form, and it has not yet been publicly announced (and the reason for you to be able to purchase a bottle of WP in April) or whether that particular pharmacy happened to have one from earlier shipments is really up to each of our interpretation.
Very unfortunately for all of us there doesn’t seem to be a clear answer. And the only clear answer would be an announcement from RLC Labs, and therefore, I would also hope there will be an announcement on this blog.
Lori
I researched this when the last shortage of Nature Throid happened and it’s my understanding that WP is now owned by Nature Throid and only the Nature Throid will be produced. My guess would be that they will not continue two brands with different formulas as that would cost double for testing to get approved by the FDA. I have been on Nature Throid since Armour crashed and I can make it work with a much higher dose and a herbal routine. I miss the old Armour but that ship has sailed and it’s never coming back.
Janie Bowthorpe
WP and Naturethroid are owned by RLC Labs.
Marsy
Soveryval, you may want to have a look at Thyroid-Gold, what is referred to as Thyroid supplement, and it is natural thyroid hormone, with the only difference that they do not break down the hormone into how much T3 and T4 is in the powdered thyroid hormone.
https://www.naturalthyroidsolutions.com/contents-of-thyro-gold.html
This has come to me as I was also looking into what may be suitable for me, as I have been on WP, with allergies to the synthetic hormone and fillers to other desiccated hormone pills. I am considering it myself.
You may want to look into it. People can open up the capsule and measure/adjust the dose suitable for their individual needs. And for any questions about it, or which dose to begin with, you can call Tammy Carter Lowe, the widow of the doctor who was into thyroid treatments (and who it seems to me has come up with the Thyroid-Gold, as a thyroid supplement). It is bovine (from New Zealand) rather than porcine as the prescribed hormones we have been on. The one difference for that is the strength, and with adjustment to the dose that can be manageable.
Her email and telephone number:
tammy@naturalthyroidsolutions.com
​or call at 603-391-6061.
Thyroid supplements do not need a prescription, however, if one chooses a thyroid-supplement, please be sure to be followed by your doctor with a blood test to be sure of the dose you will be taking.
Amy
I am sorry as well….my doc seems oblivious and the pharmacists unsurprised. I had to throw a fit just to get them to listen, I NEED my medication. US medicine makes me sick today, big $ pharm driven and patients are mere annoyances. Yes, thankful for STTM or I would feel so alone.
housemaid
Renee, I really identify with your symptoms. It took me a whole year to lose my 120 lb. on WP, but without it I have regained 30 lb. in just 2 months and my hair is half what it was. Also have the bendable fingernails. The 98.6 temp only lasted a few hours, now I am back to 97 in the morning. I can’t understand why they don’t make at least one dose of WP thyroid instead of slowly going through every dose of the Nature-throid before they start on it. I just quit the Nature-throid altogether and actually am not hurting so much. I needed a cane on the Nature-throid.
I have always had a lot of PCOS symptoms like acne, hair thinning, chin hairs when I was younger, but I was never diagnosed with it. I had a hysterectomy 10 years ago. High androgen symptoms continued. I started researching how to get rid of these symptoms and found information that taking myo-inositol along with a 50 mg dose of d-chiro-inositol would lower androgens significantly (like less than half). I have started this and my skin is better and chin hairs not growing. Then I found out that this treatment along with selenium works for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I had some thyroid antibodies, but doctor said it was in normal range. So even though I was never diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, I am hoping this is going to work for me until I can get my hands on some WP thyroid again. I do feel a lot better off the Nature-throid. My temp is climbing to 98 in the afternoons and I am not needing the cane today. Still too soon to tell about the inositol.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3809375/
Lori
I received my first 2 grain Nature Throid since the shortage and I noticed it does not taste as sweet as the one grains did. I was able to do it sublingual but I’m wondering if the formula has changed.
Janie Bowthorpe
They say no; patient reports so far say yes.
housemaid
Here it is May 2018 and no WP thyroid. The RC Labs website says they are shipping 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1.5, and 2 grain Nature-throid. They have said nothing since April 2nd, but it looks like they are going to slowly work their way up to 3 grain Nature-throid by 1/4 grain increments before they start on the WP thyroid. A couple of months ago, I finally ran out of my WP 2 grain pills. I had a bottle of Nature-throid which had expired 4 years previously, so I took it for the last 2 months. I put on 30 lb in spite of dieting, lost a whole lot of hair, and can barely walk because my joints & tendons are so sore. The dentist was shocked that my gums were suddenly in such bad shape since 3 months ago.
Yesterday I found a bottle of Nature-throid which I had forgotten about and it is only 1 year expired, so I started taking it at the same 2 grain dose. I got my temperature up to 98.6 today, so that is a good start as it has been running about 97 to 97.4. I just hope I can hang on until WP comes back. When it does, I am going to order a year’s supply and never be caught like this again. I had lost over 100 lb on WP thyroid and kept if off for 8 years after being told for about 30 years that my thyroid was normal and I just ate too much, which was not true.
Renee
wow housemaid!!!!!….that is amazing about your weight loss with WP. Congrats! I hope the nature-throid helps you with your setback. This WP shortage has really hurt a lot of people….myself included.
I also lost a lot of weight once I got on WP. Prior to that I was on Synthroid for many years and became morbidly obese and extremely ill. I was diagnosed with tendonitis in my ankle and my joints ached. I was told to lose weight, exercise more, and take an anti-depressant. I was actually given a paper by my orthopedic surgeon telling me that I was morbidly obese (just to hit me over the head with it in case I didn’t know it already, or in case I forgot I guess I could always tape it to the refrigerator as a constant reminder). My GP gave me a whole bunch of “starter” anti-depressant pills in a paper bag to take home with me. And I kept getting sicker.
Getting in the shower every day made me cry because so much hair would fall out. I would pick up a big bunch of hair off the drain every day. I lost half the thickness of my hair, and what I had left was dry as hay and snarled and broken. The outer part of my eyebrows disappeared. My fingernails were paper thin and peeling. My skin was scaly and dry. I was pre-diabetic and had metabolic syndrome. I had high blood pressure and she talked about putting me on HBP pills. My blood sugar was borderline. My face and eyelids were swollen and I had the hypothyroid “moon face”. I had to see a cardiologist for the PVCs. My vitamin d and b-12 levels were in the toilet. (My doctor decided to start giving me shots of b-12, but it was cyanocobalamin (synthetic form of b-12) not knowing or even knowing to check if I carried the MTHFR genetic mutation. I found out, after the fact, that I do indeed carry the MTHFR genetic mutation and the cyanocobalamin was actually doing me additional harm. As soon as I found out about the MTHFR, I stopped taking those shots, but only after I had been taking them for almost 2 years. She also put me on 50,000 (yes, 50,000 iu) prescription vitamin D. When I took it, it felt as though my stomach was being ripped to shreds and I had to stop taking it. Now I take 10,000 iu per day of a brand that my body likes and my Vitamin D level is in the optimal range, but it took literally months to get there.)
When I finally found a functional medicine practitioner, 2 1/2 years ago, who told me it was not my fault, I literally burst into tears in front of her. And, when she said it was not my fault it was like that black cloud that had descended upon me was finally lifted after 2 decades of being shamed and blamed by other doctors. She said I was so sick that she was amazed I was able to function at all. I was having severe panic attacks, adrenaline rushes and PVCs….she had me take an adrenal sufficiency test, put me on some much needed supplements and switched me immediately from Synthroid to WP. The first day I took the WP I felt like someone plugged me into an electrical socket and my hair was on fire! I called her screaming because it scared me. My insides felt like they were ZOOMING because my T3 had been so low for so long, and the WP must have woken up my receptors or something. I guess my body was just sucking up that T3. The reaction was fast and furious. I lost 12 pounds of fluid in the first 14 days and went through a 4 day detox flu which I had never experienced before and hope to never experience again. Over the course of the next 18 months, with her help, I lost 60+ pounds, fixed my leaky gut, food allergies, acid reflux, high blood pressure, blood sugar problems and fluid retention through the right dosage of WP, eating strictly paleo and making some pretty drastic lifestyle changes. My body inflammation came down. The panic attacks stopped as well as the PVCs and adrenaline rushes. The tendinitis went away. The only things that have not improved are the hair loss and anxiety. My hair never filled back in and it is still super thin when it used to be thick. I also still suffer from anxiety but that is likely aggravated by stress and hormonal imbalances due to premenopause. But, I went from size 12/14 back down to size 6 (which I was before I got sick). I felt normal again and I was so incredibly grateful to my doctor and for WP thyroid. My body loved WP thyroid and it was truly a miracle for me.
Then, last fall my pharmacy just switched me to nature-throid when WP went on back order. They didn’t tell me what they had done and I didn’t realize it. About six weeks into it I had gained 10 pounds and filling up with fluid and was feeling ill. I went for blood work and my TSH and TPO antibodies had shot up. I finally looked at the bottle and it was only then that I realized I wasn’t taking WP anymore. My body did not like nature-throid at all. So, I had to switch to Acella. It’s been okay and I feel okay on it. I don’t feel as good as I felt on WP though, that’s for sure, but at least my body isn’t completely rebelling against it. I’ve had to fiddle around with my dosage and where I was on 1.25 grains of WP, now I have to take 2 grains of Acella NP. I’ve struggled with low free T4 and low normal free T3 on Acella and have not been able to get the levels up yet even with a selenium and DHEA supplement. Thankfully my iron and vitamin D levels are both good according to lab results and my doctor. My cortisol may be out of whack a bit as I got a very bad flu in February and I’ve had a lot of external stressors recently.
I am just still so angry about RLC labs and how badly they have handled this “situation”. I’ve written to them and have not even gotten a response. I go to their website for updates and their updates are virtually always the same information which is NOT helpful at all. It’s infuriating. Thank goodness for Janie and this site. I come here to regain my sanity and to calm me down. Thank you all. This has just been awful for so many of us.
Janie Bowthorpe
Have you tried raising NP Thyroid above 2 grains?
Renée
Hi Janie. Not yet. I go for a new round of blood work next month to see where I’m at. I hope I don’t have to increase the dosage again. Crossing fingers!
Dorothy
WP was the best thyroid med I’d ever been on. I was on 113.75. Because of the shortage, my only option was WP thyroid. My doc prescribed the 2 grains and I started splicing them to get at the level I was on WP. The 1 1/2 pill was way to low, the 1 3/4 pill was still too low. I tried splicing it to just under 2 grains and it was a hassle so I went to 2 grains. I was crying all the time, having pains and flutters in my heart. So I’m back to splicing to just under the 2 grains. My heart is happier and I’m not as emotional. My labs on 2 grains were the same as they were on the WP. I initially thought this transition was smooth, but it is taking awhile to feel like I did on WP. I’m bloated a lot, and I’m having hot flashes after I eat and when I’m hungry. The only other time I had these symptoms was when I was first put on synthroid a long time ago. I sure hope that when WP comes back, it’s the very same product as before.
Janie Bowthorpe
Dorothy, in your second sentence, did you mean “NP thyroid” was your only option”?
Dorothy
Yes, Janie. My apologies.
Marsy
Day in and day out, waiting for an answer, and the biggest question of them all, when will RLC Labs come around and restart production of WP. Rather than actually hoping for any answers to any of other questions, I come to this forum hoping there will one day be an announcement that RLC started production of WP.
The rest is basically left up to each one on our own. Take the ‘highly recommended’ (and astronomically priced) Acella without any real information to any possible adverse affects (short term or long term) any of the fillers may have to all those of us who for a good reason have been on WP, take thyroid supplements for which there is very little medical information as to how to use them, take nature-throid for which again fillers are a problem (otherwise there wouldn’t be a reason for WP, and here with gratitude to RLC Labs for having that consideration for producing WP on the one hand, disheartening though for withholding re-production on the other).
All the questions…no answers, certainly not by professionals. Somehow, as someone with allergies, I feel a form of discrimination on the part of professionals (and I don’t mean it personally but as one among a larger group) that there is so little help for people who have allergies to both synthetic thyroid hormone and fillers to desiccated hormone pills, and we are now too on the waiting list for what it seems a year since the company started undergoing their change. It appears to me they stopped production already quite some time before they announced the company’s changes, and that is how the shortage occurred abruptly last autumn.
What else to say…but having this sense of inconsideration towards those who have had a difficult time finding a replacement hormone that is not harmful to their systems. It’s an animal’s desiccated hormone, plain, pure and simple. Why do they need to make it so complicated…
Judith Auerbach
A few more months for WP thyroid? It’s the only product that I’ve been able to use as my stomach rebelled at the additives in the others. I tried a compounded version which the pharmacy said was the equivalent and although my stomach didn’t act up, after two months I realized that I was having sleep disturbances again, my muscle pain was worse and then my hair started thinning and I panicked. I have only a few of the WP thyroid pills left and I decided to try Thyro-Gold. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Marsy
Hi Judith, I am in the same group as you, having had allergic responses to fillers (facial rash and tachycardia, and in my case allergies to certain medications as well, but without any food allergies or otherwise).
I have also been on WP, and while I still have some of my last year’s supply to last me just a bit longer, the “few more months” for RLC to start reproduction of WP is a big concern. It would be of great help if you pass on, if and when you know anything more on Thyroid-Gold. I looked it up as I saw your post and came up to this:
https://www.naturalthyroidsolutions.com/how-to-order.html
Is this the one…? It’s cow…we’ve been on pig… do you have any concern about it (do you know if there is any difference between cow and pig hormone when it comes to an about equivalent to the dose you have been on to start out with on Thyroid-Gold? (Do they indicate the amount of T4 and T3 in each pill?)
A few years back I had come across New Zealand products referred to as thyroid supplements (from desiccated hormone), and I was very unsure of what it meant, as a supplement in relation to the desiccated hormone we’ve been on.
I would try to find out more about it. If you do take it, and truly do hope it works for you, please post how it all seems.
Judith Auerbach
Hi, Marsy,
Yes, that’s the one.
Actually, I did have a concern of bovine instead of porcine because from everything I’ve read, pigs are closer to humans, thus mitral valves for example are from pigs (unless you get the St.Jude’s, metal one, which I have), but since it was formulated by Dr. John Lowe, I felt a little better and at this point I have no choice as last night was my last WP pill. Tonight I’ll start the Thyro-Gold. I’ve read his book on progesterone and he had also written about thyroid treatment. Here’s an article by Dr. Mercola, mentioning Dr. Lowe, in case you aren’t familiar with Dr. John Lowe.
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/26/dr-john-lowe-on-thyroid-disease-part-1.aspx
It’s being produced now by his widow, Tammy Carter Lowe and based on another user’s comments saying that she responds quickly to queries, I did email her asking which dose would be equivalent to what I’ve been taking with WP. She responded right away and gave me a detailed response. This is a list of the inactive ingredients as well as discussion of the use of bovine thyroid
https://www.naturalthyroidsolutions.com/contents-of-thyro-gold.html
I’ll let you know how I react to it, although with the pharmacy compounded product, the reaction was subtle and I wasn’t really fully cognizant of the effects until after about 2 months, so it might be a while.
Judith Auerbach
I didn’t answer your question, Marsy, about the T3/T4. This is from the question and answer section of their website: They deliberately market the product as a dietary supplement, so that they don’t have to go through the FDA and have it sold by prescription as a thyroid drug:
Question: I have read your entire website, and I don’t clearly see the specific breakout of the hormones T4 and T3. Can you provide that information or do you even know what they are? How are people suppose to know how much of the Thyro-Gold to take? [Katie – April 2015]
Tammy: Hi Katie. Most over-the-counter products that are classified as dietary supplements do not need to provide the breakout of the hormones. They simply need to label the product with the amount of thyroid powder that is included in the capsules. For this reason, we do not list the incremental breakout of the T4/T3 on the website. You can contact me personally via email or phone and I can help you determine what dosage would be appropriate for you.
If you have any questions regarding Thyro-Goldâ„¢
​please send an email to tammy@naturalthyroidsolutions.com
​or call me at 603-391-6061. I am available Monday through Friday from 10:00 am through 4:00 pm EST. Email is preferable.
marsy
Hi Judith,
Thank you so much for your responses, and I will look into all that you sent.
The way I understand it, and from your reply also, is that the amount of thyroid powder that’s included in the Thyroid-Gold capsules may be what is called USP on the WP pill (because I need to adjust the dose I take from a WP pill, I know that a WP pill has a particular weight – which includes the 2 inactive ingredients – what is indicated on the WP bottle as USP has a set weight in a WP pill – what I understand to be the total amount of powdered thyroid, including T1, T2 and traces of the naturally produced Calcitonin– and then the indication of the amounts of T3 and T4. After having to make the adjustments for my dose, it seemed to me that USP is the amount of powdered thyroid gland (which naturally wouldn’t be too far apart, but obviously with differences between porcine and bovine).
Thank you so much for the article of Dr. Lowe and the email of Tammy Lowe. I will be in touch with her on my way to confirm my understanding on all these (with one additional concern for me, that if it’s a capsule and not a pill, it may have to do with possible allergic reaction to the capsule itself–after taking vitamin D3 in a capsule form for 2 years I developed a rash, and it turned out to be that since after I stopped taking it the rash went away and never appeared again). So I will be looking into that too.
Yes, please post on your way how you will feel on Thyroid-Gold, and I truly do hope it works for you. And thanks again so much for all you have posted which is very helpful, and to think of thyroid supplements as a viable possible solution to this big problem we are facing.
Judith Auerbach
Hi, Marsy,
Interesting about your allergic reaction to capsules. I have allergic reactions to pills because of the stabilizers, binders,, etc. that they have to use to make the medication stay in pill form I actually prefer capsules because of that. it says that these are Vegetable capsules, if that makes any difference. This is an article about the problems with GELATIN capsules vs vegetable capsules:
https://www.nutrichemlabs.net/blogs/health/why-gelatin-pill-capsules-are-bad-for-you
One thing.. you said to think of thyroid supplements as a viable possible solution to the problem, but Thyro-gold is NOT a supplement. They market it as a supplement just to avoid having to go through the FDA and having to make it a prescription drug. It is actually a thyroid product like WP or Armour or any of they others out there.It’s just that the way they market it, it doesn’t have to go through all of the hoops. Insofar as how to figure out the dosage vs what you normally take, speak to (the people who commented on her website said they were surprised when she actually picked up the phone and had lengthy discussions with her) or email Tammy and tell her what you’re taking and ask what strength you should take of the Thyro-Gold. There are only two strengths, 150 mg and 300 mg They usually recommend 150 mg….someone might need to take 2, etc. Whatever strength and number of capsules she recommends, they say to wait 2 weeks to see how you feel before changing anything.
Marsy
Hi Judith,
I’m posting on this slot as there was no reply button in your latest posting to me.
Yeah, I understand now about what are referred to as thyroid supplements, and that the difference with what are prescribed thyroid hormones is that they do not break down the powdered thyroid tissue into the amounts for T3 and T4 (and that’s really alright).
Thank you so much for the site for gelatin versus vegetable capsules. That can only be good news and as for Thyroid-Gold capsules. Actually, after I wrote to you about what I deduced it could only have be an allergic response to the making of the D3 capsule, and in relation to Thyroid-Gold capsules, I realized that I wouldn’t need to worry about that, as what I need to do is break up the capsule to measure my daily dose.
From the start of my treatment 15 years ago, there has not been a one dose tablet to be suitable for the needs of my body. In the last 2 years, after the pharmaceutical companies in Japan stopped the production of desiccated hormone altogether (and therefore I could no longer get my dose from a compounding pharmacy), I cut a pill (WP bought through an international pharmacy) and measure it on a daily basis and that seemed to work really well. My doctor here has ben helpful in following me up while I do this on my own.
I am putting the important questions down for being in touch with Tammy, and one of them will be that I would hope I can just open (or cut for that matter) the capsule, and in this way I can find the equivalent, and make adjustments to the dose I’ve been on and feeling really good with it. If I take what may seem a higher dose (as a whole capsule) will send me hyperthyroid. It has been a delicate equilibrium but very much managed since it’s been a long process, with adjustments on the way. And that’s how it has been such a blow with what happened now with RLC Labs and WP still being on hold.
Thank you so much! And wish the best to you, and anything more on the way will be most helpful and valuable.
Judith Auerbach
Hi, Marsy,
Insofar as opening the capsule, to determine the correct amount, yes there were several people on her comments section who said they do just that.
Insofar as the gelatin capsule, it’s funny that you brought this up. When I tried the thyroid from the compounding pharmacy, I started having constipation and it never occurred to me that it could be the capsule itself that I was having a reaction to because I take several supplements in capsule form. The same thing has started with the Thyro-Gold, though. So I’m going to experiment tonight and just empty the capsule in a small glass of water (4 oz.) and drink it and see what happens. I’m so glad that you mentioned the capsule issue or I probably never would have thought of it. Thanks!
Marsy
🙂 (smiley mark) Please post how it goes, and hopefully that may clear it up for you. One just never knows, an ingredient or during the making process of a capsule (and the pill form as we well know it happens) can cause kinds of allergic responses. If you got constipation just a day after taking the Thyroid-Gold (and you had it before with the others as well) it could well be an allergic response to something related to the capsule. Open it up, or cut it open 🙂 (smiley mark) And I’m glad to hear others have been doing that as well.
(At the compounding pharmacy in Japan I was receiving the powdered thyroid just as good old powdered thyroid, measured by the pharmacy and put through a machine into small medical bags, with a little glucose or anything innocent I chose to give it more volume. I would open the bag and my intake was an amount of pure powdered thyroid hormone. That’s what they were doing here in Japan, after they first stopped making it in the pill form, but then, and very surprisingly, they stopped making it altogether).
Judith Auerbach
Marsy,
I’m replying here to your May 3 message because there was no reply link. Yes, opening the capsule and putting the contents in a small glass of water worked! I’m back to normal. Amazing. Thanks again.
Interesting about how they gave you the powdered thyroid in medicine “bags” in Japan. So how did you take it? mixed in water/juice/ food??
Judith Auerbach
re cellulose, I feel like such an idiot. Janie had actually written an article about why cellulose is bad for thyroid patients and I remembered it when I discussed with the compounding pharmacy which ingredients to include. I specifically told them NOT to use cellulose but that since I did tolerate inulin (which is in WP Thyroid) they could use that. as a filler.;I don’t know why the capsule itself didn’t ring any bells with me
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2010/05/08/cellulose-is-a-problem-with-desiccated-thyroid/
Marsy
Hi Judith, I’m also again replying here as there was no link to your latest post. To your question how I took the hormone in the powdered form in the little medical waxed paper bags…I made a cut on the top of the little bag and took it just like that 😊 (smiley mark, if this time it appears as such.)
It was so important to my body to take this in its purest form that I got very much used to taking it just like that. Most of the time there was no smell and no taste (bad or good in any particular way). There was a period when it had a somewhat bad taste and I was a bit concerned, but I was told it was because it was from a newly opened bottle and that would have been the reason. Now too, with the WP thyroid that I still have to last me just a bit longer, I cut it, measure it and just take every single bit of it that is measured just like that.
I’m glad to have been of help while I was saying my concerns, and while actually you were replying to my posts helping me understand more about Thyroid-Gold 😊
Marsy
Cellulose…! So here you are, Judith, cellulose used as a capsule diluent would be possibly what may have caused your stomach response. How can it possibly cross the mind though…
I can not know myself what in that capsule caused my a facial rash, and a delayed reaction also, 2 years after I took it with no problem. I have taken antibiotics in capsule form at times for treating other usual things that needed antibiotic treatment and never had a problem.
I’m really glad this cleared for you, and let’s hope all will go well also with any adjustment of the dose of Thyroid-Gold, if any needed.
TD
Marsy, I don’t know what your dosage needs are for D3, but I switched years ago from capsules of D3 to drops from Carlson Labs. If you haven’t already started taking it this way, I highly recommend taking a look at the dosages available here: https://www.carlsonlabs.com/apps/search?q=super+daily+d3+liquid+drops
You can call them and ask if it is safe to use for those with tree nut allergies, because it contains medium chain triglyceride oil (coconut and palm source).
My Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D concentration was abnormally deficient, so I’m currently up to 8 drops of Super Daily D3 [4,000 IU] Liquid Drops- trying to get my blood levels raised to upper normal-range. It’s good to have regular lab work done [a 3 month average] to monitor blood levels of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D concentrations to keep it in the upper level. One additional benefit to maintaining high blood concentrations of D is it’s cancer preventative effect. There are many others.
It’s best taken before your first bite of a meal- you can split up your dose between morning or night, or with one single dose. Taking with food (not fluid) eliminates the unpleasant oily, gastric reflux that can occur.
Vitamin K [complex] is just as important to add to your daily supplementation, it’s most important role is to keep calcium in your bones and out of arterial walls.
Marsy
TD, thank you so much for your posting. I will definitely look more into it and as for allergic responses. From what I know I’m good with coconut (and I would think probably with palm as well). The really good thing also for me about the site you sent is that they have very small doses, because I had been on (what would be for a long term) a very small dose, and in the 2 years I took it before developing the allergy it had actually been effective on the bone density.
I know, vitamin K and B12 as well are needed supplements, and I have not been able to know what to take since I have had these unexpected allergic responses. I do not have any allergies that I know to foods, and that was a surprise to me that after my thyroid condition and needed medical intake of one kind or another I began to develop allergies to those.
