UPDATE: This page was written in December 2018, and by Summer of 2019, even NP Thyroid was starting to go downhill. Here’s a blog post which explains it all: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
**************************************
RLC Labs, the makers of Naturethroid, WP Thyroid, and what used to be called Westhroid, has been around a LONG time. All are natural desiccated thyroid. meaning they are made from porcine powder and contain all five thyroid hormones, T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin.
And RLC is correct in promoting themselves as the “pioneer and industry leader in the field of hypothyroid treatment.“1 They started out in the 1930’s, even though the pharmaceutical name was different for awhile, aka Western Research Labs/Laboratory.
A change started in 2017 with WP
But in 2017, thyroid patients started to see both Naturethroid and WP Thyroid slowly or quickly run out in their pharmacies and on websites, and achieve backorder status. That problem persisted into 2018.
What caused this change? Patients reported that RLC stated it was due to needed machinery updates. But??
Mid-2018
Finally, in 2018, loyal patients excitedly reported the slow return of Naturethroid natural desiccated thyroid to their pharmacies.
But with that return came a growing body of reports from patients in many groups, including the Stop the Thyroid Madness Facebook page, that they were seeing a major return of their hypothyroidism on the “new” Naturethroid…rising TSH, low free T4, low free T3, erratic frees and TSH, fatigue, depression, dry skin or hair, hair loss, anxiety, lowering of iron or B12 or Vitamin D, stiff joints, pain, achiness…on and on.
And now come some reports of an adrenal problem after being on the new Naturethroid
What are adrenal problems? It’s finding oneself with either low cortisol, high cortisol, or mixed highs and lows–any can be the result of the adrenals trying to kick in due to the return of hypothyroidism on Naturethroid. Some proved it by doing a saliva cortisol test,.
Thus, as they have been moving over to NP Thyroid by Acella2, or Armour second, or the two T4/T3 synthetics or T3….they have problems raising any of them, or problems being on the same amount. They then blame the different NDT, T4/T3 or T3-only, which instead is just the latter now revealing the cortisol and/or iron problem!!
But I feel good on the new Naturethroid!
Yes, there have been what looks like a minority who state they feel “good” on the “new” Naturethroid. But what we noticed over time is that a certain body of those came back and said they started to feel the problems creeping up on them. Here’s the string to talk about your experiences with the “new” Naturethroid:
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2018/05/16/naturethroid-wp-thyroid-rlc-labs/
What about WP Thyroid?
The end of 2018, especially December and when I am first writing about this, is where reports started trickling in that WP Thyroid was making a comeback in certain pharmacies. Questions about it have surfaced, such as “Is it going to be lousy like Naturethroid has been for so many of us?”, “Can we trust RLC?” and “Do I dare try it when I’m now doing well on NP Thyroid or Armour?”
One person reported directly to me that the bottle looks the same, the label looks the same, the ingredients look the same.
What we want from you!!
This will be YOUR STTM blog post to comment on your experiences with the “new” WP Thyroid…now and the longer you stay on. Let us know if you note any differences in the pills, in the smell, in the results. Let’s share patient-to-patient and learn from each other…which is STTM’s purpose!!
Note: by using the word “new” in front of Naturethroid or WP, it is just a reference to coming out again in 2018.
Footnotes:
1. https://www.rlclabs.com/about.php
2. https://npthyroid.com/
Important note: 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.
Write a new comment below
324 Responses to “Let’s talk WP Thyroid–not the old one….the NEW one recently coming out!”
Teresa
I’m allergic to ALL thyroid meds! Except WP there was NO problems! Now I’m having all sorts of problems with my thyroid and don’t know what to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Problem is that there is too much milk on all the other products and or corn syrup. Does any one realize how many people in the world have corn allergy & react to milk? And maybe its this thats causing problems & not the thyroid ingredients????????
Emily J
RECALLED: I tried to get my 130mg WP Thyroid prescription filled this week, and I found that ALL of the WP Thyroid and Nature-Throid has been recalled. The FDA found it was sub potent, with as little as 87% of the stated T3 and T4.
You knew it first! We new it first! I got my 120mg Armour Thyroid prescription filled today. I expect that will be hard to find soon.
Thank you, Janie, for always getting it right. I have learned so much here and continue to fight to get the right dosage for my Hashimoto’s.
From the FDA: Risk Statement: Patients being treated for hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), who receive sub potent Nature-Throid® or WP Thyroid®, may experience signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) which may include, fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, puffy face, hair loss, slow heart rate, depression, swelling of the thyroid gland and/or unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/rlc-labs-inc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-all-lots-nature-throidr-and-wp-thyroidr-current
Janie Bowthorpe
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
Diane
I was comparing Thyroid NP to WP Thyroid, as I am considering switching back to WP Thyroid. I found something interesting on the Thyroid NP website under Licensed Practitioner: Conversion Chart. https://npthyroid.com/licensed-practitioners/ The Chart shows the following for Thyroid NP 45 mg: T4: 15 mg to T3: 30 mg. I wrote a note asking if that was correct. They may have reversed the numbers which would be T4/T3 of 2:1, but even at that, the T3 is much more than it should be. T4 to T3 should be 4:1 in pig thyroid, In humans it is 16:1. I have lost lots of hair, have not been able to sleep, & have problems with my digestive system since being on Thyroid NP, all side effects of too much T3, from what I’ve read. Interestingly, the website for WP Thyroid reports this ratio for WP Thyroid 1 GR (grain) T4: 38 mcg to T3: 9 mcg. Note NP is in mgs, WP is in mcgs. https://wpthyroid.com/
Janie Bowthorpe
Diane, the problem of too much T3 happened for NP before 2019. Acella even states that on their website. Similar and worse problems have been reported by patients on NP since Summer of 2019 to the present. Keep an eye on your labs and symptoms on WP…..
Diane
Janie, Thanks for your response and all the good information you provide to us. I’m so glad I found your website. I have learned lots. And to follow up on my earlier note, I contacted the manufacturers of Thyroid NP to find out the accurate numbers on T4 versus T3. I was sent the RX form. Bottom line, Thyroid NP ratio is: 38 mcg levothyroxine (T4) to 9 mcg liothyronine (T3) per grain of thyroid. The inactive ingredients are calcium stearate, dextrose (agglomerated) and mineral oil. So the ratio is the same as WP Thyroid. And comparing it to the human ratio of T4:T3 which is 16 to 1, NP & WP are 16.8 to 4. I have cut my pills in half to reduce symptoms of too much T3 and in addition, I drop a pill once or twice every 2 weeks. Happily, my hair loss is back to normal (after 1.5 years) and I have new hair coming in. My voice has not gotten deeper, so I know I am maintaining enough to prevent that. I can tell when I get too much T3 as I get very hyper. Again, thanks for your informative web site. I tried to send the RX info sheet, but this website wouldn’t accept it without a website link; I found nothing that would work.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Diane. So glad you found STTM. It’s for you and everyone who is curious as to what we as patients have experienced, observed, in getting well.
Yes, the 38 mcg levothyroxine (T4) to 9 mcg liothyronine (T3) per grain of thyroid is what it used to be. No telling what it is now since it’s now recalled. See the latest STTM blog post.
And no, the pig ratio has never been a problem. If you get hyper-like symptoms, it may be pointing to this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
You can share all this with your doctor, as it turns out we have to teach them, too.
Cristen
Hi. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Dec 2019-gluten/dairy/soy free diet and prescribed Nature Thyroid 1/2gr. Total T4 4.99 Free T3 2.3. 3 months later, Total T4 5.19 and Free T3 2.9. I changed to WP Thyroid a couple of weeks later-same dose. A month and a half later, Total T4 5.43 Free T3 2.6. Started WP 3/4gr May 2020. 2 months later, Total T4 5.5 Free T3 2.8. I’m still tired all the time and tired of inching towards optimal. My integrative PA wants me to take 1gr and recheck in 5 weeks. I definitely don’t want to go hyper but I’m wondering if going up to like 1.5gr and rechecking in 3-4 weeks would be advisable instead. I feel like my PA is too cautious. I went with WP because I was told it was the purest thyroid med and people with Hashimotos typically did better on it than others but I’m wondering if a different one would make a better difference. I haven’t felt any improvement with Nature thyroid or WP. Any advice? Thanks 😊
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Cristen. I want to make sure you know that neither Naturethroid or WP are the good NDT’s they used to be. Read this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/ It just might be better to be on T4 and T3 and get optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Bree
Hi- I was taking naturethroid for 9 years and my pharmacy started replacing it with wp not even letting me know about the change. After realizing I wasn’t crazy there was formulation changes I was switched to armour. And just like you said I couldn’t be on the same dose with it and instead of blaming the new armour I got my saliva results which show low cortisol and struggling adrenals. I am currently working hard in treating them so I can get optimal on my ndt and feel better. I am only on 2 grains right now. I am very sensitive and only on 2,2,1 ace and started taking temps to see where that puts me but my question is do you recommend using licorice in conjunction with ace to give cortisol a more gentle “boost”?
Thank you
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Licorice root is not for boosting. It’s for slightly low aldosterone. Hopefully you have the updated revision STTM book and are studying chapters 5 and 6 about adrenals and treatment. 2,2,1 ACE is only for slightly low cortisol. Won’t be anywhere enough if you are more than slightly low.
Goeril
I was doing so good with WP thyroid, until it was no longer possible to get (2018?). Used Armour and felt ok.
Now, spring 2020, I was able to get WP thyroid again, but I am far from the feeling I had last time. Labs are low, despite same or slightly higher dosis. Getting desperate
Janie Bowthorpe
Read this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/ You were actually on the right track with Armour, and went the wrong way by restarting on WP.
Jeffrey
Has anyone had a GOOD experience with the new WP, like in the past couple months? My compounding script is up in a month with no powder available to be found so Im headed back to WP, or maybe try Armour? Any thoughts Janie?
Janie Bowthorpe
We’ve seen problems with WP.
Lindsay
Janie, what do you mean you’ve seen problems with WP? Could you please provide more information? Thank you!
Janie Bowthorpe
Reports by people who got back on and have been unable to fully get out of their hypothyroid state. Similar to what happens with Naturethroid.
Jeffrey
Janie what do you consider optimal?
Current labs
TSH 3.08
T3 uptake 33
T4 total 7.3
Free T3 1.3
Free T4 3.2
Compounded of 3/4 grain is running out, most likely switch to Armour with a bump up to 1 grain. My doc is a righteous dude and most likely will work with me in what I want. I dont always chase numbers, mostly go on how I feel. Not as great as WP 3 years ago but also i feel pretty good….been on 3/4 grain for 3ish years….Thanks!
Janie Bowthorpe
Optimal is about years and years of our experiences and observations. This: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal And you’re on WAY too little–that’s less than a starting dose from which we raise and raise again. And the T3 uptake and T4 total are labs we find totally useless.
Jeffrey
Gotcha, i will read the link. I was hypo with my numbers all over the place. TSH was 11 at one point….3/4 grain brought everything down and I started to feel “healed”. I also changed ALOT of other things, mainly dietary and adrenals/cortisol problems can resolve themselves with proper care and self awareness. Atleast they did for me… keep you posted on my switch to Armour
Erin
I am post thyroidectony in 2006 and was stable on Armour until Dec 2018. Needed a dose change and use compound from Jan 2019-June 2019. Hospitalized with colitis and TSH was 60.Compound brought it down to 26 (with increasing doses) and tried Armour 180 In Dec 2019. 3 weeks decreased it to .19 resulting in supraventricular tachycardia which has been an issue for 2020. Tried gradually increasing doses of Armour and switched to WP. Recently had lowered WP from 97.5 to 65 and had heart ablation. First day of Tirosint resulted in crying 3 times. Wondering your advice for someone who seems to have cardiac symptoms with recent NDTs and psychological issues with 100 mg of Tirosint? Also which med is the fastest at improving levels. TSH is currently 12, T3 3.0 and T4 is .66.
Dolores
Has NT been reformulated again? I started it last summer, and did fine. About 3 months ago, I started going down hill. I have also come down with a chronic sore throat and cough. I take it sublingual, and have noticed a faint salty taste that I didn’t notice before. Trying to figure out if I am sick, or if it may be the NT. Have you heard of these symptoms, or of NT being altered again?.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes. It started going downhill with new prescriptions being picked up last Fall. There were even bad ones last Summer. Read this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Debby
I FINALLY found a doctor who will prescribe NDT. Yay!! I got a prescription for 2 grains Armour yesterday! BUT The pharmacy just called and said they can’t get Armour and will be giving me NP Thyroid.
I haven’t picked it up yet. I’m afraid to try any of the NDTs after reading all these horrible reviews based on the pharmaceuticals reformulating and playing god with our health!! I’ve just spent the better part of 2 hours reading reviews about the terrible effects people are having from reformulations of Armour, NP, Nature Thyroid and WP. HELP!!! Even if I could get any of them – or something else from another country – do I want to????Which do you recommend??? Or should I just stick with my current regimen of Tirosint + Cytomel I’ve been on for about 5 months? I have been to sooooo many doctors over the years trying to get NDT again and I can’t believe now I finally found a “good one”! And I can’t trust the medicine!!
A brief background: 35 years without a thyroid following total thyroidectomy when I was 17 due to thyroid cancer. Most of my 20s either on varying doses of Synthroid, or Synthroid + Cytomel. I married into the military and spent most of my 30s – 40s moving all around the world and country. Sounds incredible – and it was – except that meant starting over with new docs every year or two. Horrible. And being bound to the military health system.
My numbers were all over the place and every doctor wanted to change something and never had the same protocol. I was in a severe hypothyroid downward spiral.
In my late thirties, while living in Germany, after trying unsuccessfully to conceive and multiple miscarriages, I found a German doctor who prescribed a NDT (I don’t know which one). I felt better immediately and better than I ever had. And Lo & Behold I had two children two years apart, no issues.
6 months later we moved back to the states and I could not find a doctor to continue prescribing my NDT. I was put back on Synthroid, and my dosage was adjusted CONSTANTLY because the numbers were always so wacky. Sometimes I’d get lucky and have a doctor who would check the “frees” but most of them only dosed on TSH, which was not consistent and completely irrelevant to whatever dose of thyroid Medco was on (it always shows well below .1 even though my free T3 is and T4 are below normal or low normal). I hit early menopause -age 44. And suffered so much of the physical and emotional symptoms of being severely hypothyroid.
Fast forward again 2 more moves and now in the DC area. Feeling like death warmed over for 10 + years and not barely living a life, being told I need antidepressants and a diet not more thyroid meds, I stumbled upon a clinical study at Walter Reed looking for volunteers. I was actually just leaving another appt with a new Endocrinologist my primary told me to try, who said, like many before him, it’s not your thyroid, it’s in your head go see a shrink and a rheumatologist and eat and exercise better; ie stop blaming your thyroid. He said he would never prescribe NDT or combo therapy, quoting outdated Board if Endo guidelines, and he said neither would anyone else in the practice at Walter Reed.
As I stumbled out of his office in tears and anger and frustration, I literally ran into the easel holding an advertisement for a Thyroid Med Study 3 feet outside his office!! I enrolled that day.
The clinical study was a double-blind comparison of T4 only, T4+T3, and Armour. It was done over about 1 1/2 years. The purpose was to determine physiological, medical, and psychological impacts of the different meds. At each study interval I was tested for a full day medically, blood, scans, etc. And also several hours of psychological testing, memory tests etc. A lot of it was subjective based just on how “I felt”. Hallelujah!! What a concept… How does the patient feel!? At the end of the study I got to choose which one I liked best. It was the Armour by FAR (my second choice would have been T4+T3). I started on the same dose of Armour I had during the trial which was 1.5 grains. After a few weeks I started feeling horrible! Little did I know, there were two things that happened. 1. I was taking the pills as opposed to the ground up Armour I had in the study which was put into nondescript capsules for the “blind” aspect. 2. This was 2018 around the time Armour changed its formulation!! I tried crushing and chewing the pills but I still felt like I was simply not absorbing them. I have a lot of leaky gut and digestion issues.
I was so frustrated. My study doctor says I could not use the compound pharmacy that had given my meds during the study. I asked for a compound prescription to take to a local pharmacy (I was willing to pay whatever $$!). But he would not. Told me to just keep crushing yo the Armour. I really feel at this point it was around the time the formulation was changed by the manufacturer. I could just “tell” the medicine was different than during the study now 2 years prior (2016).
So I continued to work with that doctor for about a year Post-study, including testing some of the things he did during the study but not all (for example he would not test reverse T3 outside of the study!). I stayed on this 1.5 grains and continued to feel all my hypo symptoms come back: extreme fatigue, 15+ lbs weight gain, incessant ringing in my ears, hair loss, bloating, joint pain, puffy face and fingers, lost most of my eyebrows, brain fog, irritability, weepiness, developed “eczema” which I never in my life had… OMG my kids are growing so quickly in high school now and I feel like except for a very brief time, I’ve missed out on their life! After too many complaints about how I needed more or can we try something different? My study doctor “fired me” as a patient! He referred me bank to the main Endo clinic at WR and a host of other referrals for my many other “issues”.
Last Sep 2019 I decided to change my insurance so I could see doctors outside of the military network and have more control over who I see and hopefully my health care. I found a doctor that I thought was going to be “It”. He did not prescribe NDT but did start me on combo therapy. This time Tironist 100mg plus 4x5mg generic T3 spaced out 2-4 times a day. I loved the Tirosint over Synthroid which have so many fillers abs I know digestion/absorption was always one of my problems on it. I started feeling good again with this new T3/T4 combo – plus the higher amount of T3 I could really feel it! So after a few months feeling good but not Nearly as good as when I was on that study version of NDT or whatever NDT I was on when I lived in Germany.
My latest doctor also refused to check anything but TSH and Totals (no “frees“ even while on T3!) So frustrated, because he talked about reducing my dosage due to my “very suppressed TSH” (even though my Totals were barely low normal), I decided not to stay with him.
In Feb 2020 I started in earnest looking for a new doctor who would be open to testing all my Ts and Frees and other things AND open to prescribing NDT. And LISTENING to me and basing dosage on a physical exam too! I found one! But then Coronavirus hit and I could not get in “until further notice”. My dwindling supply of current Tirosint plus liothironine was getting smaller so I was able to get in quicker once things opened back up.
Well, to wrap up, offices started opening back up last week, and I saw the doctor yesterday!! Within 30 seconds I knew I had found my soul-mate doctor LOL! I literally cried with his understanding of the issues. He said with numbers like mine, for the last 30 + years, no one should base anything off my TSH which he said basically my pituitary has stopped producing TSH. And he says it was OBVIOUS I was hypothyroid based on my other levels and physical symptoms plus how I FELT. He immediately wrote a new lab order to check everything, including Frees, RT3 and irons and vitamins etc. We talked about how my slowly climbing cholesterol, elevated liver enzymes, prediabetes bloodwork, “obesity” (I hate that term!) etc could all be explained by being hypo for so long. YES!
