UPDATE: in 2020, we now have a recall from Acella implying too much T3. Seems a bit off when hypothyroid symptoms were reported coming back. And no mention here of the burning down the throat, burning and/or nausea in the stomch. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/acella-pharmaceuticals-llc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-certain-lots-np-thyroidr-thyroid

pill on left; changed NP pill on right.
From 2019:
Comments have been coming in by some patients who are using NP Thyroid by Acella. And by those comments, it appears that NP has changed as of this summer 2019…as reported by patients who picked up a new bottle refill and started it. There are three common comments:

- It now smells and tastes horrible, worse then before.
- The tablets look different from previous ones
- I’m feeling much worse now on the same dose that made me feel great. Symptoms are back.
And it’s #3 that is especially concerning. .
This now makes FOUR natural desiccated thyroid products over the last few years that have changed visually and symptomatically. Why??
- Canada’s version of NDT made by Erfa and called just Thyroid. That was followed by widespread reports of a return of hypo symptoms.
- Armour after it was bought out from Forest and acquired by Activas Pharmaceuticals–many reported a huge return of their hypo
- RLC’s Naturethroid, and it frankly went WAY downhill in effect in 2018 as expressed widespread by disappointed patients. We’re still not sure about WP.
- NP Thyroid by Acella
And you know what else is common with all four pharmaceuticals?? They state “We changed nothing”. So what is going on?
ANALYZING THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT NP
THE SMELL, THE TASTE:

Yes, most NDT’s can smell. lol. It’s pork! But the reaction of patients, when they have started to take the “changed” NP Thyroid, is profound. “It tastes horrible!” “It smells far worse!” “It tastes like cat pee!” Other descriptions: “It tastes like insecticide.” “It tastes rancid.” “It makes me want to gag.” “
Now we do know that a batch of NDT is made up of many pigs. And it’s possible that different mixes of pigs could produce different strength of smell. So is Acella using a particularly “stinky” batch of pigs now?? Maybe. Just the change in smell and taste is not indicative of a problem…
THE TABLET:
Boy, here we go again. The visual change is very similar to what we saw with Armour. It’s also similar with what we saw with Naturethroid. There are now specks on the newer current version, and some patients say the edges are rougher. Definitely a different color, too.


In a way, these visual changes would be no big deal. But they could become a big deal when some patients, (who were optimal) are reporting a return of their hypothyroid symptoms and/or feeling awful since being on the changed NP Thyroid. And why is this not the first time that we started seeing specks in different pharmaceutical versions over recent few years?

FEELING WORSE SINCE BEING ON THE NEW TABLET:
This represents the most alarming of comments. We are seeing some people who were OPTIMAL and had been for a long while, only to comment that they now feel much worse since starting on the new tablets. Symptoms range from migraines, feeling tired, sluggish, feeling awful, depression, late afternoon fatigue, feeling like the flu, nausea, hair loss, napping again…etc. Again, we are saying some. Others report still feeling good. But are they on the “changed” tablets? Looks like they are. So we are continuing to try and learn what is going on in the face of pharmaceutical secrecy and the inane need to CHANGE what was already good enough.
Here is one of many examples of how patients are now going downhill on NP. It’s provided by permission from Liz: I take 4 60 mg tabs a day, no thyroid, treated iron and adrenals and finally was doing good and steadily weight was coming off. I have been taking my last refill for about a month now, and when I first opened it noticed the horrid smell, tasted different too. Anyway, the last couple of weeks I’ve felt really fatigued, low energy, hungry all the time, weight creeping back up and bloated.
And here is how one patient sees all this, closely resembling how many are feeling: I’ve had it with all the mystery, secrecy, deception, and lack of transparency that are ultimately badly damaging many, many people’s (mostly women’s) health and lives. And then that affects the lives of all those people’s families in a trickle-down domino effect. Those pharma companies and their associates are obviously not in it for any type of benevolent reason. They obviously don’t care about us. All they care about is money and their own interests. That’s sick (no pun intended), unethical, immoral, inhumane, and lacking in conscience.
In the meantime, for those who have gone downhill, this blog post gives alternatives to NP Thyroid or any NDT that has gone downhill, as many have sadly.

UPDATE #1 on August 24th: So far, it appears that negative changes may have started in May, 2019 for some. But we don’t yet have proof that the changed tablets were coming out in May. We will continue watching for comments.
UPDATE #2 on August 26th: There are many reports about swine fever (not swine flu) killing plenty of pigs in China and into neighboring countries. Here is one. But that can end up being more about price increases. We still don’t have a definitive answer why the size of the NP pill changed, why the smell and taste is far worse, and why so many are seeing a return of their symptoms.
UPDATE #3 August 27th: A request has been made from Acella for the LOT NUMBERS of the CHANGED tablets…NOT the ones that are working. (And as of 2020, nothing has changed. Patients feel the requests were a fake concern from Acella).
UPDATE #4 September 13th: There is so much speculation and rumor out there as to why this has happened to NP Thyroid that it’s crazy. No matter what you hear, we do NOT know why this happened and NOTHING is concrete.
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.
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1,959 Responses to “Uh oh–we need to talk about NP Thyroid by Acella”
Lynn
I have been taking NP thyroid for at least a year with no problems. The last refill has almost no bad smell that has been going on since 2019. I have started getting a cough and heaviness in the chest that happens whenever I try Armour which I assumed was due to a filler not agreeing with me. Since they all use the same porcine I’m wondering if Acella has started cleansing/deorderiozing like Armour has? Something is different now.
Theresa
Hi – I’m wondering if there has been any new developments with any of the thyroid meds. I’m taking Armour and not feeling well. Besides, it’s so expensive. I’d like to go back to NP Thyroid (Acella) but unsure if the issues with it have been addressed. Any news?
Janie Bowthorpe
Theresa, Armour works. But you have to understand this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal/ Read every word. Don’t skim. Read it all.
Christina G
Hello, I am taking NP thyroid 120. I have been on it for a year and a half after having my thyroid removed. Everything was great until January when my pills started looking different and I feel really awful. I am new to this site I found it when I was searching for answers.. I was considering going back to Armor Thyroid but then I see posts like yours so….what in the world will we do. Gosh!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Christina. You may feel awful because you are underdosed. Hardly anyone achieves optimal on only 120 mg / 2 grains. That would even be true with Armour. Read all of this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal/. Don’t just skim. All of it. 🙂
Denine
I don’t know if you aware NDT medications are regulated by the FDA but none are approved. I could not find a single one that was approved by the FDA
Janie Bowthorpe
That has been true for years, Denine.
Aaron
How long has it been taking others to heal their stomachs after the burning/gastritis from the NP thyroid?