I will need to wait though for any new intake, as it seems I will need to switch the thyroid hormone from WP to Thyroid-Gold (so far the most probable) and I should not make any other change in my system so I know what may be causing a problem, if any of what may seem an allergic responds develops.
Thank you so much.
J Gruener
I noticed comments about tablet fillers and capsules. I have allergies to pine or maybe more broadly evergreens. I did’t understand why some capsuled vitamins and not others gave me horrible heartburn. I found out that the “vegetarian” capsules were actually made from pine sap. One of the fillers usually in tablet manufacturing is cellulose. Cellulose is sawdust, most likely pine. Cellulose is listed with various names, so I have to pay attention. WP was working for me before the shortage. I hope to be able to go back on it.
Mary
I know you keep recommending Acella NP, just an FYI, as Medicare does NOT cover desiccated thyroid, I had to purchase my 90 day supply and it was $124! I believe this to be outrageous and a massive ripoff. There is another product called Thyrovanz that I have recently learned about. No script needed.
Marsy
Hi Mary, from how I understand this, Thyrovanz is a supplement (perhaps like Thyro-Gold is in the comment below..?) I am a WP user, facing the same problem like all others, with RLC Labs still not in production for WP (and I must say WP suited me so well and I had no problems whatsoever from the moment I started taking it). It is a big problem, both the shortage and the ongoing delay in WP re-production have caused so many of us.
I truly don’t know what the difference is between the what is referred to as a thyroid supplement and the prescription required thyroid hormone replacement treatment (and I have been a thyroid patient for about 15 years now after partial thyroidectomy, being on desiccated thyroid hormone as I was allergic to the synthetic. I have allergic responses to fillers).
What is the difference, if any (if you know)?
Christine
Mary-
I also noticed this…NP was quite a bit more expensive for me than getting Naturethroid. I did end up switching to Naturethroid but still struggling to find an optimal dose. I also needed a prior authorization for NP and didn’t for Naturethroid so it may just be the way my insurance is. 🙂
Stefan
Hi Janie (and everyone reading here)
I was on WP Thyroid for a few months and doing fine. Due to the backorder I switched over to Nature Throid in January. I was alright for the first two weeks, than I started getting sleep issues (severe insomnia), inner restlessness, blood sugar issues, hunger attacks etc. I did new labs for weeks after switching and they were quite low, so I increased by 1/4. After checking again 3 weeks later my labs looked fine (ft3 at close to 80% and ft4 a bit low around 35%, cannot get it higher with Nature without feeling even more hyper). But I feel very miserable. I am still very shaky, restless, racing thoughts, sleepless etc. It feels like I am still on too much NDT. So I reduced down by 1/4 again. What is going on here? My iron is fine, cortisol is currently being tested – but I honestly think I don’t tolerate Nature Throid. Is this even possible? Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Janie Bowthorpe
Stefan, your iron or cortisol is the problem. Make sure you understand where iron really is when fine: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values Also make sure it’s saliva you do, not blood, for cortisol. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/saliva-testing…then compare to former page, as well.
Lori
The new Nature Throid is a different formula, some of the cellulose has been removed for one thing, the sweetener has been put back in. I believe this can make the switch to the new formula create the same results as jumping up in dose to fast like going from one grain to two grains instead of doing it in quarters. The actual thyroid content is the same but the fact that thyroid patients have low stomach acid and can’t process cellulose means a patient is absorbing more of the medication. For people being dosed with TSH the Dr. will soon run a test, find it high and lower the dose.
I have been on NDT for over 40 years and every so often they reformulate and cause problems with the switch for patients. The new formula is better in my opinion, closer to the old formula, not a spot on match but you have to know how to work with it and how to switch. I can’t say what the difference in strength is yet because I’m having other issues related to sleep or lack of sleep due to neighbors dogs barking all night and sometimes I’m missing the afternoon dose.
I control t4 and t3 balance issues with herbs and have not had problems with the new formula so far. I have a bottle of the new formula one grain, it now has 90 tablets per bottle instead of 100 as it used to. I have the information sheet that comes on top of the bottle with the ingredients and even molecular structure. If anyone would like a copy I can take a picture and send it.
Janie Bowthorpe
I would like a copy!! ~Janie
Carolyn
Hi Lori, Thank you for your information. You mention a sweetener. I’m curious about that. What would that be specifically?
gina
Hi Lori, This is weird, I have a new bottle too and it is still 100 tabs… Although it is definitely different. I would really like to know what the red specks are. Looks like red paint. They are softer to cut and perhaps a tad bit sweeter or not… could just be the power of suggestion too. I have lot # 028051 expires 02/2021. The Lab is in Phoenix AZ .
It is interesting to note that although it lists the T4 and T3 strengths it does not say it is from desiccated porcine thyroid any more…
Janie Bowthorpe
One reason they are different is that they took away the coating, which is a good thing, and they added a little sucrose, which enables better absorption supposedly. But the older NDTs did have specks, too, but not remembering red ones. And NDT has always used the synthetic T4 and synthetic T3 names, like a shortcut. It’s still pig.
gina
Janie, where did you get that info because Nature-Throid is denying it, saying no, that they changed nothing, It was explained that this batch has a little more lactose in it than the last and that this happens at times…
Janie Bowthorpe
Patients see the difference i.e. that there is no coating. And perhaps it’s an addition of lactose instead of sucrose.
Dolly
Please could I have a copy…and also how you controlled your condition with herbs please?? Dolly
Janie Bowthorpe
Dolly, if by copy you mean the STTM book, this is where you order them: http://laughinggrapepublishing.com Herbs don’t replace needed thyroid hormones, unfortunately.
Rachelle
Thanks for this info! I have been trying for 2 months to figure out what the problem was. I have been on Naturethroid for 7 years and never had issues but the new batch on the same dose was causing terrible body aches, flushing and other strange symptoms. After reading this, I am experimenting with adjusting my dose down and it seems to be helping so far. If the coating or filler has been reduced possibly it is now absorbing better. I’m hoping this works since the others seem to absorb too fast and cause nausea and headaches for me.
Maria
Hi Janie, for some reason there was no reply button to your earlier answer to my question, so I am replying to you here, in relation to your suggestion of me calling Acella, and if I do to post what I find out. I would have had no problem doing so without getting on the forum, if it was as easy as it sounds (and considering that I had found this forum while I am living overseas and know the least about the forms and shapes of available desiccated hormone in the States.
The reason i reached out to you, especially concerning Acella, was because I have seen your many replies to others about Acella, and it seemed perhaps being in touch with so many patients/forum users you may have known about the fillers.
As for me calling Acella…it is not the easiest thing to do from Japan (as I have already indicated it is where I live), since the time difference is from day to night, let aside calling during office hours of the company.
In any case, when it comes right down to it I will do what I need to do. Thanks anyways.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Maria. That is weird that there was no reply. As far as your question about the fillers being allergens, I didn’t know the answer to that. Thus, the suggestion to contact them and let us know the answer you find out. We can learn from you! And yes, in your case if you are in Japan, makes sense to email rather than to call! Let us know.
Maria
It appears the concern about Acella is the mineral oil present as an inactive ingredient (as you probably also know), and many people expressing concern about that. And the truth is what the answer by Acella to any adverse affects will be, whether by phone or email, is already known on FDA’s listed precautions, and as for adverse affects from allergents is…’rare’, and just that, without any indication of what those adverse effects may be.
It is only, unfortunately, through the personal experiences among people who used each product that any hidden averse affects become known, and that was also the basis of my questions. And it does not feel good to be placed in a category of the basis ‘trial and error’ because we are not given everything there is to know about what we put into our bodies, for what is meant to be one of the most innocent forms of intake, a good old plain desiccated hormone.
I will be looking closely into every other option available, in and out of the States.
Isabella
I started taking the new batch of Nature-throid on Feb 1…. it’s definitely different in some way.
I had to lower my dose by almost half because my heart was pounding, I was panting, etc.
From that I thought maybe the new NT was just more potent. Fine.
After a month of taking it, I had gained 6 lbs. (A LOT FOR 5’2″ ME!) Ugh.
My doctor is switching me to compounded, and then I hope to try WP when it’s back.
Anyone know of any pharmacies that have a backstock of WP? (I know, very doubtful, but doesn’t hurt to ask..)
Maria
Janie, it appears, from an email responds from RLC Labs to another WP patient (Sherry above) that WP will take a few more months… ! I still have WP to last me for a little while longer, but I am afraid I do need to be prepared since ‘a few more months’ would mean I will have no more WP to sustain me until RLC Labs finally comes to a point to start re-production, and since from starting re-production to actual availability are two different timelines as well.
I would very much appreciate it if you can help me out a little here. I was allergic to the synthetic hormone (the first I used after I had my thyroid operation) so that’s out. From all I know, I have no food allergies, BUT I have had allergies to medications/chemical ingredients that either constitute the medication or are used as fillers or the making of a pill/capsule (and I can see that Nature-Throid does not contain artificial coloring or artificial taste. But the question has to do with the other ingredients in it). The only times I developed allergies, skin rash and rapid heart beat (tachycardia), was because of tablets/medications. (synthetic thyroid hormone, Beta Blocker and even to the capsule of vitamin D3).
Considering Nature-Throid as a temporary solution for me (and since that is already being re-produced), I have just been able to find out the inactive ingredients in the Nature-Throid tablet. But it would be so very helpful to me to know which if any of the inactive ingredients in Nature-Throid can be an allergy inducing agent, if any known among the very many users.
I would really appreciate any information. And thank you for this forum, from all of us with this problem we face, and any useful information you may have to help us out in the meantime. We have waited patiently, but it appears those on WP have been put on hold by RLC Labs, and I do not understand why that is. At least they started re-production of Nature Thyroid; I do not understand the hold up on beginning on WP as well.
Janie Bowthorpe
Maria, I am waiting to hear what is officially stated about the reformulated Naturethroid, but this is what we know about all brands and ingredients: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/armour-vs-other-brands
Maria
Dear Janie, thanks a lot for posting the list. Looking at it again (as I believe I have come across this list before), it is clear to me why I chose WP, with the only 2 inactive ingredients in it, and Naturethroid, at least from what we see of the ‘old’ one, will be of concern for me (and I am speaking for possible allergic reactions to the fillers). Acella on the other hand may seem like an option for me..
Yes, I would very much appreciate anything you will know, when you do have anything new on the reformulated Naturethroid–it is truly incomprehensible to me why, any maker while ‘upgrading’, they need to change what works well and make things soooo complicated!!
Janie, from all that you may know, is it known if Calcium Stereate or Monohydrate (2 of the fillers in Acella) a cause of concern for an allergic response?
And addressing also anyone among the more sensitive among us who may have used or use Acella, any cause of concern for an allergic response?
Maria
In continuation to my above question, Janie, I have found something more on Calcium Stearate and Monohydrate. The question is, should I take it to mean that the Calcium Stearate used in Acella is vegan? (if you know)
And also, do we know if the now Acella uses Maltodextrin? (on the list you posted me it indicates that newer versions of Acella may have Maltodextrin removed…do we know if they do include it or not?)
Again, thanks so much–the list you sent me prompted me to look at Acella more closely, which may seem to be a more viable option for me at this time (and Naturethroid on the other hand a less viable option).
Janie Bowthorpe
I would recommend calling Acella and see what they say. And if you do, please post what you find out here!
Ange
Just reading through these posts for an update on the elusive WP!!! I see we are no futher forward & still no sign of production…..honestly????
It has forced me to switch to Acella NP. Ive been on it for 6 weeks & am doing fine though I suspect I might be a liile under. Interested to read that some people have had to tweak their dose. I may conside the same & increase by a wuarted. Am in the uk & for the uk we have had some harsg snowy weather so it might be more linked to that!!
I wish you all luck in the hunt for what appears to be now the holy grail of WP!! No company abandons production of such a popular medicine/ product lightly…..so yeah we dont know the half of what has gone on!!! But its probably serious to have dragged on so long…..lol.
Maria
Ange, please do not adjust the amount without being tested on the way. I need to be measuring the daily amount after having to switch to a tablet form, after the pharmaceutical companies in Japan (where I live) stopped producing desiccated hormone altogether, and until then, for 14 years, and the only one available then in Japan, a compounding pharmacy was filling my prescription in powder form (which is what suited my system best, no fillers or whatsoever, just hormone with some glucose for a little more volume). Therefore, there was no exact doses for my needs in tablet form.
You can increase (or decrease) on your doses while being tested on the way for the level of your hormones and TSH, and also very important based on how you feel. You need to have an understanding and willing doctor to help you on the way. It is very easy to go hyperthyroid unknowingly, so it is important after any increase to follow up in 2-3 weeks with a blood test and again after that.
michele
this is what scares me the most when manufacturers decide to upgrade their production or machinery (or whatever the story is this time). back in ’10 armour swore up and down there was no change to the formulation, but low and behold, it was later learned there were changes to fillers. i’m sorry if this is inaccurate, it’s been a while. but long story short, the new armour produced open sores on my scalp, i felt worse than i did on levoxyl, AND i gained 30 lbs. the old armour was a dream come true, and the new? not so much.
i am hoping that naturethroid will still work for me once i manage to get my hands on some, if not i will have to pay $60 per month out of pocket for compounded NDT.
Janie Bowthorpe
Michele, NP Thyroid by Acella is an excellent NDT without going the compounded route. There is also a new generic called Westminster.
michele
thank you janie, for mentioning westminster. haven’t heard of that brand but i’m going to research now. i also have an appointment scheduled to see my specialist this month, so he will hopefully have recommendations. thanks for all you do!
Angie Bunch
I was able to get my Naturethroid thru Express Scripts but I just don’t think it’s the same formulation. Anyone else having issues such as dizziness and extreme hair loss?
Janie Bowthorpe
It is not uncommon to have to do labs after restarting a reformulated NDT. Might want to consider doing your free T3 and free T4, and compare to this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values
Also, you might want to be sure that you don’t now have an iron or cortisol issue that the Naturethroid is now revealing: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Angie Bunch
Thanks Janie. Working with a naturopath as well as my doctor to see what’s going on. All in all I still think their formulation changed. I was doing awesome on it and wasn’t off it for very long 🙁
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s a possibility, yes, by the feedback we’re getting. Remember to do labs and see if tweaking helps. If not, there are other fine NDT products.
Sherry Gillis
What I don’t understand about this entire shortage is why these manufacturers keep pulling this on the consumers. When I first went on Armour back in 2010 it worked great and I immediately began to lose weight, which I needed to do. The lab changed the dosage, so it stopped working for me. I went on a long trek with my endo in which he went up, down, up, down with my dose over the years. As soon as it would starting working for me and I lost weight, he would be unhappy with my TSH level on my next lab report and lower my dose – then I would gain the weight back.
I live in a more rural area in N. Calif and there are about 3 endos in the entire county – none good. Mine retired out and I started with a nurse practitioner out of my area. She finally put me on WP last year and from June 8 – October 8 I lost 46 lbs without even trying, got my energy back, felt great! Boom! Down goes WP. I haven’t gained all of the weight back, but I have gained back 15 lbs of the 46. It is very discouraging. I had to go back on the Armour.
RLC Labs refuses to give us a clue about when they will begin to manufacture WP again. There are people writing on the RLC Labs Facebook page that say they cannot use any other form of thyroid medication, because they are highly allergic, so they are playing Russian Roulette with their health, waiting, waiting to see if and when the WP will come back out. It is terribly frightening and discouraging. I’ve emailed RLC Labs 3 times now and I check back in every few weeks to see if there is any news. It is downright cruel that RLC refuses to enlighten their customers about what to expect.
Maria
You are absolutely right Sherry when you say ” It is downright cruel that RLC refuses to enlighten their customers about what to expect” !
I am one of those you mention with allergies both to synthetic hormone and fillers. I have experienced the affect of allergies to both (and I am someone who has no allergies to foods, but I do to chemicals). And just like you, in my long search over the years I have found WP which has suited my system like any other, full of energy and no allergy, something that we can be so grateful to RLC Labs and at the same time now not understanding why they still hold back beginning re-production (despite the long delay, at least they have begun re-production of Nature Thyroid for those who take it).
I live in Japan, where for some inexplicable reason the pharmaceutical companies 2 years ago decided to stop production desiccated thyroid hormone (not profitable enough perhaps…as it was the cheapest form of medication in Japan and not as many people on it…I don’t know. But the only thing I know is that I was on it for 14 years since I had had a thyroid operation) which suited me because they filled the prescription at a compounding pharmacy). I really do not know what other patients in Japan do without desiccated hormone, and since I know many Japanese also have tendencies to allergies, but since then I went on a long search to find out about what is available elsewhere in the world that may be suitable to my sensitive system and found WP and I am able to import it through an international pharmacy.
I am still not despairing as I still have WP that I purchased just in the nick of time last Autumn to last me for my needs for a while. And while so many other people have already gone through very unsatisfactory changes trying different makers and physically suffering, I am here wondering what on earth I would do when my stock is up, and if RLC Labs still takes their own good time without informing people what to expect and when, at least an about when.
If they do want to be in the health service, one of the most basic and necessary services for the well being, they ought to know of the responsibility that comes with that. It is so cruel. Especially as they have…’expanded and upgraded’ their facilities, one can not comprehend what takes so long. Their promises last Autumn of being up and running soon have gone avail. And it is the very reason it is beginning to be a concern, truly wondering what I would do. I guess at the moment I still hold hope that they will, soon, begin re-production, and be up and running!
Sherry Gillis
I received a reply from RLC Labs today to my question about WP. The reply itself does not give a date, BUT the subject line of the email says “wp a few more months.”
Here is the email:
Thank you for contacting RLC Labs.
If you contacted us through our website getrealthyroid.com you should have received an auto reply email (also posted below) with information on pharmacies that can provide any Nature-Throid strengths currently showing as shipping on our “Availability Updates” page here: https://getrealthyroid.com/product-availability.html. The page explains the reason for the backorder and answers several questions. The updates are current and unfortunately we do not have additional information for release dates for strengths not mentioned or for WP Thyroid. We will post new information as soon as it is available!
We assure you that we are making every effort to bring back all strengths for Nature-Throid and WP Thyroid as quickly as possible. We are currently shipping Nature-Throid ½ grain (32.5 mg), 1 grain (65 mg) and 1.5 grain (97.5 mg). Nature-Throid ¾ grain (48.75) .
Many pharmacies are required to order through a wholesaler. Once we send product to the wholesaler they send it to distribution centers. The distribution centers then send it to the pharmacies. We have no input as to what pharmacies receive the shipments and have no way of knowing what a pharmacies inventory is (or if they have remaining inventory in strengths or Nature-Throid or WP Thyroid in the we have not started manufacturing again). Any pharmacy of your choice that is not required to order through a wholesaler is free to contact us for a direct account if they are interested as are many healthcare providers. The medication is then sent directly to them. All pharmacies set their own price so you may want to verify pricing as well. We recommend asking for both the cash price and the insurance price if your insurance covers it.
Please understand that we are not able to respond to individual requests for back order questions due to the large volume of requests and will keep our website updates current. We apologize for the delays and appreciate your understanding. Please visit our FAQ page for answers to many other questions here: https://getrealthyroid.com/frequently-asked-questions.html
Thank you again,
RLC Labs
If you are a patient these pharmacies have stock Nature Throidâ„¢ on ½ grain 1 grain 1.5 grain see the conversion guide on our website if you need it. More strengths coming soon and will be posted.
This is Sherry again. I am reading this email to mean that we are still a few months out. Not years – a few months. I think the company is afraid to give a date and have everyone worldwide jamming them for WP on that date. But I am taking this email to mean it will just be a few more months. Hip-hip-hooray!!!!!
Maria
Sherry, thank you so much for posting the reply by RLC Labs to you, and the most important in their message to you was the subject line “wp a few more months”…! A few more months… Just as I felt a little while ago, counting how many pills I have left to figure out how long it will last me (and as I measure the daily amount I take by cutting each pill since there is no available dose for my needs) and beginning to feel that I should start looking into a temporary replacement for when the time comes…
Oh wow…what a problem…
I do have questions as for the fillers of Nature Throid and how that compares with the WP Thyroid. I will also post to Janie directly and if necessary I will also call RLC Labs also, but if you know anything about I will be grateful if you post me a message.
Maria
Hi Sherry again, I have been able to find a list of the inactive ingredients of Nature-Throid. It is hard though to know if any of them are known to be an allergy inducing agent, or any known among the many users.
Since you have been a WP user as well, I wanted to ask you what is it that prompt you to choose WP over Nature-Throid? Do you know how the two compare (and of course as for me it does have to do with allergies). I have written to Janie below as well, but if you know anything about the inactive ingredients in Nature-Throid I would be grateful.
From all I know, I do not have food allergies but I have had allergies to medications/inactive ingredients in medications.
Sherry Gillis
I didn’t see your question until now, Maria. The reason I stopped taking NatureThroid was because it gave me several infections at the same time. I had read on the documentation for NatureThroid that one of the possible side effects was infections. I got a bladder infection, urinary tract infection and a yeast infection – and I’m not prone to those types of infections, so I knew it had to be NatureThroid. I don’t know anything about the ingredients in NatureThroid or why that medication causes the side effects.
Maria
Hi Sherry, I post here as there was no reply link under your reply to me.
Thank you so much for your reply. It clarifies to me that Nature-Throid may not be a good replacement for WP for me either because of the possible inflammatory responses it can cause (and that I didn’t know). I had chosen WP from the start as it was as close to a pure form as it could possible be with only 2 inactive ingredients (obviously there was a good reason for that choice knowing that I’ve had unforeseen allergic responses to inactive ingredients and medications).
I see quite a few references to what are thyroid supplements, with natural desiccated hormone, and I’m looking into that. It appears so far that a well chosen natural thyroid supplement can replace what is needed, while being ready to adjust the dose and while being careful about the ingredients used in the making of the pill/capsule forms. Thanks again.
Barb
I was on WP Thyroid for 6 months last year, up until December when I could not get my RX refilled. I have not felt good since. Praying they start back up soon so I can feel well again.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Barb. Sorry you haven’t felt well Please know that NP Thyroid by Acella is a great product, too. You don’t have to continue not feeling well.
Marsy
Janie, after months of patiently waiting (and since luckily i was able to have a stock for the daily amount i take of WP thyroid), I now notice that there is still nothing mentioned in the January update about beginning production for WP thyroid.
Wow, this has been a huge disruption concerning people’s health and clearly they have taken much much longer than originally anticipated.
Any word on that…?
Extremely unsettling how long it’s taking them…it’s been months now, and they even still halting production of WP… At least they have started production of NP, a trickle…but what about us, the more sensitive souls to fillers that cause allergies… one can live with something as a…replacement for a certain time, but one can not live with allergies, and they know that, and that is the very reason they have WP, and the very reason people are on WP. So I don’t understand why they are not at least also starting on WP production.
Janie Bowthorpe
Unfortunately, other than what they announce on their website, RLC Labs has always been very secretive.
Marsy
Dear…dear… Thanks for the reply Janie.
Christine
When I emailed them today they said they had no updates for other strengths of naturethroid or wp production other than what was listed in the update 😔.
Marsy
Thanks for the reply Christine. Dear…dear… I still have enough to last me for a while, and one can only think RLC Labs will at some point start producing WP as well, otherwise I see me needing to fly overseas just for getting to a compounding pharmacy… (desiccated natural hormone is no longer available from pharmaceutical companies in Japan, which is where I live and I import WP through an international pharmacy).
Christine
It appears today that RLC labs did post another update on the shipments of different dosages if that helps anyone! They appeared to be shipping out more strengths. 🙂
Astra
Thanks for noting that – they seem to post there first and then do Facebook a few days later, so I hadn’t seen it yet!
It’s interesting that this update mentions what’s shipping (Nature-Throid ½ grain, ¾ grain, 1 grain, and 1.5 grain) but now no mention of what’s next! I wonder if this means they’re going to move to WP? I’m still waiting on my NT 1.25gr dose but at least I have multiple ways to assemble it now with what they’re shipping.
Christine
I noticed that as well. I haven’t seen anything on WP and your right it doesn’t mention anything about what doses will be next with Naturethroid. Do you like Naturethroid?
Astra
I do like Nature-Throid! My doctor switched me to Armour in the interim and I did ok… but I’d rather get back to what I know works.
Kristin
Pharmacies in my area (SW Missouri) are STILL telling me they cannot fill my Naturethroid scripts even at the doses that RLC labs website says they are shipping. I’m being told that they facility was destroyed by the hurricane. Is anyone actually getting Naturethroid filled at all currently?
Christine
Hi Kristin-
I spoke with my pharmacy about this because I was considering switching to Naturethroid and they told me they can get 32.5, 48.75, and 97.5 currently. I haven’t switched yet as I am waiting to see what my current lab results are and then I have to speak with my Dr. about that. 🙂
Lisa hood
I just went to Walmart to fill my npthyroid and was told that I could only get one months worth because this drug is on national back order.
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s hard to know if anything a pharmacist says is based on reality. We have heard so many wrong comments over the years. Granted, I’m sure Acella is slammed for their NDT because of what happened with Naturethroid. But I would see if you can get the pharmacist to call Acella directly. Acella states that if pharmacists will do that, they can get NP to them.
Miss Mae
I was able to purchase NP Thyroid at Walmart with no problem, but for the same strength that I’d purchased back in December at Walgreens… I saved $8 at Walgreens. Don’t know if NP went up on price at first of year and that’s why it was higher at Walmart.