He also gave me a prescription for Armour – 2 grains. He first asked if I wanted to stay on the T3/T4 combo or try the NDT. Since I‘ve been trying desperately for so long to find someone who would prescribe it, I said I’d like to try the Armour again.
But now what!?!??? I don’t think I should do it based on all the negative reviews of the reformulations of all the now crappy NDT. Is there any end in sight to resolution of this issue with the pharmaceuticals? Should I ask him for a different brand of NDT? Is there even one that hasn’t gone to s*%#t?? Should I just stick with the T4/T3? HELP!!
Thank you! And thank you for reading my long post!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Forgive me, but I don’t have the time to read and reply to a post this long and detailed. 🙁 I’m just pulled in too many directions while still needing a private life, too. But I did look towards the end, and you have nothing to fear with Armour, or T4/T3, as long as you understand what’s on this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal 🙂
And this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Debby
Thank you for your reply and appreciate that my post was very long and detailed! I’m sorry. I was trying to pre-empt questions about dosage and history I thought you might ask based on other people’s questions and replies. The links you sent are good and I’ve read them many times before, but does not address my question.
My history is unique as a 2 year clinical study volunteer at Walter Reed comparing different thyroid meds. 3 years post-study I’ve finally located a doctor who is willing to prescribe NDT (I was given Armour at the end of the study as my top choice but no longer have access to that doctor nor the “old” formulation of Armour) .
I just got the new prescription yesterday, but I am worried about all of the negative reviews from your readership of the new reformulated Armour and the other “new“ NDTs
Can I simply just ask you: Would it be better to stick to my current T3/T4 until the NDT issues are sorted out with the FDA? My pharmacy can not get Armour btw, only NP Thyroid.
Thank you, and I really appreciate your website, blog, and time!!
Janie Bowthorpe
I personally would stick to the two synthetics, but get those frees optimal. Look here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal Or you can move to Armour if you want, but get the frees optimal. And you’re welcome. 🙂
Emily J
I was finally doing well on this, got a new endo who increase my dose from 32.5 mg to 97.5! The new endo is actually great and helpful and treats to the symptoms. I’ve been feeling GREAT since the new dosage, about three months.
With Coronavirus, there is none available. I went the sole pharmacy in my mid-sized city who told me they would get it and they only gave me Naturethroid, aka garbage!
I’m already tanking after 7 days on Naturethroid (as I did a year ago when I was on Naturethroid), my hair is falling out like crazy and losing my mental capabilities. I can’t sleep and am super fatigued. Is WP available? Anywhere?
I think I’m going to try levothyroxine. I’m not sure what to do as a quick fix. 🙁
Janie Bowthorpe
WP has also been problematic as reported by patients. If you are going to just T4, hopefully you can find a way to get T3 added to it.
Jeffrey
Hey Janie, curious on your thoughts…..when WP went on back order I was stockpiling and put about 60 tabs in the freezer and forgot about it. Does freezing NDT help hold its efficacy? It’s been in there about 4 years and no freezer burn….lolTHANKS
Janie Bowthorpe
I would think freezing or keeping cold would help hold its efficacy. Years ago, when all NDT’s used to be consistently good, the pharms stated they would last years even in the cupboard.
jenelle molenda
I started on wp thyroid last November it’s now February. I have hashimoto’s. I did t4 treatment for my first 8 years. After an intensive medication treatment (antibiotics, antivirals, steriods, nutrient supplements) I was off thyroid meds for 7 years and recently had to go back on. This time I got on the dessicated stuff. Like it much better than t4 only. I started on armour and was doing good but eventually started having a reaction many months into it since I have a chemical intolerance for soy which is used in the coating. I was excited to switch to wp thyroid. My reaction (a mild chemical poisoning) to the armourwas gone in a matter of days, however I started having extreme hot flashes and sweats that got worse to extreme hot flashes countered by shivering chills and weight gain of about 15 pounds. Cannot find any medical explanation for it other than it coincides with my starting on the WP thyroid. There is definitely something big pharma is not telling us about what they changed on these drugs. Millions of people cant all be having these same problems because its ‘all in our heads’. Please Janie, let’s see if we can somehow get an information act or lawsuit to uncover hidden information on what changed. Then we can do another lawsuit or act to make them change it back. We need a lawsuit or at least new legislation to be passed to protect us thyroid patients and our rights to proper and adequate treatment.
Janie Bowthorpe
Someone is working on it as we speak.
Gwen Robertson
I have taken WP for years and did so well on it. HOWEVER, I have been taking WP for the last year and I got some remaining old batch of 4 months then started on the new batch. The new batch on Oct, Nov, Dec, worked fine but slowly started weight gain. I just refilled last month and started having hot flashes and night sweats. Now, I got another refill and in a week I’m having… night sweats/hot flashes, blurred vision, very stiff sore joints, fatigue, stomach problems and constipation. This new batch is terrible. My experience is it is getting worse and worse. Any suggestions on what to try next?
Janie Bowthorpe
Scroll down on this page to help give you alternatives: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Marie Rubbinaccio
I have all same issues, but I’ll add depression, to your list. Drug.com USED to have 1000s of complaints but now only 11 and I added my complaint but no showing. Bastarrds. I’m switching to New Zealand bovine grass fed-organic, many are having good results. I refuse to take WP-NP NATURETHROID-ARMOUR. Spoke to a compound pharmacist and she said they cant get there hands on any porcine for ver 3 yrs, I told her well when the china company bought Smithfield pork, and they said in a statement the company will make NO changes, I said Lair! I found out in April-May of last yr from a pharmacy that all thyroid meds are made in china, (along with other meds he said 90% are made there) that scared me. I also am experiencing HIGH iron levels which I never had, and the hot flashes were gone (menopause) and are back. The joint pAin is off the charts. I will advocate for those who are expercering the same as myself and support them and educated them to know wats going on. So happy to have a voice here Thx you.
Gayle
Hi Marie, just wondering if you wouldn’t mind sharing the company/website where you are getting your new medication? Thank you, Gayle.
Janie Bowthorpe
If it’s an over-the-counter product, she’ll need to message you.
Barbara Phillips
Please Marie. Could you send me the info on your new thyroid meds. I’m having same terrible problems with WP. I take 65mg x 2 1/2 per day. My 3 mo supply from Dec turned dark BROWN, my March-July supply is almost white and I now feel HORRIBLE again. Synthetics have never worked. Mayo did thyroidectomy for cancer and I lost my parathyroids also.
😟 giving up hope of ever feeling better.
Janie Bowthorpe
Barbara, synthetics do, in fact, work if you combine T4 with T3, and get your free T3 and free T4 optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Ayesha Jawad
Rubbish all hypothyroid symptoms came back going back on NP don’t waste your time !
Ayesha
Right…I used to be on NP and due to high costs I thought to try WP as I heard it is good and less ingredients.Let me tell you one thing please keep away from this medication as it has made me more hypothyroid than ever before .iam losing my hair joint pain muscle pain headaches you name it has come back .I am going back to NP now .i did big mistake as I ordered four of WP and spent so much money ordering from America to England . Iam disappointed .i feel dizzy brain fog depressed omg help me ! PLEASE stay away from WP!!!Disgusting
Deborah Smith
I too took the original WP thyroid and felt great! Then rlc labs claimed some crap about running out of raw materials and or equipment upgrade. 🙄🙄🙄🙄 so I took NP. Felt like better than without anything and when WP became available a month ago in my neck of the woods, I took it again. 1 month in and I feel more hypothyroid than I EVER have. Man. Wake up after sweaty bad nights sleep with SO many muscle, joint, bone(?) pain it’s unbelievable. Knew it a week and 1/2 in but thought oh it will even out. NO. Rlc is junk. American medicine is junk and all about profit. The patients aren’t even part of the equation anymore. I’ve been ER RN forever and am glad to b out of the corrupt and uncaring and unhealing institution it has become. Not sure where to go from here. Working on chakras and taking supplements for the awful inflammation I have all over. Think I’ll heal myself and not take any of big pharma a toxic pills. SO DISAPPOINTED. Hypothyroid is NOT rocket science. Stay away from fluoride. In toothpaste and water and anywhere else u may find it. Wrecks the blood cascade from thyroid on. Thank u for this forum!!!!!! I thought I was going crazy. Best of luck y’all. Keep us posted with good news tooðŸ™ðŸ‘
Carla Jones
I took WP before you could no longer get it. I did great on it. I recently was able to get the “new” WP, and after 2 days on this poison, I had major heart palpitations, and horrendous night sweats. RLC can claim that the formula hasn’t changed all they want, but anyone taking it knows that they are liars! Has anyone noticed that insurance will now pay for it when that wasn’t the case before??? RLC along with the other so called natural med manufactures have sold their souls to Satan (Big Pharma)!!! It’s all about the money and our health doesn’t mean shit to them! I have taken every one of the natural thyroid meds, and they have all changed formulas. I recently tried Armour after the NP changed, and literally lost 1/2 of my hair in the 2 months that I was taking it. The day I stopped taking it, my hair loss stopped. I am so disgusted with all of it, that I am not taking anything for my hypothyroidism.
Adrienne B.
Recently refilled WP Thyroid prescription (filled October 2019) seems really off. Hypo symptoms are back including significant speech and concentration issues as well as joint pain.
Theresa Marie
Hi Janie, I had been taking the older version of WP Thyroid that worked fantastically. The newer WP Thyroid version is not the same! The potentency and smell is gone and it doesn’t have the same punch. This is the only medicine I was able to take because I am sensitive to the fillers in NatureThroid Armour and NP Thyroid and Cytomel and all synthetic thyroid meds induce RT3, high blood pressure, heart palpitations anxiety and sweating. I am very dissapointed in RLC Labs. I’ve tried to reach out to them on multiple occasions to no avail. RLC Labs have not been forthcoming with the patient community with the truth and now I no longer trust them. It is shameful that a manufacturer can do harm to the health of so many thyroid patients and not be held accountable. There is no other thyroid medication I can take that will not cause some negative reactions. I have lost faith in the American medical system. It is all about money with no regard for true health and well-being for the patient. I’ve tried RAW Thyroid and that didn’t little to help me. My metabolism, digestion is very sluggish and I’m bloated after eating even small meals. My bowel movements are poor and have less frequent movements on a daily basis. I’ve been through so many health challenges since the beginning of this WP backlog. I had SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth which can only be eradicated through antibiotics and my migrating motor complex is still functioning poorly. At this point, I am at my wits end and all of this drama is unnecessary and could have been prevented.
Janie Bowthorpe
You said it well.
Now granted, the symptoms you describe are similar to what happens with having a cortisol problem that any T3 in one’s treatment will reveal. So you might want to do a saliva cortisol test and compare the results to what’s on STTM’s lab values page. Here’s a good one: https://sttm.mymedlab.com/sttm-profiles/zrt-saliva-adrenal-4-sample–2
But even those without a cortisol problem definitely notice that none of the American made NDTs are the quality products they used to be. They have all changed. Patients also note that the pharmaceuticals appear to not give a damn.
I hope you find a solution.
Marie R Rubbinaccio
.OMG…..same here thyroid sister…everything you wrote happened to me, I thought I was cracking up! I’m looking into New Zealand bovine. A lot of ppl are using ad feel amazing. Praying for you and all on this feed.
Christa
My husband was on WP last year and was feeling great until you could no longer get it (and I had him on a T3 med as well as he struggles with Iron – one that I order from outside the US). He switched to NP end of last summer as it was all that was available. He did horrible, just completely crashed. He went back to WP and his new dr. asked him to stop taking the T3 med as she was unsure what was really in it (understandable I suppose). She wasn’t upset, just wanted to see how he did. The new WP is not the same! He says he feels like he is on sugar pills. He started to get back all of his horrible symptoms – lethargy, disconnected feelings from his body, felt as if he was shutting down, spacey, just not feeling right. I could see it in his eyes and it scared me back to the beginning before Hashi diagnosis and ER visits. I added back the T3…..have nothing else but WP until we see dr. again in Dec, so I felt this was the only option. Doing considerably better since adding the T3 back. He NEEDS Gluten Free, so I know cytomel is out. So frustrating that they have done this to his health – your heath! I think he/we are considering synthetic T3/T4 – I found a compounding pharmacy that could do both gluten free. Not sure what else to do!!! Breaks my heart, this is OUR LIFE!!
Alex
All that rogues who plays so irresponsible with our health and life must be sued!
Anonymous
Hey, very disappointed i did two days on WP thyroid, felt great but my belly swelled up like a balloon felt very nauseas, dizzy and crampy. I could no longer take this medication it was like i was 6 months pregnant.
I would not waste your money. Unless im allergic to the filler inulin derived from chickory root.
Hopefully NDT will get better one day. Thyroid s keeps me functioning.
Axel
After that disaster with Acella I asked my dr for a WP description. I have an old bottle WP with the fillers Calcium and Magnesium, Sodium. The new one doesn’t have it. In addition the new refilled WP bottle has a QR- Code on it. I am not sure if this could be a difference between an old“ and a new“ WP… However the EXP. dates are almost the same: with the fillers 02.2021 and the new refilled without fillers 01.2021. Unfortunately I can’t compare the colour of both as I haven’t the old tablets. The one thing I can say is that the recently refilled WP tablets (without fillers) are much harder, not dissolve at all feeling rough under the tongue. So I have to chew them.
If this is the “new” WP then as for the effect of the new“ WP I can only say – people! don’t refill your WP prescription. It doesn’t work! In addition to the side effects from Acella such as sweating, dizziness, fatigue, hair loss, cracked chipped nails etc.etc., I have with WP freezing and hot flushes all day long, flickering in front of the eyes (especially bad by trying to increase the dosage), inner unrest, depressing, swollen itching joints especially on my fingers, very bad reflux, my belly is like an inflatable balloon, slow thinking and speech problems, difficulty concentrating, I am sleepy all day long etc, etc, etc… To sum it up, I fell gravely hypothyroid!!!
I am sure I have by now the adrenal insufficiency because of all these changes / reformulations on NDTs. Meanwhile I’m also thinking that all the changes that let us feel ill are made to the porcine powder as no one of the NDTs does work!!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Wow, very detailed post. Love it. Tell us…how much are you on??
Axel
I was on 3,5 grain Acella for years and felt well and was optimal on my lab.. like you teach us in your books… thank you so much dear Janie for all your work!!
Some months ago I noticed worsening in my well- being. I tried to adjust my Acella dose which not helped. So I changed from Acella to WP and started with the same dose 3,5 grain which ended with the disaster too. I lowered to 2,75 grain which feels slightly better but nowhere near good enough. Now I am trying to split in the morning 1,5 grain and midday 1,25 grain. The problem is that a 1 grain WP tablet is small and to cut it in two or four equal parts is not to easy. So one never knows what an exactly dose you are taking.
My dr want me to make an ACTH stimulation test. I fear a little this test shoot down my adrenals. Should I do that test? My dr is not familiar with saliva test.
Janie Bowthorpe
This may have nothing to do with your adrenals. All in NDTS appear to have changed for the worse. You may need to go to both synthetic T4 with synthetic T3 and get optimal on those. Some are trying the over-the-counter natural thyroid supplements, but you need to keep track of your labs.
Axel
I have tried the Thyro-Gold. Unfortunately I didn’t feel better on it, as if I took nothing for my thyroid. Maybe I have had to take more capsules… I am not sure if I remember well… but I think I took 4 or 5 capsules.
I thought I try the Thai NDTs. Shortly I read a comment in your blog that greater pharma has had descanted its NTD.
I never want to try synthetics again. I know exactly how I will feel on it – dead… like a zombies…
I am so hopeless and desperate… I can cry… The NDTs are not working…
Dear Janie, do you really believe that one day the NDTs comes back being as in days of yore?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Axel. Whether on the Thai versions, the two synthetics, or the over-the-counter natural thyroids, it’s imperative to watch your frees before giving up. For example, those 4-5 caps of Thyrogold may not have made you optimal. It’s being optimal that changes our lives. Optimal puts the free T3 at the top of the range and free T4 midrange. Both. Who knows…you may be one of those with a mutation that causes you to have to take very high doses of meds to get optimal. It’s called Thyroid Hormone Resistance.
I think that any pharmaceutical would have to care enough to both pay attention to what patients are saying, and WANT to figure out WHY their products have gone south. We haven’t seen that from ANY pharmaceutical. They just give the same answer (we changed nothing) and that is the end of the story. So we’ll see if Acella might be the one instead of giving the same old line.
Ange
Hi Janie -Is the new WP Thyroid released from dec2018 ok now? I was on WP then they stopped production so switched to Acella. Now Acella is up the creek I was thinking of switching back to WP as I did well on it.
I dont get on with the T4/T3 synthetics as the T3 even when split up into small doses during the day gave me highs and lows….whereas ndt gave me a constant level.
Frankly Acella’s NP was my favourite of all the ndts….such a shame…..
I think the trouble is that as each ndt has gone down we have all switched to another one then that company cant keep up with the demand and then expand their production, searching for more ingredients and the quality goes down so round the merry go round we go……
I personally dont nelieve there is a consipracy to get the ndts written off…..
Anyway be grateful to know if WP is as it was now its back. Thanks.
Sheri
I’ve been taking the new WP since it was released in December. My most recent fill was short because I was told that WP Thyroid was on backorder again. What was odd is that the pills are very noticeably darker and appear to have no coating on them at all. The pills I have been receiving were a light beige color. I’ve never taken WP before this so I’m not sure if there was a change in appearance. I haven’t taken them yet. Is this old stock or have people been receiving these dark pills since WP came off backorder?
Dana Curtis
I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I had never felt better in my life when taking the older version of WP Thyroid, and had done well on the older Naturethroid too. I tried the “new” Naturethroid, and like many others, did very poorly. Westminster worked well…until the recall.
For the past 6 months I have been taking compounded natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) with a single filler (my body doesn’t tolerate many fillers). The first three months I opted for a microcrystalline cellulose filler. My labs tanked. Thinking that maybe the cellulose was inhibiting absorption I tried lactobacillus as the filler this past 90 days. Labs done a week ago showed an equally poor, if not worse, response. I always dissolved the contents sublingually as I had done with the WP/Naturethroid/Westminster tablets.
I am currently experiencing hair loss, brain fog, and dermatitis for the first time in many years. Since 2013 I have adhered to an autoimmune paleo diet; I stay well hydrated; I do yoga, and I walk.
I could raise the dose, but don’t understand the marked decline in my labs and my health coinciding with the widespread NDT shortage. I don’t know what else to conclude but that it is a quality issue with the USP porcine thyroid powder itself, whether compounded or manufactured. If that’s the case, raising may not be the answer.
I have purchased some grass fed freeze dried bovine thyroid capsules (30mg + 470mg beef liver, no fillers) I may try, but haven’t any idea what a roughly equivalent dose would be. Or, I could try a synthetic compound. I will see the naturopath this week to discuss next steps.