Janie Bowthorpe
OMG, so you still suffering from what the pre-recalled/later recalled NP did to you?? That is just too bad. I remember that there was a seriously strong volume of people that felt burning as they swallowed, burning in their stomachs, in 2019 and I think into 2020.
j.annz77
Is there a reference where all the thyroid meds T4 and/or T3 amounts are listed to compare ??
My T4 is always way low on NP Thyroid. Would like to be able to compare the amounts of T4 & T3 to other brands.
Janie Bowthorpe
The problem with NP is that it was recalled by the FDA. There are some who are surmising it’s better now, but you’d have to figure out if you are on the bad batch or a good one. And this is our goal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Susan
I had Stroke ! NP Thyroid , Loss speech , Fib, neuropathy nerve pain. In hospital! Jan. 2023
Off market!!!!!!!!!
Jennifer
Hi Janie,
Could you recommend a reputable direct lab for thyroid testing (or are any of them okay)?
Also, when your adrenals aren’t up to par and your thyroid med isn’t getting into the cells properly and you get jittery, where does all that T3 finally go or how does it get used up? Do you slowly adsorb it with the adrenals working much slower or what exactly happens? And if you take any iron, calcium or magnesium supplementation in the meantime, does this cause the T3 to hang around in your system even longer?
Thanks.
Anna
I have been in touch with Thai sellers as I have been on Thyroid-S for years. It`s the only Thai brand left on the market as Thiroyd and TR were discontinued in 2019. Thyroid-S is now almost as expensive as Armour ;-(There is one new Vietnamese brand (prescription-strength) called Real Thyroid. However, it contains seaweed and potassium iodide…not sure that is good for hypos, especially those of us with Hashimotos….?
Karen Ofsthus
There has been much discussion and issues over the years regarding NP by various companies. I used to take it years ago, but wasn’t doing that much better than without it. Until I found a Naturopath that knew what she was doing. Now I take T3 and T4 directly: 50 mcg daily L-Thyroxine (Synthroid=T4) and 25 mcg spread throughout day of Liothyronine (generic for Cytomel=T3). Within a week of taking Liothyronine, all of my symptoms abated. All of them. This is after a few decades of struggle, 6 years on Family Medical Leave working only 28 hrs/week, as my fatigue was crushing. It’s over 3 years now and I have a life. I can work full time. I do activities. I’m active and energetic. My naturopath was the first one to say that I don’t do well on T4, and wanted me to try T3. She’s a genius if you ask me! If you haven’t tried T3 directly (rather than in a combination with other NP meds), I urge you to try it. The meds are cheap, you can titrate the amount you need and be treated symptomatically. Natural thyroid isn’t the only option. Give T3 alone a try and see what happens. Cheers!
Elaine
could you please give me the name of your naturopath, and what state you are in. I need help. Thank you so much
Esther Roberts
Thank you. After years on various NDT’s the new doc put me on Synthroid & a little bit of T3. The Synthroid as always made me very ill, but I noticed that taking T3 alone did not. Asked her if I could try a fuller dose of T3 alone. She said no one should do that bc would be so bad for their heart. But I have Afib and my heart struggles without the T3. The doc is very nice but adamant. I don’t want to change docs again but this is months gone out of my life and I’m not getting any younger.
Mary
Both reformulated Armour & NP Thyroid have given me hives! I got huge welts on Armour, not as bad on NP Thyroid. I’m told it’s a corn filler but I’m not sensitive to corn byproducts. Why can’t they leave it like it was?
Margaret Self
I appreciate the heads up given earlier about the new recall and went on line to get the affected lot numbers. When i looked at my Rx bottle and the paperwork it came with, there was no lot number to compare. So I naturally called the pharmacist who informed me they had no record or the lot number any more. Next step, I ordered a refill and when I went to pick it up the next day, asked for the lot number. This time they claimed that the manufacturer never gives them the lot numbers, but they were sure it wasn’t on the recall list.
This is the second pharmacy that couldn’t or wouldn’t reveal lot numbers on their prescriptions. I believe it is their way of shirking responsibility for the products they sell. Their reply is always “ask your doctor” and that is never helpful.
Shouldn’t there be an oversight agency department at the FDA to report these actions?
Michelle
Another NP recall! As many others, I had a mix of hyper and hypo symptoms while on NP, regardless of whether recalls were due to super or deficient potency. I believe Acella is hiding something and making people dangerously ill. If you’re not feeling well stop taking them! After all the recalls and my own suffering, I finally switched back to synthetics. Within a couple of weeks on tirosint and cytomel, my hair stopped falling out in clumps, my heart rate decrease significantly, and body aches stopped. Unfortunately, I’m still hypo, having to wait until my levels stabilize before I can retest and hopefully get optimal for the first time since 2019. Also, I recently learned biotin can affect lab results unless you stop taking it a few days before. I’m afraid both NP and biotin skewed my labs, causing my Dr to drop my dose way too low. Has anyone experienced issues with NP or biotin causing inaccurate labs and issues with getting optimal?
Janie Bowthorpe
Here you go: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2021/04/30/np-thyroid-by-acella-has-once-again-been-recalled/
Sherri
Did you know that NP Thyroid, 60 mg dose is NOT approved by the FDA? I just found that out today while looking on Drugs.com. I too had been putting on weight, having severe swelling of my legs, feet and hands, sore throat, severe headaches, sweats, cravings for sugar, anxiety (which I never have) and a horrible chemical smell from my urine. Basically, to your point Michelle, I am experiencing both hyper and hypo symptoms.
I told my husband two weeks ago that something was wrong with my thyroid medicine and made an appointment with my physician. Yesterday, I got a recall robo-call from my pharmacy telling me my script was being recalled. Then today, when I called, they said, “Oh, well your lot number of script is okay. That lot number isn’t being recalled.” I guarantee that something is terribly wrong with my lot number! I have always had Armour. For some reason, the pharmacy filled my script with NP and I didn’t realize it until I started feeling bad. The fact that it isn’t FDA approved is extremely concerning too. NO MORE NP by ACELLA!!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Sherri. You need to sign up to be notified for the STTM blog posts. I posted this almost a week ago: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2021/04/30/np-thyroid-by-acella-has-once-again-been-recalled/ And pharmacies have always sneakily refilled with NP because they make a better profit. It’s irritating beyond belief when they do that.
Bj Cobb
So you are saying pharmacies fill your Armour prescription wtih NP on purpose. How do we know which one we are getting? I moved 5 months ago and my symptoms got really bad about 4 months ago, Maybe using CVS as a new pharmacy they are filling it wrong. If this is what is making me feel so bad it more than irritating.
I wonder if getting your prescription compounded would assure you that you are getting the correct dose?