Miss Mae
Does anyone know if the Walmart pharmacies sell the NP? Not sure my local store does and reading here where some are saying their prices are through the roof – well, it’s scary. Don’t like the thoughts of maybe not being able to find the strength needed for NT, and don’t mind going with NP…but if it’s crazy priced — *throwing up hands*
Was able to get the NP back last Sept. at my Walgreens but the pharmacist there said their distributor was only selling certain strengths and wasn’t sure how much longer they’d be available to purchase.
This is nuts.
Niki
I use DCA pharmacy located in Tenn..when everyone here in Indiana still doesn’t have any of NT I found them online. I got a months worth of 1 grain and another months worth of 32.5 for a total of $18 for both and that was with the $5 shipping charge included
Susan
My endocrinologist told me that Naturethroid manufacturing plant was in Puerto Rico and was heavily damaged during Hurricane Harvey. No timing yet as to availability of drugs.
Janie Bowthorpe
Naturethroid is already appearing in a few places for those who have used it before. In the meantime, NP Thyroid by Acella is an excellent NDT.
Vonda
I’ve read through most of this entire thread, and here’s what I know from experience. Armour worked well for me until they reformulated it. I switched to Canadian Erfa after Armour, and when they reportedly moved their manufacturing plant, it no longer worked for me. Then I switched to NatureThroid, which I’ve done pretty well on. With the recent shortage, I have switched to NP Thyroid, starting roughly a week ago, and am now having trouble holding my eyes open during the day, which usually means low thyroid for me, and also more brain fog, memory problems, word recall, etc. With NT and NP not being equal in strength (65 mg vs. 60 mg, etc.), I am now taking 11 mg less NDT (135 vs. 146.25). I don’t know if that’s enough to matter or if it’s because NP has one more ingredient than NT (I’ve been told), which I’m assuming is a filler. So since what seem to have been minor changes in Armour and Erfa caused me problems, it’s not hard to believe that someone like myself wouldn’t do well on another formula like NP, as others have mentioned here as well. The last thyroid test I had, my free T4 and free T3 were low normal, but the doctor didn’t want to raise my dose because my TSH was .122, which is actually high for me. She insisted my fatigue could be because of old EBV, etc. 🙁 Costco told me last week that they now have 65 mg tablets of NT, so I may see if she’ll switch me back. Good luck to everyone out there struggling with these issues.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Vonda. Actually, many have done well with the switch to NP, but some have to tweak it to find their right amount, which may be different than what you were on with Naturethroid. And they do labs to figure out that tweaking.
Vonda
Janie Bowthorpe, you brought up a good point, but I’m wondering if labs will always reflect how a person is able to absorb the thyroid hormones into their cells. In other words, the blood levels may be fine but may not be the best indicator of how well a person is responding to treatment. After all, NDTs have more than T3 and T4 in them, so there are more variables than labs show. The doctor I had for 15 years, who first put me on Armour back when it was “good,” used muscle testing and then followed up with labs. I know everyone will think this is weird, but that’s how we figured out what brand to switch to when the Armour and Erfa quit working. But he passed away in 2013, so I don’t have that advantage now. Obviously, I will have to get labs, but the new doctors I’ve been dealing with look more at TSH, unfortunately, and I’m one of those whose TSH never did get high, even with a goiter, etc. And I’m wondering how many have switched brands and their labs still showed them as being somewhere near where they were before switching, but they felt worse anyway. Can anyone answer that for me?
Maria
Vonda, as you say that in your last lab test T3 and T4 were low normal and the TSH you know it was high for you then you may indeed need to increase your dose. Do not let a doctor tell you how you feel. You know best. I faced the same problem at the beginning of my treatment (after a thyroid operation for hyperthyroidism), and no matter how much they would tell me that all was within the…”normal range”, I was not feeling alright. Until I found an understanding doctor who was there to hear how I was feeling and willing to be testing me more often while increasing (or decreasing) the dose. And only then my system settled. And in your case, you seem to know where about your TSH feels best, and even if it is in the ‘normal range’ it indicates to you that you need more hormone.
I would suggest that you talk to your doctor again, and if she is not willing to hear you and try an increase with you, then find a more understanding doctor.
The other possibility is an unseen allergic response to a filler, or otherwise having to do with the processing of the making of the desiccated hormone (we truly don’t know all the factors involved). More likely though perhaps you may need to increase your dose, but never do so without being tested 2-3 weeks after the increase and then again. That’s another reason it is important to have an understanding doctor.
I hope this helps.
If you switch to Nature Thyroid see some of the comments of people who already have returned to NT and do not feel the same as before (before the…’upgrade’). I wish you the best, and hopefully the ‘upgraded’ NT will suit you as well as before. We all do hope they stop messing up what works well.
TD
Vonda, you might have a thyroid hormone conversion issue that becomes more apparent as we age, I only mention this because my MD just discussed this with me at my last appointment. He also mentioned “Mitochondrial Disease” as the key underlying issue. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15612-mitochondrial-diseases
I suspect that you also might have adrenal issues, based on your daytime fatigue, and that requires the “good old spit test” to assess your cortisol. I am going through that as well.
But as far as your high TSH- I know that my doctor is not concerned with my TSH, which is extremely high (it might be higher than yours right now) he is only looking at my Free T3 and Free T4 levels which he says is more telling as to your body’s actual needs. He believes, based on my current labwork, that my body needs more T3, even with super high TSH, which he says is due to a conversion problem.
FYI: High TSH levels will suppress the thyroid gland, which is a therapeutic advantage if there is an underlying inflammation issue. As long as you are not experiencing heart palpitations (tachycardia), increased anxiety and insomnia, high TSH is not “risky” or negative. I have learned that the first sign of too high a dose of thyroid is heart palpitations, at that point I would adjust my dose by 1/4 tablet.
My guide in the past in dealing with switching doctors and ending up caught in a “power struggle with a bone head” has been this; I highly recommend getting this book by Richard R. Shames, MD, “THYROID POWER – 10 Steps to Total Health” for one reason in this case:
On page 261 there is a chapter titled, “Show This to Your Doctor”, which is like having a scientist in the room advocating your need for more thyroid in spite of your labwork, and advocating for your optimal health as your goal, which may mean further labwork that does not follow “common thought” in local medical circles.
I have won every battle armed with that chapter.
TD
NOTE: It is recommended that you take a high-quality bone support supplement while on high-dose thyroid hormone. I use Garden of Life Grow Bone, which I have high confidence in- both the company, efficacy and quality of their supplements.
Janie Bowthorpe
People are the right amount of thyroid hormones see their bones improve—many reports of that over the years. Most have no need for bone support because of this.
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s actually a low TSH which will suppress the thyroid gland. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless
Having palps can also be because of being underdosed, or revealing low iron and/or a cortisol problem. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
And here’s where to get the STTM books on what patients have learned over the years in getting better: http://laughinggrapepublishing.com
TD
My mistake with the “FYI: High TSH levels will suppress the thyroid gland”, I thought I had written it, “high thyroid hormone intake, with low TSH levels will suppress the thyroid gland”, which was my intended thought but I missed the error too late- I was able to re-edit my other comments but not this one. Not easy to catch errors while exhausted late night.
TD
I just caught another mistake in relation to flip flopping the high thyroid intake to low TSH level in my first comment- I apologize for the dyslexic confusion, I had been stressed and without sleep from my week long battle to get my Nature-Throid filled- if you see me refer to “high TSH” just know that I meant “low TSH”. Sorry about that, but I am unable to correct it by editing now.
Renee
Hi Susan,
I had also heard the hurricane comment from a pharmacist on the East Coast. RLC labs is located in Arizona and I cannot find any information that says they moved to Puerto Rico…they say they did move to a larger facility, but make no mention of moving to Puerto Rico. Their website says:
“Nature-Throid and WP Thyroid unfortunately became backordered due to delays caused by manufacturing upgrades and hurdles we experienced in obtaining a key raw material. The manufacturing upgrades, which were made so that we could stay true to our mission of supplying the highest quality hypothyroidism medications, included moving to a larger facility, implementing new technology, and refining our processes. These upgrades unfortunately played a role in the backorder, but they were not the primary factor.
In the last few years, we started experiencing some major hurdles in obtaining a key raw material. These hurdles disrupted our ability to not only keep up with the growing demand for our medications, but to also keep them cost-effective. We ate burgeoning costs for as long as we could and had minimal price increases compared to others, but the path was unsustainable. This information was kept under wraps for the protection of our patients. Quite frankly, we were concerned if we spoke out about these issues, we would be cut off from our supply and left unable to produce any medication at all. We are happy to report that everything needed to ensure fulfillment of all backorders and uninterrupted, ongoing full-scale production is now in place.”
But, it seems, from an update on their website yesterday, that they are now actively shipping certain strengths of Nature-Throid.
Sara
Today a Pa. Compounding pharmacy assistant told me that she thinks (tho is not definite) that the factory that was producing NatureThroid had burned down last year…thus the shortage, the mystery issues about manufacturing…Can anyone confirm this? She’s under the impression they are rebuilding/have rebuilt?…thus, expecting renewed shipments. Sounds like that’s already happening in some states….
Hang in, thyroid sisters!
Sara, Pa.
Renee
Hi Sara,
To my knowledge, RLC Labs, the maker of Nature-throid and WP thyroid did not burn down. The labs are also located in Cave Creek Arizona which is nowhere near Puerto Rico as Susan mentioned below. I had also heard that hurricane comment from a pharmacist, so I immediately looked it up.
The following information is from the RLC website that was posted by them on February 5, 2018. “February 5, 2018
STRENGTHS ACTIVELY SHIPPING: Nature-Throid ½ grain (32.5 mg), Nature-Throid 1 grain (65 mg), and Nature-Throid 1.5 grain (97.5 mg)
We are happy to share that, while we are still working through the backorder, we are in production and three strengths — Nature-Throid ½ grain, 1 grain, and 1.5 grain — are actively shipping.”
So, it looks as though, according to them, that Nature-throid is back in production. No word about WP thyroid though.
Kimberly
Hi. A little off topic but for 2 months I switched to np thyroid and for the last month I’ve felt terrible. Mostly heart palpitations and fatigue, pains. I couldn’t figure it out. I thought it was all from a cortisone shot in my knee but I really think it’s the np thyroid. I had my dr check my lands and they were all within norm. I was on 97.5 of naturethroid. They put me on 90 of the np. Am I the only one this happened too?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Kimberly. Lab results have nothing to with just being anywhere in those normal ranges. It’s about where we fall in those ranges–a fact we have noticed for years and a fact that doctors aren’t caught up with about yet. You are seriously underdosed, thus the heart palps, the fatigue, the pain. Compare your lab results to this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values
Jennifer Sand
Holy smokes, the price on NP Acella is through the roof! I was pretty excited to finally find a source and get it ordered and the price from the supplier would cost me $190 (after I argued them down from $220, they said, Okay, just this once) for a 30 day supply and I only take 2 1/2 grains per day. What the you-know-what?!
Janie Bowthorpe
30 days at 2 1/2 grains daily cost you $220???????? Please call around to other pharmacies. Hopefully it’s just that idiot one.
michele
that is absolutely criminal! i’ve been paying $60 for 60 pills (1.5 grains equivalent, each) from a compounding pharmacy! ask your doc to write a script for a compound for you. i switched over from nature throid with no trouble at all.
Mary Marin
I have been on Nature-throid 81.25mg for 2 years now. 20 years of synthroid and levothyroxine failed which facilitated the switch. The nature-throid works like a charm. I purchased a 90 day supply, not realizing that there was a shortage. I now have 6 tablets left. I am so confused and do not know what to do! I dont want to be sick again!
How, in this day and age can this happen!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Mary. Get your doctor to prescribe NP Thyroid by Acella, then call pharmacies to see who is carrying that brand. If no one is carrying it, tell them to call Acella from here: http://www.acellapharma.com/ There is NO shortage, even if someone says that to you.
Stephanie
I picked up my nature-throid in December 2017 after the shortage. The pills looked significantly different. I am symptomatic, moody, night sweats, fatigue, and my hair is falling out. I contacted naturethroid to ask about the changes in the appearance of my pills (which have looked exactly the same for the ten years I have used them). I was not satisfied with their response, which in short had something to do with “sensory” differences in batches??? I plan to switch to NP thyroid by Acella. I take 2.5 grains now and I plan to take 2.5 of the Acella. I will update in a month or so when I get a sense of whether or not it makes a difference for me. Good luck everyone. These changes are hard. Hang in there.
Janie Bowthorpe
The pills now look like the older and workable versions of NDT. But yes, their answer was weak. NP Thyroid is a great product…but understand that you may still have to tweak. Once you get on it, and have been on 1-2 weeks or so, do labs and see if you need to tweak. If you get anything similar on NP Thyroid, it’s your adrenals and/or iron, not the product. Or it’s simply revealing that you need a higher dose, perhaps.
Dana
Yes, post-shortage the Nature-throid 32.5 tastes differently. I have been taking it for years, chewing and letting it dissolve sublingually and it is most definitely different. I also have joint pain, depression, and headache. I’m very disappointed. I sent my concerns along with the lot number and expiration I obtained from my pharmacy to RLC, and they replied with the following:
“Thank you for your email! These differences are due to the fact that Nature-Throid is a natural medication. Its active ingredient is Thyroid USP, which is naturally derived thyroid hormones and, just like anything else in nature, batches of it will never be identical. Some batches require more diluent (lactose monohydrate, a refined milk sugar), and some require less to meet the strict standards set by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), which can result in sensory differences like the ones you described.
Rest assured that these are only sensory differences and do not affect quality or potency. No changes have been made to the formula and every batch of medication manufactured by RLC Labs goes through rigorous testing to not only meet, but exceed USP requirements: while the industry allows for a monograph discrepancy of +/-10% between T4 and T3, WP Thyroid and Nature-Throid are not released outside of +/-2%. No RLC Labs medication has ever been recalled for inconsistent hormones, and we do our due diligence to keep it that way.
You should receive a Prescribing Information insert with every bottle that lists the ingredients, which you can compare to a past one to confirm that nothing has changed. You can also find the full Prescribing Information here:http://bit.ly/NatureThroidAbout. We are also happy to provide your prescribing provider with a Certificate of Analysis for your specific lot that will verify potency. We are not able to send them to patients, but your physician is free to request the information from us.
If you haven’t already, we encourage you to discuss all symptoms — new and existing — with your doctor, as a variety of factors can be at play and they know your unique patient needs best.”
Janie Bowthorpe
That can mean you need to raise it. Please study this page on how to raise NDT to find your optimal dose: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Susan
I was diagnosed hypothyroid way back in ’89 and put on Synthroid, which morphed over the years (due to insurance) to levothyroxine. Then, in ’95, I had a resurgence of symptoms (plus hair loss and other new symptoms). My doctor at the time, back on the East coast, put me on Armour, with fantastic results. We moved in 2012 to Arizona, and I’ve been searching since for a doc who won’t depend entirely on TSH and won’t oppose NDTs. The last doc was terrible, and cut my dose in half (“your TSH should be between 5 and 7”). I immediately started looking for a new doc, and have found what I think will be a great one (he’s hypo himself) only to run into the “Naturethroid is on backorder until March”) at Walgreens. So this shortage continues into 2018?
Janice
It’s January, 2018, and the availability of Nature Throid is still a very big problem. From what I’ve been reading, the FDA is at the root of the problem, so I emailed the White House.
Cynthia
One of my naturopathic doctors told me that Armour has talc in it. Has anyone else heard that?
Jacqueline Dienhart
I was taking 81.25 Naturethroid twice a day. Pharmacy has the 1 grain available and said I could take 2 1/2 grain, but they need new Rx from my doctor. I told my doctor I had 5 day supply left a week ago. So of course now I’m out. I have called her office numerous times. Needless to say I lined up a new doctor. In the meantime, I have an old prescription of 2 grain pills from 2 years ago. They expired June 2017. Am I ok to take these till next week? I would think they are still good. Perhaps less potent.
Renee
I was on WP thyroid for a couple of years and it worked GREAT for me. After many years of feeling sick and miserable on synthroid, I found WP thyroid, and it changed my life. I finally felt like a normal human being again. In September 2017, my pharmacy substituted Nature-throid without telling me. I didn’t even notice until I started feeling sick and hypothyroid and I looked at the bottle. That’s when I called my pharmacy and found out about the shortage of WP. I immediately went on a phone calling/emailing campaign to find WP. Right after thanksgiving, I was able to locate almost two months worth of WP from a nearby compounding pharmacy. I bought their entire stock in the hopes that RLC would be back online before I ran out. No luck. So, yesterday I had to start NP thyroid, and I’m very nervous. Dr. Alan Christianson posted a YouTube video yesterday where he talks about the thyroid shortage and the differences between WP, Nature-throid and NP. I can’t say I was too thrilled to hear what he had to say about the potential consistency issues with NP. I’m so upset and stressed out. I finally found WP, found the right dose, and I FINALLY got healthy again and now I feel like I’m just going backwards again. I’m back at square one and I’m angry. I wish RLC would put out an update with more details. Plus, if there is only one supplier of the active ingredient in the US (American Laboratories Incorporated), then how is it that RLC is able to still produce Nature-throid and Acella is able to produce NP? Don’t all NDTs have the same active ingredients? Wouldn’t you think that ALL of the companies would be having the same issue as RLC in acquiring the active ingredient? Plus, WP apparently has only four ingredients in it, so wouldn’t you think it would be easier to produce WP instead of Nature-throid which has many more ingredients? Something seems fishy to me.
Janie Bowthorpe
Many people have been on NP Thyroid for several years and are doing great. I switched to it and am doing great, as well.
RLC’s issue was supposedly more about the machinery, not the supply of NDT powder. I lean to believe there are things they are not telling us. But whatever caused this ridiculous problem by RLC Labs, it’s returning and there are now many reports of doing well on the supplies coming in. Others will have to tweak plus make SURE their iron and cortisol levels are good.
Renee
Hi Janie. Thanks for the response. I just now checked RLC labs website and they posted an update dated January 15. The quote below is from their announcement on their page.
“Nature-Throid and WP Thyroid unfortunately became backordered due to delays caused by manufacturing upgrades and hurdles we experienced in obtaining a key raw material. The manufacturing upgrades, which were made so that we could stay true to our mission of supplying the highest quality hypothyroidism medications, included moving to a larger facility, implementing new technology, and refining our processes. These upgrades unfortunately played a role in the backorder, but they were not the only factor.”
“In the last few years, we started experiencing some major hurdles in obtaining a key raw material. These hurdles disrupted our ability to not only keep up with the growing demand for our medications, but to also keep them cost-effective. We ate burgeoning costs for as long as we could and had minimal price increases compared to others, but the path was unsustainable. This information was kept under wraps for the protection of our patients. Quite frankly, we were concerned if we spoke out about these issues, we would be cut off from our supply and left unable to produce any medication at all. We are happy to report that everything needed to ensure fulfillment of all backorders and uninterrupted, ongoing full-scale production is now in place.”
So, again…here are my questions…. and I don’t expect you personally to know the answers to these! I’m just thinking “out loud”. But, I wonder why, if they have been having a problem obtaining a key raw material, why then did it only affect RLC labs and specifically their production of WP? How come Acella hasn’t had the same problem? How come the maker of Armour and other NDTs haven’t reported having the same problem obtaining a key raw material? What in the world could this mysterious “key raw material” be? What does “key raw material” mean anyway? Maybe I’m wrong in assuming “key raw material” means the powdered thyroid. WP thyroid has four ingredients and three of them are inactive. I don’t think it would be the inulin filler as that seems to be abundant. I don’t think it would be the lactose monohydrate as that also seems to be abundant. Maybe its the MCT (from coconuts) that they are having problems obtaining. I guess we will never know because they will likely never tell us what this “key raw material” actually is. Oh, the mystery…..
In any case, my pharmacy has been great and calls their distributor every day for me. As soon as I am notified that my pharmacy is carrying WP again, I will post it on here. *Crossing fingers* that it’s soon!!!! Let’s just hope that the price doesn’t skyrocket and the quality remains the same as it was before this “shortage”. And honestly, if I find that I am doing really well on Acella NP then I might not switch back. This whole situation has been extremely unpleasant. Thanks Janie for allowing us to comment here. I check this page every day for new information! It’s been a great resource.
Janie Bowthorpe
No way of knowing when everyone else has had access to the porcine powder. Perhaps the “key raw material” is a filler? Who knows. What I do know is there are things they don’t tell us as consumers…sadly.
Janie Bowthorpe
Many people have been on NP Thyroid for several years and are doing great. I switched to it and am doing great, as well. Have never noticed any consistency issues.
RLC’s issue was supposedly more about the machinery, not the supply of NDT powder. But I lean to believe there are things they are not telling us. But whatever caused this ridiculous problem by RLC Labs, the pills are slowly returning and there are now many reports of doing well on the new pills coming in. Others will have to tweak plus make SURE their iron and cortisol levels are good.
Heather Cash
Chicagoland area: Called Walgreens, Jewel and Meiers and no luck finding 97.5mg. Called Sam’s Club and scored the last 60 pill of Nature-throid. I’m betting this is the last 60 pills, I hope they release more doses before they run out!
michele
here we are, january 2018 and still naturethroid has not shipped any 1.5 gr tablets. i’ve been paying for a compound since the spring. i’m so angry at this point i wouldn’t care if RLC went belly up.
Terri
Does anyone know if Thiroyd by Greater Pharma from Taiwan has been reformulated in 2017 and how do I order it.
Janie Bowthorpe
HiTerri. It’s actually Thailand where it’s made. And because this site is so public and the FDA works hard to block people from getting NDT from other places, that info needs to be responded to you privately.
Madeline
I have been taking WP Thyroid for a few years & now that I found out about the unavailability for a while, I tried to get NP Acella. Yesterday Costco told me they would look it up & after doing so, told me they could get 15 and/or 30 mg only. That meant I would have to take way more pills than usual to achieve my 3 grains daily total, but I said go ahead & got my doctor to write a script. Last night I went on the Acella website & wrote them asking if it was possible for me to get 90-mg tabs & they wrote back today saying absolutely, that there was no shortage & that Costco need only call them to rectify the order. After calling Costco & explaining & recalling the dr for a new script to fit these pills, all is on go. I do note, however, that NP is way more expensive than WP. I paid 0.33/pill (1.5 grain strength) for WP & it will be 0.81/pill (1.5 grain strength) for NP, which is almost 2 1/2 times more per pill. I ordered a bottle of 100 to tide me over until WP is back & unless NP is something miraculous, I will go back to WP when available because of cheaper cost. I do wonder if NP always costs more or is this because of WPs shortage & a temporary price increase by NP because of the demand.
Janie Bowthorpe
So many people complain about Kaiser and we sure see why if they are only offering you Armour and refuse to do the RT3.
Donna
I work for a naturopathic doctor and have been having issues with getting the Naturethroid as everyone else has. I spoke with NP Thyroid with Acella, and the price is more than double what our patients have been paying out of pocket for their thyroid medication!! I continue to look for something more economical in the meantime, but may have to order from Acella while trying to figure it out as we are almost completely out of our back stock.
Lynn
Janie, this is what Perrigo said in response to my inquiry about the unavailability of liothyronine Sod 25mcg: “Thank you for contacting Perrigo Consumer Affairs. As of 31DEC2017, Perrigo no longer manufactures the Liothyronine Sodium Tablets. Beginning 01JAN2017, Mayne Pharma sells the product in their own NDC number. The new NDC number for the 25mcg is 51862-321-01.” I called Costco and told them the new number and they state it is “out of stock” with no availability date. I called Mayne Pharma at 252-707-6400 to find out if it is now available, and was told it has been recalled and she couldn’t tell me anything else and referred me to the Inmar Recall Response Company at 1-800-967-5952 where you must leave a message as no humans answer the phone. I am sure when they call back it will be a scripted response about the recall. Who knows when Mayne will have the new manufactured T3, but if I ever find out why it was recalled, whether they are changing the ingredients in the new batch (like adding gluten, etc.), or when it will be available in the future, I will let you know. If any of your readers know anything, that would be great too.
Jennifer Sand
Hi Janie. I’m having trouble getting or finding any desiccated thyroid except Armour. Local pharmacies, and even Costco, are saying they can’t get any.I’m north of Seattle. I’d like to try NP Acella but none of the pharmacies have that either. Do I need to tell them to call Acella directly? A Rite-Aid pharmacist told me today that there’s an FDA crackdown and that soon desiccated thyroid won’t be available at all. I’m hoping he is making stuff up.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, tell them to call Acella directly and give them the number. If they still can’t get it, either Armour or T4 with T3. And the comment told to you by Rite Aid is the typical idiot comment we have heard from the mouths of pharmacists for years.