If anyone has achieved positive results with allergen-free synthetic compounds, I’d love to hear about it. I’d also love a recommendation for a quality compounding mail order pharmacy. I truly appreciate all of the experience everyone has shared in this thread, and wish healing and good health for us all. Thanks.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Is is possible you were underdosed?
Dana
Hi – It’s possible; but then why was I doing great for years taking the exact same dose in the old WP/Naturethroid/Westminster? Taking the same dose in compounded form made my labs plummet. What do you think about trying synthetic compounded T3/T4 in an equivalent dose? Could a person miss the T1 & T2? If that doesn’t work, I could try raising the compounded NDT. Thanks.
Janie Bowthorpe
That would have been a good question for the compounder. It’s almost as if an error was made in what was compounded. I think you other idea is good. But if it’s by the same compounder, might be a problem.
Dana
Today the naturopath and I agreed on my trying synthetic T3/T4 in a compound. I located a pharmacy in Lomita, CA that will compound with ginger root powder as the excipient. I sure hope the synthetic works for me and that the pharmacy is reliable. I will have labs in a few weeks and report back. Is there a different thread I should post that in? Thank you Janie, for your work and support.
Marty Gerace
Sorry, not sure how these blogs work. I wrote but I think I posted in the wrong area. I have been on compounded synthetic t4 and t3 since the unavailability of NDT powder. I have recently located a compounding pharmacy that has acquired the powder and we’ll be able to compound it for me. I have taken compounded NDT mixed in one drop of olive oil, which originally was from women’s international pharmacy, for over 5 years. Cannot stabilize my TSH on the compounded synthetic, so I am hoping that going back on the powder will help with all my issues. In the interim I have tried NP, WP, with many side effects, which usually includes digestive issues. I do not do well with odd ingredients in many things I have hypothyroid, hashimoto’s, and celiac so many things are a balancing act. on the synthetic compounded which we have increased four times, my TSH levels are 69.8. not good. Has anyone else had any problems moving from the NDT powder to synthetic compound? Has anything else worked for these people?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Marty. It’s never, ever about the TSH. It’s about free T3 and free T4. When we are on the right amount, our free T3 will be towards the top part of the range, and our free T4 midrange. Both. We see this all this time. And it’s not about stopping when we start to feel good. We will feel good before we are optimal, and it eventually backfires with a revengeful return of hypo and even adrenal stress in some. And NOTE that getting the frees optimal will NATURALLY push the TSH below range, and unlike what doctors scaremonger about, it is NOT a problem and does NOT cause bone less or heart disease.
J. Lindamood
Janie, thank you for your website! I have learned so much from you, and it has really helped me take control of my healthcare. I was going to a doctor who would only prescribe Synthroid. My health deteriorated, and I actually ended up in the E.R. after an a-fib/fainting episode at home that freaked my wife out! Enough was enough. I found a new doctor who has been SO HELPFUL in helping me find the best thyroid treatment, and your website has given me knowledge that enables me to push my doctor when he needs to be pushed. I went on Nature-Throid before their manufacturing shut-down, tried other NDT’s during their shut-down, and am now back on 2 grains of Nature-Throid. I feel okay. Not super, but okay. I just got my latest labs back. My TSH was 0.33, my free T4 was 1.14, my free T3 was 3.6, and my reverse T3 was 13. I still have some brain fog issues, but honestly, these numbers are the best they have ever looked for me. Are these numbers considered “optimal”? As I said, I feel okay… but I don’t want to be satisfied with okay if I can feel super! I think I’ll stick with Nature-Throid, but I’ll increase dosage if I need to. Thank God I have a doctor who is willing to support me if I decide to.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Joshua. You didn’t gave ranges, so I don’t know if you are optimal or not. But I can tell your RT3 is going up based on most ranges that come with it, i.e. most start with 8 or 9, and people without an RT3 problem are the bottom two numbers, occasionally the third from the bottom.
BUT as far as sticking to Naturethroid, do know that Naturethroid has been causing a lot of problems for what appears to be a high percentage of people for a year. i.e. it seems to have gone south since it came back out. Thus, most have been switching to NP Thyroid by Acella first, or Armour second. Until we get solid information from multiple people that it’s working again, I personally wouldn’t risk it. But if you want to risk it, optimal has always put the free T3 at the top part of the range (I don’t think 3.6 is that if your top of the range is 4.2?) and puts the free T4 midrange (which for most ranges, is 1.4ish and NOT higher, but not sure about your range). That is where people feel fabulous, and don’t lose the fabulous.
Glad you found a doctor you can guide. 🙂
J. Lindamood
Sorry for not providing ranges. Per my labs, reference ranges for fT4 is 0.93 – 1.70 ng/dl, fT3 is 2.4 – 4.2 pg/mL, and rT3 is 8 – 24 ng/dL.
So, it looks like I need fT4 to be around 1.3 – 1.4, fT3 to be around 3.7 – 4.2, and rT3 to be around 8 – 10. Is this a correct assessment?
Janie Bowthorpe
Don’t get hung up on the free T3 have a range. It’s not about ranges. Just “up there” along with a mid-range FT4. Yes about RT3.
Mark
After a decade of trial and error with everything from T3 and T4 monotherapy to combination therapy at various doses and to no avail, I settled at what I considered to be an underdosed dose @ 1 grain of custom-compounded NDT for the last few years. I then decided to take the plunge at the end of 2018, switched to WP-Thyroid (my custom NDT powder was no longer available), and began slowly titrating up my dose by .25 grain every month. I felt I was doing good with WP, but then I got the call that the pharmacy could no longer get any refills, so I switched to NP Thyroid and made it up to 2 grains during which time I notice no untoward side effects. About a month later, I started getting acute spikes in blood pressure as well as palpitations caused by ectopic beats called PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) and feeling lightheaded when I’d stand up. I reported to urgent care which confirmed the PVCs via an EKG. My labs were normal and I was released. Although I had a spell which resolved on its own similar to this 2 years prior, I suspected these symptoms were related to the NP, so I reduced my dose to 1.25 grains. The BP spikes stopped, but the palps/lightheadedness continued. My thyroid labs showed my TSH high normal (2.5) with mid-ranges for free T3/T4 and mid-range rT3. I do not have Hashi’s. My serum iron levels showed 127, TIBC 352, ferritin 28 (low). I didn’t test saliva cortisol. My questions: I see a lot of anecdotal comments about problems with fillers and switching between brands despite being at the same dose. In your 16-year experience with others, can switching between brands + increasing the dose, (in my case switching from compounded NDT to WP, then to NP + increasing from 1 to 2 grains over 4 months after years of being underdosed) take a month for untoward side effects to present like this?Is it possible for someone to still be within range or even hypo and experience hyper-like symptoms (in my case, the spikes in blood pressure, palps/ectopic beats)? What I can’t determine is whether it’s too much T3 from the NDT for me to handle or whether I’m pooling because of low ferritin or other issues. Or maybe the cardio symptoms are entirely unrelated. Thoughts?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Having reactions are like that are never due directly to the NDT. They are due to what the NDT reveals. Check out this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
jackson
when or will we ever get more/higher quantities of WP thyroid?
please let us know. thx
Janie Bowthorpe
We don’t know. It’s a question to ask RLC labs.
Angela Frye
Mark, Did you ever get this resolved? I have a VERY similar situation on NP by Acella with an ER visit mid last week showing PVCs/PACs. Just wondering what, if anything, you were able to do to fix. Thanks.
Emily J
I began on the new WP Thyroid on May 9. For me
WP Thyroid WORKS
ThyroGold WORKS
The new NatureThroid DOES NOT work
Here is my story.
I’ve only been on thyroid meds since May 2018, when I was started on a very low 16.25 gm of NatureThroid. Though my symptoms were out of control, my TSH was “only” 4.5 so even my holistic Dr. was hesitant to medicate appropriately. My dose was increased gradually to 32.5 NatureThroid in October 2018. At that time and for 2-3 months the dose seemed near optimal, though I wasn’t completely myself. Reverse T3 was 11ng/dL in December 2018 and TSH was 1.79.
January had me with less energy and by the end of February my energy level was down to where it was before I had ever taken the NatureThroid. I got so confused and tired in the grocery store, I actually had to sit down while shopping.
Foregoing medical advice, I figured out I was super Hypothyroid and doubled my dosage of NatureThroid (65mg each morning) and I had some improvement in my energy level. However, I did not have enough pills to keep on so I went down to 1-1/2 per day (47.75 mg). No doctor seemed to be willing to talk to me right away but I had terrible symptoms so I found ThyroGold on this site and ordered that. From April 10-May 9, I took 1 150 mg ThyroGold and 1 32.5 mg of NatureThroid per day and felt awesome! I started to rediscover my fiery nature and my mental ability came back to my delight!
Then there was no more NatureThroid in my entire city (population 250,000) so I got switched to WP 32.5. By last weekend (May 31-June 1) I was super hyperthyroid! I lost 10 lbs in two weeks and could never sleep. (Insomnia is my body’s go-to imbalance.) Switching from 32.5 Naturethroid along with 150 ThyroGold to 32.5 WP Thyroid along with 150 mg ThyroGold was a HUGE shift in how I feel. For me, that dose was too much. I had horrible insomnia, and had crazy amounts of energy, like I was on speed.
I since cut out the ThyroGold and am hoping the WP Thyroid alone keeps me in balance.
Dana
Hi Emily – Still doing well on WP? Thank you. -Dana
Emily J
No! I am much worse! I can’t focus or sleep and I have really not wanted life to keep happening for quite a while now. And I just had the lab tests to verify my increasing thyroid imbalance, with a higher TSH than I’ve ever had. However now I don’t even know what to ask for anymore! I am currently on 32.5 mg WP Thyroid. Is there a better choice available now??
lab results this week:
TSH = 5.79 (this has never been above 4.0 previously)
Free T4 = 0.9 (range 0.8-1.8; this has NEVER changed for me, every single test was 0.9 for the past 3 years)
Free T3 = 2.9 (range 2.3-4.2)
RT3 = 13 (range 8-25)
I got back on the ThyroGold a few weeks after posting in June but then I *finally* got another prescription that made my insomnia go away (cannabis), which made me hopeful that maybe I can reduce my thyroid medication now that I am able to sleep! So I tried again to take only WP without any extra ThyroGold, this time starting in late October. Within a month all my regular hypo symptoms were back. My “this is obviously hypothyroidism” symptom is my hair falling out, as the others are pretty vague and it’s hard to notice the subtle changes day to day. I only started back up on the ThyroGold a few days ago, after I had my lab tests.
My biggest symptom has always been my insomnia, which is why I wasn’t diagnosed as hypo for the first few years of having hypothyroid symptoms. They didn’t even check my thyroid, just threw one sleeping pill after another at me until I found my naturopath (none of the sleeping pills did anything, of course). I’ve also noticed that while anything seems to give me insomnia, my thyroid imbalance presents with the type of insomnia which wakes me up in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep for hours, while any other stress or imbalance make me unable to fall asleep in the first place.
If there are any suggestions as to which NDT to take now, I would receive them with thanks. I will be seeing my doctor again in a few days and I don’t know what to even hope for this time.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Alternatives on this blog post when you scroll down on the page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Emily J
Thank you very much, it is so helpful to find the information you have here. Also, I need to make a correction to my original post, where I was pleased with WP and thought it was stronger than Naturethroid. My doctor had put me on an antidepressant, which I managed to take for only about 2 weeks, beginning in late May. I had not made the connection between my seeming- hyperthyroid symptoms and the antidepressant, which were much more likely the cause than the new batch of WP Thyroid I was taking.
J Bernarnd
32.5 mg is a TINY dose. Are people under-dosing, or are we saying that NDT no longer contain s hormone content advertised? A formulation change / none active ingredients could mean a higher dose required, ie the former. If the latter, why don’t we lab test and sue the manufacturers?
Janie Bowthorpe
For WP, Naturethroid or NP, going higher didn’t help anyone to get optimal. For example, one gal on the changed Naturethroid experimented, going up to 7 grains, and still didn’t get there. Yes, some state they feel better with raises, but it seems to always backfire with worsening hypothyroid symptoms over time. And because they feel better at first, they exclaim in groups that Naturethroid is “working” for them…but their labs prove otherwise, as does the eventual slide back into hypo. And many end up with an adrenal problem, underscoring that the “working” can be more about the rise in cortisol and adrenaline from alarmed adrenals.
Holly E Kalisher
A condensed story: From 2005-2016 I was on Armour and felt great. Sometime in 2016 I started not to feel well. I must have gotten a batch of the new Armour when they were seeking FDA approval with a new formula. Went to an endocrinologist who put me on 100 mg of Synthroid because she said I was getting too much T3. For the next 1.5 years I went into a downward spiral of palpitations, hight blood pressure, needing klonopin all the while changing docs, trying different brands of T4 and dosages. Finally found my third endo who was willing to prescribe Naturethroid and/or WP. For about 6 months I started to feel better and then I started not too. She said my T3 was rising and getting too high where my T4 was fine. She started to push for me to try Unithyroid or Tirosint. She believes that it’s not the medicine that is the problem but the dosage and I’m I am hesitant to believe it. I agreed to divide my 65 mg into two dosages, AM & late afternoon and see if my T3 becomes more manageable. Truth be told with my current batch of WP I had to search far and wide, pay out of pocket and most importantly, started not to feel 100% again. I’m getting exhausted fighting with medical doctors, searching for NDT throughout Florida and more fed up with the inconsistencies of NDT. I just refilled my WP for 3 months and I’ll give it a shot until then to see if I feel better. Maybe starting on a low dose of a synthetic T4 is the way to go….I just don’t know. I’m 60 years old, love where I am in life and I just don’t want to deal with the crap any more. Anyone know of a compounding pharmacy in South Florida? Anyone know about low level laser therapy for treatment of hypothyroid? I know there have been clinical trials with success overseas, was wondering if there is any insight on this blog?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Holly. Doctors are so clueless and misinformed that we have to become very firm with them or find a better doctor we can guide. For one, it’s a good thing to be “optimal”, and even more so at 60, before we start having health issues. So we work to find our optimal dose, which puts the free T3 at the top part of the range and the free T4 midrange. Both. And doing so will tank the TSH, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING AND WHICH THEY FREAK OUT ABOUT, declaring we’ll get bone loss or heart problems. FALSE. Being optimal with the frees, which tanks the TSH, has IMPROVED bone density and heart issues in people for years now. It’s about those frees, not the TSH. They were probably paying more attention to your TSH and getting itchy in the brain.
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
And by the way, it’s better to take that second dose by early to mid-afternoon, since waiting until late afternoon will mean a lot of that direct T3 you got in the morning body has pretty gone too low. And that is especially a problem when one is underdosing, which you most likely are.
And do know know that 2 grains, which seems to be what you are on, ends up underdosing the vast majority and failing to get most anyone optimal, so it backfires sooner or later with worsening hypo.
jeff
Hi Janie,
are you accepting new patients? may could you can help me with my treatment? let me know. thx
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Jeff. I’m actually not a doctor. Just a patient who has been collecting all this information from patients for nearly 17 years. Get the updated revised STTM book. It has most of the information you’d need. It’s the blue one with the girl on the front holding her fists up. Still all applicable for a guy, too. http://laughinggrapepublishing.com
jeff
whats the difference between sttm 1 and 2. i have the revised edition. cover saids”a patient revolution against decades of inerfior thyroid treatment. do i have the wrong one? let me know. ASAP!THANKS i wil lget the books! is it also on amaozn!? thx
Janie Bowthorpe
STTM I is 2019 updated revision with the girl on the front holding her fists up. It’s the go-to book about patient experiences and wisdom in getting well. It’s even called the bible of patient experiences.
STTM II is where each chapter is contributed by practitioners on particular topics like why the TSH is useless, why NDT is the best way to go, etc etc. It’s a way to show other practitioners that their own colleagues know some of the same wisdom as patients. It will not have the details on how to treat adrenals like the STTM I book has. But the STTM II last chapter explains exactly WHY we get low cortisol.
Jeffrey
Hi,
Palm Beach Compounding is located in S. Florida. I use them, nice people…rather expensive but to be expected. Best wishes
Annomally
CVS/Caremark doesn’t openly discuss their “Brand Penalty” policies. However, there IS a form that your doctor can complete that will ‘request an exception for a patient to receive a brand-name drug instead of a generic alternative and pay only the appropriate brand copayment.’ Its called the “Brand Penalty Exception Request” Your doc has to complete and fax it in for every drug you need (1 per form of course) and requires answers to 3 questions: 1. Has the patient experienced an inadequate treatment response (tried and failed) with the generic alternative? 2. Has the prescriber determined that the generic alternative is not appropriate based on a specific clinical concern (i,e, allergy)? if yes, please document. 3. Has the patient been stabilized on a bran medication for a specific clinical concern? If yes, please document. Aetna mail order pharmacy is now CVS and I am pre-planning the fight to get my medicine (NP Thyroid and Cytomel which also has skyrocketed in price). My doctor didn’t know about this form (I did from a past experience with CVS) Now you all do too! Good luck!
Dee
Now Walgreens as well is telling me the NDT thyroid
meds are “on backorder”… I am so frightened that the FDA
is going to ban all NDT thyroid in the US. I became
so ill the time I tried Synthroid that I was an invalid (I have
NO thyroid at all). .I will not be able to work, nor take care
of my child…
Janie Bowthorpe
Walgreens telling you that has nothing to do with the FDA. There is just a strong demand of NP Thyroid right now. All that Walgreens has to do is call Acella to get more.
Jen Wilson
Thank you, Janie. My symptoms after purchasing a new bottle of the NP Thyroid were strange. I take it sublingually and it burned my tongue (numbing it to a degree), not all over but in the area where the pill dissolved. I developed some redness on my tongue as well. I also started salivating a little more than usual. In addition, I began to have pressure in the thyroid area. I only have one thyroid gland so I have the pressure on that one side. I haven’t had those symptoms with the other bottles of the NP. According to the insert, the inactive ingredients have not changed. I tried to contact Acella but they haven’t returned my call or email.
Janie Bowthorpe
That is definitely odd and you do sound like a few who genuinely have a reaction to something in a certain batch! Glad you moved to a different NDT. 🙂
Tanya
i have the same issue with the new batch of HP Thyroid. My new refill of NP – It burned my tongue where it dissolved . Very very odd > and i have the same symptoms back when i had Nature thyroid . I believe some thing is wrong with NP . I will try multiple things add T4 or try Thyrogold .
Does anyone have issues with recent re-fill of NP ?
Janie Bowthorpe
There have been very scattered reports about the 60 mg tabs being off, but not the other strengths.
Michelle Sarchiapone
Yes. Its not right. It takes and smells totally different. I feel terrible.. Something is off.
Jen Wilson
Has anyone had any very recent reactions to NP Thyroid by Acella after taking it successfully for a long time?
Janie Bowthorpe
Jen, though any NDT batch might be bad (which is very rare), you need to be make sure that your reactions are actually due to what’s on this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me For example, it’s common to have not gotten optimal because you felt better at first, only for it to backfire.