Janie Bowthorpe
Pharmacies will always choose to refill with the brand that makes them the most money, as we understand it. So to find out what you are getting, you look at the last line on the label which shows what you got, plus the mg or mcg, then look at the abbreviation after that. For example, if they substituted Armour with a generic from Sun Pharmaceuticals, you will see SUNP. This doesn’t mean that a generic from a different pharmaceutical is lacking or not the correct dose. That is wrong to assume the latter. But I personally don’t appreciate a substitution that I didn’t ask for. So no, it is not the answer to assume you will get what is right with compounded.
Phil
I was on NP 60mg for 2 years and at first it was ok but I felt like crap. Doc raised it 2 60’s a day then 2 1/2 and every time I felt worse so bad that all I wanted to do was sleep all of the time. Went back to 1 grain felt better but the fatigue was horrible on this stuff and never had this with Nature throid. 2 weeks ago I stopped all of my NP and my doctor switched me to 25mg of Synthroid and 5mg of T-3 twice a day. It was like I had come to life again and felt like I did on the good Nature throid, so good in fact that I have lost 5 lbs. My thinking here is that Accela is still cheating people on the amount of T-3 in their pills. Will never go back to NP again
Jill
I have been taking 90 mg NP thyroid for quite a while. I received a letter at some point from my pharmacy about a recall on it. I am convinced I had a batch of super potent NP thyroid back in 2019. A few months ago I was switched to a lower dose. 60. That was too low. My TSH was 15.7 so about 5 weeks ago I was switched back up to 90. Now my TSH is barely detectable. I’m having heart palpitations and sweats so I started breaking the 90s in half. I think I have another super potent batch on my hands. What do I do?
Janie Bowthorpe
The answer: move to Armour or T4/T3. And here’s why we react to T3 in our treatment: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
Shelly
I’m on NDT and want to switch to synthetic T4 and T3 but I can’t find out what the equivalent dose would be. Is there a conversion chart or standard conversion to convert NDT to synthetic T4 and T3?
Thank you!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Shelly. One grain of NDT equals 38mcg of T4 and 9mcg of T3. Two grains equal 76 of T4 and 18 of T3. Etc. 🙂
Ryan
I’m just curious here, so I don’t expect exact figures, but I couldn’t really find prices anywhere else. What is the current average cost of synthetic T4/T3 at those lower end doses. I’m around a grain and quarter for my current NDT, and I pay close to $50 for a 30 day supply of NP. I’m thinking it’d be much cheaper on the synthetics if I were to switch.
Jill
I have been taking 90 mg NP thyroid for q while. I received a letter at some point from my pharmacy about a recall on it. I am convinced I had a batch of super potent NP thyroid back in 2019. A few months ago I was switched to a lower dose. 60. That was too low. My TSH was 15.7 so about 5 weeks ago I was switched back up to 90. Now my TSH is barely detectable. I’m having heart palpitations and sweats so I started breaking the 90s in half. I think I have another super potent batch on my hands. What do I do?
Linda Osmond
Hi, all. I am just curious if anyone is on a 4 grain Armour (240mg). I’m trying to figure out if this is just something that happened with me, or if there is a medication issue. I am determining a dose between 180-240mg with my doctor’s permission. I was on 180 that I had filled a while ago and doing fine. In Dec, I started a new bottle and switched to 240 unknowingly for about a week or less. I wasn’t doing well and realized I had put some 240s in an old 180 bottle. I then started splitting the 240 into 3/4ths and taking that, what should be equivalent to 180. I still didn’t feel the best, so I got out the remainder of my 180s and started back on those. So, I thought it would be good to ask: 1) If anyone else is on 240s with a recent fill and doing ok, just in case anything changed. And 2) Can I assume that the active thyroid component is distributed equally throughout an Armour tablet so that splitting it into 1/4s and taking 3 of the 1/4s (equal to 3/4 of 240) should give me the equivalent of taking a 180 tab? The 4 grain tablets are not scored, so I am guessing a little on what is half and a fourth on these. Thank you for your feedback!
Janie Bowthorpe
As far as being on 240mg of NDT in general, yes, there are some folks who report needing that much to achieve optimal frees. It’s very individual out there.
As far as Armour in particular, we do occasionally see someone wondering if Armour changed. Sometimes just the way they press their pills makes us eonder. But we’re not sure yet overall. So we find the best thing is keep an eye on the free T4 and free T3 in case something has changed. Also watching the RT3 is helpful, because what can appear to be a change might actually be the rising RT3 due to stress or inflammation.
Linda Osmond .
Thanks, Janie. I seem to be doing better after switching back to my old batch of med. So I guess I’m still wondering if there could have been a change to the newest batch of 240mg. I’m due for labs. However, I am going to test after being on my old tabs, not the new ones. I appreciate knowing if anyone else has complaints about possible changes to Armour recently I sure hope that doesn’t happen again.
Janie Bowthorpe
Keep me informed!
Jey
I am so lost!
Will try to make this 12 year saga as short as possible:
After TT – Synthroid 125 for 4 years, gained 50 lbs, felt miserable (No T3)
Changed to naturopath and NDT
Have been on all the major brand NDTs
Currently on NP Thyroid 90 mg twice per day, plus 20 mcg Cytomel T3
SO MUCH HAIR LOSS that I am depressed, self-conscious
Have been on NP for 2 1/2 years, but suspect hair loss began years ago and is just now really bad.
What I don’t understand:
Over the years, my doses have gone up and down, generally around the 90 mg twice per day range on main T4 drug, but I’ve gone up and down on Cytomel, sometimes even without. No matter what I’m on, my RT3 is ALWAYS around 15 or 16, in a range of roughly 8-25. Why wouldn’t the RT3 change when I was completely off T3?
T3 is almost always mid point or slightly higher
T4 is almost always just under mid point
but RT3 remains right in the middle of range no matter what
Anyway, I don’t know if the high-ish RT3 is affecting me or not.
My main concerns now are:
bad hair loss
big gaps in memory
can focus on some things, but if there is a long page of text to read, I find myself skipping it
no long term goals (lack of motivation?)
The hair loss is what prompted me to write this, but memory is a concern too.
I know NP and many NDTs have been reported to be bad now, but I am terrified to go back on Synthroid. It took me 9 years after switching to NDTs to lose 45 lbs and feel better. I am terrified of worse brain fog, weight gain, and even that some still report hair loss on Synthroid. The years on Synthroid were the last time I had decent hair, but I was younger then and also, I don’t want to trade off good hair for a giant weight gain again. I don’t know if adding T3 to Synthroid would make the difference I didn’t see back then or not.
I’ve always been confused as to whether I’m still hypo and what to do about it. More T4? More T3? I try to research but my lack of focus keeps me from getting anywhere.