Jennifer Sand
Hi Janie, further info today. I talked to David at Acella. He said pharmacies don’t buy direct from manufacturers but rather through a wholesaler and the wholesalers all “should” know about NP Thyroid. I contacted two pharmacies (one was Rite-Aid) that use a very large wholesaler named McKesson. They said they cannot get NP Thyroid through McKesson (I left a message to David to that effect). I called my favorite local pharmacy who also said she could not access NP Thyroid. Then I talked to a Costco pharmacy tech who said she could not reveal their wholesaler (?!) and, after I convinced her that the fact that NP Acella is 30 mg per 1/2 grain and not 32.5 like Naturethroid and WP thyroid did not mean patients didn’t want it. You do have to have your physician write the prescription for NP Thyroid and specify that the dose is 60 mg grains. Her quoted price for me was twice what I normally pay, so a 90 day supply (2 1/2 grains a day), in 1/2 grain tablets would cost me $203 ($68/month) since my insurance doesn’t cover it. So, the upshot is, I think, that it depends on which wholesaler your pharmacy uses and how hard you press them using the NP Thyroid by Acella info. When I talked to Costco without saying NP Thyroid by Acella they said they only had Armour and no other and made no mention of NP despite the fact that they can get it. My doc is ordering directly from Acella for me and when I asked if doctors could do that, he said it depended upon which state they are practicing in.
Janie Bowthorpe
Jennifer, you get a gold star for this information. We all thank you for your efforts.
Jennifer Sand
Update on distributors. River City Pharmacy outside of Cincinnati Ohio, is a distributor of NP Acella, a “middle man”. If you (or better yet, your doctor) call this number: 866 345 3171 ext. 4644 and ask for Aaron he will send a fax to your doctor that is a form that has your doctor set up an account with them. After that, your doc can order NP Acella from River City Pharmacy. My ND figured this out for me and I just spoke with the friendly Aaron at River City and gave him my doc’s phone and fax to get things started. Thirty of the 30 mg tabs (1/2 grain) are $10.50 which is a little less per month than Costco’s quoted price. I’ve been chasing this for weeks and will crow with delight when I have some NP Thyroid in my hot little hand.
Laralee
I live north of Seattle too. I have found NP Thyroid at Walmart and Walgreens. Costco here substitutes WP Thyroid which I found out does not work for me.
Lynn
I have put a call into my doctor to switch to compounded T3 and will hope this switch won’t cause me issues. The compounding pharmacy told me they can make sustained release capsules, lactose free, use avicel (microcrystalline cellulose) as a filler in a veggie cap (no gluten). I take LDN from this same compounding pharmacy and they use Avicel in that as well and I’ve had no problems with it. The only other issue I may have is with the sustained release, because the generic T3 is not sustained release and I’ve never used this type of drug before. This new compounding script will cost me $40 more a month, compared to the generic T3 by Perrigo. Perrigo’s T3 has been recalled and is no longer available from ANY pharmacy. The only generic T3 that is now available is the SigmaPharma brand, with mannitol (wheat derived) and cornstarch.
Lynn
Well, I had a bad allergic reaction to the compounded so the pharmacy took it back and refunded my card. I have written the Yahoo group to see if they know of any pharmacies that compound T3 without fillers and I’m waiting to hear from them. So after that bad reaction I went back to Costco and they now were supplied with generic T3 (now it is made by Libertas Pharma – used to be Mayne Pharma, formerly Paddock/Perrigo) so I started back on that because it doesn’t contain gluten. I could try the SigmaPharma brand to see if I have a reaction to its fillers (before I try another compounded). I just got my labs back after being on the Libertas Pharma version for almost 3 months and my TSH went up to 8.180 (range 0.450-4.500) my Free T3 was 2.3 (range 2.0-4.4) and my Free T4 was 0.60 (range 0.82-1.77). Now even though I have had RT3 issues in the past (due to low iron, which is optimal now) when I have my doctor’s appointment in a few weeks I could ask him to give me something else, I just have to figure out what to ask him for. I take two 25mcg T3 a day so if I decide to try dessicated again, do I ask him for three grains of dessicated so I’ll have the stock to move up if needed? I called Costco and they have the NP by Acella. He will give me whatever I ask for but with all these issues with T3 I am lost as to what to try. Compounded, a different generic T3, or dessicated.
Lynn
Janie, I take 50mcg of T3 daily (go into RT3 on dessicated) and after I found out that Cytomel had gluten in it, I switched to Liothyronine by Paddock (now Perrigo). I was filling my script at Costco but they are telling me it is no longer being distributed. I called Perrigo but the “telephone operator” said she knew nothing, other than giving me the phone number of Mayne Pharma, the company that manufactures it. I called them, and their “telephone operator” knew nothing and told me to call Inmar, a RECALL response company. I called them and could not get a human on the phone, other than for me to leave a message. So I thought maybe you or your readers have heard something about this recall. I need to take generic T3 without gluten and don’t know what to do at this point. I don’t want to use the SigmaPharm brand with mannitol and cornstarch so if there is any advice I would appreciate it. Thanks for any information you can provide.
Janie Bowthorpe
Well, for one, I recommend you have great doubts about anything a pharmacist in a pharmacy says in this area. I can’t begin to tell you how much BAD information have come from the mouths of pharmacists and as reported by patients. They have stated things like “NDT isn’t going to be made anymore” (have heard that NUMEROUS times over the years when a company just changed their NDT, or had a shortage), or “the company doesn’t exist anymore”…and each time, it’s false.
I really haven’t heard anything about Perrigo failing to make T3.
Nichole
I take 2.5 grains of Nature Throid and have been lucky enough to stay on it throughout this shortage by using three different pharmacies’ stock. I’ve taken NT 65s for a couple years now. I noticed the pills I got back in November have a different taste, color and smell. They aren’t solid cream colored anymore- more tan with brown specks. Since taking these for the last two months, my resting heart rate tends to go up quite often. I am 8 months pregnant and that could be it too but my levels are in range and it seems to be coincidental that this is happening only since the new stock came out. Right now I’m around 120 and feel awful. A couple days ago I got to 150. Dr says i should get on synthetics because the dosing is more reliable- the usual dr excuse. I’ve been hashi for 16+ years. I was on Armour for 6 years until the reformulation and synthroid prior to that. I can’t help but feel like NT has been reformulated again yet I’m not seeing anything online about it. Have you heard/noticed this?
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, there have been a few who’ve been able to get the new versions say that it’s different. But nothing highly negative yet.
Stephanie
I have received a few batches of the new Nature-throid and I can attest that the look, smell, and taste are different. There are flecks in the new batches – the color of the flecks seems to depend on the strength, but it could be that larger “flecks” in the larger pills leads to a more intense color. The new pills, I believe, have a stronger “farm” smell and taste, which I generally think is a good thing. I never had the opportunity to compare the old and new batches side by side, however, and I have a hazy period in my memory from the few weeks that I had to spend on NP Thyroid, which for some mysterious reason did absolutely nothing for me – no, wait, it did do some things for me; it made my holidays into a prolonged period of deadened emotion, adult acne, hair loss, weight gain (NOT from holiday indulging), insomnia, forgetfulness, brain fog, and mood swings. I hate when there is no rational explanation for why the same medication in a slightly different format doesn’t have the same effect. I had similar bad luck with compounded NDT, and I cannot figure out why. Theoretically it is the same medication. I used Women’s International Pharmacy, which was supposed to be able to compound this correctly. This whole situation is so very harrowing. My entire life can be ruined by one medication becoming unavailable, and there are people and entities actively trying to make it unavailable. I used to take comfort from the fact that there were a few “good” options for NDT, but now I know that NP Thyroid and compounded NDT do not work for me, so that takes two of them off the already-short list, and I don’t even know why they don’t work for me.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, when the new Naturethroid has a “stronger” smell, that simply means there is less coating on the tablets, and can mean they can be done sublingually, too. NP Thyroid is the same way–a stronger smell for the same reason. No, there are not “people actively trying to make NDT unavailable”. That is constant and paranoid rumor that circulates for years with no rationality.
Susie Palmieri
I am experiencing problems with the new supply as well. I feel worse than when I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I am going to see an endocrinologist to discuss options. Sounds like they changed the filler regardless of what RLC labs says. I don’t get any benefit out of this new batch of Nature Throid tablets. Glad to see I’m not the only one having problems but upset that this is happening. Why can’t they admit what happened when they updated their processing plants? I can’t go from feeling fine to feeling awful this quickly after having success with the old product. From what I’ve read I may look into taking NP Thyroid by Acella if it’s a purer product with less filler.
Janie Bowthorpe
Susie, at least do labs on the new supply and see if you need to tweak it up. Optimal puts the free T3 towards the top of the range and free T4 mid-range, we have observed repeatedly over the years.
Jay
I assume that when you say 120 and 150 you are talking about MG of NT.
Going from 120 from 150 can take a few weeks to fully adjust to even with good medications. During the adjustment period you can have symptoms you are not used to but they may go away in a few weeks.
Janie Bowthorpe
Jay, there is not an adjustment period as if it’s stressful to raise for the body. To the contrary, the body feels better! If there are bad reactions, it’s due to #2 here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Miss Mae
RLC has updated. Date is Dec. 11, 2017 and they say the strengths “actively shipping” is 1/2 grain and 1 grain. Maybe stores will soon be back on schedule.
Jay
Pretty sure that is just for Naturethoid, not WP.
Miss Mae
Yes, just for Nature Throid.
Kay Wood
I got some of the “new’ WP 65mg filled two weeks ago. The order is to take 1.5 pills to cover my script for 97.5mg. The formulation has changed. I am having hypo symptoms after two weeks of taking it.
Janie Bowthorpe
Glad you reported this. It may mean that people will need to tweak upwards with the new WP. Please also note that the former 97.5 underdoses most anyway. Study this page to see what optimal means: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101 It’s not about the TSH, either.
Jay
Kay,
Are you positive that the “new” WP is out yet? I did not know they were shipping yet.
Do you have an original 100 count bottle, if so what is the Expiration date stamped on the original bottle and lot number. You might have to peel off the label the pharmacy put on there to see.
I got some 65mg about 4 months ago that are good…………I had to switch to 65mg after they stopped making the 130mg.
Val
I have been taking 30mg armour for about 1.5 years. I am male and 29 years old. Overall I have had vast improvement with treatment but some lingering issues led my N.D. to prescribe 32.5mg Naturethroid. At the time is was unavailable so I just started taking it a little over one week ago. Labs all looked good on armour, and after the adjustment period, my hair quite falling out, heart palpitations were reduced but still present, blood pressure borderline, my weight stable but I have had dry eyes and 3 or 4 styes which I have never had in life before taking armour. I have never had great skin but it has seemed worse on armour (redness, acne) and my libido fairly low. One thing I liked about armour was that it always got me sort of revved up in the morning. So about two weeks ago the pharmacy called and said that naturethroid was finally back and scrip was ready to pick up. I was pleased that it costs about 60% less than armour. I can say my blood pressure feels lower ( I don’t have a cuff to check it) I haven’t had heart palpitations, my digestion feels different (not sure if it’s better or worse) but my energy level is lower and I do not get a boost in the morning. My appetite seems reduced and while a little early to tell I think I have gained a couple pounds (might be normal fluctuation). Also, I have had a flare up of minor acne. So my question is, should I be concerned? I thought I would notice an immediate and significant change for better or worse (I can tell day to day variations in armour). Overall I just feel more tired…I figure I should give it at least a month and see how things go but I am very concerned about backsliding. In general I am aware that most people have had positive results switching to naturethroid but I wondered if anyone suspects a “change” since it has come back to market.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Val. There are a certain body of people who, when changing brands, have to tweak the different brand to get the same results they got with the previous brand that helped them, meaning raise it. Or some have to lower, which doesn’t sound like you. One way is redoing the free T3 and free T4 after being on the different brand a few weeks. Optimal seems to put the free T3 towards the top and the free T4 mid-range in most. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Dawn Kaplan
I just went to Walgreens to get my script refilled for NP by Acella. I was informed that it is on indefinite back order! Is this for real? This is my life line! I found bits of different doses at other pharmacies, but they all said the same about back order.
Janie, are you aware of this? Thank you!
Janie Bowthorpe
Because of the shortages of Naturethroid or WP, a lot of people turned to other brands. The “indefinite” part of their reply to you is because they aren’t in touch with Acella directly. They will eventually catch up.
Dawn Kaplan
Thank you. I have contacted Acella via phone and email, so far no response. I am sick about this. I thought we were through with this nonsense after the crash in 2009. I do very well on Acella and switched after the Armour fiasco reformulation a few years back. I wish all thyroid patients can band together, buy a factory and manufacture our needs ourselves. Sounds silly, but at least we won’t be at the mercy of others.
Stephanie
I do wonder what I would do if the pharma companies succeed in their goal of taking NDT away from us, so we need to take many more (more profitable) medications due to being untreated for the underlying thyroid disorder. I know that NDT is made from pig thyroids and that those thyroids are dried out, pulverized, and made into tablets (with other ingredients being added to hold the tablets together) or put into gel caps. One would probably need to use numerous thyroids for one batch in order to attain average concentrations. One would need a scale capable of measuring milligrams accurately. This all seems fairly doable. Does anyone have further detail on this?
Janie Bowthorpe
Please know that there has never been a “goal of taking NDT away”. That has been a paranoid rumor for years by some people. Also keep in mind that Pharms want to make money, which NDT is doing for them.
Stephanie
This blog post contains the following statement: “In the meantime, NP Thyroid by Acella is a good one to switch to. You may have to adjust it for your own needs.” Could you please unpack this concerning the adjustment? Do people find that the conversion charts are not accurate, for instance? I am on my first month of NP Thyroid due to the Nature-Throid shortage and NP Thyroid is doing little, if anything, for me. It tastes sickeningly sweet and seems for all the world to be a sugar pill (but I know it isn’t really). I do not know why Nature-Throid worked so well for me, while NP Thyroid is not doing the same.
Neal Bozeman
Hi Janie, do you have any experience with dessicated thyroid supplements? I live abroad and have never been able to get my hands on NDT like Armour or Naturthroid, but am experimenting with dessicated bovine thyroid supplements. However, the ones I have are not labeled with the contents of T4/T3. I’m also curious if taking NDT triggers an autotimmune response in people with Hashimotos?
Janie Bowthorpe
They can work fine as long as you get the ones without added ingredients/nutrients/herbs, which the store ones usually have. Because as you raise those kinds of NDT over-the-counter supps, you will also be raising the added ingredients. Yes, NDT does trigger a “heightened” immune response in those who already have higher antibodies, but that stops as you raise towards your optimal dose.
Dottie Ji
Just found out today about the shortage of WP Thyroid when trying to refill my prescription. Neither my doctor nor I are big on pharmaceuticals and so Armour was never tried. I started off with Nature-Thyroid which drove me crazy with itchiness around my neck, I presume from the fillers. Not sure what I’m going to do now if WP-Thyroid becomes no longer available. It’s gentle and worked fine.
Janie Bowthorpe
Push your pharmacy to stock NP Thyroid by calling Acella. It’s an excellent product. http://www.acellapharma.com/contact
Jill
Now I see that Westhroid is actually old Nature Throid? Is the potency affected by age?
Janie Bowthorpe
No, it’s not the old Naturethroid. It was always a separate NDT made by RLC. No, the potency is not affected by age. Heat, though, can affect it.
Shelly
I live in southwestern Michigan and I am still unable to fill my prescriptions for Nature Throid 81.25 (grain 1/4). I am down to my last few of the 65 (1 grain) that I cut to make it into 81.25. I’ve checked with both CVS and Walgreens, do you know when the Nature Throid in any strength will be available again in Michigan?
Janie Bowthorpe
We don’t know when it becomes available anywhere, actually. But don’t hold yourself hostage to Naturethroid. Push your pharmacy to stock NP Thyroid by calling Acella. It’s an excellent product. http://www.acellapharma.com/contact
Trina
I don’t know how close you are to Indiana, but I have been able to get it in Indiana for the last several weeks. I don’t know if they have anything but 1 grains though.
Jill
Walgreens is substituting Westhroid for Nature Throid. Is this just the more pure form of Nature Throid?
Janie Bowthorpe
They are both pure, but they just may have leftover Westhroid since Naturethroid is experiencing shortages right now.
Jessica Wilson
I live in the UK. Have been on NP Thyroid (Acella) for two years (changed bc Armour doubled in price). The cost of NP Thyroid just quadrupled!!! I’m not even joking. So I’ve just switched to Nature-thyroid (literally took my first pill this morning).
Now I’m worried (after reading all these comments of how bad people feel on it). My main question is that it has been said that Nature-thyroid is not good sublingually. And I just wondered if someone could clarify (I just tried it bc it’s what I’m used to… it seemed to dissolve fine, but wondering if it’s known it won’t absorb well). Even though it dissolves, is it better to chew it up? Their website says swallow with a large glass of water. (I’m used to having my tea in the morning… waiting an hour sounds awful!!!).
Was also wondering if it dissolved bc of a reformulation, but website says it’s not been changed (so anyone who has take it previously I’d be interested to know if it’s different). Thanks for any help or insight. This site is a god send for me!
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s honestly fine any way you take it. If it dissolved well, that is great.
Cherly Lucky
Thank you Janie!
I know you can’t tell me but how much more Nature Throid should I take?
Or what does of NP Thyroid would you recommend? Or at least give me a hint of what I should take. I know you’re not allowed to say how much, but I can’t find a straight answer and I’m afraid to up my does on my own.
I have no idea how much more I should take and I actually don’t trust the Endo, in fact when I asked him for Nature Throid 2 years ago, he looked at me like I was crazy , he wanted to put me on synthectics, I said “no” give me nature throid which he did. I do blood work every 6 months, so my PCP and Endo both get the blood work results and I get an Ultra Sound of Thyroid once a year.
I will call my PCP who is more concerned about me than my Endo, my PCP will write a script for me, all I am is to my Endo is $ in his pocket.
What are your thoughts on my blood work, if I may ask?
TSH = 1.96 Range(0.36-3.74)
T3 Free = 3.0 Range(2.18-3.98)
T3 Reverse = 7 No Range Listed ?
T3 Total = 92 Range(80-200)
T4 = 8.4 Range(4.8-13.9)
T4 Free = 0.8 Range(0.8-1.5)
Antibodies – HIGH >10000
Iron = 74 Range(50-170)
Iron Sat = 46.8 Range(20-50)
Ferritin = 57 Range(8-252)
Magnesium = 2.2 Range(1.6-2.6)
Vit D = 83.6 Range(30-100)
I’ve upped my own vitamin and mineral in take ever since I was DX with Hypo / Hashimotos 2 years ago. I hit the internet to learn everything I could about Hypo and Hashimotos including this wonderful web site, I even bought the book! Because the Physicians don’t want to see us get better etc……. I’ve cut way way down on my suger, I have a sweet tooth, and I’ve cut out Gluten 99%
I am 50 years old and work in an IT Dept (very stressful at times, this is why the Xanax is needed sometimes!)
.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Cheryl, read this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
To understand your labs, use this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values
To understand Hashi’s, which you have:, read this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/hashimotos
Cherly Lucky
what’s better to try WP Thyroid or Armour during the Nature Throid shortage ?
Janie Bowthorpe
WP is also made by RLC and may be backordered, too. It’s NP Thyroid you want to look into, not Armour.
Cherly Lucky
i only take 16.25mg of nature throid, not sure if I should be taking more or not. My endo is useless, I’ve been taking care of myself and changing my diet after reading this web site and many others regarding hypo. I was dx with hypo 2 years ago. My question is there any vitamins or minerals we can take more of until nature throid is back in stock at our pharmacies? Or Should I try Armour ?
Janie Bowthorpe
You are severely underdosed. Optimal puts your free T3 towards the top of the range and your free T4 mid-range. Not strong opinion, but what we’ve seen over years when people are doing great. A better alternative than Armour is NP Thyroid. It’s just as good as Naturethroid used to be.
zub
Now they are out again and dont know when its coming back (I got 1 fill last mo). I live above the 2nd largest walgreens in the country. I have a severe case of hypo & it almost killed me 1 1/2 yrs ago (really serious). I cant keep trying to adjust while i wait for it to come back…its not gonna be good, I cant believe this manufac, dosnt give clear updates. They have to know ahead of time whats going on..its no surprise to them its just out. They are messing with lives and livelihoods. Unbelievable!!!!
zub
and they are out of all strengths indefinitely
DawnC.
I’m allergic to synthetics and can’t go back that route.
I’ve been doing awesome on Naturethroid.
So much so, that my children were also moved over to Naturethroid and WP Thyroid (all 3 of us have Hashi’s).
So, with the shortages I’m scrambling every 2wks, calling every pharmacy, just to find a few more to tide us over.
I finally gave in and decided I would be the guinea pig and try out NP Thyroid as a substitute.
I did horribly.
Really out of it, heart palps came back (something I had under control on NT), blood pressure and heart rate sky rocketed.
So, I went digging and managed to find a few more pills stuck in the back of the cabinet (NT) and took that today instead. Feel sooooo much better.
But after the hoops I went through just to get the doctor to prescribe the substitute
It’s going to be interesting trying to get her to switch back AND order multiple doses to equal my usual amount.
I’m also wondering if maybe I just needed to start lower with the NP initially and work my way back up?
She originally tried to give me 135 mg (120 mg + 15 mg) and when I called to find out if there was a reason she was taking me so high initially
(the manufacturer’s chart has 105 mg (15 mg + 90 mg) as the correct conversion for Naturethroid 113.75)
I just got a phone call later that the “corrected dose” had been called in.
So, at this point I’m confused and stressed over the decision to,
1) take the NP and just start low and increase as long as I’m not reacting
or
2) try to continue finding my NT since I have been doing great on that.
Sorry this was a bit of a ramble.
I just don’t want myself or my children to take 10 steps back on our health.
Just when we were seeing progress.
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid is honestly a great product–not inferior to Naturethroid or WP at all. The only reason so many have been on Naturethroid or WP is because RLC heavily promotes to doctors; Acella does not. So yes, if your situation were mine, I’d start only slightly less with NP than the amount if was on with RLC product and see.
DawnC.
Thank you so much for your reply. I’ll try again on Monday and see how it goes with a lower dose.
Thank you for everything you do here on STTM!! It’s greatly appreciated!!
DawnC.
I’m allergic to synthetics and can’t go back that route.
I’ve been doing awesome on Naturethroid.
So much so, that my children were also moved over to Naturethroid and WP Thyroid (all 3 of us have Hashi’s).
So, with the shortages I’m scrambling every 2wks, calling every pharmacy, just to find a few more to tide us over.
I finally gave in and decided I would be the guinea pig and try out NP Thyroid as a substitute.
I did horribly.
Really out of it, heart palps came back (something I had under control on NT), blood pressure and heart rate sky rocketed.
So, I went digging and managed to find a few more pills stuck in the back of the cabinet (NT) and took that today instead. Feel sooooo much better.
But after the hoops I went through just to get the doctor to prescribe the substitute
It’s going to be interesting trying to get her to switch back AND order multiple doses to equal my usual amount.
I’m also wondering if maybe I just needed to start lower with the NP initially and work my way back up?
She originally tried to give me 135 mg (120 mg + 15 mg) and when I called to find out if there was a reason she was taking me so high initially
(the manufacturer’s chart has 105 mg (15 mg + 90 mg) as the correct conversion)
I just got a phone call later that the “corrected dose” had been called in.
Kathy
I got a call late last night that my compounding pharmacy is having trouble with their conversion and can’t seem to get my dosage right, 81.25. What? I thought a compounder would know how to do this? Now its Friday! I’ve called Walgreens and am waiting on others to open, but unable to find ANY dt anywhere. Here we are Mid-December and still can’t find what I need. Does anyone know where to get dt and preferably not Armour? If I take 81.25 x2 and can find Armour in 90mg, how do I split so I get the right dosage. Will call my doc and ask them to send me an RX for dessicated thyroid and not a specific brand. But still, no one in My area of Texas seems to have anything?
Stacey
I was on Synthroid for a decade and, while my labs showed an improvement, all of my symptoms persisted. In 2015 I found a doctor that was willing to put me on Naturethroid (plus Tirosint every other day) – it has been nothing short of life changing! Unfortunately, I had to switch in November due to the shortage of Naturethroid. I had an NDT compounded by my pharmacy (which was extremely expensive), and a month later am back to my old miserable self! Rather than refill the compound, I chose to go with the only other option the pharmacy offered – Armour. I start taking it tomorrow and am a bit nervous, given the reviews on this site. Any advice?
Janie Bowthorpe
FYI: your pharmacy CAN carry NP Thyroid, which is an excellent NDT. They just need to call Acella. But as far as the reviews on Armour, some still do well, in spite of its problems…
Ursula
I just found out that I won’t be able to get any more desiccated thyroid until the middle or end of January at the earliest. I am in Ontario, Canada.
I checked online pharmacies. All the Canadian ones say they aren’t shipping it right now. And even though I could get any amount I want from the USA, they aren’t shipping to Canada! Most countries in the world, but not Canada. I expect that our stupid government won’t allow them to ship here, like with so many other things.
This is so frustrating! My pharmacist told me that I might have to go onto synthroid instead. I really don’t want to do that.
Janie Bowthorpe
If you do have to go on Synthroid, get on T3 with it and find your optimal amount.
Stephen
“Patients are and always have been the top priority at RLC Labs,…”
Except when they’re not! Another line of BS.
I feel like they threw me under the bus, could only get a 13 day supply of NT, no more, check later they said, like next year. RLC made me feel so special.
Doreen
My pharmacy is out of Nature Throid as well. I just got the last 21 pills… I’m on 130 mt and they don’t have any forecast on when they’ll have it in.