Debbie Szymanski
Hi, I’m a thyroid cancer survivor and I have been on NatureThroid since 2012 and have always done really well. Since Dec, I have not been feeling well( achy all over, tired, depression,weight gain) Finally went to Dr. And found out my TSH is at 29 😳!! It was 2 in Dec!!. I’m wondering if it’s the new reformulated NT causing this? I don’t know what to do. Should I get on Armor instead?
Janie Bowthorpe
All we know is that there are many more like you! It’s terrible what has happened. So yes, Armour or NP Thyroid.
Michelle Sarchiapone
YES. NP thyroid seems to now be problematic. I switched over from WP after the shortage and at first felt great and my labs were stable…about a month ago after a refill my hypo symptoms returned with a vengance. I got another refill last week and the taste and smell were so different I immediately came here to see if others were having issues and low and behold they are. I have barely been able to stay awake. Thankfully I have a small supply of old formula NP which as soon as I took, I felt a million times better! I also have about a 3 month supply of the old formula WP I will be switching to when the NP runs out but after that I have no idea what to do! All of these medications seem to now be unreliable.
Janie Bowthorpe
Go to the newest STTM blog post. It has a light green box towards the bottom part of the post on alternatives.
Tanya
Hello! I’ve been on Nature THyroid and West Throid for almost 7 yeras now Most recently, in late 2018 up to this point, with the ‘New” forulation, my symptoms have returned and my TSH levels are higher than what they have ever been. The dosage is still the same: 65mgs in the morning, 32.5 in the afternoon. I’m devastated with the bloating and weight gain. It’s depressing in itself. I did try Acella and it threw my system way out of wahck with my symptoms returning full blast. My TSH levels are usually around 1.75-2.5 and are now 3.75! My doctor here in Canada, feels that this is within normal range BUT this has NEVER been normal for me. Moving back to Canada from the USA has been very challenging with respect to obtaining this medication. I have to cross the border every three months to purchase my prescription because the Canadian equivalent is not strong enough and full of talc. As well, a good majority of doctors here, now believe that ANY dessicated porcine thyroid is unethical and doesn’t work as effectively as the synthetics. I’ve been on ALL SYNTHETICS. As a vegan, I was totally against trying Nature Throid, but after about two weeks, I was feeling amazing and have never looked back. I honestly believe there is something drastically wrong with the new formualion. Too many people on the internet are suffering from the exact same symptoms since this reformulation. Wake up RLC!!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Tanya. Re:Acella: probably need to study this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Marianne
Hi Janie,
This is exactly my situation and I’m at a cross roads unsure of what to do. The FIRST time I hit optimal labs and felt super well was on OLD WPThyroid. I’ve been on NatureThyroid since the backorder, and got the new WP Thyroid right away in early April I think, so have been adjusting back to it and just did some lab work.
So, over May and June, I was finding my usual dose of 65 mg (new WP) in am and 65 mg in afternoon was leaving me with some heightened anxiety. (this was where I was optimal before the back order) Thinking I might be getting too much, I cut back 1 day a week, then 2 days, then every other afternoon to just half (32.5mg) to see how that would go. One month ago, I refilled my new WP the same day I went in to check my labs.
First – I noticed this batch was denser than my previous batches. Like when it’s exposed to some moisture and just before it becomes sticky. The previous batch was very dry and broke easily, THIS batch I noticed was more dense, and would not easily break.
Then my labs…My TSH was below zero, at 0.08 (.270-4.20) but my FT3 was just 3.12 (2.80-4.50) and the FT4 was .69 (.60-1.12). They didn’t do RT3, tho 2 years ago when I worked with a functional dr I was 17 & 19 before, and this conventional dr tested last about 18 months ago and it was 13.
So, regarding the above latest labs, my dr suggested if I’m feeling any symptoms to cut back, but if not, being a little hyper was okay for some people. (which we know) but Because I WAS feeling symptoms, I cut back again, to 65 mg in AM and 32.5 (1/2 tab) every day (I mean, afterall, maybe I was healing). But Now my outer brows have thinned, hair getting frizzy, anxiety, crying jags, and pretty much verbatim what the others are saying…BUT when I try and go back up again, it gets WORSE…greater anxiety, stronger crying jags
I’m just so confused how I could be so low on the TSH at .08 meaning I’m hyper, but my FT3 is still so low in the range and I’m having hypo symptoms. What am I? Both hyper and hypo at the same time? What is my next step??
to note: I’ve read about the iron and cortisol issues and am alarmed that those on Nature Thyroid have developed these problems, as it would make sense this could be my story as well then. My iron at the same time as above was Ferritin 39.6 (11.0-307) Iron Sat 29 (25-60) Iron Serum 104 (50-212) TIBC 355 (284-507) and Transferrin 253 (203-362)…and I have been supplementing Pure Encapsulations Opti-Ferrin 28mg-55mg daily for over a year! SO, I’ve doubled up that to bring my iron up as quickly as I can.
I also connected that I ran out of zinc about 3 weeks ago, and I was severely deficient in zinc as well and have been supplementing almost daily 30 mg for a couple years…but RAN OUT 3 weeks ago and just got a replacement.
From everything I’ve read, it’s either time to move to a different med (and I didn’t do well on NP back when first diagnosed, or Armor) so synthetic T4/T3 … or, since it’s time to refill again, refill WP one more time and keep pounding the iron, get zinc back on board, and push through to 65mg twice a day again.
And I’m resting/meditating/sleeping well to help cortisol if that’s an issue. but not testing it at this time.
Please let me know what you’d do here.
Janie Bowthorpe
Anxiety can happen from being underdosed, too.
If you didn’t do well on NP (which is a great product), you were either underdosed or it was revealing an iron or cortisol problem> https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
jeffrey
Hi there….I had bad reactions to NP from the start. I believe its the fillers that some of us react to, others on this page disagree but the best teacher is your own body. WP was amazing and my first treatment for hypo so after 2 years of an amazing turnaround it was challenging to make a switch. I don’t know know if I will go back on it if my dose starts shipping again. I searched far and wide to find a compounding pharmacy with NDT powder that would make it with only 1 filler. Seems to be the trick for me, things are good…grateful
Janie Bowthorpe
We are so glad you figured that out and are doing better.
The problem is that too many people blame the fillers for their reactions, and it’s not the fillers for the vast majority. For most, it’s that people are staying underdosed (which will cause reactions), or the NP is revealing a cortisol or iron problem (which will cause reactions). So it’s important to mention the latter so that each person who thinks it’s the fillers can explore those other issues. Otherwise, on the other product, they are destined to see those problems again eventually. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Jeffrey
I agree Janie but I also want to go a step further. We talk a lot about bloodwork and medications on here but the “whole being” needs to be taking into consideration….our food choices, energetics, unresolved traumas etc…. We actually don’t know much about anybody from a few posts to say its this causing symptoms or that, that I feel can be harmful. treating the thyroid imbalances is a process and some wacky nights sleep, fluctuating numbers, stomach aches, lethargy (all complaints I have read on here) can just be “life” showing up or some astrological transition, or your “cheat day” with food choices that might not be a “thyroid alarm, please fix something” Diet is HUGE! and I can say from my experience there is not one size fits all. I was the “perfect yogi” and ate veg/vegan for close to 25yrs and when symptoms showed up I ate things considered healthy but was causing a rapid decline, big turnaround is when I started eating animal protein again, but good clean foods and it was a big step on the journey. That being said, listen to the body…numbers are only a small piece of the pie
Janie Bowthorpe
Jeff, the replies with information here in no way cancel out what other areas you want to explore or try. No one here, including myself, is against eating healthy. My reply was about how often people blame fillers, and it turns out not to be the fillers for a lot of them, even if for some, it could be like yourself. So that is mentioned because we’ve seen it so often.
James
what’s the best filler for np thyroid to have? what’s up with the petitions btw? we keep needing more and more signature after another completing another
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid works well as is.
There is one petition directed towards RLC for screwing up Naturethroid. Not sure about other petitions. You can choose not to sign them.
Maria
Hi Jeffrey,
Can you share the pharmacy and filler information that is working for you?
Jeffrey
Hi…the filler is Avacel, its just a microcrystalline cellouse…its pretty much in every vitaman capsule on the market. I use a veg cap and have them put it in the smallest cap possible (my dose is only 3/4 grain) . Just got my labs back today and my numbers are perfecto, just a routine for my doctor as I feel good and havent checked them in 7ish months?
I will have to check with the pharmacy to see if they are okay with me listing their name on a public message board. I can tell you, they are in South Florida
Maria
Hi Jeffrey,
Can you please share the compounding pharmacy information?
Jeffrey Aufiero
Palm Beach Compounding in Jupiter Florida
Michelle Sarchiapone
YES. I switched over after the shortage and at first felt great and my labs were stable…about a month ago after a refill my hypo symptoms returned with a vengance. I got another refill last week and the taste and smell were so different I immediately came here to see if others were having issues and low and behold they are. Thankfully I have a small supply of old formula NP which I am working through and about a 3 month supply of the old formula WP I will be switching to when the NP runs out but after that I have no idea what to do! All of these medications seem to now be crap!
housemaid
Has anyone been able to get WP? If so, where? Is WP working for anybody? NP is working for me and I have been getting it at a very good price at CVS with my Good RX Gold plan. Last time I got 300 pills of the 90 mg size for less than $100. When I read about people not being able to get it at CVS any longer, I thought, “Well, maybe it is because they have insurance. I pay cash, so hopefully I won’t have any problem.” So I called CVS today and they told me right away that they could not refill that prescription any longer. I told them that I knew that there was no shortage of NP thyroid and that CVS had been bought by a company which was pushing Synthroid. She said, “Yes, well, you’ll have to get your prescription filled at another pharmacy because we can’t fill it.” This sounds illegal to me. I wonder if Acella knows about this.
C. C.
I just got back from CVS pharmacy. Not the one I normally go to but the one that supposedly had my med.s I switched to NP thyroid a month ago after I was unable to get any nature throid or WP thyroid filled anywhere, even mail order pharmacies. I got a text from CVS saying that they didn’t have my prescription but another CVS did and to call them. I called Saturday and (insert not nice name here) told me that the text is just a generic text and another store may or may not have my med.s. She also told me it NP was on back order (lie). She checked on the computer and said yes two CVS stores in town had it. So I picked the one closest to me. I go there today to pick them up ( I take two strengths) and they only had the lower strength one that I take in the afternoon. They were at least helpful and explained that ever since the shortage of RCL lab products the makers of Amour and NP thyroid have jacked up their prices and they have to jump through a bunch of hoops before they can even order it. She explained normally they can order it directly but since the shortage they have to 1st contact my Dr.s office each time they order it and order from central ordering instead of the manufacturer directly. She said when they call central ordering they are on hold for over an hour most of the time. So basically everyone switching to these other med.s has caused price gouging and exasperated the low stock that local pharmacies usually keep of these med.s. I personally think the FDA is at the heart of the whole thing because the makers of Levo. don’t like having their profits cut. They want to force as many of us as they can to take their “preferred” medication and damn the quality of our lives. I may be paranoid but it sure feels like we are being targeted. Anyway I hope this helps make a little sense of what is going on, although it still doesn’t make much.
C.C.
Update to my post, I got a text from CVS last night stating my NP order was in. It was too late to call them. This morning I got a call from my Dr.s office saying that CVS informed my Dr. unless she gave them a copy of my medical history and a valid reason why I could not take Levo. they were not going to fill my prescription because my insurance wouldn’t cover it. This is funny since they had been filling my prescriptions for nature throid or wp thyroid for the past 4 years and my insurance covered their portion. I was even able to get my part of my prescription for NP filled at that CVS days before. I had not read Luz’s comment when I posted mine and now that I have read it, I agree that it’s a CVS Synthroid conspiracy. I told the person at CVS that they were not physicians and they had no business telling anyone what medications they should or should not take and absolutely no right to my medical information. My med.s are currently at a Walgreen’s waiting for me to come pick them up and covered by my insurance. It seems as though there should be a class action lawsuit against CVS, Aetna and Synthroid. How can this be legal? It certainly seems like a severe conflict of interest and fraud is being perpetrated on the public. I’m sure there’s a loophole they’re using but it really pisses me off they are doing this.
Dawn
It’s not just CVS – my pharmacy Vyto’s also made my doctor complete paperwork to justify why I couldn’t take Synthroid and said my insurance will decline any future refills of WP until the paperwork is completed and submitted to my insurance – Express Scripts. I wonder if they are behind it – I know they financially penalize me if I fill a script more than 3 times at a local pharmacy instead of through them – but they cannot get the WP which is why I keep going to the pharmacy. This is very upsetting and disturbing – I agree that I should have choice in what medication I take and I should NOT have to have my doctor justify why it won’t be Synthroid.
C.C.
Well Dawn, its probably big pharma lobbing these corporations aka bribing them. I apologize to Janie for going off topic. This is the first thread that pops up and many of us were/are in panic mode. I can’t even comment about WP thyroid anymore as I have been unable to get it for over a year.
LS
Me too. This up and down has to stop. Sorry your synthetic doesn’t work. We shouldn’t be punished and I am so sick and tired of this game.
Jean Friedlander
Hi, my name is Jean. I am new to this blog. The CVS I have been using for NP Thyroid says they are no longer purchasing NP Thyroid. They are saying it is a corporate issue. Just wanted to let you all know that is what I have heard, how true it really is, I am not sure. I am getting it from a pharmacy in my area, however the price tripled using this pharmacy.
I would also like to ask if any of you are experiencing a change in the quality of NP Thyroid. I myself do not feel it works as well, however, it could be another health issue for me arising. Is there anything anyone can recommend other than upping my dosage of thyroid medication? I am thinking that something else could help my thyroid that I am not aware of. Thank you for your help in advance! (I decided to go to a compound pharmacy. I just hope the powders are not being changed due to big pharm. They are really trying to exclude natural thyroid medication. They did this overseas, where it is now banned! I am greatful that our government did not allow that to happen. I read or heard on the news that the president would not go along with banning it. They did try it here. He said it wasn’t right and he wouldn’t go along with it. They are the worse people around. They don’t care about anything but their money. They have so much garbage that is so damaging on the market and they know it. They do it anyway. All for money. I wish they would leave it alone. I am sure they are the ones who made the manufacturer of the powder to change how they process it. It is no longer heated to process the powder, it is freeze dried, which is bad for the hormone. It makes it less potent. I am sure they were involved. I do not know about any of you, but I am really scared they are constantly working at making this product a problem for all the people who take it.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Jean. This is meant to be about WP thyroid. But I can quickly let you know that NP is fine. Read this page on how to make it work: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101 Study it.
Roxanne Vaughan
Has anyone suffered hair loss while taking nature-throid?
Janie Bowthorpe
Many, many, many have had problems with Naturethroid. Sign up for the blog posts. People are moving to NP Thyroid.
Lynn
Is NP better than WP? I have taken Naturethroid for years and was switched to WP due to the shortage in Jan 2019. They switched me back to Naturethroid in June 2019 and I gave developed joint pain, fatigue and hair loss. After testing my t3 is high. Would I be better off going back to WP?
Janie Bowthorpe
By the reports of a large body of patients….
1) Naturethroid has gone south. Patients have reported too many problems with it, just as you have noticed.
2) WP is fine for some, seemingly problematic now for others. We’re still not sure yet about it.
3) NP Thyroid is excellent.
And with NP, remember you have to be OPTIMAL, not just on it, as has been reported by patients. Optimal in patients puts the free T3 towards the top part of the range, and a midrange free T4. To get optimal without problems, we have to have optimal cortisol and iron, too. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
jay
I am sorry I’m not commenting on WP thyroid but on NDT in general and it’s increasing unavailability in the U S. My husband has been on all the major NDT over the years…having to switch each time one becomes unavailable. My Dr. will only prescribe levo so I have been purchasing my my NDT from overseas. I am also a member of an international thyroid group post. Just this week a number of the members on that site have reported that their major international supplier of NDT has said they were notified by email that the U S FDA was shutting down their shipments of NDT! This is how powerful the FDA is. My concern is that the FDA because of the pressure and BIG money from BIG pharma is able to eliminate all NDT manufacturing!
Alex
That was to be expected…. Shit happens!
Angie F.
I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I’ve had a devil of a time getting ANYthing filled this week except for Armour…Here’s what I’ve experienced thus far and I’ll start with WP, since that is the subject of this blog. Despite the fact that RLC claims that WP, 1 grain, is “shipping”, I can NOT get WP from either big-chain OR local, compounding pharmacy (the local was able to find me N-T in late 2017 when no one else was, so they do make the effort to find out). I can not get NP from the big chain I use (CVS), but I can get it from the local compounding pharmacy. I have a question into them (local pharm) about being able to obtain compound dessicated. Purely speculation, of course, but it may well be that due to any number of factors (in eastern NC, Hurricane Florence decimated the hog farms, there), there may be other issues with obtaining raw material other than speculation (e.g., a firm buys it all out and jacks up the price) including an outright shortage.
Angie F.
Update to my above post…CVS was point-blank lying to me about the “manufacturer has it on backorder” business. The NP Thyroid Facebook page has plenty to say on this…https://www.facebook.com/NPThyroid/. Also..I had plenty to say to CVS on their Facebook page about this issue…I encourage anybody experiencing this problem to do the same…Unacceptable..
Luz
Angie, I find it interesting that you could not get NP from CVS. I have a CVS prescription benefit via my employer’s health care plan. I’ve been taking NP Thyroid since November 2018 and have been getting my prescriptions filled at the CVS Pharmacy. I switched to NP Thyroid after RLC Labs shut down production of WP Thyroid and I started to exhibit hypothyroid symptoms and severe stomach pains after switching to Nature-Throid. I had successfully filled NP at CVS Pharmacy from November 2018 until January 2019. When I tried to obtain a refill on 2/22, the Pharmacist told me that he was trying to order NP Thyroid but that CVS prefers that patients order Levothyroxine (Synthroid). I told him that I wasn’t going to switch to Synthroid and he assured me that the prescription would be ready by Friday. This morning (3/1), I called again as the status of the prescription was showing a status of “in process” on the CVS Pharmacy app and the Pharmacist asked me if I had ever taken Levothyroxine? I said that I had a prescription for NP Thyroid and I was not interested in taking Synthroid. I then told her that I would be transferring my prescription to Kroger. CVS would not fill my NP Thyroid prescription because they wanted to sell me Synthroid!!! How is that even legal? I sent Acella a note asking them to contact me so hopefully they will respond and follow-up. I’m still shocked that CVS did this!!
Luz Ortiz
I posted my comment before I saw your update. I’m still shocked that CVS is getting away with doing this!!
Angie F.