For reference, I am 51, through menopause, have had copper, iron and sex hormone levels checked and all are at good levels. I already take vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and a supplement that contains Saw Palmetto (for hair loss) and B vitamins, plus have put various oils in my hair, but nothing is helping.
Janie Bowthorpe
We all have to find the cause of the rising RT3 and treat it: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3
And yes, NP was recalled for good reason and same with Naturethroid and WP: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
Once you get the RT3 down, you can be on Armour or T4/T3 and get optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Jey
The problem is, I can’t figure out what is causing the RT3 to always stay mid range. I do have a somewhat restricted diet, but I don’t think it’s extreme. I do have stress, but again, I don’t feel like it’s extreme because I’ve had times in my life that were way worse. Otherwise, I don’t believe I have any health issues with liver, Diabetes, infections, etc. and my iron levels are good. Even when I reduced my T4 down to 1 1/2 90mg pills, the RT3 stayed the same. Granted, I wasn’t taking any T3 at the time. So, perhaps if I lowered the T3 to just one 90mg pill and added more T3 (increasing the 20 mcg to perhaps 30), would this be a good way to break the cycle? Or should I even be worrying about the RT3 since T3 stays at mid range too? Is the hair loss/memory loss even an RT3 issue (since T3 also stays mid range) or is it just that I need a different dosage?
Janie Bowthorpe
Common causes of too high RT3: high cortisol (have you done the ZRT saliva test? https://saliva-cortisol.squarespace.com/), iron that’s not optimal, which is at or close to 110 and not even in the 90s for women, chronic inflammation (ferritin will reveal that it’s in the 90’s or higher). It can also be caused by breathing in mold (causes inflammation), having any kind of infection, even Lyme, etc.
Jey
The last time I did a cortisol saliva test was 2015. Everything looked good at that time. My lifestyle has not changed since then (feeling kind of stagnant, actually).
In March of 2020, iron was as follows:
IRON, TOTAL 124 range 45-160
IRON BINDING CAPACITY 329 range 250-450
% SATURATION 38 range 16-45
FERRITIN 71 range 16-232
The last few days, as a temporary fix until I can talk to my doctor, I went ahead and reduced my NP thyroid from two 90 mg pills to just one. And, I upped my generic Cytomel from 20 mcg to 30 mcg. I just don’t know if I need even more T3.
And, I’m not sure if I should go back to Armour (which caused very high RT3 in the past, even with T3), or should try a T3-only approach. I want to have some idea of what to do before I call my doctor.
Janie Bowthorpe
You might want to find out why you had that high RT3 and correct it: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3
And 124 for iron is too high for a woman. You might have the beginning of a methylation problem. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/mthfr
Ryan P
Hey just popping in. I noticed my NP started tasting semi-sweet again, and I can be lumped in with those who did not get notice of the second recall. Earlier in the year, there was a recall involving the potency being too high or doubled, but now I’m reading that it was under-potent? What’s the full story there? Is there a link? Has anything been done to rectify this problem? I see Naturthroid is once again selling no lots. Armour doesn’t come in 81.25mg and I refuse to pay so much for it when it may or may not be the solution. I used to pay $8 a script for a 30 day fill back in 2014 without insurance for NT. This price gouging is ridiculous. For reference I pay $36~ for a combined 2 script to make my dosage for NP. I can barely stomach that having no health insurance and no job right now due to this pandemic.
Janie Bowthorpe
Ryan, here’s the full story as we know it, and also click on and read the links under NP thyroid: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
Kim (Male)
It’s been a least a year since I’ve felt optimal on NP. Used to cycle 5 miles. Now I struggle to do two. NP is my only choice being affordable ($63/90dys) on fixed income and medicare which only pays for synthroid. In the last six months I dropped from 130 to 115, higher morning bp’s, mouth dries out overnight and last tsh was 0.02. I’m hungry an hour after eating. Blood draw due after Christmas. I was taking 2-60ms. We’re limited in Doc choice so the Dr had me skipping to 60mg two times a week. Didn’t seem to help so I just told her I’m going from from 1-3/4 to 1,5 and down. I’m at 1-60 but palpitations still there. Next appt, in Jan. Probably the worse I have even been on NDT. Tempted to try Synthroid as my sis does well on it with regular Hypo but I have hashi’s. God Bless.
Janie Bowthorpe
Kim, low income or not, the worst thing to be on is NP Thyroid. It was recalled and for good reason: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
And the worst thing to be on is also Synthroid or just T4-only of any brand, in spite of your sister. We aren’t meant to be forced to get T3 from conversion alone. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work Your sister may already have issues that she doesn’t realize are from being on nothing but T4, and definitely will see them creep the longer she stays on. We as patients have seen the latter in ourselves, and others, for years.
Instead, look into using T4 and T3, and getting optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Kim
Thanks for the comments. Learning ALOT from this website. Turns out I’ve been stressed easily for the last 6 months or so. My bp prone was 119/69 and 117/70 upon standing. This shines a new light on my ndt issues. Also living in Fl and working outside in the heat was hard unless I stating drinking electrolytes with breakfast. One good thing is with my income level I can get patient assistance with Armour. The testing for cortisol/adrenal look interesting but expensive. Now at least I can do more research.
Michelle Harrington
Has anyone had experiences with thyroid meds spiking blood sugar? My endo switched me from armour to a slow absorbing compounded med and significantly dropped the dose. She thinks the higher dose and fast absorption were causing blood sugar spikes leading to pre-diabetes despite a low-card diet and exercise. I was willing to try it with all the NDT problems and worry about diabetes, but now I’m so hypo I can’t function (exhausted, brain fog, body aches, weight gain). Before the switch my TSH was low, T4 was normal, T3 was high, iron was normal, and cortisol was on the high end of normal in the a.m. and slightly low in the p.m. I just want to be healthy, loose the extra weight I’ve put on since the NTDs went to crap, and feel “normal”!
Janie Bowthorpe
Michelle, that’s not caused by the Armour. It’s caused by what Armour can “reveal”, which is a cortisol issue. And since you said your free T3 was high (and labs are not about just being “normal”, as you described your free T4. Labs are about “where’ we fall in a range), I suspect your high free T3 represents pooling and that happens from a cortisol problem that you need to discover and treat. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/pooling
Michelle
Thank you, Janie! I’ve read your info about pooling before and just looked at it again. I’m taking Thorne to support my low pm cortisol and will ask my doctor to slowly up my thyroid dose. I agree that so few doctors really know know this information and am grateful for this site!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. You can still pool on ACE if you aren’t on enough ACE.