Tara
Has anyone heard if nature-throid is coming back or what a good alternative to change to is?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Tara. The blog post you are responding under tells what is a good alternative, and has updates on how it’s coming back.
Erin
I’ve been on NP thyroid for almost 3 months because of the Nature-throid shortage. The switch was very hard at first with extreme fatigue and brain fog. Now I feel okay and I am not having any hair loss (my hair didn’t improve as much with Nature-throid), but I’m experiencing terrible breakouts. My skin was great with Nature-throid. Has anyone else experienced this? I don’t know if it is due to a change in the filler ingredients or just my hormones running havoc. Thanks!
Miss Mae
Are there any updates?
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, there are some one grain tabs of Naturethroid that have been coming to certain pharmacies, but not all.
Trina Hartman
I have been able to get them in Indiana.
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid contains NDT.
Lita
I had the same problem when refilling my scrip for desiccated thyroid here in Canada last month. I was told most pharmacies were completely out of it and didn’t know when it would be available. I had a little panic attack as I’ve gone the route of Cytomel/Synthroid ….Synthroid didn’t work at all for me as I don’t convert T4 to the active T3. Cytomel made me feel like a humming bird on crack and my blood pressure sky rocketed.
My pharmacy had 100 tabs each of 60s and 30s left, I had my doctor write another script so I could buy them all….it cost me a fortune but my health is far more important than money. I now have a six month supply and am hoping this craziness will be figured out soon for everyone who can’t do without their preferred form of NDT!
Janie Bowthorpe
Sounds like the Cytomel was revealing a problem in either of these: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Trina
I know what you mean. I now know what it must feel like to be bi-polar. I am much more empathetic to those who deal with it daily. I am also treating my high cortisol levels, which I don’t think was a problem until I had to dink around with different thyroid medications. Fortunately, I am back on Naturethroid, but had to start over in increasing my dose. I am very hypo right now with horrible depression and insomnia.
Lita
I’m so sorry Trina, I know what it’s like to be extremely hypo for years. I felt like I was going to die! I had to force a doctor to give me a test for FT3 and antibodies, which revealed Hashimoto’s and low FT3 even with normal FT4. It was horrible the way I was mistreated by several doctors as if I was faking or just another hysterical woman. I’ve never tested my Cortisol levels, is the preferred method 24 saliva?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Lita, yes saliva is definitely the way to go. See this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/saliva-testing and you’ll also see a link on that page to saliva test you can order.
Lita
Thanks Janie for the info! I did a few “self checks” today with blood pressure lying down/standing and pupil response in a dark room. Blood pressure is good at 117/79 lying down standing 115/85 a slight difference that normalizes quickly. Pupils are normal as well. Ferritin is currently 90 with recent labs.
I do have problems with sleeping however…waking up a few times a night and not being able to fall asleep again and feeling tired in the morning.
A saliva test might be a good idea in any case. Good tip on the 4 point vs the 6 point test!
Thank you!
Janie Bowthorpe
Do understand that it’s not about ferritin only when it comes to iron. You could be making a huge mistake just going by that, as your serum iron could be low, or high. It has to be all four iron labs. See https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ferritin
Lita
I will try to have my current doc order all four iron tests but as you know they don’t like to order what they call “unnecessary tests” unless there is a good reason. Very frustrating!
Janie Bowthorpe
You can also order your own: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork
Lita
Thank you Janie and everyone involved with STTM for helping all thyroid sufferers on the long road seeking a “normal” healthy life!
🙂
Trina Hartman
I am now up to 1 3/4 grains. I was on 2 1/2 grains before I had to start over. My main symptoms are depression and I can get anxious pretty easily. I also have insomnia. That all went away when I was on 2 1/2 grains (and I probably needed a little bump then).
Trina Hartman
I look back now and can see all the issues I had with my health for years and never thought it had anything to do with thyroid since I was told everything was normal. I finally started feeling really good on NatureThroid. I hope digging myself out of this hole for the second time will work. I have no reason to think it won’t! It is just a long, hard process to get level and stable.
Gloria
I switched to NP about 2 weeks ago due to Westhroid being unavailable. I’m sure I need my dose tweeked because even as I’m sitting here typing this, by eyelids feel like they have weights on them. Profound fatigue/drowsiness. Very frustrating because I’ve done so well on Westhroid with my lab levels being right in the range of perfect and the very few times I’ve changed doses was to decrease because I was doing so well and feeling so well.
So I’m calling my pcp tomorrow to get more labs done as he won’t change my NP dose without it. My question for you, though is: I’ve read that some people take their NP sublinquil. I tried this with my NP and it did NOT dissolve. Had it under my tongue for a good 20 min before I finally swallowed it with water. Am I supposed to be crushing it before placing it under my tongue?
Thank you for all of your helpful information on this thread
Janie Bowthorpe
It can take awhile to dissolve, but is quicker if you are moving around. You can also try crushing it.
Gloria
Thank you! I bit it in half and stuck it under my tongue. Kept moving around like you suggested and boom! Much faster to dissolve. I also feel SO much better than yesterday. So there must be something to this sublingual method!
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, STTM tries to tell people that there are simply too many reports of getting a bigger punch with sublingual to not believe it’s a better way. Granted, swallowing is fine, but sublingual seems to be even better.
Ange
Over here in the UK am being given the run around. I left one big pharmacy moved to another as they said they did have WP…..but turns out they sent naturethroid….horribly chalky. Ive asked after Acellas NP but in the uk no one seems to have heard of it. Each pharmacy has to have a licence for each product of ndt…..this is because its not listed on the NHS formulary list. It takes about three months for a liscence for med to go through amd obviously costs the pharmacies moeny to ontainvthe licence. This restricts what brands uk pharmacoes stock. Lol….
Trina
I am so frustrated with all of this! When the stock ran out, I switched to Amour and it was a distaster for me. I then went on a Synthroid/Cytomel combination. I absolutely could not handle any amount of the Cytomel. I found out what it must feel like to be bi-polar. I am now back on Naturethroid, but had to start over because I was on the Synthroid by itself too long. I was on 2 1/2 grains of Naturethroid and probably needed more. I am now on 1 grain of NT and I am anxious and depressed. I hope I get back to where I was soon! Words of encouragement are always welcomed!
Janie Bowthorpe
Trina, you need to study #2 here, as this is why you are having anxiousness and more: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Becky
Erfa NDT (natural desiccated thyroid) has not been available in Canada for some time. I first heard of it when trying to renew a scrip 1 month ago. Pharmacy advised shortage all over Canada. They did manage to get some powdered form of NDT and compound into capsules for me – 1 week supply at a time. It is expensive! $38 CAD/week for 120 mg (2 grains)/day supply.
So is all NDT produced in the USA? It appears so as the internet talks of shortages all over – US, Canada, UK, elsewhere?
This is different than the shortage back in 2009-2010 which was due to a change in manufacturing as I understand.
I think with this current situation it may have to do with pressure from Big Pharma (as others have mentioned) as they are losing dearly as so many of us have moved away from Synthroid.
All of us together have a very large voice. Thankfully started by Janie and other fellow-suffers like her. Do we sit back and wait for the FDA to shut it all down or do we fight now while there is still a chance? Let us band together and contact our governments and let them know what is going on.
Janie Bowthorpe
American NDT makers get their powder from one facility in the US. Erfa gets their powder from Europe, as we understand. There are many places people in Canada are still getting their Erfa, though lots of weird things going on with their NDT that they continually deny. There are no shortages for Armour or NP Thyroid. They are making plenty. There are shortages for Naturethroid and WP because they were changing their machines. Informed doctors doubt that the FDA is going to shut down the production of NDT—it makes too much $$.
lou
ERFA told me today that most strengths of thyroid are now being made, except 60 mg which will be coming soon. They also said no change in formulation, but I am having trouble with it. And finally, Canadian suppliers of ERFA say the manufacturer had to raise prices because of the supplier increase, or stop making it. This is really expensive now. I have a lot of other medical bills not paid by insurance and now thyroid alone is going to run $1000 a year for me. Not affordable.
Bill
I’ve been on WP Thyroid for 2+ years. Best medication I’ve ever taken for my hypothyroidism. My pharmacy substituted Nature Throid two months ago due due to unavailability of WP. Not quite as good for me, but it can be worked with. Nobody around here has more than tiny odd lots of 65 mg Nature Throid tabs on hand, and they can’t yet order from their wholesalers. I ran out, and the stuff still isn’t available–a month or more after the manufacturer said they were mass-shipping. Small pharmacies or large chains, no difference.
I gave up and ordered a month’s supply from a compounding pharmacy at over triple the cost. I can’t justify risking the ordeal of re-calibrating to another company’s formulation only to find that it’s a dud for me (like the new-and-improved Armour was). If RLC can get their act together, I guess I don’t mind paying Cadillac prices at the compounding pharmacy for a month or three until I can get their product again. I’ll tell you, though, that their last last announcement on this is about six weeks old and apparently devoid of facts.
I’ve been through the old generic thyroid (discontinued), old Armour, new Armour, unavailable Armour, quadruple-priced-adulterated Armour, WP Thyroid, Nature-Throid, and two spells of paying through the nose at compounding pharamacies because some pharmaceutical companies couldn’t run their businesses properly. I started down this path years ago because synthetic T4 treatment wasn’t working for me. My aunt, who was diagnosed around the same time, stayed with Synthroid and never switched. She has written me off as a crank for putting myself through this never-ending chaotic, half-assed foolishness for so many years. I’m beginning to think she’s right. NDT therapy is so effective when it works. Is there some reason why the businesses that dominate this market niche are apparently run by chaotic dunces?
Janie Bowthorpe
Haha. Loved your reference to chaotic dunces. Actually, no, you are not a crank. NDT is always a better choice, it appears, in spite of the craziness out there in the production. Plus, RLC may not be admitting what actually went on, say some doctors in the know. But it’s slowly coming back. By the way, NP Thyroid by Acella has always been available and it’s proven by patient reports to be a great product, and nowhere near as expensive as compounded.
Bill
I’m fortunate to have a conscientious provider who believes in NDT and gets actively involved in working the solution. For now I’m choosing to be thankful for one thing about the compounded product in capsules: its dosage is minutely adjustable without the tablet size constraints. As much as I liked WP Thyroid, the scheme of alternating days of halved and quartered tablets added to the big ones was a real pain.
I’m going in for an office visit with her on Monday. I’ll quietly listen to what she recommends. I’m inclined to stand pat with the compounded stuff until WP comes back. At this point, I’m looking at what should have been a simple, one-off semi-annual dosage adjustment being turned into a minimum six-month project of tinkering, med-switching, and time-wasting. I’ll pay the compounder $50/mo extra a maximum of three times to give these drug company bozos a chance to catch their tails. After that, they’ll be as dead to me as the Armour geniuses made themselves through that series of fiascos a few years back.
Janie Bowthorpe
FYI: doctors who put you on alternate doses are paying too much attention to the TSH. NDT is NEVER about the TSH, which will go below range on NDT.
Jay
Bill…….I have never used compounded thyroid, but I am considering it, just curious as to what filler is your compounding pharmacy using?
Fred
Now it’s December and Nature Throid is STILL unavailable. It’s been over 2 months! No end in sight and I’m not sure if RLC will ever get its act together again.
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s slowly making its way to pharmacies…people have been seeing it. But it’s clearly going to be slow. But do know that RLC doesn’t hold the monopoly over good NDT meds. There are other good ones like NP Thyroid by Acella.
Trina
We can get it in Indiana….finally, but I am having to start all over in dosing.
Astra
A patient afternoon calling a bunch of local CVS stores turned up a small cache of Nature-Throid – enough to get me and a friend each through the end of the year on our respective doses. I’d like to never hear that CVS hold music ever again! My doctor has written me a prescription for a comparable dose of Armour, but I like the way I feel on Nature-Throid and am reluctant to switch if I can squeak by on what I have until my dose is available again.
I’m disappointed, but I guess not surprised, that we haven’t gotten an update in nearly a month. I thought at they’d be shipping at least one more strength by now. As many others have said, the botched communication smarts just about as much as the shortage!
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s too bad your doctor didn’t write a comparable prescription for NP Thyroid–a good and reliable NDT.
Astra
I’m planning to talk to her about that when I see her this month! She’s been really thrown by the NT shortage because it’s what she’s been prescribing for everyone. I’m very curious why she picked Armour (and in her email said she thought it was the “next best” option).
Dorothy
Regarding WP: I have gotten very sick on this, severe GI issues for many weeks which I finally attributed to the WP…after stumping a gastroenterologist. I suspect it is an ingredient, maybe the lactate? Dunno. Back on Armour as of today. (I have Hashi’s.)
Janie Bowthorpe
You might want to look into NP Thyroid. It’s a little cheaper than Armour and probably a better product.
Dorothy
Turns out, I think, that I can no longer user T4/T3 combinations. STOPPED using thyroid med today and I feel well…for the first time in many weeks. Had killer stomach cramps, flatulence, etc., even while eliminating everything…coffee, dairy, wine, etc. Could be cuz I had eliminated gluten from my diet and had been taking selenium and multi vitamins for a while. Anyway, doc thinks maybe I no longer need the T3 (or such a significant amount that is in NDT). I have taken natural thyroid hormone for 10 years. Armour, Naturethroid, WP. Suggests I go on T4 only OR T4 w/a little cytomel.
Abby
Does anyone know if it is ok to break the tabs up? I am at 81.25 which means I could take 1 grain and 1/4 of one grain or 1 grain and 1/2 of a half grain. My pharmacy just gave me the very last of the 81.25 and has searched all of the Walgreens and there is nothing left.
Janie Bowthorpe
Always ok to break them up. Some can just bite them in half; others use pill cutter from a pharmacy. By the way, remember to find your optimal dose. It’s important. You may start feeling better on lower doses, but it will backfire. This page explains: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Jay
Has anybody (or anyone you have talked to) switched from WP to the NEWLY RELEASED Nature-throid batch that is now available?
If so, did the change go smoothly?
Terri
Been on Erfa for a year been great I just got new prescription Nov.1 2017 and it makes me feel awful feet burn neck tight . Has anyone else had problems with Erfa and was it reformulated this year?
Janie Bowthorpe
Do a search on this site for Erfa and you’ll see other blog posts about Erfa problems….
lou
I just got a new shipment of ERFA, at almost three times the previous cost from Canada, when another Canadian pharmacy was sold out. I was assuming this just meant they would all be out soon, and were cashing in on what was left. So, why if this is the remainder of the same formulation, the new shipment is putting me to sleep in the middle of the day, at the same dosage that worked in the past. And why would the reformulation occur in the year they said they had lost their supplier? None of this makes any sense.
Miss Mae
Is it essential to skip one day a week? Husband claims since the doc didn’t “say” for him to skip Sundays and since his thyroid is low, he takes his dosage daily.
What is the purpose of skipping a day? Should he absolutely do it?
Janie Bowthorpe
A healthy thyroid doesn’t skip a day; we don’t skip a day.
Miss Mae
Ah. Makes sense. 🙂
Miss Mae
I am signed up, thanks, and check email regularly for any news from you. 🙂
Miss Mae
Found this article on Facebook. It’s most distressing.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1660453980682506&id=100001537592306&hc_location=ufi
Janie Bowthorpe
Mae, that’s an older article actually, and pharmacists and more have been pronouncing things like that before…and it has never happened. For example, Naturethroid is slowly coming back. That is not reflective of the FDA shutting down the production of NDT. NP Thyroid by Acella has never run out of production nor of the porcine powder to make it.
Miss Mae
Thanks, Jane. I hope it never happens.
Trying to fill our prescriptions for NP last Friday for the strengths of 65 and 81.25, Walgreens told us those strengths would soon be discontinued. Have you heard that?
I’d much rather stick with NT, but when I visited their website earlier and their FB page, I found no updates. Have you been in contact with them, and found any new information?
Thanks so much for your blog, btw, and happy I found it. 🙂
Janie Bowthorpe
I can’t tell you how many comments have come out of the mouths of pharmacists for YEARS that have NOT been true. And that is just one more. We’ll keep you informed if anything ever does happen! Do sign up for the STTM blog post notifications at the bottom right. But right now, there appears to be no issue with supplies of porcine powder, with certain strengths, or anything negative whatsoever.
Miss Mae
What is “Triiodothyronixe”? What is a good range for that (whatever it is.)?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. It’s the synthetic name for T3, and optimal is mentioned here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values
Ange
Hi- Ive only just become aware of the WP Thyroid situation. Am in the uk & there was a delay in part of my prescription. I wasnt told there was a problem with supply. I struggle with other ndts probably due to fillers so Armour & Erfa (new formulation) Westhroid make me poorly. I think its something to do with the fillers. WPs been brilliant the best so am gutted. Acella has some of the fillers that are in the others that didnt suit me so am concerned will just end up being ill if I switch. I really hope that they havent meddled with WP as had to move off both Armour and Erfa after their new formulations. Erfas new formulation was unpredictable and sent me all over the place from hyper to hypo on the same dose!!!
I woild like to know why there is sooo little back up when these companies take a brand down whilst they move or expand or alter their factories. Seems ridiculous that such a key medicine can drop its comsumers so lightly with scant regard. This seems to becoming a regular occurrance and is despicable. None of them seem able to do this efficiently and with good plaaning not just for themselves but us the patients. Disgraceful. Sorry rant over!!
Miss Mae
I know what you mean. It makes no sense.
Janie Bowthorpe
Sign up for notifications of the STTM blog posts at the bottom right. Then you’ll be informed. 🙂
MsH
Still no WP available and RLC has gone silent on Facebook. Going to see a new endo who I hope will compound it for me.
Trina
I was finally able to get my script in Indiana. This has been the most awful experience. I could not tolerate Armour and I really wanted it to work. I was on a combination of Synthroid and Cytomel. That was was also an awful experience. I could not tolerate the Cytomel and the Synthroid made me feel awful, but at least I didn’t have high anxiety. I just had horrific mood swings. Before the NT debacle, I was on 2 1/2 grains and probably needed a bump at that point. I am now starting all over at 1 grain. Since being without NatureThroid my cortisol levels shot through the roof, so now I am on supplements in an attempt to bring it back down. I don’t know if going without NatureThroid has anything to do with my coritsol levels went off the charts during the period. I had a steriod shot at the end of July, right before I could not get anymore NT, so I am thinking they may have something to do with my adrenals getting out of whack. I know there are a lot of people suffering right now. I would not have gone back to NT if one of the other options would have worked, but apparently they were not going to. So…here we go again with the slow build up.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Trina. This is an important page to read, because if you have issues with either, yes, problems happen with raising: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Trina
I don’t think I can start with 1 grain. I was super energized today on 1 grain. This is so frustrating. I was doing well. I guess I will go back to 1/2 a grain split in two doses for a week or so and then tr to increase again. I did have the four point saliva test done and I run very high almost the whole 24 hours.
Trina
I have gone gluten free in hopes it helps with optimizing my thyroid.
Janie Bowthorpe
Trina, when anyone seems to overreact to NDT, it’s usually always related to iron and cortisol, and they have to be treated. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Miss Mae
My Walmart STILL has NO Nature-Throid of any strength. Contacted the NP Acella to see how one goes about getting their product.
So is NP not produced by RLC?
Janie Bowthorpe
No, NP Thyroid is produced by Acella. It’s a fine product.
Miss Mae
Can you tell me how it works to get it? Does the doctor specify on their pad “NP Acella”? I’m not sure if my doctor knows about it. But if she will go along with us, then do I mail the prescription to the company? And they mail back?
At their site, I saw where it’s supposed (?) to be for sale at Walmart, CVS, etc., but my Walmart today said they had NO dessicated thyroid on hand.
???
Any info will be appreciated.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, the doctor can do it that way.
WalMart can carry it by contacting Acella.
One reason doctors don’t know it is that Acella doesn’t market heavily to doctors the way RLC does.
Miss Mae
David from Acella sent a nice email and told me there is NO shortage of NP. Went to Walgreens to see about getting the prescription filled, 65 mg for me, 81.25 for husband. The girl there said NP comes in 2 strengths only. I think 15 and 120, but she checked and saw where they do have those strengths for RIGHT NOW. Appears they may drop them within 30 days.
I”m going to inquire of David and see if this is true. If so, WHY would they do that?
Also, the girl at Walgreens stated NP is the “generic” of Armour. That means it has the old formula, is that right? It’s what Armour used to be before the change in 2015? Husband tried Armour and it did nothing for him.
On Nature-Throid his cold feet have gradually warmed, allowing him to sleep better. I hope the “generic” doesn’t send what improvement he has back to the “feeling awful” stage.
This is just plain ridiculous at how trying to find natural thyroid is like searching for that needle in a haystack. Then I read about what’s happening in the UK….I pray the medical profession doesn’t force all of us to go to Levothyroxine and Synthroid.
Janie Bowthorpe
Acella used to call it generic, but it’s actually very equal to the best of brands and works well.
Danielle
Okay so I
Just got my new pills and I’m having hot flashes and feeling anxious for two days now! What did they do? Did they change something in the formulation. Feeling unwell!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Danielle, it may be that it’s now revealing that you have either a cortisol issue or inadequate iron. See https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me Sometimes a product actually becomes “better” and can reveal either.
Sara
I just picked up my refill of Nature Throid and noticed the pills look and tastes completely different. I’ve always taken sublingually and notice the new batch dissolves differently, much faster. I have been on NT since 2011 and it’s always worked well for me, i’m hoping the new formula is just as effective.
Dana
Yes, I’ve been taking Nature-throid for years and the new batch not only tastes differently, but I’m experiencing headaches, low mood and joint pain. I emailed the lot#/expiration to RLC and received a reply that there are slight variances in the lactose sugar content and that the difference in taste is only “sensory”. I’m disappointed. I’ll try WP and hope that makes a difference.
Janie Bowthorpe
Dana, it can just mean you need to raise it, not change. Study this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Sara
Thought I’d check back in after leaving original comment. Sorry you aren’t doing well either. i’m dealing with headaches, nausea, loose bowels, and moments of either fatigue or hyper and jittery, plus hot flashes. I haven’t had my labwork done yet, but I believe I may be hyper now. I’m going to talk to my dr about whether I should lower dose or try NP thyroid.
Janie Bowthorpe
Learn this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Stephanie
My pills looked totally different too. They are normally white. They have been for ten years. Now they are mottled and oatmeal color. I got the same response from nature-thyroid, that the difference is sensory. Something changed. Something made them look different. I wish they would just tell everyone what the change is. I don’t feel as well as normal. Their lack of transparency is not impressive.
Janie Bowthorpe
Stephanie and all, they new Naturethroid pills actually just now look the way the old NDT pills looked. And they have no coating now, which is a good thing. If you don’t feel as well, do labs to see if you need to tweak.
But we do agree about their lack of transparency. It’s irritating. It may be due to gag orders as a pharm under the auspices of the FDA.
Felicity Lane
I read in a post which I can no longer find about a discussion about getting formulated NDT. As Canada starts to get the shortage being discussed in our group, I wanted to find the person who recommended using Kripps pharmacy in Vancouver to order. He ( I think) was happy with them but wonder if these places who formulate will tell you what the fillers are?
James
I’m out and can’t get. What a disaster!!!!
Jen
Shortages seems to be resolving. I just got my 1 grain script filled. I wanted to report that the new pills don’t taste the same as the pre-facility upgrade pills though. Not sure why or what the difference is but they seem sweeter and a bit more gamey. Perhaps they are just fresher than the ones I was getting that may have been sitting in the pharmacy in the past. They do seem to be working the same for me otherwise. Just a note for those that take it sublingually like I do.
Janie Bowthorpe
Now that is interesting. It implies they have removed the outer coating and that these newer versions could be done sublingually better than what was previous.
Lori
I hope they put the sugar source back in, I’m tired of having to chew them up with a drop of honey to replace it. I’m also stressed about not being able to get it.
pat
Hi Jen, Which NDT brand are you taking?
Sarah
I just took the first tablet from the new batch…YUCK! I’ve always dissolved them under my tongue but had to swallow it. Yes, it’s a little sweeter but otherwise nasty tasting. I hope this doesn’t happen with WP Thyroid, that’s the one I was talking prior to the shortage.
Janie Bowthorpe
It can happen with any of them. It’s simply one batch of NDT powder made up of pigs which smell stronger than other batches.
Jessica Wilson
Jen… do you take Nature-thyroid sublingually? I’ve had to switch to it (was on NP Thuroid before)… I read not to take nature-thyroid sublingual so have been chewing it up. Would love to go back to sublingual.
Janie Bowthorpe
There is nothing wrong with taking any NDT sublingually.
Anita Faulkner
I have been taking Thyroid Gold for some time and doing better on it. I can’t find information on your web page or Facebook page about it and am curious as to if others in the group have found it helpful.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, they have! 🙂
Carol Petersen
Please try Women’s International Pharmacy 800-279-5708. Compounded whole glandular thyroid is very available. The powder is the same used by RLC lab. The whole thyroid is encapsulated with olive oil. The pricing is only slightly higher than Naturethroid and less than Armour.
zib
Try Tirosint Levothyroxine……its a gel cap without fillers, Its working great for me. i ran out of NT also. I had to Slowly go up on the dose. The Dr had to fill something out for my insurance plan so it would be covered….which took 3 days. Urs might be covered. I cant believe how different I felt from the regular brand of levothyroxine (I can tell just by taking 1 pill….my body freaks out on the other), And its something that dosnt kill animals…which i always hated about taking Natural thyroid, Im extremely sensative to thyroid meds…it took me monrhs and months to adjust (U HAVE to keep on the same dose…NEVER miss or adjust until ready) so I got so sick when they ran out…but now Tirosint Levo is working. I cant believe it…the other synthroid never did. Im hoping it will become more popular so places have it in stock more and more
Janie Bowthorpe
Though Tirosent is a better version of T4, it doesn’t change the fact that you are forcing your body to live for conversion alone. And that will backfire. There are simply far too many situations that negatively effect conversion. So no, that is the worst way for anyone to treat hypo. At least consider adding T3.