Hi Luz: Like you, I had not had a problem with CVS filling my ‘script for NP until this last refill. Here’s my take…CVS bought Aetna. Aetna and Abbott (the maker of Synthroid) have had a symbiotic relationship on other issues..CVS has precisely NO business in recommending or influencing what thyroid replacement, or ANY drug for that matter, a patient utilizes. That decision is strictly between a given patient and their prescriber…The link to NP’s Facebook page has many similar experiences to yours and mine and a statement with regard to CVS’s apparent policy on filling NP prescriptions. CVS’s response to me, when I called them out for this on their Facebook page, was to ask me to “go PM” (a strategy employed to remove the discussion from public view) and pretend this was a location specific issue. I declined their invitation to do so and pointed out that my experience was NOT isolated to a specific location and was shared by many patients, and that this was a CVS Corporate policy and decision. As of this writing, they have not responded further.
Tko
My CVS pharmacy rep. told that their policy has to look for a generic version to lower the price for a customer. Therefore it might take a month to find a generic version! I urged them back there’s no generic for the decicated Thyroid hormone. Then the rep suggested me to transfer my prescription to other pharmacy. So I transferred to other a super store and the other store filled my prescription within a couple of days.
Timaleigh Vest
Late Dec. of 2018 I was switching from NP to WP and called to get my new prescription of WP filled at the CVS in my Neighborhood. They told me they no longer sold WP or NP thyroid. Then they deleted my new prescription called in by my Doctor and later that day deleted my old prescription of NP from their files (I found this out later from a manager at a different CVS). During this time I asked if they could please send my old prescription of NP to Walgreens(before they deleted it) and Walgreens declined the sale of NP to me which had never happened. I strongly believe someone at that CVS contacted Walgreens and told them not to sell me the NP(This is the only thing I cannot prove everything else I have voice recordings of). I was left with no “new” medication and had run out of my current batch of NP waiting a week so for the holiday weekend I took half the dose I normally take. I called corporate CVS to tell them what happened and my Doc to get another new prescription. Corporate CVS came through right away and I found a CVS that would order WP for me about an hour away. It’s like each store is different? I can’t figure it out.
Sharon Hagen
CVS merged with Aetna Healthcare Insurance last year. Aetna has already been convicted and fined for denying patient care without any review of medical records whatsoever and is now under review by the CA insurance commissioner for the same charges again. Coinkydink ?
Kathy
HELP! I don’t know where to post this! I want to know if anyone out there has rapid heartbeat with HYPOthyroidism, not just HYPERthyroidism??? My medical practitioner says this can happen and has me on 1 1/2 to 2 grains of WP Thyroid for my Hypo.
Also, note to Janie: how can I find out your consultation rates? I’ve been dealing with all this for so long and am truly overwhelmed. Thank you
Janie Bowthorpe
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/coaching-call You need to hear some things….
Heather
I just returned from picking up a partial fill of WP Thyroid from Walgreens. It seems that it is on backorder or something, none of the Walgreens in my area have it in stock. I haven’t checked with other pharmacies yet, but I’m going to call around. Anyone else having trouble getting WP filled?
I had to switch from compound NDT last year when the powder they use was pulled from the market and then tried NP Thyroid for several months. I am suspicious that something weird was going on with the compound NDT powder beause I had already had to raise my dose after being stable for many years. Then when I switched to NP my symptoms came on with a vengeance and had to raise again. After that I didn’t feel terrible (but not optimal either) but my labs were terrible and further testing indicated that I’ve developed a pork sensitivity. It seems the NP Thyroid just didn’t agree with me for whatever reason. I am wary of the synthroid/cytomel combo because it has not worked for me in the past so my doctor suggested trying WP and lowering my dose, which seems to have helped. I also have eliminated all other pork from my diet to try to reverse the sensitivity and am waiting on my cortisol test results to see if that has become an issue amongst all these changes. I just hope that another shortage isn’t starting now that I’ve found something that seems to be working better.
Leslie Marlowe
Heather, which compounding pharmacy do you use? And would you happen to know the name of the supplier of the NDT powder they pulled, and the one they now use?
I’ve been researching this for a while… Any info would be appreciated.
Leslie
Heather
I use a local pharmacy in my city, it’s not a chain or anything. I don’t know the name of the powder they were using and they currently aren’t offering any NDT there. They told me the powder wasn’t recalled, but they were told to pull it from their stock and stop using it. It happened this past fall, around the end of September or beginning of October I believe. I called another pharmacy in town that I have used in the past and they told me the same story.
Janie Bowthorpe
Would you find out WHO told them to pull it from their stock, please….
Heather
I did a little digging and found out the manufacturer was Humco and according to the pharmacy, the manufacturer told them to pull the product. It’s currently on backorder and they said all their sources of the NDT powder are backordered. Hope that helps.
Judy
It sounds related to this:
https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm617287.htm
This is the same recall that caused Women’s International Pharmacy to not be able to compound NDT. Last I checked, WIP still could not compound medication.
Jeanine Martel
I have always taken WP thyroid because of my sensitities to fillers. I always purchase a years supply. I had no problem with running out because of the shortage. But because of the whole mess of the shortage I decided to try other bovine over the counter thyroid replacements. I started with thyroid Gold it seemed strong enough but I clearly had a problem with the herb they use. I had a lot of heart palpatations. I stopped it afterms a month. I try ed other bovine thyroid and felt hypo- symptoms. I was excited to find a porcine product from regenerative health from England thinking this would work because it was porcine. It was very weak and my blood test results show it. I’d need to take so much it would not be cost effective so I stopped using it. I switched back each time to my supply of my good old WP thyroid while I was trying these over the counter products. I was glad I had WP as a back up. Any ways when I ran out of the old WP the new Wp was available and I took it for two months. I noticed the funny smell and taste because I take it sublingual. But I felt fine on it. Because of the high price which is hard for me to afford. My doctor suggested to try NP thyroid because it has only 3 fillers. I agreed. I took it for two days and had very bad reactions. Pulse going high than low ,stomach issues headaches. Extreme tiredness, depression. I do not think it was the thyroid itself but the fillers. On the third day I switched back to the new WP and I feel fine. I will continue on the new WP and in four weeks make blood work and report back. I hope I can afford it. Maybe I should go out hunt wild pig and make my own. I don’t understand why these companies can’t get a good clean affordable thyroid on the market. Goes back to the old saying “it’s all about money”
Rita
Jeanine, please let us know the results of your bloodwork on the new WP Thyroid. I appreciate it. I’m considering trying it.
Susan
HI! I was taking old WP until a year ago, when all pharmacies in the area were out of stock. I did well on WP. But had to switch to NP and did not like the fillers, especially maltodextrin. Walgreen’s had a bottle of new WP 1 gr sitting on their shelf, so after months of waiting for provider to agree, switched to new WP at same dose 1 week ago. Hypo symptoms returned! I felt like i was dying, and so depressed; i couldn’t read or comprehend.. SO switched back to NP today and feel a bit “more like me” but have a big headache. Have felt not like “me” for years, before diagnosis – poor provider care- few knowledgeable providers where i live. Labs are infrequent. Also taking cytomel 5 mcg am and lunch time. Just don’t know what to do at this point. I’ve been discouraged for some time. Still working demanding job. Ready to fire provider; waiting for new pt appointment w new provider.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. What dose of WP did you switch to? Did you not tweak it to find your optimal dose?? An optimal dose will put the free T3 towards the top part of the range, and free T4 midrange. Both. Sometimes, when someone switches, they do have redo labs after a few weeks on what was switched to, and tweak to be optimal again. That will be the same with NP.
Your headache may be because you are underdosed on NP, or it’s revealing that you now have a cortisol problem, maybe iron. This, just in case: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Cathy Whittington
I have just started back on WP a little over a week ago and I’m already noticing improvements. I have tried all the others since the shortage and had issues with them all. Tried the NT first since it came back first and could not tolerate it. I have a lot of drug and food sensitivities. Hopefully labs will look better too! It’s been a rough year not having something I could tolerate! Cathy
Leslie Marlowe
Cathy Whittington,
That’s excellent news that the WP is working well for you so far. It would be great if you could please keep us posted? Of course, I’m hoping and crossing fingers that the new WP continues to be issue free for you. I’d considered NP Thyroid, but it’s made with mineral oil –a petrochemical– ugh. Like many, I’ve been hesitant to restart WP after reading all of the negative reactions some are having with it, but your post just gave me a smidgeon of hope! Thanks for this post.
Diane
Perhaps everyone could submit a complaint to the fda medicine complaint site to raise awareness?
Janie Bowthorpe
There is a potential two-edged sword if we do that. Namely, NDT is still considered an “unapproved drug” by the FDA. Ridiculous, but true. So to complain about a medication that they consider “not approved” is risky for ALL brands of NDT. Instead, just put your money on another good brand like NP Thyroid by Acella. In second place is Armour.
jospeh
are these two books the same? Sttm – the girl with the fist and the bunch of ppl putting their palms out in front signaling a stop symbol?? Thanks
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes….but no. In the new revision (the girl with the fists), you will see the exact same chapter titles, but the majority of chapters now have updated info. Read all about it here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/updated-revision-STTM-book
Anna, Dublin
Thank you for all your work and the information you provide to us all. I wonder if you might have time to help me? I’m 61, been on Eltroxin (100mg) for more than 15 years, despite my best efforts to get NDT here in Ireland. I also have ADHD, and was just about to start ADHD meds when I found a new practitioner who prescribed me WP Thyroid. I have read the comments posted about here about WP Thyroid with alarm, and haven’t started WP or ADHD meds yet. I’m under pressure to finish a work project. What do you advise ? Should I get my thyroid meds sorted first? Or should I postpone starting any new meds until this work crisis passes in a couple of months? Grateful for any input. Anna. Dublin.
Janie Bowthorpe
Can you get T3 added to that T4 and find your optimal dose of T3?
Carolyn
I was doing steady and great on WP for a few years but on the “new” version, my TSH spiked to 77! I increased my dosage by only 1/4 of a grain and then my TSH dropped to 0.24 with. I’m finding very low T4 and high TSH in general. My symptoms of joint pain, heart palps, fatigue and cold body temp are returning. I don’t have a thyroid due to RAI, and I’m allergic to synthetic and corn starch versions, so I’m not sure what else to switch to? Thoughts???
NancyEllen
I am thyroidless and did great on the old NP and West Thyroid. I am now on the new WP for about 2 weeks and felt better than being on the new Nature thyroid. However, there does not seem to be enough porcine in each 1 gr pill. So… I am now adding 1 gr of a very old ( over 10 yrs old) and it is helping. The fillers in the WP are fine where they are not in the NT, NP and Armour. Those contain calcium stearate.
The WP does not contain that. However, it is WP light, as we will need more grains to get the labs right.
jeff
old NP? you mean NP thyroid Acella has reformulated??
Janie Bowthorpe
I think she means Naturethroid and may have meant to type NT, not NP Thyroid. The latter has never been “reformulated”.
NancyEllen
Yes. Janie is correct. I meant the Naturethyroid
jeff
phew.. was about tta say,
Angela F Frye
And just as mysteriously as my, and others’, sudden inability to comment or reply on RLC Nature-throid & WP Facebook Page, my petition at moveon.org appears to have been hacked…This isn’t looking good folks…this company, heretofore, as has enjoyed a good reputation…they appear to be more interested in covering up the problems than they are genuinely protecting it.
Leslie Marlowe
They (RLC Labs) seem to be unresponsive to my email inquiries about anything… RLC has an adrenal supplement I have been taking and I had a very basic question about it, and they’ve never responded. I will call them and see if that works. I get my WP Thyroid compounded, and haven’t had any issues and feel better on it than I did on synthetic which I was on for 15 years. The compounding pharm only uses 1-2 benign safe fillers. The major downside, of course, is that it’s very, very expensive, but because I’m sensitive to fillers, I am bearing the brunt of the expense. I’d planned to go on the WP once it returned, but NO WAY now!! Thanks for this post 🙂
Angela F Frye
Hi Leslie: You’re welcome…Be sure to sign our petition up at MoveOn.org…Link to follow.. https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/nature-throid-and-wp
Rita
Leslie, what compounding pharmacy do you use?
Leslie Marlowe
Angela F Frye, Rita, and Dana I use Woodland Hills for my WP Thyroid.
Dana
@Leslie Marlowe – I would also love to know which compounding pharmacy you use. Thank you!
Andrea
Leslie, what do you mean you get WP Thyroid compounded? What are the fillers ?
Emi
Hi Janie and all,
Really unfortunate results have occurred with the new WP Thyroid. I wrote in December, 2018 that I had returned to WP Thyroid from NP Acella, and was happy to be back.
After a couple weeks on I started to get a rash on my face, and this became worse flaring up after each dose. Then fading, but not completely. I thought at first it was from make-up or soap and changed both, but later realized it was from the WP. I saw a dermatologist yesterday, and he took a sample of skin. It is not bacterial or fungal. He confirmed that it can be an auto immune response to the WP Thyroid. I have also read a disturbing report saying that animals are being raised in filthy conditions, and their bodies and parts are being sprayed before shipping with bleach and chemicals to kill potential bacteria, and this is supposedly then rinsed off. With all that is going on with Dessicated Thyroid, when RLC Naturethroid is having issues, and we understand they are sourcing the same thyroid for WP, seems a good time to back away at least until things settle down out there, and move into T3/T4 not from animals? I need T3/T4 with no fillers, can a compounding pharmacy make that up? My quest begins rapidly. Please respond your thoughts, results.
Janie Bowthorpe
The problem with no filler is that they need at least one filler for measurement purposes since the T3 and T4 will be such a tiny amount. Have heard of people using vitamin c as a filler, for example. Let us know how it all turns out.
Emi
Hi Janie, Thanks for this info. Are you speaking of a kind of thyroid that is NOT from animals? That is what I am seeking. I just called a compounding pharmacy, and they said they don’t have anything that does not come from an animal, and she cannot guarantee that their desiccated thyroid powder does not come from China. She knows one source is Canada. Please let me know. Also, I replied to to DelAnn below about my red cheek rash disappearing since stopping the WP. It is a longer reply, in case you are interested, letting her know about MISO Soup and an herbal I took. NOT recommending it to anyone, just letting all know. Thanks for this blog!
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, synthetic T4 with synthetic T3.
Emi
Thanks Jane, Are you talking about a synthetic T4/T3 that a compounding pharmacy can make with a filler such as organic whit rice? Or are you talking about the pharmaceuticals such as synthroid and cytomel, as they have fillers I cannot tolerate. And if a compounding pharmacy you know of can compound the artificial T4/T3 can you give their name(s)? Thank you.
Janie Bowthorpe
Some compounding pharmacies can put together a pill with synthetic T3 and synthetic T4—have seen patients get that over the years. But it’s going to be pricey compared to just taking synthetic T3 and synthetic T4. And the problem with compounding it is that it’s not easy to tweak to get optimal as it is with just using the two synthetics.
When you say you can’t tolerate the fillers…what happens to you?
Emi
Jane, this is a reply to what happens to me wih certain fillers. Allergic reactions include rashes from microcrstallne cellulose and Acacia and from an unknown ingredient in the new WP, to dizzyness and loose stools, and overall bloating, gas. To enlarged veins in my legs and feet ie peripheral vascular disease with NP which disappeared on WP and is a common side effect of High Thyroid. No symptoms at all and good numbers with the old WP. Even veins receeded. Found out that Women’s International Pharmacy compounds non-animal, no fillers T3/T4 in any ratio you MD orders, in organic Olive Oil capsules. Any suggestion as to where is good to start? I was considering 10:1 as my body seems sensitive to the 4:1 pig ratio, yet wonder if going too quickly to 13:1 or higher may be difficult for my body to adjust too quickly to. BTW RT3 has been high, can’t remember he numbers at this moment, but can find if that would be helpful. Thank you. Not sure if an Endo will even be up on this… very tired of working on this. My MD is an integrative doctor and very willing to work with me.
Janie Bowthorpe
If RT3 is high, the worse thing you can do is shoot for a 10:1 ratio. Even 4:1 is too high if your RT3 is high. Mostly T3 is needed. And you need to treat the cause of the high Rt3. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3
Jeffrey
Womens International Pharmacy will compound T3/T4 with just 1 filler, i believe they mainly use olive oil. I requsted organic coconut oil and it was no problem. Its tricky with dosing switching from dessicated thyroid and suggest a time release on the T3, I felt it dumping into my system without the time release which can throw you off for the day…..bummer about new WP, keep the reports coming 🙂
MP
What is the cost of this? My compounded is SO expensive.
MP
I crashed on the new WP. TSH was 1.0, but frees were very low. Also threw me into a major flare. I felt wonderful on the old WP for years. My mom just got bad bloodwork back after being stable on NT for years. Recently moved to a compounded t3/t4 (synthetic) and slowly coming back to life. Labs mid-February.
DelAnn
Emi I’m so glad you posted about your rash from the “new” WP and finding information from your Dr. that it is autoimmune related. Since I started the “new” WP I have been breaking out in Hives off and on! I have been trying to figure out why for this past month. I’ve changed nothing with what I eat, have not changed any makeup or lotions, shampoo’s, soaps, yet I’ve been having this hive breakout off and on this last month, and none before starting the “new” WP. Hives apparently is My body trying to ward off something it don’t like and I believe more strongly now from Your experience Emi, that it is related to something in or coating on, the “new” WP. I’ve complained about it tasting horrible and smelling weird. My “gut feeling” is that I should stop taking this stuff until more is known about their “new” WP production changes or ingredients, which at this point, I think is in the best interest of my health to do. They say they haven’t changed the formula, if so, then RLC, Please explain the tastes and smell, because those two thing we know ARE DIFFERENT. I am one week into this second bottle and I now have had hives daily all this week!!! I’ve given this “new” WP a chance now for 6 weeks and I don’t trust this “new” WP stuff anymore!
Emi
Hi DelAnn, Thanks for writing. I have an update… I stopped taking the WP on the 22nd am and took some NP Thyroid that I had left over. NO HIVES, no red cheeks to this minute. There is definitely something in the new formula that was affecting me. I also had tried changing soap, changing make-up, without success. So I encourage you to try going back to something that was not giving you hives for a few days. OH I also started taking a cup or two of MISO Soup each day, made by MISO MASTER, their Brown Rice version. MISO takes harmful bacteria and toxins, even radiation and cancer cells, and flushes them out of the body. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3695331/ — and Soy is now proven to protect against cancer and heal cancer: https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20170307/soy-safe-even-protective-for-breast-cancer-survivors#1 But I digress… MISO will help to purify your body from whatever toxins were in the WP that are bothering you… Also I took Rapid Immune Boost by Herb Pharm 40 drops several times each day. I am NOT recommending this to you or anyone, just letting you all know what else I did to help detoxify my body, in case just stopping the WP you don’t get immediate results like I have. Still looking for the T3/T4 artificial thyroid, like Synthroid, without fillers. Just called a compounding pharmacy, and they don’t have anything that does not come from an animal. Let me hear from you. Thanks!