Jennifer
Janie, I’m aware that Isocort is no longer made and you left a statement that patients now use straight adrenal cortex if needed. I did very well on the Isocort. Could you give me some info on how low of a dosage one can get of the straight adrenal cortex? Would it come from a compound pharmacy in a capsule with acidophilus like my compounded thyroid? Thank You.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Jennifer. Adrenal Cortex is obtained from Amazon, iHerb, etc. The ones you would want are 50 mg.
Jennifer
Janie, I’ve been searching for the 50 mg, very very hard to find. I finally found one called Seeking Health but it has MCC in it which I can’t take. Would you or anyone happen to know one just off the top of your head? If I can’t find one, is it something the compound pharmacy could put together? Thanks again.
Janie Bowthorpe
Check out the Thorne brand, too.
Bridget Blair
I had to w to np thyroid and the smell is like cat pee! It’s horrible !! Is this bad for me
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid was recalled so most people are off of it and on Armour. For me personally, I will never put something in my body everyday that smells like cat piss.
Nomes
Any suggestions on how I can get a prescription for this? I have Hashimotos thyroiditis and lost my health insurance this year. The levothyroxine only pills I was taking are no longer working. Im not sure how to get a new prescription without paying way more than I can afford for a series of Drs. visits. Definitely open to suggestions at this point.
Jennifer
Hi Janie, I’m on compounded NDT now since the Acella mishap. Therefore, I now take a capsule instead of a pill. I’ve read not to take iron, calcium, or magnesium within 4 hours of taking my thyroid med. Sometimes I drink some salt water using salt that is high in trace minerals. Should I also space it out from when I take my NDT capsule (or would the mineral content be low enough not to affect my med anyway)? Thanks!
Janie Bowthorpe
Jennifer, honestly, we have made it work with a 2 hour spread, too. 🙂 Not sure about you salt water—seems like the mineral content would be quite small.
Rebecca
After receiving the STTM Email concerning the NP recall I contacted my pharmacy. One of the strengths was 120 mg and I had those. They tried to argue with me about there being no recall…then she looked on her computer and said “Oh! I will switch out your pills right away!” Seriously?? She didn’t even know about the recall?? She had to hear from a customer?? I have been taking the new batch (with Aug 2021 expiration) for 18 days and I am noticing some improvements as the days go on. The tablets actually dissolve in my mouth and taste slightly sweet. I have an appointment with a new physician tomorrow (I have moved to a new State). I am interested to see what my levels are after this sham.
Andra Bosiljevac
My new NP prescription tastes and smells like stinky gourds, cucurbita foetidissima. This is a plant that I was raised around in CA and which had this unmistakable, horrible smell. I’ll never forget it.. The fruit is poisonous, too. Can someone check this out?
Stefanie Hill
Anyone have any new, unexplained reproductive issues? I’ve very recently developed a fast paced PCOS and have been instructed the likelihood of getting pregnant is low.
My levels were off the charts with my t3 and low t4. I was having the worst of hypo and hyper symptoms all at once. Suddenly now I have a new lump growing in my throat and all of these new ovarian issues.
Migraines are nearly weekly now, palpitation at an all time high. Even had a rupture put me in the hospital a couple weeks ago.
I didn’t get the notice on the recall till September 22nd.
Wondering if anyone has experienced something similar? I’ve been on NP since late 2017
Janie Bowthorpe
Are you not aware that NP has been recalled for problems? https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
Jill
I went to the pharmacy on Tuesday to pick up Nature Throid, which I’ve been on for over a year. The pharmacist greeted me letting me know they switched my meds to armour because NT was recalled months ago and they just found out. She said NT had 90% less than the required active ingredient. WHAT!? Explains why my levels were soo bad that the dr called me wanting to know of i was alive. This is absolutely wrong. How do they not know it was recalled? In 3 days of being on armour I lost 5#.
housemaid
Nature-throid didn’t have 90% less of the required active ingredient. It had less than 90% of the active ingredient. Those are two different things. Nature-throid may have had 89% of the active ingredient. But it has never been about a little too much or too little active ingredient. If that was the problem, then we could just adjust our dose up or down and be fine. The FDA is only testing the amount of active ingredient. They are not testing for contaminants and spoilage, which is where I believe the real problem lies. And this applies to WP and NP, too.
Lynn
I agree and I think in many cases 11% less active ingredient wouldn’t cause all the symptoms people have related to hypothyroidism and the stomach issues. When NP first went wrong in October 2019 it sounded like people were having independent testing done on their old and new NP. Did anyone ever come back with results? If that testing never actually happened can we find away to test now?
Teresa
Hi everyone,
Has anyone seen the warning letter that the FDA sent to Acella? They are warned that they have failed to deal properly with their CMO (contract manufacturing organization) for their new API supplier–this based on an inspection at their facilities that went on from Dec 2019 into Jan 2020. Stability ascertainment seems to have been an issue–here is the link. https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2020/9/fda-warns-mylan-acella-pharmaceuticals-over-gmp-vi
Janie Bowthorpe
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
Teresa
Hello all, Thanks for the info on the very recent recalls. I feel compelled to write to you all about the disturbing experience that i’ve had with compounded NDT. As we discussed at length In many previous posts, it had become apparent that the raw thyroid powder perhaps coming from China through Europe was tainted or adulterated in some fashion. I had hoped that once this bad batch which was still clearly in the supply chain in America was fully depleted, new and better supplies would make their way into our meds. I am devastated to report that, although compounded NDT had been stable for me since the compounding pharmacies began to receive new supplies of raw thyroid powder, at the end of June 2020 that did not hold true any longer. My medication is simply composed of thyroid powder with no filler at all. The pharmacy gave me a mixed bottle of old and new supply–- and afternoon taking the first capsule (sublingually) I was unable to get a deep breath. I was heaving and gasping simply to get a little bit of oxygen into my system. I am fit and exercise but was completely unable. I noticed that the powder in the capsules looked different–-some were smooth and whiter and some were brownish and coarse looking– I separated them and determined that The smoother were fine so I took those and tried to eke them out until time for my next refill. I reasoned that the “bad” ones were left over from Sichuan Friendly’s disastrous supply and that the next batch would be great. I took the first capsule this evening and within 45 minutes I couldn’t breathe. These caps look like the other brown and coarse ones. I haven’t been able to speak with the pharmacist but I wonder whether there has been another general recall of all supplies–they said that they didn’t have enough powder to fill my 90 day scrip….I had to take an inhaled corticosteroid to make it through the last batch, and I fear for all NDT at this moment. It would be good to know whether anyone has had similar symptoms. My husband just told me that RLC labs has recalled all lots and all strengths of both Naturethroid and WP due to low T4 concentration––87% of labeled amount– NP too. It’s got to be the raw thyroid powder that every company is using. Please take care.