And NDT powder comes from animals that are used to feed people. Think Bacon, ham, pork chops….and for bovine, think hamburger, steak etc. If someone is vegan, then adding synthetic T3 to synthetic T4 is the way to go, not “just” T4.
zib
I should have put my doc prescribed it with Cytomel. For me…its been a tough transition without NT..but tirosint has worked alot better than others.. I get horrible side effects from adjusting to any thyroid med no matter what i do..how long i stay on it or how much I slowly increase. Just when i was adjusting to NT…its out for awhile. Does anyone know for sure if the NT will be the same exact med (or better) when it is back in stock???
Janie Bowthorpe
Oh good. And NP Thyroid is still available–it’s a good NDT. If a pharmacy doesn’t carry it, you need to press that they find out how.
And if you get horrible side effects, you need to study this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
zib
That link you attached was really really good and really really helpful….seriously. Thank you.
Trina Hartman
Help!! I was on 2 1/2 grains of NatureThroid before it was out of production. I am currently on 100 mcg of Synthroid and was trying to take 25 mcg of generic T3. I can’t seem to handle more that 10 mcg of the T3. I get very jittery if I take 15 mcg and that is spaced out through the day. Is that possible? Is it because the body processes it differently? I feel horrible, but I have Lyme Disease so it could be that as well.
Is anyone else experiencing this?
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, Lyme disease really messes things up. But, is it possible that you now have either inadequate iron or a cortisol issue? Either is usually why one would get jittery with T3. See this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
sue jobson
My son seems to suddenly be having problems with his NDT, and it seems so many other people are beginning to have issues. Where do the pigs that the NDT comes from originate. Has anyone ever had their NDT tested for pesticide contamination ie glyphosate ? What are the pigs being fed – gmo soy and corn ? who can answer these questions ? When I asked our compounding pharmacy about quality testing he forwarded me a Medisca certificate which showed it had been tested for salmonella and E.coli and nothing much else…..
Janie Bowthorpe
Sue, the main reason anyone has issue with NDT is explained here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me Granted, occasionally an NDT has an issue itself, such as when Armour was remade via the Forest buyout by Activa, or Erfa changed it’s production facility. Is he on either of those? If so, he might want to try NP Thyroid. BUT….the latter link still should be read, just in case. Because for most, it has nothing to do with the issues you stated.
Tahnee
I read that Acela NP Thyroid is a combination of Levothyroxine and Liothyronine which is NOT natural dessicated thyroid. If this is true it might not be wise to tell people that it is NDT when it is in fact synthetic thyroid hormone.
Janie Bowthorpe
Tahnee, don’t believe everything you hear. lol. Acella’s NP Thyroid is porcine Natural Desiccated Thyroid.
Felicity Lane
I know that the pharmacy in Vancouver ( sorry forgot the name ) has been mentioned as a good place to buy compounding NDT. Has anyone asked about what the fillers are in this formulation?
Mariah
I was just switched from Erfa to Nature-Throid but I noticed in a couple of days with NT that I am allergic to it. I was never allergic to Erfa. How is this possibile? Anyone else has this happening? I have no known allrgies to fillers, so I am confused. My reaction was really bad (mouth bleeding, lips swelling etc). Help!
Janie Bowthorpe
How awful! It does seem like you are reacting to something. Do you react that way with bacon or any pig product? If you don’t, that might eliminate the NDT itself. So that leaves a filler.
Mariah
No, I do not react to any pig products and I’ve never reacted to Erfa like this. I have used Erfa for 10 years. I had to quit NT and go back to Erfa. It works fine but it is really expensive in my country, triple the price of NT.
Sloan B
Yes, I had an allergic reaction to Naturethroid. My pharmacy offered it to me back in May when they were out of WP Thyroid. After taking only one dose, I had an allergic reaction. It started with welts on my skin like hives, then lip swelling and eye swelling. I went to the local Urgent Care and they gave me a steroid shot and I took Benadryl. It was awful and lasted a few days. I have never been allergic to anything.
Donna
I really appreciate this blog post, thank you Janie. Like so many other who have taken Nature-Thyroid it is now unavailable for the reasons stated above. I too was nervous to switch to Armour (I was worried about fillers and gluten esp.) I did this very slowly, taking one NT and one Armour over the course of several day and gradually adding more Armour as the week progressed..So far I have not had any negative issues. In fact, I fell like I might even have a bot more energy than before. I take three pills per day, split dose; two in the a.m. to get me going and one in the afternoon when my energy levels drop. I am a 67 year old somewhat newly diagnosed (Nov. 2015) Hashimotos’, adrenal fatigue patient with a goiter and throat nodules.. Working with a very talented female Functional Medicine Physician (who listens to me and believes me!!) I have healed my adrenal fatigue!
ellen weir
My doctor just spoke to NP and they are going out of production soon.
Janie Bowthorpe
That may simply mean they will have some catch-up to do to keep up, not that they are ceasing to make NP Thyroid.
lou
Just checked with local Kroger pharmacy and they have NP thyroid backordered, have been out for 2 or 3 months. I am wondering if all the manufacturers of dessicated thyroid are having the same supplier problem. I believe Janie said there was only one producer of the powdered porcine thyroid, so if that is the case, then none of the manufacturers are going to be able to make their dessicated product. Sure wish we could get the scoop on this, because if no more dessicated is available in future, a lot of us are in trouble.
Janie Bowthorpe
Please know that things like this have gone on before, and NDT stays available.
lou
I called Acella about the NP backorder that the Kroger pharmacist stated. Got a return call just now and was told there is no shortage of this, that if pharmacists say this it may be because the warehouse/distributor did not order enough or in a timely way. Said business was booming because all the other dessicated thyroid types definitely do have shortages. Still don’t know why they can get the powder and others can’t, but if anyone is considering changing to NP thyroid, this is what I was told. And he said he is getting several calls a day just like mine, people worried about unavailability.
Lee
Pharmacy switched me to NP three days ago. I’m feeling better than I have in about 4 years. Still have some symptoms, but much milder. My plan is to take it for a month and then decide whether to go back to NatureThyroid.
I read all the NP reviews on WedMD and noticed that people either loved it or hated it. Filler issues like usual??
Janie Bowthorpe
Do know that a lot of those negative reviews are also based on users who don’t understand that their reactions are due to what a good NDT can reveal i.e. inadequate iron or a cortisol problem. And some of those negs are from maintaining too low a dose, which due to the feedback loop, can make someone feel worse. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
MsH
I had a bad reaction to the NP
I am going to have to try to do all synthroid until/if WP gets their act together
Janie Bowthorpe
Strongly recommend you check your iron and cortisol levels….https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
MsH
they were fine before NP, I was fine before my WP ran out.
Janie Bowthorpe
They may not be fine now, though…It’s always good to find out. Because we see this all the time…that if someone is not doing well on a variety of NDTs, it’s usually about their iron or cortisol, or both. And it’s about “where” they fall in a range, not just falling in range. Many people forget about that. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values
Janie Bowthorpe
Dear Thyroid Friends, See my update towards the end of the blog post above about one grain tablets of Naturethroid. Janie
Hof
Maybe it’s time to switch to NP Thyroid. Janie has STTM ever received confirmation from Acella that their source of porcine thyroid USP is lactose free? Since lactose is used as a dilutant in Nature-Throid’s raw material, it makes me wonder if it’s in NP’s as well.
I emailed Acella twice asking, but never received a response.
Janie Bowthorpe
Well, I do know that ALL American-made, prescription NDT comes from the same powdered source facility. There’s been only one facility that makes the powder.
Hof
Thanks for your reply Janie. I decided to call Acella one last time for an answer. Their customer service rep transferred me to “their pharmacist” which was an unlabeled voice mail box. I left a message asking if NP was lactose free and never received a response (2 days later).
Apparently they’re not required to disclose fillers added by their suppliers so they just dodge the question. At least I appreciate Nature-Throids transparency on the subject.
Guess I have to switch to compounded. Armour probably isn’t safe either :-/
MsH
Thank you Janie-I don’t have much choice I guess 🙂
MsH
I have no force but to switch from WP to NP and I started it today , my morning dose was WP since i had a little left then my one grain this afternoon was NP. I am not myself since taking it. Should I lower my dose? My husband insists its all in my head and they are the same medicine.
Janie Bowthorpe
Not sure, MsH. I would personally just keep going and see what happens. But that’s me. NP Thyroid has been a good product.
Miss Mae
Hope I’m not too late to leave this question, and that it’ll be answered. Since there is this shortage of Nature-Throid, wondering if a product bought at Amazon works, or would I be ripped off…
This is from bovine, but mg looks too high. Has anyone seen, used, or know anything about this?
Thanks ahead of time.
https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Glandulars-Raw-Thyroid-Tablets/dp/B005P0WJZY/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507385266&sr=8-2&keywords=Thyrovanz
Janie Bowthorpe
Mae, it’s really hard to know with over the counter products.
Joan
Over the counter products are unreliable and that is playing with your health. What about compounded thyroid from a compounding facility?
Janie Bowthorpe
Actually, Joan, there are some that have proven to be quite good.
Riley
Now that it’s October, has anyone heard any update as to when RLC labs will be back up and running? I finally just reached my optimal dosage on Nature-throid after playing around with different dosages for almost a year and just had to switch to NP Thyroid due to the Nature-throid shortage. This is only my second day on the NP, but I fear the switch will trigger even more hair loss and i’ll gain back the weight I just spent 7 months trying to lose. Hoping to get back on Nature-throid as soon as possible. Any info would be very helpful!
Janie Bowthorpe
Some people report seeing Naturethroid coming into their pharmacy, but they also report it sells out quickly. If this helps, there are many thyroid patients who report being quite happy with NP. It’s like the old Armour.
ellen weir
Hi Janie and All, I switched to NP about 4 days ago. I did this because of shortage, and because i was convinced they had changed their formula about a month or so ago. I became very hypo. I’d been taking it for 7 years, and had been the Armour mess in 2009. I was on 65 mgs of Naturethroid 3x a day. The NP is 60. I still feel a bit of brain fog, and achy body stuff, but my digestion has improved big time. Do you think i should attempt to split pill? Oh, and im letting it melt under tongue.
Janie Bowthorpe
Most of us take NDT twice a day, such as morning and early afternoon.
Miss Mae
But if we’re to take it on an empty stomach, how can we consume half a pill or so in the afternoon? I’m confused.
Janie Bowthorpe
It is false that it has to be taken on an empty stomach. We just avoid swallowing thyroid meds with iron, estrogen or calcium.
Marsy
Janie, are RLC Labs really in production (even though slow)? The online pharmacy where I purchase (as I am overseas) reports that “At the moment no strength of WP Thyroid is in production and RLC Labs does not have a release date for anything. They are not planning on discontinuing any strengths however.”
Shouldn’t RLC Labs at least issue some update at this point on the matter, already mid October, so that people know whether they are beginning to produce the products? If truly it would go into next year for production to resume, as everyone waits on it, patients should know.
Is there a way to truly know whether they are beginning to bring back the production slowly? At least then people would know whether within the next couple of months the supply would increase.
Marsy
Janie, I have actually seen an update on RLC website, even though it is unclear when that update was posted (a month or two ago, or more recently). It sounded like NT is slowly beginning production, and I gather WP is not yet in production… I do truly hope they won’t wait on WP for too long to begin production, as allergies is the reason for those among us using WP, and that is a real problem.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, by other mentions I’ve seen, it does appear that production is occurring.
Janie Bowthorpe
From years of doing this, Marsy, I strongly recommend not believing a word that a pharmacy says. You wouldn’t believe all the bad information we’ve heard from pharmacists over the years.
Marsy
Well, this is an international (only) online pharmacy (also posted on RLC Labs website), and the reference to “At the moment no strength of WP Thyroid is in production” it has to do with WP only.
From what I see on the pharmacy’s site, there is an update for NT and that it is expected to be refilled by end of October, but for WP Thyroid is clearly stated that it is not yet in production (not to be discontinued, but not yet in production). From the update given for NT and WP, it seems to me WP is not yet in production, and that is why I was hoping there would be some update in relation to resumption of production of WP Thyroid as well.
Ginger Wills
I have just learned that my refill for 1 grain of Nature Throid is not available anywhere. I went to a new Endo after my last PCP refilled my rx for 2.25 grains taken at one time instead of the 1 and 1/4 taken two times daily. When I ran out of Nature Throid the only one I had was the 2.25 whole tablet which I began to take about 3 weeks ago. I ended up in the ER with severe heart palpitations and spent the night to have a stress test done to rule out heart issues. Stress test and all labs were great. I called my new Endo and asked why she wasnt checking my T3 and T4 levels and only uses TSH labs. She informed me thats how she has done this for 34 yrs and she has the thyroid guidelines to back her up and if I didnt like the way she does this then “we could part ways”. Express Scripts is recommending I change brands but when I change brands or even dosage that doesnt work well. Any input?
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s a mystery why some can change brands and are fine; others are not. So if you are in the latter catagory, I would first make SURE your iron and cortisol levels are truly “optimal”. It’s usually one of those that explain problems with brand changes, it often seems. Another possibility for problems is switching to Armour or Erfa….too many problems with either over the years. A final suggestion is using the two synthetics.
Julie
I’m on 3 1/4 grains (raised from 3 grains 3 weeks ago but there have been no noticeable improvements) I’m waking up with a puffy face and eyes and no energy but by late evening I feel almost completely fine. Good energy and no puffiness. I’m really not sure where to go from here and was hoping you might have some insight. I split my NDT into 2 doses; morning and afternoon
My labs on 3 grains:
Free T4 15 (9-19)
Free T3 5.8 (3.1 – 6.2) – had really bad fatigue so was advised to increase to 3 1/4 grains
On 3 1/4 grains:
Free T4 14 (9-19)
Free T3 6.7 (3.1-6.2)
Janie Bowthorpe
Well, I can tell you this: your labs on 3 grains are what people see when they are feeling great and are optimal. In fact, your free T4 may be been a tad high, implying your optimal dose may be a tad less. So…if you still felt fatigue at that point, it can be time to look more closely at your iron and cortisol, for one. See this first: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Julie
Thanks so much, I’ll look into cortisol and iron. I felt great on 3 grains for the first 3 weeks but then awful after that; bad fatigue, swollen eyes and puffy face and more hypo symptoms but the fatigue was by far the worst.
Tracey P
Hi all,
For 2 years my hashi’s has been in remission and I’ve been on Nature-Throid and feeling great. This past month, I tanked and feel as sick as I did on the first day of my diagnosis. I am convinced RLC reformatted their NDT and I am devastated. Going in for labs tomorrow and looking to change meds. Ughhhhh.
Linda
I just asked my DR. to phone in NP. I’ve been out of meds since last week when the pharmacy said they couldn’t refill my Naturethroid. They told me to check back this week and still no order received. After reading through all of this all I can say is, I need a nap. ; \
Andrea
I also spoke to a very bored RLC rep on the phone. She hurriedly directed me to the mail pharmacies listed on their website. I called THEM ALL and all were apologetic but assured me they have been “out of Naturthroid for a long time and have no idea when it will return.” Nice. The RLC rep clearly just wanted me off the phone and said, with mild irritation in her voice: “We get hundreds of calls like yours.”
I have ONE Naturthroid pill left. Found out only on Friday about this manufacturing issue, only after having my perscription refill sent over to the pharmacy Thursday morning. Normally I pick up same day but no one from the pharmacy called to let me know they were out until Friday. I have since called over 35 pharmacies in New Jersey, where I am, and only one had 10 pills left, wrong strength… so I will have to take 3 pills to equal my normal daily dose.
As several other commenters said above, the RLC corporation is acting without conscience. They clearly have a patent on Naturthroid as no one else is manufacturing it. To withdraw it without notice or compensating production is utterly immoral. Health is an all-body equation; if my thyroid is not balanced my entire body is affected. To be thrown into a complete panic by a company that has a chokehold on a drug (think: Epipen) is a terrible experience. One pharmacist I called, tired obviously of getting such calls, sadly said, “I’m afraid you’ll just have to experiment on yourself and try other things. I know… that sucks.”
I do not view myself as “an experiment” and do not understand why there are not government controls to police companies into acting with due diligance? If there is to be a move, a reformulation or any other reason to cause production to stop… then fair warning to pharmacies and perscribing doctors would be at least a decent start. Tomorrow I will have to spend hours more on the phone trying to get my doctor (good luck to me on a Monday) to rewrite the perscription and help me locate some Naturthroid. Again, getting the drugs required for wellness should not rely on “luck.” I simply do not understand why RLC is not required to follow guidelines of responsibility?
After spending hours on the web and calling various pharmacies. I stumbled upon this site and am truly grateful I did. This gathering of information and people wishing to share it is honestly the best thing I’ve found. I have not however, found a reliable source of Naturthroid in Northern NJ or Manhattan and I have no idea what corner I will be forced into as the week goes on…. I have worked very hard with diet, doctor and Naturthroid to become more balanced, and now all of that work will be disrupted without notice.
ellen weir
Agreed. I just got NP, because Nature throid was not to be found. And, it had been making me sick for over a month. NP was $45., more than double what i had been paying for other meds. that’s for 100 tablets.
Lisa English
Me again…after researching I am seeing there was a shortage in SEPTEMBER 2009 the same as now…what are they doing??
Janie Bowthorpe
I have a feeling we aren’t hearing the full story, but who knows. It could be about demand.
ellen weir
Maybe because they’ve had so many complaints about new batch, they are reformulating AGAIN. or, am i the only one having trouble with new batch? I’m quite sick.
Joan
I have been feeling awful since the summer. My levels have been up and down, and I actually became hyper. Hmmmm. Now I understand.
Michelle
Hi Ellen I only started Nature Throid recently but I’m not feeling well and my lab tests showed why!!
Linda Lang
An old article from Dr. Mercola site form 09/19/2009 wrote on that shortage stating it was entirely done at the demands of the FDA . I think that is exactly what is happening now. And NO we are not getting the full honest story!
Lisa English
I just found your site after a disaster. I have been hypo since age 20 (37 yrs now) and all these years had been taking levothyroxine or synthroid, depending on the doctor. I never got much help and it’s steadily been getting worse. I saw a new Dr 4 months ago and he put me on Nature Thyroid 195mg. OMG after 4 months, almost like magic I cannot believe how GREAT!!! I!! FEEL!!! Well, I did…then 4th month refill no medication. After 3 days of Armor Thyroid (literally just 3 days) I am back to bad, even worse than bad. Could not get out of bed tired. Of course the doctor said to stick with it until other meds come in but I cannot, it’s been 3 weeks and it’s bad. So I called all over and found 39 tablets yesterday at CVS and bought them all. I hope this carries me through until their formal shortage ends. Now that I’ve had this “cure” and it is AMAZING, I want it. I need it. I want to have my life back and I found it with Nature Thyroid. This shortage is VERY serious. I wish they took us patients more seriously before jeopardizing our lives.
Amy
Same situation here, except I switched from WP to Nature-throid, and found it didn’t work as well. Now my dr. Has given me a new script for NP thyroid, but looking at the reviews for it on Webmd, I’m not all that excited about trying it 🙁 Going to keep calling around to pharmacies in my county for the WP.
Janie Bowthorpe
Amy, don’t let those reviews steer you away. A LOT of people underdose themselves on ANY NDT, partly because their doctors don’t know how to use it. Or they have iron and cortisol issues which the NP or any other NDT will reveal, so they wrongly blame the NP or any other NDT. Thus the bad reviews you’ll see. I use NP and it’s always been fabulous for me, and the same for others.
gina
Janie, Are you saying that people need a higher dose (mg) of NP than the other brands? I remember erfa required a lower dose as it was indeed more potent. This is interesting because I tried NP and it was not working for me. I did up the dose to almost double the mg I had been taking of erfa but when I got to the point where my entire scalp showed through what remained of my hair I went to Nature-Throid. It’s nowhere even close to as good as old efra was but at least I didn’t look so bald anymore. Now Nature-throid has red specks in it, RLC won’t answer as to what this may be, and I refuse to play guinea pig again. Perhaps I will try the NP again at a higher dose… This is what you are on these days? I thought I remember you were enjoying the results of WP?
Janie Bowthorpe
No, not saying that. Some have moved over to NP Thyroid and take the exact same amount. But each person has to figure out what their right dose may end up being when switching brands i.e. it may be the same; it may not be. By the way, the specks used to be in the old Armour. That’s nothing new. But yes, I do well on NP thyroid and have for a few years. It’s just important to make sure you iron and cortisol are optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Carolyn
In addition to Marsy’s comment, while I appreciate RLC’s comments about working to satisfy the new demand, what responsible pharmaceutical company stops or slows production to a point where it strands its customers without something they need to maintain their health? Bad management at RLC for not planning appropriately for this upgrade and transition period. Reading the above comments I already see two dates (October and January) as time frames for RLC’s new production facility to be up and running. That likely means they were lying about October and January may be just a wish. As a business woman and also someone who RELIES on Nature Throid for my health like a Cancer patient relies on Chemo its really irresponsible of them to not have provided for an alternate production facility to continue to produce the product.
Kami
I actually spoke to RLC today about leaving us in such a bind with absolutely no notice, she was like well we had to upgrade or whatever. I didn’t get the feeling she really cared lol. I was in a panic because I took my last wp thyroid yesterday and had none. Thankfully my doctor told them to give me the nature throid which they did have! I absolutely love that it doesn’t stink like the Wp and its cheaper! If I do ok in it I’m switching to it permanently! I hope everyone here has gotten their rx’s filled & are feeling better.
Marsy
Kami, a little surprised you find wp to stink…I don’t find that–and I’ve had some stinky thyroid hormone in the past. but if you prefer it better that is what’s important.
Marsy
So true Carolyn what you say; yours are words I spoke here at home. I can only be so grateful for the RLC Labs for WP Thyroid (which is what I am taking) but to leave patients who depend on the products for their day to day lives in such a peril is unsettling. I still have some to carry me for a short while, and a refill is now in…customs (as I live overseas), and I’m here looking at a postal page saying “Held by Import Customs’. telling myself to be patient and hope for the best.
Marsy
I actually wish RLC Labs hands on manufacturing personnel have a look and know of what patients say, in relation to upgrade and possible issues that may arise in people’s health with any possible changes that may be deemed ‘new and improved’…
Somehow we feel quite helpless, when we can not have any reassurance that the RLC Labs will stay true to their products so as to not cause any unsuitable changes for the health of patients that have been using RLC Labs products–aside the havoc that the shortage is causing, and which in turn affects directly people’s health.
joyce martino
I went to my local CVS to get 60 tabs of the 200 130mg tabs left on my 2017 refills. The price for the 60 was 3x’s more than the 200 would have been. CVS said they owe me 140 when stock is back. We’ll see what that price looks like.
While there I asked the pharmacist about WP and they had none actually they had no desiccated stock. I said I’ll bet you have plenty of Synthroid don’t you. And she said yes.
Then went on to talk like conventional MD’s talk down desiccated thryoid and I said I’ve heard your sphill for a long time and don’t buy it. I went on to say, I did terrible on T4 only.
I have a contact in Thailand for the Thyrid (white tabs) cost of $50something for 250 2 grain tabs. I’ll consider thisif and when I’ll be needing more support. And our sources are not up to par.
Marsy
Dear Janie, first I would like to convey my deepest gratitude to RLC labs for the WP Thyroid. I am allergic to the synthetic ones and also developed allergy to fillers, and I have been very relieved that WP Thyroid has been gentle to me. As I live overseas, it is also not possible for me to go to a compounding pharmacy for filling a prescription.
So please, Janie, please convey to the RLC labs my gratitude for WP Thyroid and to never, ever think of discontinuing it and not to alter its manufacturing now with the upgrades RLC labs are undergoing; the 2 fillers in the WP Thyroid did not cause me allergy–I am sure I am not the exception–and I am so thankful for that.
It seems it may take a while for production; can we hope within the next month or two, and not after beginning of next year as one account mentioned?
Janie Bowthorpe
I’m betting you’ll start seeing a slow return of stock in pharmacies by the end of October and definitely before the end of the year…. I hope everyone will report on the new stock, too, and let me know if it’s working the same for them!! Also hoping with ALL of you that they don’t raise the price the way it was done with Armour.
Marsy
Thanks for your reply Janie. My reaching out to you on this forum had mainly to do with my wish to extend my gratitude to RLC Labs and with a request from one of the many patients for the production of the products to not be altered (and I can only speak of WP Thyroid because that is the one I am using) and also having to do with fillers because allergies to fillers is a real problem for many people.
What has worked well does not need to be changed. There is the tendency of an upgrade to be seen as something ‘new and improved’ but when it comes to what has worked well, particularly when it has to do with health, certain changes can bring adverse affects.