Cheryl
I started back on the “new” WP the same time you did and I have noticed many of the same negative reactions as you have! It’s been 6 weeks now. I thought it was just me….I can’t believe it! I too am experiencing hives as well. The fatigue is over the top, my joints hurt and my limbs feel heavy and weighted down and leg swelling has returned. My eyes seem to be blurry as well….I am disappointed beyond belief….now what?? Something is not right, because I was in absolute heaven on the “old” WP!! I never felt better and had so much energy…and
my weight was perfect. I hate how I feel and look now. I have exhausted all options previously…although I will most likely go back to the compounded NDT if available. Was on compounded synthetic t4/t3 gained weight, but felt alright. May do the slow release t3 and see if that makes a difference….when will this end. 😔
Janie Bowthorpe
Go to NP Thyroid, Cheryl. It’s an excellent NDT and people constantly report how great it’s been for them. Remember that you have to tweak when you change over. Also, since you feel so bad on the new WP, you may need to check your iron and cortisol now.
ANITA
I too have been on the new WP for about 6 weeks, I am having terrible pain in all my joints, hot flashes like I have never had in my life. WP was the only medication that I could find that actually helped me. This is not the same medication. I have also been experiencing hives. All of the symptoms everyone is talking about is what I am going thru. I wish RLC would just tell the truth.
Timaleigh Vest
Hi Emi
I just read your post. Im very concerned about the chemicals being sprayed as I have been on the new WP for awhile now and I just had my vision checked yesterday and both eyes prescription has changed significantly. I have had blurry vision and facial muscular spasms on the new WP as well. Thank you for your post
Emi2Earth
Timaleigh, And All: Check this out. Another reason to reconsider USA pig thyroid…
Chlorinated chicken, hormone-fed beef and bacon produced with additives strong enough to cripple pigs have been listed by British campaigners as three of the top 10 food safety risks posed by a free-trade deal with the US.
Ractopamine, which can add three kilos of extra meat to a pig, is banned by almost every country except the US. The EU has outlawed its use since 1996. It is fed to an estimated 60-90% of pigs in the US in the weeks before slaughter and has been found to cause disability in animals including trembling, broken bones and an inability to walk, according to the Soil Association.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/16/bacon-laced-banned-additive-us-trade-deal-food-risk-list
Kelli
RLC is producing their own Pig thyroid hormone instead of buying it from companies who know how to produce it! I’ve had blurry vision for months and now understand why!!
Janie Bowthorpe
We need more documentation on this. One medical gal said so, but we need proof.
Timaleigh Vest
Hi again,
Emi will you please tell me the who or what gave the report you read on WP? Thank you
joes
why stop NP thyroid? is that not going well for you??
DelAnn
Just finished a 30 day supply of the “new WP”. I was taking NP during the shortage of WP. I had lab work done while on NP the day before starting the “new WP”. My dosage on WP has always been 2 grains so I was taking 2 grains of NP while on it and on this “new WP I’m also taking 2 grains. The first lab results on the “new WP” has put me over the top of the range of Free T3, The middle range on Free T4 and a suppressed TSH at 0.0336. The last lab on NP before starting “new WP” was TSH 1.240, Free T3 middle of range and Free T4 at the very lowest number at the bottom of the range. So, while the lab results on this past 30 day supply of the “new WP” look good on paper and I should be feeling good, I’m still so sleepy tired all the time and no energy at all!!! Also I have always taken my med letting it melt under my tongue and the taste of the “new WP” is sooo horrible !!! Nothing at all like other NDT’s and, I’ve tried them all at one time or another. They always had that distinctive taste and smell kinda “piggy” as I call it. I mentioned before it taste like envelope glue or some weird chemical. And as one girl posted, it does have a different smell like she described, like a plastic smell. For all of you that do swallow it, I would be interested (if you care to) in you putting it under your tongue just a few seconds to taste what I’m complaining about before swallowing and share what you think it tastes like to you. I just started my 2nd bottle of 30 day supply of the “new WP” and it tastes just as horrible as the first bottle and don’t smell right either. I’m wondering what they did to it to make it not smell or taste like the Old WP did. And, if in the long run, whatever the “thing” they did different in smell and taste is going to show up as something we should not have been ingesting either under our tongue , or in our stomachs!
Angela F Frye
Just a reminder that we still have a petition up at MoveOn.Org to RLC Laboratories respectfully requesting that they respond to patient complaints and inquiries regarding recent negative experience on both Nature-throid and WP Thyroid…NOw at 224 signatures….Please sign and share..https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/nature-throid-and-wp
Timaleigh Vest
Thank you I signed!
Nan
Signed.
Carol
I took 1 1/2 Armour for years before it became cost prohibitive. I switched to 130 mg Naturethroid. Labs have been good for a number of years and were great in May 2018, but by mid December 2018 and a retest of TSH 1/4/19, my TSH is 11.76. My T4 and T3 levels are still in range. I found your website and learn there is a problem with NT. I have a fairly new primary and he wants me to take synthroid which I do not want to take. I have a consultation with him 1/14/19. After reading all these posts, I just dont know what direction to go nor a comparable strenght of NDT to discuss with my doctor. Your help is appreciated. I am fully aware synthroid is the drug of choice among most doctors. I have done pretty well on NDT since 2002. Obviously, the NDT shortages and apparent reformulation of NT have thrown many of us into somewhat of a crisis.
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid by Acella has been the first choice. Armour the second choice. And you may have to call around to get the NP Thyroid–lots of demand for it. And remember that optimal will always put the free T3 towards the top part of the range and the free T4 midrange. Both.
Terry L.
Did you notice any changes / symptoms switching fron Nature T to NP? I’ve got switch, my pharmacy can’t get NT any more. Thank
you, – TL
Carol
Is anyone noticing a terrible taste /extremely dry mouth using NatureThroid? I switched from Armour because it was causing anxiety/heart palpitations although I did really well on it for years.
Tavus
I had extremely dry mouth with nature thyroid in the beginning , then hot flashes and rest f bad things came along after 1 1/2 i stopped and moved to Armour
GWEN
I picked up my WP today. The color looks the same but the smell is different… more of a chemical smell. Last March, I couldn’t get WP.
I changed to NP and within a week I could barely walk and felt terrible. My Doc changed Nature thyroid and I did better but starting in October, I started having weight gain and by end of December … my symptoms were terrible.. Hypo returned… brittle hair, aches and pains, tired, and have gained 12 pounds. I quit taking it for 2 weeks. My weight stablized but joints hurt. Guess I’ll try WP… but very afraid to try it.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Gwen. NP is a great NDT! So if you felt bad, it’s correctable. You could have been underdosing yourself (thus a return of hypo) or it’s revealing an iron or cortisol problem. Study this page!! https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me Read it all!
gwen
Thanks, Janie! This is an update… I have been on WP since Jan. 7th. I was first told by the pharmacy this is a new batch of WP. I have been feeling so good. I’m not having all the Hypo problems I was having on Nature thyroid. Weight is coming down. I had a visit with my doctor two days ago and she wanted to increase the dose. I called the pharmacy and they said “they couldn’t get any more of the WP, then he told me “that was an old batch left over stock that I was given… not a new batch.” I explained ” the other pharmacist told me it was a new one.” So, I don’t know if it was the old version or new. Very frustrating. I have 90 days of the WP. I’ll keep you updated as to what’s happening. Thanks!
Gwen
I have an udate….
I was taking the old version WP… and over the last 90 days started felling great. I lost 17 pds (I had put on on the Nature Thyroid.) I just ran out of the Old version WP 10 days ago. I was able to get the new version of WP and 10 days into it… I have started having… night sweats/flashes, waking up with rapid heart beat. Today, I have achy joints and fatigue. The symptoms seem to be returning. The pharmacy said only 65 is available. I’m wondering if I need to increase my dose? Can these tablets be cut? Or is there another alternative to WP worth looking into???
Janie Bowthorpe
Well shoot. Was seeing good results with the new WP with people, but clearly you aren’t one. The only way to know what to do is three-fold based on years of our experiences and wisdom.
1) Do your free T3 and free T4 labs. And note that optimal puts the free T3 at the top part of the range and free T4 midrange. Both. 2) See if your adrenals are now a problem and causing that reaction by doing the Discovery Steps here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
3) Do all four iron labs. See where they should be here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron
Either an iron or cortisol problem cause also cause those symptoms. But it’s still a good idea to do the frees, too.
MP
LAB RESULTS ON NEW WP:
In November, these were my results on one grain of Naturethroid (felt hypo):
TSH: .185
Free t3: 3.3
Free t4: 1.14
Current results on 1.5 grain of new WP (felt hyper)
TSH: 1.00
free t3: 2.6
free t4: .96
* I was feeling so bad that I took 1/2 grain for two days preceding bloodwork, and nothing the day of bloodwork.
*my numbers were stable and I felt great for several years on one grain (some days less) of the old WP.
What the heck is going on? Went off WP and am taking some old armour I have until I can get compounded NDT. Feel way better off the WP
Janie Bowthorpe
Nobody knows, and RLC is publicly ignoring the subject.
Morgan
Just to give everyone a heads up. I went to pick up my Armour Thyroid today and the price has increased again. 90 tablets for $150.00. I hope this new one is cheaper than Armour Thyroid because I can’t keep paying this amount of money each month. I will have to ask my Endo next time I go.
Zela Smith
It was announced on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt that many prescription drug prices were increased at the first of the year. He mentioned Armour thyroid
Janie Bowthorpe
So the most expensive one is also now even more expensive. Jolly.
MP
Wish I had better news….
I’m at the one month mark with the new WP, and not doing great. I felt good the first couple weeks, and have slowly been deteriorating since. Feel hyper mixed with hypo. Ugh. Having labs done soon and will update with results. Anyone else?
Timaleigh Vest
I am at the one month one week mark (5 weeks) with NEW WP. This months batch is much better for me “so far”. I believe the pills this month are better. My energy and my temperature maintenance have improved in this first week on my second batch. These pills have a slightly stronger pig smell than last months NEW batch. I will not have new labs till next month. Still on the fence because I have a new disturbing symptom of twitching that just popped up today. So hoping that goes away tomorrow.
Rita
Timaleigh, where did you buy your WP? At a local pharmacy, or a national chain? I haven’t been able to find it in my city in NJ.
Timaleigh Vest
Hi Rita I received my WP thyroid from the pharmacy CVS. I had alot of trouble getting it too. I found out from a manager at another store that someone at my local CVS pharmacy was actually deleting my WP thyroid prescriptions. For now I know RLC is shipping one grain “65”. I dont know that they are shipping any other dose than that at this time.
Sarah
Just started the “new” WP two days ago. It definitely smells different than the old one. It smells like a mixture of smarties candies and new plastic. I am still taking the old formula that is about to or already expired and I am doing half and half until it runs out. So hoping the change in smell does not correlate with change in my symptoms. Barely hanging on as it is.
Timaleigh Vest
Hi Janie this is interesting she talks about RLC labs and WP towards the end. She went to the lab herself.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ia-9eyVnKmE
Janie Bowthorpe
Thanks Timaleigh. Everyone, skip to one hour to hear her remarks about RLC/Naturethroid/WP. You may, or may not, agree with what she says or what was told to her. I did like the info about the pigs, batches, Alberta Canada, etc. This was recorded in October and does not fully address the problems many have been reporting about Naturethroid, and is before WP came out, which this string is about i.e. WP.
housemaid
Got an email from GoodRx listing popular drugs which went up in price over 6% this year. WP thyroid was at the top of the list going up 55.8%. I thought I remembered RLC Labs saying that they wanted to keep price increases to a minimum for their customers. This hike was way above the second drug on the list which went up by 30.8%. https://www.goodrx.com/blog/2018-in-review-goodrx-prescription-drug-prices/
Mary Jo
I have been on nature throid for several years. Last batch is making me feel sick with headache and blurry vision. Would I be better off switching to NP or Armour. Price does not matter just my health and feeling better. TT back in 2015 no cancer on 2 grains 130 mg.
Which should I try? Calling my doctor tomorrow to switch.
PS waiting on lab results I just had drawn. I had no idea it was the nature throid causing these symptoms
Janie Bowthorpe
NP. And if any pharmacy says they can’t get it, give them Acella’s phone number. Look up Acella Pharm.
Ellen weir
I can’t get naturethroid now. Think it wasn’t working anyway. Am on 17.5 of HC. Pharmacy has NP. Should I start up today with same amount as I was on naturethroid?
Janie Bowthorpe
That has proven to be a huge mistake! NP is a far better and thus more powerful NDT than the new Naturethroid has been. So patients are starting much lower than their original Naturethroid amount, and doing labs in a few weeks and tweaking if necessary. P.S. you do know that 17.5 HC has never been enough for the majority who needed HC, right? Women start on 25 mg, then start doing their DATS to find the right amount. Chapter 6 in the revised STTM book.
Ellisha Hellums
Janie,
My pharmacy called ….Acela told them no !!
Jeffrey
Great info, thanks for that link!
DWAYNE DUELL-WAITE
I was having the same issues with Naturethroid. Switched to armour and feel amazing- blurry vision is now gone.
Pat
How long have you been taking the Armour and is it still working as good as when you posted this statement?
Timaleigh Vest
Its been two full weeks Ive been on 130 mg of the NEW WP switching from 120mg of NP. I am finally beginning to lose weight effortlessly and clothes are getting looser and I am not bloated like I used to be. But weight loss, softer hair, better digestion are only three things better on WP. Here is a list of my NEW side effects on the NEW WP
1) dry skin
2) occasional headaches
3) occasional insomnia
4) my long distance vision is worse and seems blurry
5) moody
I had none of these symptoms on NP but NP made me bloated and I gained weight and couldnt lose. I loved how NP made me feel. Definitely not getting that “NP good vibe feeling” yet on the NEW WP.
Janie Bowthorpe
Thanks for reporting back. Can you do your free’s and tell us about those, too? And how much are you on? Is it possible you are just underdosed?
Timaleigh Vest
Thank you Janie
I am taking two 65mg of NEW WP daily totaling 130mg daily. This is the most thyroid medication I have ever taken. But I am post menspause now so I know this plays a part. However YES to your question because I do “feel” underdosed currently and believe I am because of some of my symptoms. I will get my frees done in 5 weeks and will report back then.
gumbo
I briefly (and I mean for a few days) tried NP because of all the good reviews and I could not take it. The maltodextrin and dextrose used in it were a killer for me. I bloated up within a day and had the terrible aftertaste in my mouth. FYI, side effects of maltodextrin which is used in NP may include allergic reactions, weight gain, gas, flatulence, and bloating….
Megan
During the WP shortage, I traveled around to different states and cities picking up whatever small amount of WP each pharmacy had left in stock. With a lot of time and trouble, I was able to stay on it the whole year. The problem is that that old batch has now expired so even if I wanted to continue the search, it’s all been disposed of.
I switched to the new WP immediately when RLC began shipping, exactly 3 weeks ago today. At first I felt fine, which is unusual for me if a med isn’t going to work. I can usually tell with certainty by day 3 if my levels are dropping fast. I briefly tried Naturethroid in the last year and felt like death by the 2nd day.
Then after a week symptoms started returning slowly, but I kept making excuses for them. Maybe the excessively dry skin was just from the fireplace being on. Then more hair falling out, maybe it’s just a coincidence or the dry air. Then the sore throat, maybe I’m getting a cold. Then on day 16 I started getting really intense heart palps and a resting heart rate around 90, I thought maybe I drank too much kombucha. But finally the crippling fatigue and anxiety began. Then the weird rash I get on my legs when my t4 is low. I’m still waiting for my lab results to be sent to me, but these are my telltale signs of hypo.
The pills are also much harder and smell different. It is clearly not the same formula and it blows my mind that RLC keeps posting that the formulas of both medications have not been altered. Is that even legal? It’s certainly not ethical. I’m considering sending one to a biochemist to have it tested because we can’t just let this company get away with this. Especially when they’ve decided to double the price.
I don’t know what to do now. I’m going to be sick on Christmas and it’s getting worse by the day. My doctors will not be in the office for days to write me an Rx for a different med. I guess I will have to try NP whenever I can get ahold of someone.
Janie Bowthorpe
Have you tried raising the new WP? Maybe you need more of the new?
Megan
I wanted to wait until I got my labwork back to confirm, but I did go ahead and increase by 16.25 today. I really hope it’s just a dose problem!
Kelli
Update?
MP
Janie,
I have a question about dose raising. I am titrating up to my former WP dose. I notice that when I go past one grain, I get a high heart rate. I can’t really feel it, but my Apple watch puts me in the 90s. Otherwise, I feel good and hypo symptoms are going away. Have you seen this increase in heart rate diminish once your body adjusts to dose? I would like to get back up to my old dosage of WP that I did so well on.
Janie Bowthorpe
A high heart rate when raising from a lower dose is usually #2 on this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Sandra
Hello Guys, here’s a post from a potential WP Thyroid customer from oversees, namely Germany. I’ve been waiting for a whole year now to be able to order WP Thyroid, for reasons you all know. When RCL posted the update on their website concerning the comeback of WP Thyroid in November 2018, I was thrilled and contacted several international pharmacies in Germany. Most of them told me it is still not available for them to order, but there were a few who told me they would order the WP Thyroid for me but when they told me the price I was absolutely shocked. The price has literally doubled. In November 2017 I ordered it for 47 euros (100 Tablets of 1 grain) (the order was canceled later on for obvious reasons) and now in December 2018 they charge 97 Euros! It’s mind-boggling and no decent explanation comes to my mind why they rise the price about 100%. I feel that RCL might scent big profit from the reintroduction of WP Thyroid since the demand for NDT ist raising worldwide and I find it morally at least questionable to charge twice the price now from people who they know are dependent on a true and pure NDT product (since most products on the market have unessessary harmful substances in it, even Nature Throid). I am really disappointed now because I dont know how to afford around 600 Euros or even more every single year from my own pocket, just to finally be able to “recover” as best as possible from my hypothyreosis. I am on T4 and T3 combination therapy now (T4 only made me close to fatally ill because I am one of the individuals that can’t produce T3 in their body cells by themselves – but literally no doctor here knows about this common condition in Hashimoto’s patients (it concerns around 18 percent of all patients). But I still have the worst metabolism, muscle weeknees, hairloss, fatigue, bad immune function and so on so I really need to change to NDT. I even don’t know yet if WP Thyroid would be working for me individually and thats why I additionally hesitate to invest around 100 Euros just to test the product. I think I will wait for more customer/patients rewievs to come out what the new WP Thyroid is like, and if it is at least as good working as the “old” WP Thyroid was. The user DelAnn here in this thread talks about how the new tablets have a coating on them now, does this new ingredient show in the ingredient list and what exactly is it? Can please someone answer to the question if the new tablets are partable with a knive or a razor blade? Or are the tablets too hard now with the new coating on them? Thank you very much, and please keep on posting your experiences with the new WP Thyroid please.