Lynn
Thanks for posting this. I’ve been trying to make USP thyroid extract powder work, either with no filler or with, and it has the same ammonia smell as NP did after the reformulation. I’m inclined to believe that the porcine on the market has something wrong with it that is related to the smell and has affected all NDT’s including Armour. Does anyone have a clue what could be wrong? I think it may be something other than lowered effectiveness.
Lynn
I forgot to answer your question about side effects. I get a heaviness in my chest that results in a small cough so mine is not as extreme as yours but I have only been taking 1/2 grain. I had the same problem with Armour in the winter. I wonder if there are some people that aren’t effected by this. I also know that my pharmacist could not smell the ammonia smell of NP that I could so maybe that has made it harder to pinpoint for everyone.
Lynn
Just tried Armour again because I am desperate and don’t know what to do and same result. Hard to take a deep breath and my husband asked why I was coughing all day. I can’t imagine that this is because it is a good NDT that is revealing a cortisol or iron problem. I took nothing this morning and it feels 90% better in terms of breathing.
Janie Bowthorpe
We have noticed repeatedly over the years, and specifically with a working NDT, that those kind of reactions are revealing an iron or cortisol problem, yes. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Lynn
Is it possible to take any Armour while fixing cortisol and iron? The breathing thing seems scary and possibly dangerous.
Janie Bowthorpe
In small amounts, yes for some. Raising Armour with low iron will cause the T4 in Armour to convert to RT3, the inactive hormone. Raising Armour with a cortisol issue can cause rising T3 (https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/pooling) and possible hyper-like symptoms. So we stay on low amounts like one grain or so, possibly adding in some T3, and focus on correcting either. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
If we already have high RT3, many of us just move to straight T3 while correcting the cause. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3
Janie Bowthorpe
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
ELAINE ARONOFF
Just a heads up in case you had not seen this yet. New NP recall on 9/17/20…lots of 15mg and 120 mg. WP Thyroid also issued recall of all lots/all strengths on 9/3/20.
Janie Bowthorpe
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
Mimi
I haven’t posted for a while, but I am not the same since the NP debacle I was on my way to being Optimal my weight and inflammation were down and then I started feeling terrible, flu like, then my symptoms came back with the inflammation and weight. My doctor switched me to Armor thyroid when Acella was recalled and I’ve never really bounced back. I’m wondering if anyone has had this same experience ? I have labs again this Monday we shall see but I’m sure I’m very hypo. I have Hashis Anyway I’m wondering what are the other options beside Armor ?? Thank you 😊
Danielle Stiles
Besides all the side effects all the people are mentioning, but there is much more suffering with people with fibromyalgia…which is constant pain all over the body EVERYDAY with brain fog on top of that sleeping 12 or 13 hrs a day. There should be a law suit on a company’s cheating the public on a product that does not work.
Mimi
I have severe joint pain as well.
Jenny
I have had terrible joint pain as well! It’s really bad in my hands and feet, but I feel it in my legs, back, and neck too!
Jennifer Megge
Any chance at all, after the recall, that new batches of Acella NP is back to some sort of good? I saw some reviews posted this summer that the smell was gone and it seems to be working like it used to. I had to go on Armour and it just doesn’t work for me (never did for years before going on NP either). NP worked wonders before it got tainted with something. I keep hoping that after that recall they have put a good product back out there. Armour had a few bouts of not working in 2009 and again in 2015 and now this site is saying it is working again (unfortunately not for me) so after reading reviews some people put out about new batches, I’m hoping there might be a chance!
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s really that patients are saying it’s working again, and STTM just reports on patient reports. There are a few who feel Armour hasn’t worked again, but we can’t tell if they have just been underdosing or not. Some have been, it appears. It would just be nice if we could return to what NDT used to be–fairly consistent year after year after year.
Rachel
I have been on NP for a couple of years now after failed trials of levothyroxine. At first, I felt great on it, had tons of energy, lost all the extra weight and cleared the brain fog. Now, I feel like it is no longer working for me at all. I thought that means I need a higher dose because my t4 was low and my t3 was at the lower range of normal. I asked my doctor for a higher dose, but that caused insomnia and heart palpitations and seems to have worsened my fatigue to the point that I became non-functional. I asked my doctor to switch to armor, but now I am seeing that it has not been working for a lot of patients as well. I will see another doctor and see if they can prescribe combination synthetic t3 and t4. Any opinions or experiences will be highly appreciated. Wish me luck 🙂
Janie Bowthorpe
T4/T3 has been reported as working great for patients if they get optimal.
By the way, because so many patients went hypothyroid again on NP, and because of the symptoms you described, check this out to see if you have an adrenal problem now: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
Mariea Caruthers
When naturethroid was recalled this week I was started on 120 NP.
What is the sweet coating made from?
I have been eliminating a lot of foods, meds, etc because of itching. I finally was itch free.
Then I started NP. I’m itching again.
Janie Bowthorpe
NP was also recalled. Even before it was, there seemed to be a growing body of patients in groups who have reported problems with it.
Dolly Wood
Anyone have problems with ear ringing since being on NP?
Lynn
Yes. I’m not sure if it is due to the lack of effectiveness or a side effect of medicine that has a bad ingredient. As I have been trying different medicines to get back on track it gets better or worse but can’t see the pattern yet.
Dawn
Yes, I had it with the new NP and Armour. It was terrible.
Lynn
Mine started with new NP but got worse with Armour.
Connie
I was on Nature Throid and I switched to Armour and had the same results. Not sure which way to go now. What happened to Armour.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Connie. Here’s what many of us have noticed: if you feel bad on an NDT like Armour, which patients are still reporting doing quite well on, it’s important to look at your frees i.e. Free T4 and free T3. They need to be optimal. Check out this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Or, we can feel bad when on Armour due to rising RT3, and the latter due to low iron, inflammation and/or high cortisol. Cheehttps://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3
Dolly Wood
Has anyone had serious ear ringing being on NP thyroid?!
Janie Bowthorpe
There sure have been patient reports on a lot of negative symptoms on NP since last Summer and especially since last Fall. It’s why so many are moving over to Armour or T4/T3, and getting optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Peggy
In March, returned from living for 2 years in Europe, where I had been stuck for 5 months with some NP I had gotten during a US trip in October. My numbers, esp T3 (high) and TSH (7-9) were off. Was exhausted, mood swings. I returned to live in the US again in March, and got a new batch of NP then, and wow the numbers really got out of whack. I know Janie dismisses TSH, but when I see it jump from about 1 to 17, I got concerned. So I decided to try Armour, and in 10 days (!), with serious heart palpitations, my TSH literally dropped down to 0.2 from 17, and blood pressure rose from 108 to 145. So 3-4 weeks ago, i went back to the pharmacy and re-upped with the NP, and added the herbal formula Thyro Choice. I also remembered a hack someone here had written years ago… about chewing the pills to break up the binder. And somehow in a month, on both the new NP and Thyro Choice together, ALL of my T numbers are in the middle of their ranges. And I am beginning to feel normal again for the first time in months! That said, hair is gently falling out so I am still in watch mode. NP doesnt smell badly now, and the use by date is two years out, so maybe FDA probing and their new sourcing has begun to turn things around. I am hopeful for the moment. And going to test every 3 weeks for the coming months.