I recall when both Erfa and Armour underwent upgrade many patients using their products were not feeling the same and they searched for another product that would suit them better. That is something very difficult for a patient whose body needs that very much needed stability, and I sympathized so much with them, and with all the different problems patients are facing for just having the most natural remedy for hypothyroidism (or after thyroid operation as is my case), a remedy that has worked for over 200 years, in its purest form.
That is why I would very much like to hope that RLC Labs will stay very close to what has worked well, and the reason for expressing my concern in this forum.
ellen weir
I’ve been on Naturethroid for about 7 years, after the Armour mess, and for the last month have becoome hypo. ibs, body pains etc.
According to numbers on pills, I’m taking new batch. Not good for me and am probably switching to NP. When did Naturethroid reformulate?
Lori
The pharmacist at Walgreens today told me that she called Nature-Throid and they said there would not be any available until the end of December or maybe January. This reminds me of the great thyroid crash of 2009, the truth is there is no way to know when it will be available. She said they have lots of Armour thyroid, that doesn’t work for me and hasn’t since 2009. I have been on NDT for 40 years. My ability to function depends on quality NDT I can not be without it. I’m ready to try Thailand if I can find some there.
Janie Bowthorpe
Lori, push your pharmacy to stock NP Thyroid by Acella. It’s made like the old Armour in that you can do it sublingually, and it works well as long as you have good iron levels and good cortisol. It also has far less fillers than the Thai brands.
Lori
I would love to try NP thyroid, every pharmacy I have called says it’s on back order the same as Nature-Throid. A pharmacist told me that since most insurance companies will no longer cover Armour both Nature-Throid and NP are on back order.
I have never felt whole since the reformulation of Armour, the best I can get is “functional” with some good days. I will soon have no choice but to try a Thai brand, not happy with the fillers, worried about figuring out the conversion dose and desperately hopping I can find a quality brand.
I am on 8 grains per day, used to do well on a lower dose of the old Armour but on Nature-Trhoid I had to keep increasing the dose just to be able to work. I can not break down all of the cellulose so I’m not really getting the full 8 grains.
It does help me to bite it into small pieces, allow it to soften in my mouth, chew it into a paste, dip a toothpick into Manuka honey to get a small amount roughly a drop to mix into the thyroid, with my tongue rub the Nature-Throid on the inside of my cheeks, let it absorb then wait an hour before eating.
Janie Bowthorpe
And by the way, would love to know your story on how you managed to stay on NDT for 40 years when the trend by doctors has been to push people towards Synthroid!! That is amazing.
Lori
When I was 9 I had stopped growing, would sit and watch other kids play because I had no energy. My parents took me to the Dr. who after trying to draw blood 8 times (I remember it because it was painful and scary) ran a test and said “I just marched to my own drummer”.
My Father also had severe low thyroid and spent a lot of time in the library and talking with health food store workers. When I failed to develop and was obviously shorter than other kids my age the standard medicine Dr. again said I “marched to my own drummer but would have a growth spurt eventually”. My parents were both desperate because I was failing to thrive, had zero appetite yet was gaining weight, was foggy headed and struggling in school.
My Father eventually found a holistic Dr. who pointed out that I had most of the low thyroid symptoms including a curvature on the ends of my fingers due to not having enough thyroid while growing. He said I had the worst case of low thyroid he had seen in his practice. He put me on Armour and increased the dose until the symptoms were gone, I started growing and developing as a normal child again.
The curvature of my fingers is permanent but other people don’t notice unless I point it out. This Dr. did not believe in labs for thyroid, he said they didn’t work, he had a 4 page questionnaire about the patients thyroid symptoms that had to be filled out. Then he had a long consultation with the patient. He thought the problem with thyroid treatment was standard medicine Dr.s wanted it easy to be able to draw blood, write a prescription, be done with it and were afraid to let patents be the guide of their own treatment.
He past away a few years ago, he helped a lot of people.
Linda Lang
How many of us by the end of then year will dibilitatingly sick without treatment. I cannot return to the synthetics and my doc I don’t think will rewrite the script for another formulation. Armour is way too expensive and while on it for only a month two years ago my TSH skyrocketed form .91 t0 4.64 and my hair started falling out again not too mention all the rest of the issues, so Armour is ineffective in me.
Janie Bowthorpe
Many of us are on NP Thyroid and doing well. Others are on the Thai brands of NDT via snail mail. No we can’t talk about how they are on Thai brands here–this site is too public. But private emails are perfectly fine.
Ed
Ma’am,
I’ve been on NP for 2-3 months, ever since stocks of RLC began to dry up. At first I felt fine but for about the past month, with no change in dosage or any other issues that I’m aware if, I’ve not had the mental or physical energy I’d regained when I started on Nature-Throid. This slippage has been very gradual and certainly isn’t as bad as before I was diagnosed, but it has become noticeable even to co-workers who knew me before I started NDT.
Since NP is so highly regarded (I don’t want to jump to blame the medicine) can you advise me on any areas I should have my specialist investigate as possible causes? Thank you very much!
PS I just had open enrollment and the drug schedule tells me that Nature-Throid will go up next year from $5 to $30 for a month’s supply. I’m hoping to go back on it but if not, NP is still listed as $5 a month…so I hope it really is as good as Nature-Throid is (was?)
Janie Bowthorpe
Sounds like you may just need to raise….And we use labs, too. We are optimal when free T3 is towards the top of the range, free T4 is mid-range.
Laurie Empen
I had to be switched from Nature Throid to NP thyroid due to the shortage. Went from 72mg NT to 60mg NP thyroid – awful. Back to being tired, moody, brain fog, no appetite, no energy and constipated. It got so bad last week- up to 4 days of no bowel activity. I had a few of my 97.5mg Nature Throid pills left, so I cut the dosage and started taking on Friday, November 17th. Bam – BM the next day, and consistently every day after. Evacuated much that I knew was in my system. Energy back, sleeping less, appetite back, too.
Costco and CVS have it back-ordered. I luckily, have 30 pills at one Walgreens waiting for me tomorrow. I cannot go back to NP Thyroid, not when it put me back to feeling like crap.
Janie Bowthorpe
Laurie, you were underdosed on NP. If you had raised it, you wouldn’t have gone backwards like that.
But glad you have your 30 pills.
Laurie Empen
Janie-
So NP requires MORE or the same dosage as Nature Throid?
Janie Bowthorpe
Some require the same; some have to adjust. It’s all based on the labs free T3 and free T4, and symptoms. You were clearly underdosing yourself by your symptoms. Study this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101 You’ll read what optimal is.
Laurie Empen
Ah. Thank you. Yes, my doctor started at 32.5. Great bump for a day. Then back down. Then at 48.75mg. Bump and steady, then depressed like crazy. . sleeping more than 10 hours, no appetite, no consistent BM. Then we went to 72mg (1 48.75 with half another pill). That changed everything. And we did labs. He seemed pleased with them. T4 = .91, T3=3.1 and TSH = .46 But when testing in October, I see the lab ONLY did TSH and that was 1.28. I have just inquired about this. . .
It was dropped back to 48.75 for 2.5 weeks when we ran labs, and then it dropped to 60mg of NP Thyroid starting OCT 27th for 3 weeks and I am JUST back to 72mg of Nature Throid (now with a rash appearing. . ugh)
joyce martino
I don’t totally discount labs but as I said I was discounted on HYPO T for 10 yrs due to endos and MD’s hard line on labs. And yes I have your book and have been on a thyroid support group for some years, it folded and I miss it, but I work to keep the Tsh real low and T3T4 at upper end of ranges. I take 130mg of NT and wonder IF taking a little more would help with OA pain. I hope I remember to bring this up with my MD next month. Would taking a little more really help with body pain.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. It depends on where your free T3 and free T4 are right now. See the green graphic on what patients have learned to find their optimal dose: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
joyce martino
Thanks, I don’t have a LOT of faith in labs vs Symptoms. I’ve been thru a lot of wasted years trusting MD’s and their labs. They are OK for guidelines but Symptoms are what works for me. Thanks and I’ll work to figure it out. I’ve been doing my updosing for years and going by symptoms…I had 10 yrs of depression and taking anti D drugs due to thyroid labs being Normal. My old osteopath put me on Armour, no labs nadda and all those years of depression LIFTED. Then I went to work reading and reading and talking to many.
Janie Bowthorpe
Don’t discount labs. They give fabulous information along with symptoms. What you have to discount is thinking that falling anywhere in those ridiculous ranges means you are fine. It doesn’t, and it’s why the Lab Values page on STTM is important. And one problem only going by symptoms (when you are trying to figure out what a symptom is related to) is that the symptom can be result of this and not that…and only labs will give more clues. ALSO, another reason labs are important is that one can suddenly feel pretty good in their thyroid treatment, yet…they aren’t optimal yet, and it will backfire down the line and one gets worse again.
joyce martino
Janie, I just had a thought and I’ve enjoyed NT for a couple yrs now but with this shortage and and then possible price increase, I don’t carry drug insurance. What do you think if I took 130mg NT one day, next day 130mg Nutri Meds etc etc…in other words alternate them. My doctor has given me scripts for 200 130mg tabs and my last refill this year, the pharmacy only has 60 on hand for me so I have to pick them up tomorrow. Wonder what 60 will cost, 200 costs me $57.
Thanks for your comments on alternating products.,…
Janie Bowthorpe
Nutrimeds can be far weaker so you’ll need to do frequent labs to see how much of the nutrimeds gives you the same results that straight Naturethroid was. Or you can use another prescription med like NP Thyroid or straight T3. Whatever works.
Carol
After having been on Levothyroxine for 9 years and feeling like H E double hockey sticks, My new Naturopath had me start taking the Nature Throid about 3 months ago. Was just getting very well adjusted to it when I was told there was a shortage. So, my Naturopath ordered me the NP Thyroid which smells like a dead dog (literally). I just started taking it a week ago, so haven’t noticed any difference and hope I don’t. Just hope the Nature Throid comes back soon because I know there aren’t as many stinky fillers in it. I try not to smell the pills, but when I take the lid off the jar, I sometimes forget to not breath through my nose. haha! oy.
I appreciate this website by the way! My go to source for information!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Carol. Actually, that stinky smell in the porcine, not the fillers. And you are noticing it because Acella doesn’t put an excess coating on it like RLC does to Naturethroid. Thus NP is easier to do sublingually like the old Armour…
Alex
Dear Janie,
I have the same problem as Adina and Carol. I ordered my NP two weeks ago and this time the pills have an extremely foul stench. Its just so stinky as Carol (literally) says- like a dead dog, just extremely unhygienic. I took NP for a long time (thanks to your great books!!), so I know that NP pills have a kind of a strong smell and taste, but not as nauseating as this time. The last three months I took the RLC NDTs. When I chewed the RLC pills to brake the coating, they have had no strange taste or smell. Therefore I think that the reason of the smell of the recently received NP is not only because of the coating. I just fear to take this NP. I ask myself if we should write to Acella and ask them if this is ok.
Janie Bowthorpe
Alex, the smell of the pig can vary according to the multiple batches that are mixed together. It’s always been fine. Have taken NDT myself for 15 1/2 years and noticed it before. It comes and goes. Not unhygienic. Promise.
Alex
Thank you so much, dear Janie, for all your great help and this support you give to all us!
Janie Bowthorpe
You are welcome. Suffering as many years as I did, it’s just important to me that the information on STTM help others NOT to suffer so much.
Alex
Dear Janie, just to let you know that I startet to take this NP and that strong smell and taste has gone after two days! So I take it sublingually again, Even more- I have a feeling that this NP works a bit stronger then bevore… I am so happy!! I connot thank you enough!!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Really happy for you!
Janie Bowthorpe
Update from RLC labs to those of you using their products. In the meantime, the above post has ideas you can consider to tide you over.
Nature-Throid and WP Thyroid Availability Update
NATURE-THROID & WP THYROID · WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
We announced a few weeks back that our manufacturing upgrades were complete, but many of you still had questions about what the upgrades entailed, and understandably so. Simply put: We are expanding to keep up with the growing demand for Nature-Throid and WP Thyroid.
To keep up with demand for our medications, we moved to a new facility and got to work on upgrading our equipment and processes. During the transition, however, we experienced a large surge in orders and had difficulty meeting them. This regretfully caused the backorder of our medications, which we are actively working our way out of. The good news is that the upgrades we have made ensure that, not only will be able to satisfy all orders, we will be able to ensure ongoing, full-scale production without any disruptions. You can also rest assured that neither Nature-Throid or WP Thyroid are being discontinued, despite what you may have heard.
Our teams are making every effort to have all strengths stocked and available as quickly as possible while adhering to our strict quality standards—the industry allows for a monograph discrepancy of +/-10% between T4 and T3, but Nature-Throid and WP Thyroid are not released outside of +/-2%. All counts of the medications will be released and strengths are being prioritized based on highest demand. We are unable to provide any definitive dates at this time, but hope to have them in the coming weeks and will share updates as soon as they are available.
If you’re have difficulty getting your prescription from your usual pharmacy, we recommend calling around to other local pharmacies to see if they have your strength in stock. You can also check with any of the mail-order pharmacies that are listed on our website: http://bit.ly/RLCFindAPharmacy; they may be able to provide a faster turnaround.
We sincerely apologize for the strain the delay has caused and we are working day and night to get back on track. Patients are and always have been the top priority at RLC Labs and we are steadfast in our commitment to supplying the highest quality hypothyroid medications.
Thank you,
The RLC Labs Team
*Please discuss any health-related questions or concerns, including those about symptoms, with your physician.
Judith Auerbach
I tried all kinds of thyroid medications and my stomach reacted strongly to everything (except tirosint which became obscenely expensive) and I found WP thyroid. It’s the only thing that my stomach can handle due to the limited amount of inactive ingredients. Since the shortage, the availability updates refer only to Nature Throid and not WP Thyroid. Nature Thyroid has too many inactive ingredients for me to even try it. I tried a compounding pharmacy who actually discussed all of the ingredients with me and my stomach hasn’t revolted, but my muscle aches are worse and now I’m losing hair. Why won’t they say anything about the availability of WP Thyroid? Can you get any updates from them? I’m really desperate.
Janie Bowthorpe
Just a guess, but perhaps they haven’t started making it again yet. Not sure. With the compounded version, it sounds like you just aren’t on enough. Doing the free T3 and free T4 will tell you.
joyce martino
I’ve been thru with this Armour since 2002 and have gotten to taking NT in the last few years. And here we go again. And each time, prices have gone up when the product comes back up to good levels.
I take 130mg NT and what is wrong with NutriMeds desiccated 130mg caps or tabs. I’ve known about NutriMeds for some time but thought the script medicine was the only good product. Now I’m re-thinking this issue. Perhaps Nutri Meds is a good alternate source to the script desiccated meds. Please comment. J
Janie Bowthorpe
You know, I would stick with prescription if possible, as we know the powder goes go by guidelines of the US Pharmacopeia. And NP Thyroid is an excellent product with no shortages if you want to consider it. And no, I make no money mentioning it. lol. But if you use NutriMeds, just now it’s considerably weaker and you’ll end up needing a lot more. Or ThyroGold is another.
Lori
I called Costco and CVS pharmacy they said they are back ordered on NP thyroid, the holistic Dr. I go to has been keeping Nature Trhoid in his office to sell to patients, he can not get Nature Throid due to back order and he called NP Thyroid and they told him the same thing. I live in Orange County Calif. USA. As it turns out I have to continue the hunt for Nature Throid because the Dr. does not want to change the RX at this time.
Becky
NP Thyroid is a SYNTHETIC!!
Janie Bowthorpe
No Becky, NP Thyroid is desiccated thyroid. Even smells like it. lol. If you did poorly on it, you need to study this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Bonnie
I’m at the ripe old age to begin Medicare starting next month, but Medicare Prescription Part D no longer covers NDTs. Has anyone in here been successful getting it covered by having your doctor call the plan and asking for an exception by saying that “it’s the only thyroid medication that has helped her”?.
Nonna
I haven’t, Bonnie, and I’m allergic to levo. However, I use Good RX card, which is a prescription discount card, and I get three months for about ten dollars a month. I use Walgreens, but you can shop around and use that card. Just Google Good RX and you get the card for free.
Lynn
I am on Medicare, my insurance covers 130mg dose of Nature Throid but not if I double the 60mg. I got a GoodRX coupon BUT it says right on it that if you are on Medicare, etc. it is not valid, I have been denied using the coupon several times and have to pay out of pocket. Let me know if you have been able to use the coupon while on Medicare. Thanks.
Patty
I also had a problem st cvs trying to use SingleCare. They said I couldn’t use it since I had a retired prescription card from the state. I emailed the company and Cvs lied, so I went back and got my refund after informing them of their error! You do not have to use your other insurance. SingleCare, WellRx, and GoodRx are all free. I’ve found SingleCare was cheapest with my prescription.
housemaid
Lynn, my husband and I are on Medicare, but we use the Good RX coupon all the time. You can’t use it with Medicare Part D drug card, but you can use it if you self pay. The cost for self pay is often less than the price using your Medicare Part D card. We don’t even have Medicare Part D cards because we rarely take any drugs other than hormones. When our hormones are right, we don’t have symptoms that require drugs! And Medicare Part D won’t pay for natural hormones even though they may be cheaper.
If your pharmacy won’t give you the Good Rx price, just use the phone number on the coupon to call Good Rx right there in the store. They will tell the pharmacist that they are contractually obligated to give you that price. We have saved loads of money with Good Rx. It is quite an eye opener to see the huge range of prices different pharmacies charge for the same drug. You put in your zip code on their website, and it will tell you the price for your drug at several different pharmacies with and without the coupon. You will be amazed.
Ellen
I’ve just seen these posts & am in the same situation as everyone else with respect to NatureThroid. I was on Armour for about 25 years & went through the scarcity & formulation change with really bad results for me. Went on to ERFA from Canada (REALLY expensive, but effective) for a couple of years. When I changed doctors a number of years ago, he refused to prescribe anything but Synthroid & Cytomel, both of which were disasters for me on all levels, so found another doctor. I have been getting the NatureThroid from my COSTCO (and by the way, you don’t have to be a COSTCO member to use the pharmacy) and I get a 3 month supply of NatureThroid for about $23. It’s not covered by insurance (I’m on Medicare), but at that price I can afford it off plan! So, check out your local COSTCOs. Just as a side note, mu COSTCO is out of NatureThroid, and I was lucky that I got a 3 month supply just before the back ordering started, so I’m OK for a bit, and hoping I don’t have to start another search for NDT!
Susie B
I use Costco pharmacy in Las Vegas and pay only $17.00 cash for 90 pills. You can get it at Costco online for even less. I have been using Nature-Throid for a couple of years and haven’t felt any changes in the formulation. recently. RLC labs has a letter on Facebook saying they are not raising their prices once this shortage is available.
Nonna
Thanks for the info. Does anyone know if it’s OK to use some WP thyroid I have of lower doses that have just “expired” (according to the pill bottle by pharmacy) this month? Has anyone done this before? usually, many pills are still good after, but I’m not sure about this one. I think the manufacturer could have given us a heads up, since I’m sure they knew the plan to upgrade way ahead of time. Still, I’m not giving up my WP unless I’m forced to. Hope they don’t raise the prices.
Janie Bowthorpe
NDT lasts for years and years as long as it’s not exposed to excessive heat or moisture, irregardless of what the expiration date says (which means the pharmacy doesn’t understand it). P.S. if they raise the prices, patients who post about NP Thyroid are pretty happy with it.
Nonna
Thank you so much! For EVERYTHING! I would have been lost when first diagnosed if not for your site.
Janie Bowthorpe
So glad, Nonna. STTM is a labor of love since I suffered so greatly for 20 years. So the fact that it helps others is a huge thing for me.
MontanaNAR
My pharmacist says that, in the past several years, drug manufacturers have colluded to create shortages of particular medications so that when a specific drug is again available, it is much more expensive.
Lori
Sounds about right.
ellen weir
yes. i had to switch from Naturethroid, because it was making me sick after seven years. I’m convinced they reformulated within the last couple of months. And, I started today on NP. $45. for a month. Double what i have paid in the past for Armour and Nature throid. They add fill, and raise the prices. what a racket
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid is far less than the other two. Might be more expensive because of where you got it…
ellen weir
Janie, I started NP one and a half days ago, and am feeling brain fog, achy joints ibs symptoms, just like on Nature throid. Do you know if Nature throid was reformulated within last couple of months? And, I was on Armour for 20 years until the mess in 2009. When people say the new Armour is like the old Armour, are they talking about Armour in the 80’s. thank you. Maybe i just need to give this NP some more time. ellen
Janie Bowthorpe
Ellen, when this happens to multiple brands, it most likely points to your iron or cortisol levels being revealed as problematic now. You really need to test all four iron labs and compare to this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values For cortisol, start here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
P.S. NP Thyroid is like the old Armour. But, it doesn’t change that you are probably revealing your iron and/or cortisol issue….
Donna
The woman I spoke to at RLC said in the seven years she has been there she has seen these two products increase rapidly.
With manufacturing upgrades with and an influx of orders, they were caught off guard. And she stated when pressed, that by the
first of the year things would be back to normal.
Janie Bowthorpe
Since Stop the Thyroid Madness has always spoken about the efficacy of NDT over T4 based on patient reports, doesn’t surprise me that orders have increased rapidly. Though this is inconvenient for all of you now, it will be beneficial for all later for them to improve their production capabilities.
Hope
The first of the year??? Ouch! I take three grains! I’m not sure I can do this that long. Do you know if there’s a chart that could help find the equivalent doses of OTC supplements in place of ndt?
JC
Hello. Does anyone know if RLC will restart manufacture of the 5 grain Nature-Throid pills? 2 grains is the biggest that currently seems to be available and that’s just not enough for me!
Many thanks.
Janie Bowthorpe
We don’t know, JC. But it’s actually better to take our total amount in two doses anyway, such as morning and early afternoon, due to the short half life of the direct T3 in NDT.
JC
I used to buy the 5 grain tablets and split them in two as it’s far more cost effective (I have to import to the UK) but that size has been discontinued unfortunately. So it’s now way more expensive for me. And I just checked and even the 2.5 grain isn’t available! I’m not sure if the bigger sizes are coming back. I can only hope!
Linda Lang
can you post how and where to get a script filled form the UK please?
Lori
I wrote Nature Throid regarding the larger size tablets because I take 8 grains per day 4am and 4 mid day (did not have to be this high before they added the cellulose and I chew it with honey and rub it on the inside of my cheeks) they wrote back and said they are discontinuing the 4 and 5 grain tablets due to low demand. I responded that this is a problem for me as it increases my cost and they said they were sorry for the inconvenience.
Carla
My pharmacist spoke with RLC this week and was told production would be up & running before 10/26/17.
Mary
Will it hurt to take Armour till you can get
Nature throid back in.
Is the back and forth bad?
Thanks
Mary
Janie Bowthorpe
For the vast majority, using different brands has had no bad effect. For a small minority, it has.
Jane Hall
Janie, has RCL given any kind of time frame when they might be back up? I’m just thinking, a company doesn’t go into a remodel or upgrade without having an idea when they will be back in business.
Janet
A customer service rep at RLC Labs told me they were getting so many orders for Nature-Throid that they had to revamp their manufacturing line to handle the demand. It should be going full force again in October.
ellen weir
That may be the case, but, Naturethroid stopped working for me a month or so ago. Had been taking it for 7 years. They reformulated, same as Armour did in 2009, and added a filler that made me sick again!
Tracey P
Hi Ellen,
I’m having the same exact problem as of a month ago. Do you know for sure they reformatted? I’m totally feeling the change in my body but haven’t seen any info to confirm the reformat. What pill are you planning on switching to? This is awful 🙁
Thanks,
Tracey
ellen weir
Hi Tracey. When did you start feeling sick on Nature throid. Can’t seem to find out if and when they reformulated. But, I was sick for a month or two. Started NP 1.5 days ago, and not feeling so hot. took the 3 grains of 60, was on 3 grains of 65 with Nature throid. My stomach is a mess, and so far NP isn’t getting me out of brain fog, achy joints ibs symtoms. My cortisol reading a couple of months ago was fine. I have suffered from adrenal fatigue in the past, but not for several years. I was originally on Armour starting in 1989, until they reformulated and made thousands sick in 2009. this is difficult. want my life back
Janie Bowthorpe
Ellen, see my reply to your other post. You probably have an adrenal issue again. It’s about saliva, not blood and it’s about where the four results fall. You could also have an iron problem. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
housemaid
Ellen, I think it was way back in January that I started losing hair and gaining weight on Nature-throid, which I had taken for years. Adjusting the dose didn’t help. I bought Westhroid Pure (WP) thyroid and it worked. I think it is because that brand does not have the fillers. But now the WP is unavailable everywhere and the NP brand is outrageously expensive (if you don’t have insurance) compared to what I was paying for the WP.
The online pharmacy I have been buying from gives a date of Oct. 23rd for some strengths of WP being available again, but not the strength I need. They will have the 81.25 mg and 97.5 mg restocked, but not the 65 mg and 130 mg.
Michelle
Hi Ellen. Thanks for posting that. I recently switched to Nature Throid from Acella NP (because of cost). I’m feeling pretty bad now. Glad to know it’s from this reformulated stuff – but also MAD to know it!! Hoping to get back on NP ASAP.