Glenn
Just started WP yesterday…after a year long struggle with NT. I went to NT after 90 days on WP before it became unavailable. Was doing pretty well with energy and weight and vision improvements. My nurse practicioner got me a 1 year supply of NT(only size bottle that was available) when WP became unavailable so never really went with the new NT. My labs show normal but high RT3 (ratio (freeT3/RT3) was 9 when I started and worked up to 14) and took a while to get started on thyroid…no endo would prescribe. Too soon to tell on WP…was using srt3 to force a better rt3
which worked to a point and then stopped. Pushed srt3 but did not work…body and T3, T4 always readjusted. Dosage seems the same on WP as the old NT. Trying without SRT3 to see if WP alone will make me happy. I seem to have trouble with fillers. Will let all know how this proceeds on WP.
Was working my way higher till WP became unavailable.
Old NT gives me backache and some joint pain
Dana
From RLC website FAQs today – is this information outdated?:
Q: My pharmacy said WP Thyroid or Nature-Throid is on backorder or is discontinued. What should I do?
A: Neither medication is on backorder or discontinued, and all strengths are available. If you’re having trouble finding WP Thyroid or Nature-Throid, contact RLC Labs at 877.797.7997 or sales@rlclabs.com with your pharmacy’s information, so we can help them order your prescription from their distributor.
Dana
The RLC availability page is no longer there, and the web site seems to indicate that all strengths of WP are now available. Has anyone been able to pick up different strengths? My Walgreens says that their distributor can get the half-grain after Jan 21. Thanks.
Dana
Please disregard; the RLC availability update page is back up, stating only WP Thyroid 1 grain (65 mg) is shipping.
Rita Woodard
Those of you who are able to order WP Thyroid are fortunate to have the option. I want to try it, but can’t find it at a pharmacy near me in NJ.
Perhaps today’s frustrations are a reminder for me to chuckle more. When I step back, the absurdity is almost comical.
– One clerk had the nerve to tell me there’s no such medication as WP Thyroid.
– A large chain said I have to provide a prescription before they can tell me whether they can order the 65mg WP Thyroid.
I needed a good chuckle today…
astra
I got a similar response when I asked a large chain whether they could order NP. I’d have to give them a prescription and then they’ll see! No thanks.
This is the same chain that doesn’t tell me a med is backordered… they just keep pushing the pickup date/time back further and further. Eventually I call them, and they tell me they don’t know when I’ll get it. *rolls eyes*
housemaid
I have been pretty happy with NP thyroid. After really suffering for almost a year, my hypothyroid symptoms went away one by one. However, there is one big symptom that has remained, and that is the 30 lb. I gained after being without WP. Some others here have mentioned that they have not lost weight on NP, either. When I first started on WP a few years ago, I lost weight easily and quickly. So yes, I would go back to WP again if it would solve my weight gain problem.
Right now WP is only available in the one grain size, 65 mg. I checked Good Rx and was unhappy to see that all the local pharmacies show a price of about $91 for 180 of them. They don’t list a regular store price, so it looks like you get no discount having the Good Rx card. The price for 180 of the stronger dose (90 mg) NP thyroid averages $50 with a Good Rx coupon. With my Good Rx Gold card ($6 a month), I was recently able to buy 300 of the 90 mg NP thyroid pills for about $58 at CVS. There is no discount for WP at any drugstore, even with my Good Rx Gold.
So it looks like WP prices have almost doubled and NP is much cheaper now than WP. I will wait and see if anybody starts losing weight on WP (who didn’t on NP) before I fork over the extra money for WP. I will also wait until they have the 2 grain pill available, as it might be more economical. I guess if you are lucky enough to have drug insurance that pays for WP, you don’t have to worry about the price.
I noticed that Health Warehouse, a mail order pharmacy in KY, is saying “market shortage” on the 65 mg WP pills. They, too, will be charging $90 for 180 pills when they get it in stock. It looks like RLC Labs has fixed a price for all pharmacies to charge for WP as if it were a brand name drug. It is still cheaper than Armour. I wonder how long NP will be available at a bargain rate.
Janie Bowthorpe
Very interesting. Thank you for all you stated.
housemaid
Whoops! I made an error on the price I paid for the 300 NP thyroid tablets with the Good Rx Gold card. It was $88, not $58. Still a lot better than the price for the new WP. I wonder if NP is available in the 130 mg size. Good Rx shows that size as a choice for NP, but the Acella website doesn’t mention that size.
Janie Bowthorpe
The 130 mg size is equivalent to the 120 mg for NP Thyroid.
housemaid
I get confused with the NP being a slightly different strength than the WP. So the 120 mg size of Acella NP is available? I will get that size in the future unless I hear that WP is working well and people are losing weight on it. I hope the 2 grain WP is available soon and more reasonably priced than the 1 grain.
Ceemor
I went to my local pharmacy yesterday to pick up a 2 months supply of compounded natural thyroid pills only to find that the price had increased astronomically. It had almost doubled. I’m now going to be paying almost $100 a month for my two times a day 60 mg pills. I used to pay a little over $50. My pharmacist said the price of natural thyroid has doubled and that they can’t even get Naturethroid, in their shop. She said all natural thyroid is in short supply…I’m not sure why because pigs certainly are not in short supply (I live in a rural area by hog processing plants…so don’t say it’s because of some hog flu). I think they are trying to shut down our access to natural thryoid as a choice…they as in big pharma but…who knows.
Janie Bowthorpe
I’m thinking it’s more about huge increase in demand thanks to STTM and all who use it’s information (without having the integrity to give it giving credit).
Barbara
Janie, can’t argue with your supply and demand comment, but I’m with Ceemor — I think Big Pharma / FDA is gunning to get rid of NDT. My insurance (Medicare Advantage policy) dropped Armour from its formulary 3 years ago, but even when it was in the formulary, it was cheaper and less hassle to pay out of pocket.
A pharmacist told me yesterday that some insurance companies who do have it in their formulary will only allow if patient fails 2 different brands of synthetic T4 product first. Bass ackwards!
mp
How do you like the compounded nDT? Thinking of moving to that.
Janie Bowthorpe
Why not just move to NP Thyroid? Cheaper than compounded.
Betsy
Hi Janie,
I’m sorry if my question isn’t in the right thread, but I’ve been asking everywhere on FB or looking for a way to contact you. I was considering doing a consultation, but I just have one question. I’ve been one of the ones sticking it out with NT through the change from last year. I have a horrible time adjusting to thyroid meds. Recently I have been crashing on the new NT and considering just bitting the bullet and changing to NP. Reading through your site and my labs I realize that my iron, B12 and D are low.
My question is do I raise these first before changing to NP, or can I just start addressing all of them at once? I’m currently on 4 grains of NT figured I’ll continue the same on NP.
I wanted to try this on my own and if I run into trouble I figured I can request a consultation.
I’m definitely not willing to try WP.
Thanks!
Janie Bowthorpe
We try to work on issues at the same time. And no, when changing from a problematic NDT to NP Thyroid, we start much lower on NP Thyroid. Plus we need time to get the iron up before raising a lower dose of NDT like NP, otherwise our RT3 will go up.
Betsy
Thank you 🙂
Luz
I started taking Nature-throid in February after I ran out of WP Thyroid. I started taking the Nature-throid sublingually and began developing stomach pains sporadically. I didn’t realize it was the Nature-throid that was causing the stomach pain until I stopped taking it sublingually and the pain went away! I began developing hypo symptoms on the Nature-throid and increased my dosage by one grain, increased 1/2 grain in my morning dose and 1/2 grain in my afternoon dose. I started developing hypo symptoms (dry skin, dry hair, hair loss, weight gain, etc.) My Free T3 and T4 were still low even on this higher dose so I asked my doctor to switch me to the NP Thyroid. Once I started on the NP Thyroid, the hypo symptoms started to slowly go away. I’ve been on NP Thyroid for 3 months and I have never felt better. My lab work came back great! (Free T4 in mid-range and Free T3 in upper range; Free T3/Reverse T3 ratio above 20) I also lost 6 pounds! To say that I’m really disappointed with RLC Labs for their shady practices, is an understatement!! I won’t touch the new formulated WP Thyroid with a 10 foot pole! Good Luck everyone!
Janie Bowthorpe
So glad you are doing better!
Hadassah
Janie , Thank You so Much for being a *Great Advocate* for us the thyroid patients who depend for NDT for their wellbeing . For those of us who did well on NT and can Not tolerate fillers made from corn I understand is in the NP what are the other alternatives ? Armour is so prohibitive because of the high cost . Synthetic T3 is not an option for me . I did not do well with it .
Thank You in advance .
Janie Bowthorpe
First, tell me what happened with synthetic T3….
Hadassah Gellis
Hello and Thank You Janie for getting back to me . I was on synthetic generic T3 and had instead of palpitations I had surges . It felt very uncomfortable . Now with RLC doing it’s number on us and causing blurriness in the eyes . I don’t know what fillers they are using to cause this ? Janie would you have any ideas how I can get T3 and feel well too ? I would greatly appreciate it .
Janie Bowthorpe
Maybe people can email you privately on that.
Surges—look into these: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol As it appears you have a problem with one or both to have what you describe.
Timaleigh Vest
Had Hashimoto’s/thyroid issues for life I am 47 years old and just started treatment the past 13 years. I have been on Synthroid,Tirosint ,Armour,compounded synthetic and natural thyroid,Synthetic T3. I had been taking NP thyroid 120mg since last spring. I wanted Wp thyroid but was only able to get a one month supply last spring because of the backorder. Being on WP the old batch was the best month of my adult life. It felt like the old Armour thyroid before the switch. Then I switched to NP thyroid and decided to wait it out until WP’s back order issue was fixed then I would switch toWP. Fast forward to now I have switched again and been on the new WP thyroid for 5 days. My dose was lowered by my doctor for no reason. It was lowered from taking 120mg if NP to now taking 1 and 1/2 pills of 65mg daily which is roughly 95mg of WP thyroid daily. I felt terrible for first 4 days so today took 130mg of WP thyroid. I can’t keep abody temperature and feel like I can’t hold my body up, heavy limbs,dizziness. Dry and blurry eyes, Fatigue, Thirsty and have had severe crying spells. However my stomach bloating has gone down from theNP thyroid. Not sure what to do at this point? Wondering if I should wait it out in the WP and perhaps in time I’ll feel better after I adjust. Or what todo? Nothing seems to really work that well for me and if it does they change it. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
gumbo
What is it in the NP that is causing the bloating? I just started trying the NP and have been having that ever since I started it…but I also have the bloating in my face which I did not have on Nature-throid.
Janie Bowthorpe
Here’s what we see in patients reports so far:
1) The majority of people who might have a different reaction to using a different NDT need to check their free T3 and free T4 on the different NDT (after a few weeks on it) to see if it’s optimal, or not. Optimal for years seems to put the free T3 towards the top and the free T4 midrange. Both. If they are lower, one can still be hypothyroid..thus the reaction.
2) Another lab to check on a different NDT is the RT3. It should be in the bottom two numbers of any range…very occasionally the 3rd from the bottom. If it goes any higher, the RT3 is causing a problem. Causes range from inadequate levels of iron, to inflammation, to an infection, to high cortisol, etc.
3) One should check their 4 iron levels (with a focus on the serum/total iron, even though the other three iron labs are needed) and their cortisol. Sometimes, the serum/total iron has fallen and the different NDT is now revealing that fact more than the former one. This page explains where optimal is for either: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values This page has Discovery Steps to see if the different NDT is now revealing a cortisol problem: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
Or one can see good or high iron with a low ferritin, and that points to a methylation problem…meaning one is actually in a low iron state because it’s not being broken down. This page is a start if the latter is revealed: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/mthfr
3) Next comes the fillers for very sensitive people–it’s the less common reason, but should be considered if someone has had sensitivities before. In NP, they are:
Calcium Stearate
Dextrose
Mineral oil (pharmaceutical grade and teeny tiny amount)
Maltodextrin
Timaleigh Vest
Thank you Janie! Gumbo I feel it was the fillers in the NP that were causing the bloating in me because my numbers and blood were being closely watched and good on NP. Honestly I liked the NP if it wasn’t for the weight gain and bloating I would not have switched again. My face bloating has gone down too in the 5 days of taking the NEW WP. I also noticed my skin started breaking out pretty badly from the NP which I am pretty sure was from the mineral oil. I have had that issue with mineral oil my whole life. I am feeling a bit better tonight on the NEW WP still just 5 days.
Janie Bowthorpe
Also consider trying taking NP Thyroid
with betaine or lemon juice in a drink. That could possibly lesson bloating…
Timaleigh Vest
Thanks Janie I eat a 100% fruitarian diet until 2:00 pm. After 2:00 pm it is gluten free vegan. Nothing I have tried has helped me with the bloating and weight gain and recent break outs(I use Retin-A) on NP. My dose on NP was optimal too. NP is a good medication overall. It felt consistent to me and I felt good emotionally. But I did gain 10-15 pounds on it and had a fluffy gut which I have never had a gut in my life even when I was 40 pounds heavier.
Janie Bowthorpe
Just be sure you were optimal on NP though. We all feel good on non-optimal amounts which can cause symptoms, and eventually backfire with worsening ones due to suppression of the feedback loop. Not discounting it could be fillers, but trying to get you to cover all bases, just in case. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/feedback-loop
Angie F.
Attention to those following the WP & Nature-throid issues. Just another reminder that we have started a petition at MoveOn.org a few weeks ago and are now as of a couple of weeks ago, perhaps coincidentally or not, finally starting to receive some updates from RLC, the most recent of which was yesterday (12/10/2018)..Please if you have not done so, take the time to sign it at this link…https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/nature-throid-and-wp.fb50?source=c.fb&r_by=3013015&fbclid=IwAR0prKLXpWXbLRbfgpO-Us9EcGary9Oh0V3H8upxvfE9I6Bt21CCFPXjm50. Also..Note that yesterday’s update included once again stating that WP 1 grain is now shipping AND that many strengths of Nature-throid are now in production. They also state for the first time publicly via their website that no “formula changes” have been made..Don’t need to point out the obvious…both that pts experience say otherwise and that “no formula changes” is not a categorical denial of no changes period…I am in hope that the seeming interruption in production on both products may indicate an attempt to correct whatever the problem or problems may have been…I guess we’ll all soon see!
Marty
So I guess a question would be (sorry submitted before I asked this question) should I try raising the synthetic dose to see if they will take care of the increase in symptoms or change to WP and see what happens. How do I make the decision and how to I know the dosage. When they moved me from the NDT to the synthetic they equaled the dosage to be what it was on the NDT. Should it be higher just because?
Janie Bowthorpe
I can only speak for me personally, but I would fight to feel better first, which raising the synthetics until labs are optimal will do. Optimal has always seemed to put the free T3 towards the top part of the range and the free T4 mid-range. Both. The problem with moving to WP is that experiences are too early to know if it’s going to result in the same problems that Naturethroid has for patients. And also note: you have to be careful at first listening to patients. The small body that have said they feel good on the “new” Naturethroid…now we’re seeing some of them state that no, symptoms have been creeping up on them. For some, feeling good can be the result of the body producing extra adrenaline as a result of actually still being hypothyroid on Naturethroid. So they get fooled. The true test of ‘feeling good’ is where the labs fall. If those labs aren’t optimal, it will eventually backfire no matter what NDT we are on.
gumbo
While I don’t doubt that SOME patients may not be doing well on Nature-throid, the continued Nature-throid bashing is very troubling…because not ALL patients are doing poorly. I was doing just as well on the new Nature-throid as the old and my recent lab results demonstrate that. I have been forced to try NP and AM NOT doing as well as I was before. Everybody is different. The patients you are hearing from are the ones that are having problems….you cannot state this is the majority of Nature-throid users. My pharmacist told me they have a lot of Nature-throid users trying to get the drug that can’t. If they all felt horrible on it, they wouldn’t still be wanting to use it.
Janie Bowthorpe
I think you need to consider changing your perspective. This is not bashing not is it discounting that “people are different”. This is reporting what seems to be going on. To the contrary, the amount of those who have posted and have seen a return of hypo appears to be much, much higher than those who are posting and feel they are doing well. And even some of those who reported doing well came back and reported they were starting to not do well. All that has been enough to speak of what is going on to let people decide, or let others find out why they suddenly were having problems…but weren’t putting two and two together.
And if you feel that you didn’t do as well on NP, time to do labs and see why. Granted, there do appear to be some who react bad to fillers, but there seem to be more that just aren’t optimal, or the NP is revealing a cortisol or iron problem—the latter which cropped up for many by being on the “new” Naturethroid.
Jeffrey
NP is revealing a “filler” problem also which rarely gets mentioned. I thought this thread was for new WP updates? …..looking forward to new WP!
Janie Bowthorpe
It is supposed to only be for WP. I’m going to mention about that at the top of my blog post.
Marty
I have been on NDT for years, compounded at Women’s International, 1/2 grain, twice a day. This fall, all desiccated thyroid recalled, they put me on synthetic T4,T3, compounded the same as my NDT. Weight gain, dry itchy skin, mood, nervous, not sleeping, horrible fatigue, blurry vision. No problems on the NDT. TSH went from 1.2 to 64.3. Was told by WI that synthetic needed to be raised. Really? Anyway, they have suggested moving to WP because of the lesser amount of fillers (the reason I always had it compounded, in one drop of olive oil, never an issue). The more reading I do, the more I get confused. I do not know where to turn. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Janie Bowthorpe
For those seeing this question by Marty, see her other post and my answer.
Jessica
Ah shoot, I’m just about to change providers to look for one who will actually prescribe NDT and not “bio-identical” T3/T4 but now I don’t know what to ask for! I don’t THINK I’m affected by fillers, and I don’t generally get any hypo symptoms (none that I can identify anyways), which makes it hard for me to figure out dosage. What would you guys ask for to get started??
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid continues to be a reported favorite because it seems to work well for the majority. The more expensive Armour is second, especially if you don’t feel you are affected by fillers. How we start, raise and what optimal ends up being is outlined here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101
Pat Davenport
I’m now having similar issues on NPthyroid that i experienced on Naturethroid. I transferred to Naturethroid when Wpthyroid was unavailable. I did well until they changed their formula. I experienced heart palps that eventuslly lasted all day. I had a little WPTHYROID left so switched back and in 2 days the heart palps went away. So i then switched to Npthyroid and have been doing well on that ip until last month. I’m wondering if NP changed their formula. The heart palps could also be due to my compounded t3. Im checking to see if my pharmacist changed that but the palps seem more related to my last prescription of NPTHYROID. I have checked the inactive ingredients on line and it looks like there may have been an ingredient change but the links i found are not dated. This is what one page says WPTHYROID now contains. MINERAL OIL (UNII: T5L8T28FGP)
CALCIUM STEARATE (UNII: 776XM7047L)
DEXTROSE MONOHYDRATE (UNII: LX22YL083G)
MALTODEXTRIN (UNII: 7CVR7L4A2D). Isn’t thst different from what it used to contain?