Janie Bowthorpe
Patients have repeatedly reported that it is not worth it to be on NP anymore. But with your blood pressure going up on armour, the only NDT that has been working right, you might want to see if you have an adrenal problem, which NP will only make worse—the latter as reported by many patient experiences as well. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
Melissa
I just got mine about 2 weeks ago & they reek like cat urine. Is there an alternative option at this point?
Janie Bowthorpe
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Elaine
Hi Janie:
I got my thyroid results back as follows:
TSH .19 Re. Range .45-4.5
T4 Free 1.02 Ref. Range .82-1.77
T3 Free 2.9 Ref. Range 2.0-4.4
T3 Reverse- 23.7 Ref Range-9.2-24.1 NOTE: My reverse T3 was about 14 in February
THYROGLOBULIN AB, SERUM 10.3 Ref Range .0-.9 HIGH Hashimotos
THYROID PEROXIDASE (TPO) AB, SERUM 14 Ref. Range 0-34
Planning to do a saliva cortisol test. Should I include the DHEA as well?
Trying to figure out the cause of my sudden hair loss.
Been on 2 grains of NP Thyroid for the last couple of years with no issues until now.
Due to rapid hair loss over the past month, I don’t think it is just female pattern hair loss due to ageing (I am 58). My hair was fine in March.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Janie Bowthorpe
Elaine, NP Thyroid totally sucks. This is what you need to read: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/ NP could have contributed to your hair loss. For the labs, this is your go-to page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values 🙂
Stacy
I’ve been taking Naturethroid 32.5 mg and have been experiencing recent heart palps, sweating, unintended weight loss. This started about 4 months ago. In light of what is going on with NDT, I want to switch back to levothyroxine and then add T3. Should I ask my doctor to move me over to 50 mcg or start lower at 25 mcg?
Edie Foss
I posted my levels earlier and have been on NP exclusively. I would like to send some pics of the tablets, they seem to have changed since the really stinky ones as well.
Edie
OK, so I have had my most recent labs….I am pretty much optimal for me. My free T3, range 2.0 to 4.4, I am at 4.13. T4 range .082 to 1.77. My number is 1.63. My cortisol is all good. Can’t seem to find that report. The NP tablets seem to have changed. No nasty smell or taste now. Full on, new ones still have speckles, but new compared to old, there is a lot less difference. If I could add pics here, I would, but it seems I can’t.
Janie Bowthorpe
Your free T4 is way too high.
Edie
Thank you Janie. I appreciate what you do. My doctor is fine with my numbers, and this is the level where I feel best.
Dawn
Hi Janie,
Thank you for posting about the new NDT from Spain. Do you have any information on when this will start to be manufactured?
I can say, this is hopeful.
Janie Bowthorpe
All I know is what they stated on that page. It caught me by surprise.
Karen
In early March I started losing large amounts of hair, started having heart palpitations, and my blood pressure shot up. At the end of that 3month refill I received a notice that the Drug was being recalled. Since May I’ve been trying to get information on whether I got one f the tainted batch. The recalled drugs had as much as 115% over the usual potency. The drug company says it can’t trace the batches because it goes to wholesaler. The pharmacy, Walmart, insists it did not have any recalled batches. It seems extremely suspicious that my problems began shortly after taking the new refill in March. I’m now n mds for my heart, which I may not even need.
Janie Bowthorpe
The recalled NP was about what occurred in late 2018 and early 2019. No one has had a problem with that. Instead, you probably have been having problems because of what started in Summer of 2019, and especially Fall. It sucks royally since then. And most of us find it totally NUTs that it was THAT batch that wasn’t recalled. It’s made many people sick.
Elaine
Just came across this website tonight as I was searching online to see if there had been any issues with NP Thyroid. In the past few months everything has gone downhill, and I have lost a huge amount of my beautiful thick hair. I was chalking it up to stress from the current COVID situation. Before the WP issue a couple years ago, I had used it for many years with good success, but then had to switch to NP since WP was no longer available. Was planning to switch back to WP since I noticed that my dose was now available again, but after reading comments here, I am not sure what to do. Has anyone found that the new product works? I thought that the issues were supposedly fixed, and that none of their ingredients are sourced from China.
Any other options? It seems that all of the natural options have had issues.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Elaine. It’s almost getting to the point that your best bet is to be on T4 with T3. But equally important is to raise until the free T4 and free T3 are optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal. Read the entire page.
If one is transitioning from NDT to T4 and T3, one grain of NDT is 38 mcg T4 and 9 mcg T3. So two grains is 76/18, and so forth. It depends on what you were on before. But it may be wiser to at first move over to less than you were on because of what I am going to explain below.
If you’ve been on the negatively-changed and ineffective NP awhile now, it’s possible you now have stressed adrenals. Because if you do, that can cause problems with the T3 causing hyper-like symptoms until you correct the problem, and the T3 can also pool in your blood and not make it well to your cells. This is where you check for stressed adrenals: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
Or the now bad NP could have also caused your iron to fall, and that can cause rising RT3 as you raise T4. RT3 is an inactive hormone. See https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron
All the above are correctable if you do it correctly.
Janie Bowthorpe
You can also move over to Armour. But we have no guarantee that it could someday meet the same fate.
Elaine
I just picked up a few days worth of WP until I can get some test results back. The WP didn’t have the same awful smell as the NP, so I am hopeful that it might help at least in the interim. I was taking WP for years before the NP. At this point, I don’t think I can get my dr to prescribe Synthroid/Cytomel combo until test results come back, so that is why I asked for the WP. I saw that posts here also said that WP was problematic.
I noticed that you do consults. How does that work?
Thanks!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Just pay close attention. We’ve seen many who have experienced that WP went downhill too in it’s own way, even if you think you feel ok. Here you go: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/coaching-call
Janna R
Bad Batch? In June I began noticing and complaining about heart palpitations, a feeling of being in a bubble, balance seemed off, and feeling like I’m about to pass out. Naturally, I wondered if I had Covid, though I did not have a cough.
I Googled to check for news on NP Thyroid and saw the recall. I checked with pharmacy and they claimed that my pills were NOT in the recall lots. I’m wondering what caused them to find the problem in the first place? Were there patients questioning and reporting something was wrong? Or do they perform quality and control tests AFTER product is shipped???? Shouldn’t that be done before ANY product is shipped?