Best of health and luck to us all!
Laralee
I switched from NP Thyroid to WP Thyroid due to cost. I gained weight and felt blah and thought it was adrenal stress. I switched to Naturethroid when the shortage occurred and continued to gain weight and was still blah. I ran tests and my numbers were in the low red zone. Ugh! I switched back to NP and my labs improved! The weight gain stopped. NP Thyroid is my brand now.
Hope
Really good to know. Thank you!! I was told last night by my pharmacist thanks they couldn’t refill it for reasons already mentioned here. It totally confused me! I appreciate your information.
Sandra Fulton
This Pharmaceutical mess sounds like the same thing that happened with Armour back in 2010.. It was written back then, that the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company. was re-vamping their equipment, when it was really changing the formula and had to wait on FDA for approval. They also had changed the compound (filler) with which it was made, buying it from CHINA at a lower price. Come to find out it was a “corn-starch” product and was not up to USDA Standards, but used anyway.. The Veterans Centers and some hospitals also had problems with the Sterile Gloves used in procedures in the hospitals. It was determined that the glove were made in CHINA and used the same compound “CORN STARCH” as power for the gloves. This “powder caused surgeons nurses and other staff to have allergic reaction(s) on their hands and any place those glove touched their body.. All I am saying is beware of the new Natur thyroid . Money is at work here and we are the ones who will pay for it with our health.
Dawn
Just last week I found a new doctor who was willing to give me a new Nature-Throid prescription, and just today — the day I was supposed to pick it up — I got a minute-and-a-half long message from my local pharmacy saying there was a problem with manufacturing and they couldn’t get it. He said he called all of the other private and commercial pharmacies in the area and nobody had it or could get it. That’s what led me to search for info online. And as usual, STTM already had answers to most of my questions. Thank you for helping to keep us aware and informed!
I can also recommend a couple of the OTC brands I’ve personally had success with, Thyro-Gold and Thyrovanz (bovine). They are less potent than the prescription brands, but if you learn the right conversion doses, they could definitely be used successfully in the short term. But also be aware that they’ll ultimately be more expensive to get your right dose. Just mentioning as an option.
Hope
I had the exact same thing happen to me last night when I went to pick up my prescription. I was upset that they hadn’t called me, especially since I requested the refill before the weekend. Your information is helpful. Thank you!!
joani r WEISS
I can’t seem to get it either at my Pharmacy and I will die without it I don’t know what to do I’m a bit confused by the article who and what should I order where? Thank you
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. The article gives you these five options to consider during this shortage:
1) Writing the prescription differently First, make sure you doctor writes your prescription in a way that you are able to get any other brand of NDT your favorite pharmacy provides. One way is for him to write simply “desiccated thyroid”, then the amount you use, instead of mentioning a brand.
2) Call around to different pharmacies. Patients are reporting that some still have their supplies of Naturethroid or WP, and especially WP. See if that makes you lucky.
3) Consider other NDT brands. For example, NP Thyroid by Acella has been proven by patients to be a solid and well-made Natural Desiccated Thyroid, similar to the old version of Armour. And there are no shortages of NP.
4) Compounding pharmacies Though more expensive, these versions of pharmacies are a way to have your NDT made according to you or your doctor’s specifications, especially fillers used.
5) Using synthetic T3 with synthetic T4 If the two synthetics are used, patients have learned that their goals end up being the same as Natural Desiccated Thyroid as far as lab results with the free T3 and free T4, plus removal of symptoms, as well as not going by the TSH lab test. .
tyrafenn
Janie… just a thought. Having gone thru this when Armour reformulated and was in short supply, your suggestions saved my life when I found Erfa at the time. You said to have rx written for desiccated thyroid and to also have the rx written in grains, not milligrams. Some pharmacists are real sticklers and can refuse the ‘generic’ rx if there is a discrepancy with the milligrams vs grains.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, it’s always better to have the prescription written in mg for clueless pharmacists.
Connie Kisor
I can’t find the phone number to call Acelia. Hekp and thanks.
Janie Bowthorpe
http://www.acellapharma.com/
Ally
I want to order from IHP. It seems the only brands they have in stock are Erfa and Armour. I’ve read in the past these were no longer trustworthy. Have either of these brands shown improvement?
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s odd. Some people are doing fine on either; others still have complaints.
Ally
Is the ndt quality the same if shipped from IHP or other int pharm?
Janie Bowthorpe
As long as the NDT hasn’t been exposed to excessive heat, patients report doing fine with them.
Cheryl
I want to order a 90 day supply of Nature-Throid from my mail order pharmacy through my insurance plan but hesitate worried that it will be exposed to excessive heat in transit through the postal system. Right now I fill it at a local pharmacy. What do you think?
Janie Bowthorpe
Is it excessively hot where you live? If not, most say it’s fine when it arrives.
Cheryl
No , not really. I’m in New Jersey. Thanks for answering!
Adina
Lately my 90mg Np by Acella has a kind of smell. As I keep all 90,60,30in the same place I doubt is due to unsuitable storage.
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s just the porcine. The beauty of NP is that Acella doesn’t put much of a coating on them, so they are easier/quicker to dissolve.
Alex Cohen
Hi Cheryl, I am told by Wally-greens and Wally-mart pharmacies that they cannot order because their wholesale supplier (McKesson, hmmm) cannot get it. Their notes say manufacturer cannot supply at this time due to some production issues. Going to try and get hold of Nature-Throid myself tomorrow (Mon) and see what gives. Good luck finding this product. I believe as many others here imply, that Big Pharma is sticking it to alternative medicines via their puppy the FDA. Good luck, let us know if you find it and where. Alex
Cay
i have been hypo for more then 20 years and always took levothyroxine. Just recently told i have hashimotos now. About 2 months ago i asked my Doctor if i could try Armour and she was open to trying it. I’m at 300 mg. Should i be on this or something else like naturethyroid or WP thyriod? im so confussed on what to do. My thyroid has always been all over the place. Now my hair is falling out like crazy and feel like crap and run down most days. Waiting to see a new Endocrinologist but with my luck this one won’t run ant tests or even spend more then 10 min. with me. Does anyone know a good endocrinologist in Minnesota i would be forever greatful!!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Cay, it may be possibly that you have an adrenal or iron issue if your hair is falling out and you feel like crap. Start here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Also, Armour is now the most expensive brand of NDT. There are other less-expensive brands: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/options-for-thyroid-treatment Compare prices. But…you may first have to discover and treat your iron or cortisol issues, as they can cause problems on any brand.
michele
i wouldn’t be surprised if it were the armour causing the problems. after the reformulation in ’10 armour was no longer my friend. my hair started falling out, i developed rashes and even lesions on my scalp. i’d rather use one of the synthetics (which is frightening) than go back to that.
jenifer nundahl
armour is not good it is the filler they started using. Myself and my daughters all experienced the same side
affects, was having my meds filled with a compounding pharmacy but just found out they are on long term backorder for the porcine thyroid the useds. Im in trouble because ive tried most of the ones that are considered equal and they have not worked.
Janie Bowthorpe
Jenifer, yes, Armour did change and there were a lot of bad results for people! But a lot of people do wonderful on the changed Armour even still. Interesting, huh??
But…the others ones work wonderfully. So if they have not worked for you, that can mean it’s a user error, not a problem with the NDT’s themselves. You may not have good iron or cortisol, which NDT will reveal. Or you may not have been optimal–a common mistake. Study: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
TK
Cay, look up Alexis Forsberg at Health Partners Specialty clinic in St. Paul.
Beth
That seems like a high dose and see the stopthemaddness link. I switched from Levo to NDT 30mg and was GREAT for 3 weeks. Then general Dr. said he would not raise dosage and go to Endo, so back to the search for a good physician, have seen 5 so far, including Endo who didn’t care about my side effects and how horrible I felt.
Connie Kisor
I can’t stand endos. They think they know everytging and the ones I went to will NOT listen to or work with my symptoms.
Rachel
300 mg is very high. The most I was ever put on was 125mg to attempt to shrink my nodules and my heart rate any sky rocketed. You may need to lower dose.
Janie Bowthorpe
By the way, Rachel, it’s uncommon to have those issues on just two grains, which really isn’t a high dose at all. Sometimes, when one’s heartrate goes that high on a dose like that, it can be revealing either inadequate iron or a cortisol issues. Or someone moved up way too fast. See https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol, just in case.
Janie Bowthorpe
Cay, Beth and Rachel may be right on. You may have gone too high. Over the years, what patients learned is to slow down in the 2 grain area somewhere and do testing to see where they are. Then if not optimal we go up a little at a time and continue testing. Now granted, people are at different amounts when optimal..and optimal is key. So is having optimal iron levels and cortisol in order to do well on NDT or T3. But testing is important. See the green graphic on this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Sharan Devoto
I was on Synthroid for 25 years before switching to Nature Throid a year ago August. After slowly increasing NT, my hair has stopped falling out, my nerve pain is gone, muscle and bone pain is minimal as well as no more depressio. Nature Throid doesn’t work for everyone but it has changed my life for the better. I still have fibromyalgia which started after I had RAI to ablate my thyroid gland, but even that has improved. Every doctor I have seen from day 1 refused to give me Armour, NatureThroid, etc. They only gave me Synthroid or a combo of Synthroid and T3. I finally saw an integrative medical doctor at UCSF and he gave me NatureThroid.
Linda Lang
I had the exact same side effects from Levothyroxine. and ever increasing dosages…I can’t and won’t go back to synthetics. Nature throid was a super effective med for me and now thanks to the FDA I am faced with hashimotos taking it’s natural down hill course because it can’t be treated with synthetic and the Nature throid and other dessicted thyroid is no longer available!. I am more than scared and I am enraged at Big Pharma’s lapdog the FDA!
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid is still available in many pharmacies. Same with Armour, though I’d personally choose NP over Armour.
Angela Neibel
The only one available in my area of AZ is Armour.
Becky
Question though, was your bone and muscle pain caused by synthetic thyroid medication? Because I feel like SOMETHING had to have happened to cause my illness……I was healthy one day and sick the next it seems…….it’s been10+ years now that I’ve been suffering with this “syndrome” and seriously feel it was CAUSED by something!!! Any insight you have, Sharon, would be so appreciated!
Karen
Becky, it doesn’t look like anyone replied but I wanted to tell you about my experience. I have always been on Nature Throid since my original diagnosis (I had an integrative health doctor at the time). Last year my newer doctor wanted me to try the synthetic, said it is “easier to control the dose”….. I said “fine” and 3-4 months later I was walking like an 90-year-old (no offense to healthy and happy 90 year olds)! I was extremely achy all the time, with my hands and feet especially affected. I realized I was clutching the bars of the bus to get on and off each day…. I could no longer hop off with one foot. I thought I was just getting old and had a new “thing” with this arthritis, but one day I remembered I was taking this new medication and googled it. I had my doctor immediately switch me back to the Nature Throid but it was not an immediate fix. It took 1-2 months to feel normal again and another 1-2 months after that to return to my previous state. It was a very bad experience, a real eye-opening experience for me. I would DEFINITELY try the natural Rx if you can find it! If you can pay for it, find an open minded physician who will do all the testing and find exactly what you need. I’m scared that there is this shortage — I thought it would have resolved itself by now. 🙁
Theresa
I had thyroidactomy (over 15yrs) and switched from levoxyl to NaturThroid almost a year ago. After months of blood tests and tweaking, I’m on alternate dosage (2 gr one day and 1.5 gr another). With the doctor’s help, we’ve also discovered that taking the pill with anything but water really interferes with my absorption (you might be taking 300, but is the body absorbing?).
I also had vitamin D deficiency which I brought back up with supplement.
I stopped going to an endocrinologist and it’s been an Internist that’s been helping me with getting my dosage and other markers in check. The endocrinologist didn’t care about free T4, iron or vitamin deficiency, but I feel it makes a huge difference in my overall wellbeing.
Janie Bowthorpe
Theresa, if your doctor has you alternating, it sounds like it’s because you have TSH-obsessed doc? Just in case, see the green graphic on this page as to how patients have been finding their optimal dose over the years: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Mardee Brosh
If you are in Minnesota, the endos at Mayo are fabulous. Well worth the drive to Rochester.
Christine
Mardee who is your doctor in rochester? I also doctor there but mine told me today that rt3 and ft3 aren’t necessary to even run even though my ft3 is 2.9 range of (2.8-4.4). Thank you!
Christine
Hi Cay-
I also live in MN and have had issues finding a good Dr. I finally gave up on asking my Endo at Mayo about my FT3 levels and RT3 because they wouldn’t run the tests. I switched to a holistic Dr. and he ran those tests right away and come to find out my FT3 was at the very bottom of in range so it didn’t appear I was converting my Synthroid anymore very well. This whole time my endo was telling me it wasn’t my thyroid. I don’t know where you are located in MN but this Dr. is in Mankato and has been great. There was another one in the cities that was very good as well so they are out there, just hard to find! 🙂
Janie Bowthorpe
GOOD FOR YOU for moving on and finding a much better one. We all need to stop working with doctors who don’t know what they are doing!
Jeff
Significant upgrades could include expanding the production capabilities, adding new computer systems and equipment required to press tablets. If they are upgrading an existing facility as opposed to building a new plant, then this would impact current production. Most likely, the FDA will want to test new batches to insure that potency and stability is maintained and that could add more delays.
Linda Lang
God Damn the FDA ( and I mean that literally!). I am sure that this is a result of Big Pharma colluding with the FDA in their attempts to get rid of Compounded medicines and their continued machinations against all natural options to their poisons! I cannot take synthetics anymore. They were making me quite ill, had a lot of pain and higher and higher doses with only climbing TSH numbers and hair falling in handfuls! When I discovered Naturethroid about 6 years ago it was a God send. and recently I found an Endo who has no problem prescribing Nature throid despite Kaiser’s inane policies. About 21/2 years ago was forced on Amour when I was in hospital for a month after a car accident. I went in with a great TSH of .91 and came out a month later with it at 4.50 because of Amour, the only thing Kaiser would order and allow! Afterwards I discovered Armour has been recalled 4 times by FDA and twice by itself due to inconsistent dosaging. My hair was just starting to come back from the issues 21/2 years ago with Armour and now this! With Hashimotos now need to brace myself for getting quite sick…… 🙁
I can’t afford compounded versions and NO pharmacy in my area carries or will order Acela…only Armour and Naturethroid 🙁
Janie Bowthorpe
Sounds very frustrating, Linda. You might want to call Acella and see if they know of any way to get their NP Thyroid to any pharmacy in range of you…
Linda Lang
How do I contact Acella? I am also just beginning to look in to Canadian Pharmacies….
Janie Bowthorpe
I would suggest just googling Acella and you’ll probably find a contact on their site.
Linda Borner
Forget about Canada Pharmacy; they have been out for a month!!!!
Connie Kisor
I have tried and tried to find out how to contact Acelia with no success. Does anyone know how to contact them? Google doesn’t know.
Janie Bowthorpe
http://www.acellapharma.com/
Lisa Champage
I’m in AZ and I’ve called everywhere, including compounding pharmacies to get nature-throid and any version similar and unable to find any. I’ve run out and getting sick. I’m very upset by this, extremely angry. Why is this taking so long, why wasn’t there a better plan in place and how is it ok to leave so many people in such desperate straits. I’m very angry. I want answers
Janie Bowthorpe
I think you have a right to be angry about this. It does seem odd that it was handled the way it was. Most any pharmacy can get NP Thyroid. You might want to call Acella and get their help in locating NP Thyroid where you are.
Carol Petersen
Women’s International Pharmacy has plenty of whole glandular thyroid. This is the same starting material that RLC lab uses. It is encapsulated in olive oil. The price is only slightly higher than Naturethroid and less than Armour. 800-279-5708
Gaynor
I don’t know if you resolved your problem with Medication or not. I’m in AZ and a pharmacy in East Mesa will compound for you. Try Red Mountain Pharmacy. I’m in the same situation and it is definitely NOT good.
Kelly Hall
Linda, your comment struck me bc like you, I cannot take the synthetic Synthroid either. I stopped converting it and after feeling miserable and losing a year of my life, a very astute compounding pharmacist asked my dolt internist to run my thyroid the right way, which is to separate the T3 and T4. Well my doctor was quite surprised with the results. She immediately put me on Armour and it was as if a veil had been removed. I’m in a pickle bc my thyroid was removed years ago so this inconvenience really affects me. Note to original topic – tried to pick up my scrip at Costco last night and could not get Nature Throid. Pharma said they still can’t get it and we’re in Houston. I had to go back on Armour and was shocked to be charged almost $50 for a one month’s supply. It is considered a branded item they said. I sure hope they get this figured out quickly!
Laurie Empen
Today, in Chicago, both Costco and CVS are saying they are still back ordered. One Walgreens has 40 32.5 mg pills left, then they are back ordered. BUT the CVS said they would have WP Thyroid today. Then they called to say it would be tomorrow. I called back to ask how they KNEW they would have it tomorrow if they thought they would have it today? Then a different pharmacist called back to say that they really wouldn’t know, but to keep ordering it. I asked why they would NOT call the labs directly to find out what was going on, because this is affecting many customers. He then said they stopped making it! Yeah, out of “thin air” he grabs the excuse that they stopped making it and I corrected him by telling him the lab’s website state, as of November 2nd, they are shipping. He had no reply. UGH. I had switched to NP Throid. .. disaster. Back to being tired, cold, and constipated. I just switched on Friday (17th) to the last of a 97.5 dosage (cut in half and then half quartered) and started having daily BM, energy, appetite, needing less sleep. I am praying Nature Throid IS shipping.
Janie Bowthorpe
You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard things like that from pharmacists. They seem to make things up.
You disaster with NP Thyroid was simply because you needed to raise it. It’s a good product.
Susan B
For anyone whose insurance won’t cover Nature-Throid, if you have a Costco in your area you can get a 90 day supply for $17.00 and for even less at their online site.
Shannon Thomas
I just called Costco in my area. They don’t carry the WP Thyroid and the Nature-Throid is $40.11 for the 60 tabs and $33.71 for the 90’s. There is no saving on the 90 day supply they told me. Apparently prices and availability are regional. Bummer.
Angela
I was just telling my husband last night that I bet Big Pharma and the FDA are in on this. The makers of Nature-Throid have been around since 1930 and have had no serious issues with their manufacturing and such. All of a sudden they are told to update their lab??? And without preparing extra meds ahead of time so that people who need thyroid hormone replacement in order to live won’t be just dumped off and left high and dry?? I was on Armour a decade ago and it did nothing for me. That’s what my doctor has me on now, until the “shortage” is over. And it’s not working for me. I am having stiffness, pain, brain fog, tiredness, weight gain, all over again. Nature-Throid was amazing. I love it! It was giving me my life back. Bastards at the FDA and stinking Big Pharma. I can’t take the synthetic T-4s. They cause heart racing and palpitations in me at night when I’m sleeping, and I have a lot of pain while on them, and get regular Reverse T3 problems. I am wondering how much longer this shortage is going to take. Does anyone know?
Janie Bowthorpe
None of us know. But there are a growing amount of pharmacies getting it back in. In the meantime, get on NP Thyroid! It’s a great product.
Joe Slayden
From what I’ve gathered, it’s not the FDA, but Puerto Rico where their plant is having to rebuild. They’d finished the production upgrades, then got hit by the hurricanes. My awesome doc did some research on this because she prefers Naturethroid/WP Thyroid over Armour, and her patients can’t get it.
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid by Acella has also been very good. Doctors need to learn about it.
Judith Auerbach
Thanks for that information, Joe. I hadn’t heard that. What city is your doctor located in?
I’m really frustrated because WP Thyroid is the only thing that my stomach will tolerate because of the fact that it has only 2 inactive ingredients. I bought an alternative to WP Thyroid (because of the shortage) but while it is supposed to be the same strength, I started having sleep disturbances, constipation , muscle aches and my hair started to fall out (all things that happened before I started taking WP Thyroid). Now I don’t know what to do. I was thinking of trying Thyro-Gold (originally formulated by Dr. John C. Lowe and now distributed by his widow).
Lola
Thanks Joe for the information update! I was unaware that RLC labs had their manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico. So now this delay makes a little more since (due to the hurricane etc).
Lyn
RLC labs said they do not have a manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico.
TRISHA
Hi,
I sincerely apologize if this is “off topic” (?) – but it relates to assimilation and efficacy, or lack thereof;
which makes it pertinent to all of us. We all know that iron and calcium are contraindicated within four hours of taking NDT. But what about Magnesium. I’ve never heard it was (though admittedly I have wondered at times), until recently when I read that Izabella Wentz, RPh has stated that magnesium too, can impair absorption of NDT. But SHE is the only one stating this; I haven’t read this in print or it heard it from anyone else; NOT in any drug insert, or by any manufacturer! I began taking part of my NDT at bedtime which is when I typically I take my magnesium. Given magnesium’ laxative effect, I keep forgetting to take it earlier and before I know it, it’s time fo take my NDT. End result overall, this is just messing me up! Can anyone, or you Janie, shed some light? Izabella is the only one stating magnesium should not be taken with thyroid medication. Could this apply to magnesium hydroxide form only?? Would be grateful to hear some feedback. Thank YOU!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Trisha. Well, let me tell you this: one reason STTM is more about reported patient experiences is that sometimes, many experiences contradict what we hear or read. Note I’m saying “many”…I’m not saying “all”
For example, we’re not even sure that the “4 hour rule” is necessary for all people. Some report they’ve been fine keeping supposed “thyroid-inhibiting” substances 2 hours away instead of 4. Maybe it’s due to metabolisms?
Or like coffee–we once read that the tannin in coffee or tea can inhibit thyroid hormones. Yet one gal said she’d been taking her thyroid med with coffee for years, to no ill effect. lol. So for some, it may be individual while others may need to avoid.
As far as magnesium, guess what else is stated?? That it helps conversion of T4 to T3. So what strong opinions do you believe! And when you read more, you find it’s about “excess” magnesium that can be a problem, not just “magnesium.” Bottom line, if there is any concern, one could take it away from their thyroid meds. I personally keep iron and calcium away from mine, but not a full four hours. I also take a mineral supplement that has magnesium in it, and again, it’s not that far away from my thyroid meds. And I’m not the worse for it.
P.S. the same goes for iodine. Sometimes you’ll hear someone state that all Hashimoto’s patients should avoid iodine, or they give dire warnings far beyond the negative experiences that “some” have (which we think is more about the detox). Yet, from reported patient experiences for years, we know that many Hashi’s patients report doing well with it, and some of the latter even state that it’s THE reason their antibodies went down, even if others haven’t had that effect. So it’s all very individual. Just be careful with black and white “opinions”…..
Linda
I am having the same issue as many others finding Naturethroid 1 Grain. My doctor went through many requests to try to get it for me. I found a local pharmacy that had it but I went to refill and it is STILL on backorder. Has anyone tried supplements instead?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Linda. This is not about moving over to supplements. It’s about using a different brand, like NP Thyroid by Acella (excellent product) or Armour (very expensive, but workable for some). Don’t believe it if your pharmacist says NP is backordered. All they have to do is call Acella and find out how to get it to them.
Julie
NP thyroid is more than double the price I was paying for WP Thyroid. I can’t afford it .
Janie Bowthorpe
If you are in the US, you might want to call around and compare pharmacies in their prices.
Betty
Does anyone know if nature throid changed their ingredients? I not feel well on the new batch.
Janie Bowthorpe
Go get free T3 and free T4. You just may need to tweak the dosage of the “revised” Naturethroid.
jill Vargas
Hi, I was taking the old Naturethroid feeling good. Started taking the new batch I received last week and feel dizzy, headache and sick to my stomach. Anyone else experiencing this?
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, there are other reports of bad side effects from the “new” Naturethroid. Might want to redo your free T3 and free T4 and see what’s going on there.
Rae Sanders
Thanks for your always helpful comments, Janie, but I’m am so confused why we would feel sick on the “new” Naturethroid. I actually vomited on the first day taking it, and can’t seem to eat on day 2.
How would this be about dosage? (Not saying you’re wrong, just want to understand.)
Do you prefer Armour or NP thyroid? I don’t think I can take this anymore 🙁 such a disappointment after scrambling throughout the shortage period!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Rae. I’m confused too why some are not feeling well on the new Naturethroid. For some, it could be about it revealing an iron or cortisol problem, or the need to tweak the dose up or down as compared to what one used to be on before Naturethroid was changed. That’s what is meant about dosage…that the amount that once worked may now be different.
But as far as you throwing up, I have no idea.
Yes, I do prefer NP.
michele
i have still been unable to get naturethroid in 1.5 gr tablets, so i asked my MD to switch me to NP thyroid. i was also concerned after hearing about people having problems with they’re new naturethroid refills. having dealt with the armour thyroid crises after their reformulation, i had no intention of putting myself through that hell again. i transitioned to my regular dose of 3 grains split daily. it is only the first week and i cannot believe the difference! i thought i was doing fine on naturethroid, even though i needed lots of “help” in order to have regular BMs. along with my naturethroid i’d usually take a stool softener as well as some other tablet the doc gave me. i would “go” 3-4x a week.
but only after one week on NP, i am having a minimum of TWO BMs DAILY without any other “aids”. omg. whoever thought taking a sh*t could make a girl so happy?!