Janie Bowthorpe
Question: you put “This is what one page says WPTHYROID now contains…” Do you mean NPTHYROID (by Acella)? Here’s what I have for NP on the Armour vs Other Brands page on STTM:
Other Ingredients include:
Calcium Stearate
Dextrose
Mineral oil (pharmaceutical grade and teeny tiny amount)
Maltodextrin (in older versions of Acella; newer versions may have this removed),
So not seeing a change. You probably need to study this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Pat
Yes, SB Npthyroid in the inactive ingredients area.
Rosanne
First, being unable to get either Westhroid or Naturethroid last spring and summer really threw my body for a loop.
I have not felt right since then, and the Naturethroid I am currently taking is not relieving my low thyroid syptoms at all.
Plus, my pharmacist has to dole out my prescription in different increments because–low and behold–THERE IS ANOTHER
SHORTAGE OF NATURETHROID. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
Janie Bowthorpe
Might want to count the Naturethroid shortage as a blessing when it’s been causing a awful lot of people to see a return of hypo symptoms. NP Thyroid is doing a much better job as an NDT. We’re waiting to see if the “new” WP will be good or like Naturethroid…
Emi2Earth
Hi all,
I have never been so happy than I was to see WP Thyroid come back on line. I have been on it about a week now when this post hit my email. And have some info to share about my terrible year and experiences of other Desiccated Thyroids while waiting for it to return.
I am exceedingly sensitive and react to all fillers and over the last long hear have been on Armour, a Compounding Pharmacy Thyroid, and then Acella NP Thyroid.
With the Compounding Pharmacy I experienced heart palpitations, and low T3 and great fatige. I also noticed, and my Dr. saw, a strange but strong increase in peripheral blue and red veins in my ankles, and I had a high SED Rate, showing inner inflammation occurring.
I moved next to Armour, and the T3 stayed low and the heart palps continued, even with adjusting the dosage there was fatigue. Then over to Acella, and the vessels remained, and the SED Rate stayed elevated. But I did have less fatigue and the T3 rose to normal levels, no heart palps. I called Acella about the inflammation, and found that the “small amount of mineral oil” they add–(Mineral Oil is not to be ingested as when it was used as a bowel laxative we found it is harmful to our bodies, as it does not break down, but hangs out, coating our cells, and clogging up their ability to work properly) ––ends up coating each and every particle of the Desiccated powder. How? And Why? do they use Mineral Oil at all in NP Thyroid? I asked management, after being transferred from a pharmacist: They add Mineral Oil to their large mixing vats, before adding the Thyroid powder– because it keeps the powder from clumping together, and adhering to the walls–of the vats, while they spin it rapidly, and add the filler. So the vats stay easy to clean! I asked about using a vegetable oil as Mineral Oil is not absorbable by our bodies, and he said, “Mineral oil is used to lubricate machines. That is why we use it. We would have to completely clean the vats each time so the vegetable oils would not get rancid.”
In other-words–-the Thyroid powder, and all filler ingredients, in NP Thyroid, become completely coated with the “small amount of Mineral Oil”… intentionally used for this purpose, and they know it does not absorb…. And these coated with oil particles are admitted into each cell of our bodies as they deliver the Thyroid… and end up not processing well, and potentially lead to inflammation in our system.
Also, I have been meaning to write and ask if anyone here has noticed a strange odor in their noses, that smells like the Acella NP pills smell? Kind of rancid? I noticed when I went on it and as long as I was on it. Now the odor has completely disappeared on the new WP Thyroid. I attribute this odor to the Mineral Oil that coats the lining – of even my nose–and has some fine particles of Desiccated Thyroid powder inside it.
Also about the enlarged leg veins and elevated SED Rate: I called Armour and Acella, and they both said their product comes from pigs raised in the U.S. but were not able to tell me if that meant–from Puerto Rico. And after the storms there, I am not certain about the condition of the animals are that are being raised there– It has been scientifically proven that animals who are stressed while being raised –or while being killed –have various hormones/chemicals released into in their tissues, and that these are toxic and carcinogenic to us.
I forgot to add that while I had been using the Compounding Pharmacy, adding only Organic Rice Flour as the filler, it caused my T3 to go south… it turns out that when the Desiccated Thyroid powder became scarce, they were using Thyroid powder imported from Thailand and China, and who knows what was being added or cut into that.
So as of this moment, I am back on WP. I have been feeling good. Better than on the others. And I will keep you posted. Please note: I would go on the artificial T3/T4 at this point, but not with acacia, or microcrystalline cellulose as fillers, and who knows the source of the T3/T4 at compounding pharmacies?? And ideas about this are sought and welcomed. As well as your experiences.
all the best,
Emi
Emi Miller, RN, HN-BC, NCCAOM, ABT, L.Ac, ND
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Emi. Actually, the odor is just like years of other NDT’s and the porcine. It will occur when there’s not an excess coating on the pill. The former Armour (before Forest was acquired a few years ago) used to smell like that.
Keep us informed if the “new” NP truly gets you out of a hypothyroid state plus achieves optimal levels, the latter which is a free T3 towards the top part of the range and a free T4 midrange. Both.
Janie Bowthorpe
BUT…the “new” WP is now stated by one commenter on here to have an odd chemica-like smell instead of the common “pig” smell, which is an odd discovery.
Emi2Earth
Hi Janie, Yes, I am very familiar with the odor of the uncoated pills, as I have taken them for years. What has never happened to me before using the Acella, NP Thyroid, is that all day and all night long, every single breath, the odor was noticeable in my nostrils. There was no escaping it. It smelled really bad, and bothered me constantly. That is what has disappeared since stopping NP Thyroid, and getting back on the WP Thyroid, very thankful about this…
Janie Bowthorpe
Luckily, that must be very rare, as I have never had anyone state the same. Hopefully you fully understand the issue with iron and cortisol, too, as explained on the iron and cortisol page, just in case. We’ll also hope that WP is what is was before for you.
Timaleigh Vest
My NEW WP Thyroid does not have the same smell as the porcine old WP and old Armour. It smells of very very porcine and faint chemical smell.
Artie
I have not tried WP Thyroid, yet, but I have used both Armour and NP Thyroid, and my experience with these NDT products came after years of using Synthroid only. My conclusion is that NDT products, regardless of the manufacturer, cannot be relied upon to have the same amounts of T4, T3, calcitonin from pill to pill much less batch to batch. I fully agree with Janie Bowthorpe that one’s iron, cortisol and other factors will affect how one responds to a given dose of any NDT product. The problem, as I see it, is that there are significant differences in potency that make it essentially impossible to know precisely how much thyroid hormones one is taking, and causing users to attribute symptoms of hypo- or hyperthyroidism to the brand name or claimed dosage. I was happy with 90mg Armour thyroid for two years until my pharmacy could no longer refill my prescription. I started NP thyroid when the Armour ran out, and the first week was a hyperthyroid, jittery mess. I eventually found a dose of NP that was half of the ‘claimed’ dose of Armour. I suspect that users of NDT will always have to adjust their dose to compensate for differences in manufacturing and thyroid material used.
Janie Bowthorpe
Artie, it’s honestly not as you are portraying it, i.e. significant differences in the potency. I have been on NDT for 16 years now. I have been on the old Armour for several years, was also on the old Naturethroid a short while, was also on the former Erfa about 1 1/2 years and now on NP for several years. And I have had the exact same good results on all of them. <----again, the exact same good results on all of them. If on NP you felt hyperthyroid and jittery, it's about what it was revealing (usually iron and/or cortisol problem, or chronic inflammation, etc), not what are presuming as to "significant differences in potency". Read this page more fully and with an open-mind: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Now with the current Naturethroid, we are not being told what is different and causing so many to see a return of hypothyroid symptoms. Are they using a Chinese source? Who knows. But with NP, it’s working beautifully and has for a few years now.
Artie
“If on NP you felt hyperthyroid and jittery, it’s about what it was revealing (usually iron and/or cortisol problem, or chronic inflammation, etc), not what are presuming as to “significant differences in potency”.
I guess I could quibble about the definition of “potency” or attribute the differences to absorption, conversion or even changes in my own body chemistry, such as iron, cortisol, inflammation etc. The unmistakeable evidence for me was changing to NP after years on Armour: the very first dose on the first day of NP was a profound difference from all the years of daily doses of Armour that preceded. I have read the pages you suggest multiple times, and as I said before, I don’t doubt that iron, cortisol inflammation etc. levels play a role here. In short, it wasn’t my body chemistry – iron, cortisol – that changed the day I switched to NP from Armour. You’ve written extensively about the changes in Armour composition, fillers, binders, etc, and how people have reported that Armour seemed to have changed, and that hypo symptoms returned after being on Armour for a while. It seems obvious to me that all NDT products are not created equal, that is to say that one 90mg tablet of Armour IS NOT equal to one 90mg tablet of NP, WP or any other NDT product. You’ve said as much yourself. I’d love to see a chemical analysis of all the NDT products, showing the levels of thyroid hormones and fillers, binders, etc. I’m sure that no two pills would be the same.
Janie Bowthorpe
Artie, not saying that all are exactly equal with the same mg in different brands. It’s obvious some can be different, possibly due to fillers…but that’s also not because there are “significant” differences in desiccated thyroid. I’m saying that all too often, it appears the majority of reactions are due to iron and cortisol. And part of the problem is that when someone changes from a known weaker or problematic brand (like Armour has been for some, and definitely as Naturethroid has been this year) to a stronger more reliable brand (like NP), yes, they can have reactions due to the former brand causing iron or cortisol problems one wasn’t catching, and which the better more reliable brand reveals.
But again, if you strongly feel that it’s a reaction to fillers, we do hope that the new WP counters that for you.
Cheryl Peters
I’m on WP, since I’m off bio identical hormones, it’s taking me a while to get my Thyroid back up, plus I’m taking steroids for spinal stenosis. I have gain 5 lbs. not liking it.
MP
I’m a week in and feel awesome! I was on Armour and had bad heart palpitations. For me, it seems to be the same as the old WP.
Janie Bowthorpe
Keep us informed, as we do feel better at first on any NDT, then it can backfire unless we get to optimal amounts.
MP
I’ve been on them all. Started out on Armour (did okay), switched to old WP (did great), switched to Naturthroid (didn’t do well), back to Armour (did okay), now back to WP.
gumbo
I do not understand the controversy….the proof is in the pill. This is a company regulated by the FDA. They are selling a product that is required to meet certain standards and they must disclose the ingredients. If there is so much certainty that they are not selling what they claim why has noone proven it by having the pills analyzed? If they are selling a product that is not what it claims to be, they should be shut down. It seems to me that this may be a smear campaign by more expensive suppliers since noone has been able to supply any evidence that the pills are faulty. Why not? That is the proof….not someone’s test results that may be impacted by other factors…the proof is in the pills. that is it.,
Janie Bowthorpe
gumbo, the evidence is in what appears to be quite a majority who have seen their hypothyroidism come back.
gumbo
I have been on Nature-throid before and after. Same results. I am very distressed that I am forced to pay 2-3 times as much for an alternative medication that I may not do as well on because I cannot find Nature-throid anymore. The people that are doing well are only speaking out because they cannot find it and are forced to use something else – if they weren’t doing ok on it they wouldn’t be looking for it in the first place…my problem is that I can no longer get it….and the first thing I see when I get on Armor and NP’s website is a banner stating that they are not on backorder. We all know by now how easy it is to create false facebook and twitter accounts to influence people….so that goes back to my original statement…the proof is in the pill…that is really all you need.
Janie Bowthorpe
gumbo, I don’t know about Armour, but it’s true what Acella is saying. They are not on backorder. They are just being slammed, but are doing a good job trying to keep up. And it’s also true that Acella’s NP Thyroid has been an excellent NDT for folks, as many are reporting.
sahmpaw
Have been on NatureThroid for years. My TSH is normally completely suppressed (0.2) but at my last labs this month it was 4.0! I had gone down on my dose by 1/4 grain in December but the last time I did that in the summer of 2018 my TSH still stayed under 1.0. I was on 2GR of an Oct 2018 batch through January 2019. Then I ran out of that and went down 1/4 grain so am using a 1.75 GR May 2018 script. My vision was changing over the last two months. I had no idea what was going on. I don’t wear glasses…usually have no problems. But what really shocked me was my TSH spike.
P. Susan Nosko
It is NOT a smear campaign. I was on the OLD Naturethroid and felt great. Got on the NEW and felt crummy. Now I have to add some T3 to my regular Naturethroid dose. They definitely changed something!
Sofia
I have been having problems lately while being on NT for several years. Now I’ve read the STTM blog and comments and it made it more clear what the problem is.
I have low iron probably because of the “new” NT. Janie, you say NP will work if you have optimal iron and cortisol. How do I get my iron back up? I would like to try new thyroid meds.
Janie Bowthorpe
This: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron
DelAnn
DelAnn
December 9, 2018
3 days ago I got my script filled for the “new” WP that has currently been shipped out. First thing I noticed when opening the bottle is that it did NOT have that , what I call, “piggy, fishy smell”. I have always taken WP under my tongue, sublingual. So here I go, I put the first dose right under my tongue then , I immediately tasted some kind of unidentifiable weird chemical like taste. The longer I held it there the worse it tasted. Eventually the longer it tried to dissolve under my tongue, the taste got so bad, it was all I could do to keep from spitting it out. Since I’ve only been on this “new” WP for 3 days its too soon to know what symptoms may eventually come into play as it builds in my system, that is If I can tolerate the awful taste sublingual, or have to resort to swallowing (if I continue its use), which makes me wonder, if the taste is so bad sublingual, what kind of “possibly changed” ingredients are inside it. I have NO thyroid and believe me when I say I am very well aware of the smell and taste of desiccated thyroid meds, as I’ve been on almost all of them at one point in my life And I’ve always taken them sublingual. I switched to NP during this debacle with WP, and It has that “piggy, fishy” type smell and taste. So, right out of the shoot, this “new” WP is “different” in smell and taste, not only from other desiccated thyroid formulas I’ve taken but also the “old” WP. Obviously, to those of you who swallow the pill you will not experience the taste and smell, but for me, I don’t know what they did to it to result in smell and awful taste for taking it sublingual. My opinion on Formula change in “new WP”? As far as smell and taste, YES! Would like to hear if anyone else has experienced this on the “new WP”.
Betsy
Curious. Why did you switch to WP how were you doing on NP?
DelAnn
While on NP my hair started falling out terribly. I was brain fogged and super sleepy with no energy to the point of lots of naps, weight gain and heart high speeds to low speeds throughout the day. I think something (additives and fillers) in the NP caused weird symptoms also whether related or non related to my Thyroid condition ( I have no thyroid gland) where as my system did well on WP with only the 2 natural additives. And perhaps there was a little more “pig stuff” in one batch of NP and a little less in another ?, I don’t know. My labs were not consistent and I started having labs every month or 2 months. For instance, After starting NP within one month TSH jumped up to 11 from a below average range the month before while still on WP, Free t3 went from very high to mid range and no freeT4. It was a constant “up the dose, down the dose” for months with NP as nothing stayed stable. While NP did keep me alive, the symptoms I had from it did not make for a quality lifestyle and actually made me quite grumpy most of the time. While on WP I felt good, my dose was steady at 2 grains a day, Labs were good, I had no back lash from the two filler/additives and I did not have to put up with many of the symptoms of NP. NP just was not an “optimal” treatment for me so I was anxious to get back on WP. I’m 4 days in now on the “new” WP and I’m hoping works as good as the “old” did. Time will tell as it builds in my system.
Janie Bowthorpe
DelAnn, we’re not supposed to stay on the same lower doses a month. That may explain your reaction. We end up suppressing more than replacing if we don’t raise sooner than that, thus the symptoms. Not trying to discount that it could be fillers, but you really need to consider what’s on this page, too: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
DWAYNE DUELL-WAITE
I did not do well on NP Thyroid at all. I was taking the same dose as when I was on WP even with a raise and my hair all fell out, major joint pain, etc- this does not work for everyone with the fillers- I am on Armour Thyroid now for the last two months and feeling REALLY good again. I refuse to go back to WP if I am doing this well on Armour- point is, these thyroid medications don’t work for everyone with the fillers, etc so you have to go with what your body reacts to best even if that means having to start over with something else and then having labs redone- My labs tanked on NP REALLY bad but went back to normal on Armour.
Janie Bowthorpe
Which fillers?
Janie Bowthorpe
The taste you have described does sound pretty curious. I’m sure we’ll get more and more comments in from those who want to take the risk in trying the “new” WP. Luckily, if they don’t, NP Thyroid is being well-liked.
DelAnn
Janie, The more I have taken and tasted the “new WP” this week, I kept thinking I had tasted something similar to it but just could not put my finger on what it reminded me of. Then It dawned on me , It tastes similar to the glue on envelopes!!! (and NO I don’t go around licking envelopes on a regular basis But I do know that glue taste ha-ha). I think they changed the coating. And with no “piggy” smell (or taste) to it I really do think they put some kind of new tablet stinky tasting coating on it! It’s harder, and does not easy dissolve sublingual like the old either AND the whole tablet taste that way, so if they did use a new coating, it’s leaching into the inside ingredients, because none of this pill outside it and inside it taste like that old piggy taste. The whole tablet tastes the same broken down. In other words, a coating usually melts away to expose the inside ingredients and the two usually have a different taste. That’s the main difference so far that I’ve noticed, as to how good it is going to work, I’ll have to go by how I feel, and see what my next labs show when this one month supply I got is used up.
Janie Bowthorpe
Whoa. That’s bizarre. Also remember that you also have to go by your frees, as we all feel good on too low doses, and it can eventually backfire! Get optimal!! 🙂
Sandra
Hello, if I am correct NP Thyroid contains “mineral oil” . For me personally products containing mineral oil would be the last choice from all NDT products available. Here’s the reason why: mineral oil itself is proven to be cancerogenous and I am thinking who in the world would deliberately add mineral oil to any food or oral medication. It’s not a big problem if you ingest it very rarely and in very very small amounts but if you take it daily with your medicine it builds up in your body. I just don’t get it why they don’t use a stable vegetable oil instead of mineral oil in the product.
Janie Bowthorpe
Sandra, first, they use “food grade” mineral oil according to the USP standards. So far, there’s no strong evidence that food grade causes cancer in the least. Second, what is considered safe as food grade is a teeny tiny amount in the pills. It’s not like chugging down non-food grade mineral oil. And…vegetable oil can be unstable over time. There are so many risks out there far far greater than the teeny amount of food grade mineral oil they use.
Susan
My dr put me on Naturethroid but he only started me off at 1/2 of a grain and wouldn’t raise the dose unless I went in for more labs and another office visit. My temps were 97.0 in the morning and started to increase but then a few weeks later, I felt more hypo and my waking temps had dropped down to 96.7.
I decided to stop the Naturethroid and wait until my December appt so I can get the correct starting dose and to be sure that I could increase my dose if needed. I plan on tracking my temps and pulse to see how I am doing. I know after reading the complaints on the Naturethroid, I will not be asking for a refill on that.
Time will tell!
Anna Dublin
Janie, thank you for replying. I will try that. Anna, Dublin.