If they don’t check unless someone complains then that maybe WHY my batch was not on list.
I’ve been taking thyroid replacement since 1993 when I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. My thyroid was completely eradicated by radiation iodine therapy. I’m 57 yrs. old.
I’ve been watching my body’s response to food, drink and the ONE medication I take – NP Thyroid. I eat healthy for the most part and something is/was definitely OFF with MY NP Thyroid medication.
It definitely has CAT Spray smell which started in 2019. I couldn’t identify at first. So why Cat Pee? Are we taking Cat Thyroid supplements now?
I just got a NEW 90 day supply but I won’t be finishing this batch IF my symptoms persist.
Janie Bowthorpe
What was recalled has absolutely nothing to do with, and proceeded the NP crap that started to come out in September of 2019, smelled like cat piss, and has caused a crapload of problems in patients…all which Acella denied, scooted around, swept under the rug, and gaslighted every single person who called Acella. It’s all been the biggest carnival shitshow I’ve ever seen…
Starr D.
I don’t think every batch that should’ve been on there made the list. I was using both the 60 mg.
and the 30 mg. pills, and I got the same bad symptoms from each of them, around 20 minutes after
I took either one of them when things really started getting bad for me. Only my 30 mg. ones made
the list….those 60s were horrible, though, at least for me. Yes, their expiration dates were a few
months off from one another–but I still say both strengths weren’t right, even though Acella doesn’t
agree. And I still say that both batches of my pills should’ve been on the recall list.
Jamie Lehman
In case this is helpful documentation to anyone.
FDA alerts drug makers of a recall of porcine thyroid API from Sichuan Friendly Pharmaceutical Co., Limited, China
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FDA testing confirms inconsistent potency in the active ingredient
Update [9/5/2018] FDA is alerting active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) repackagers and distributors, finished drug manufacturers, and compounders that Sichuan Friendly Pharmaceutical Co. Limited, China, has recalled all unexpired lots of porcine thyroid API due to inconsistent quality. FDA recommends that companies check their supply and quarantine any API from Sichuan Friendly.
FDA reminds manufactures and compounders that Sichuan Friendly API may not be identified as the API manufacturer. The API may also be labeled as Sichuan Beisheng T, Sichuan Beisheng Trading, Sichuan Beisheng Technology or another API supplier.
[8/17/2018] FDA is alerting active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) repackagers and distributors, finished drug manufacturers, and compounders that Sichuan Friendly Pharmaceutical Co. Limited, China, is recalling certain lots of porcine thyroid API due to inconsistent quality of the API. FDA recommends that manufacturers and compounders not use Sichuan Friendly’s porcine thyroid API received since August 2015. This thyroid API comes from porcine (pig) thyroid glands and is used to make a non-FDA approved drug product, composed of levothyroxine and liothyronine, to treat hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).
FDA laboratory testing confirmed the Sichuan Friendly API has inconsistent levels of the active ingredients — levothyroxine and liothyronine — and should not be used to manufacture or compound drugs for patient use. Risks associated with over or under treatment of hypothyroidism could result in permanent or life-threatening adverse health consequences.
FDA placed Sichuan Friendly on import alert 66-40 on March 22, 2018, based on current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) deviations observed during an FDA inspection.
However, FDA confirmed Sichuan Friendly’s thyroid API remains in the U.S. supply chain. This API and the drug products made from it, present a safety risk to patients. Sichuan Friendly API may be repackaged and/or relabeled before it is further distributed, and not all of the repackaged/relabeled API identifies Sichuan Friendly as the original API manufacturer. Therefore, manufacturers and compounders who make levothyroxine and liothyronine drug products should contact their API supplier to verify the actual manufacturer of the thyroid API they received before using it. Sichuan Friendly’s products may be labeled as “Thyroid Powder” or “Thyroid Powder USP.”
Additionally, manufacturers and compounders who have received API made by Sichuan Friendly should quarantine the API and associated drug products. If manufacturers and compounders have API or drug products made from Sichuan Friendly API, FDA requests these companies contact FDA’s regional offices.
FDA recommends patients talk to their health care professional before they stop taking their combination levothyroxine and liothyronine thyroid medicine. FDA also recommends that patients discuss FDA-approved hypothyroidism treatment options with their doctors, as combination levothyroxine and liothyronine products are not FDA-approved.
FDA advises patients not to use porcine thyroid medicine labeled as Westminster
Additionally, on August 9, 2018, Westminster Pharmaceuticals LLC voluntarily recalled all unexpired lots of levothyroxine and liothyronine (thyroid tablets) 15mg, 30mg, 60mg, 90mg, and 120mg. These products were made using API from Sichuan Friendly. FDA laboratory testing confirmed inconsistent levels of levothyroxine and liothyronine. Therefore, FDA recommends patients not use porcine thyroid drug products made by Westminster.
FDA inspection and adverse event reporting
FDA inspected the Sichuan Friendly’s facility in 2017 and discovered serious quality deficiencies, including:
use of an incorrect formula to calculate the potency of the API, which means there may be inconsistent levels of levothyroxine and liothyronine present in the API, and
multiple batches of API released with certificates of analysis containing inaccurate potency and stability data, and
no stability data to support the claimed shelf-life of the API.
Health care professionals and patients are encouraged to report any adverse events associated with porcine thyroid medications to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program:
Complete and submit the report online at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm; or
Download and complete the form, then submit it via fax at 1-800-FDA-0178.
FDA will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.
For more information
Sichuan Friendly Pharmaceutical Co. Limited warning letter, June 22, 2018
See Guidance for Industry: ICHQ7 Good Manufacturing Practice Guidance for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients for more information on how API, from original manufacturers as well as API repackagers and relabelers, should be labeled and clearly identify the original API manufacturer as the API moves through the supply chain.
Jamie Lehman
NP Thyroid Recall:
I am leaving a paper trail in case it’s helpful to anyone else in the forum.
It was some time in mid-December 2019 when I started contacting the FDA regarding NP Thyroid from Acella. My newest prescription smelled like cat or rat urine, tasted horrible, and made me feel sick. I found STTM and gave the information listed by everyone about NP problems as a reference to support my claim. I had been given the same runaround as everyone else from Dave Margolis at Acella. I spoke to Shanay at Acella on November 21, 2019 and she told me that Acella had a lot of complaints coming in regarding NP Thyroid. Anyway, because of all of the documentation submitted on this site, I was able to file a second and more meaningful complaint at a higher level at the FDA. For the record, I spoke with a Mr. Giddeon Esuzor (not sure of the exact spelling) at the Atlanta office. Phone number (404) 669-4466.
As I recall, I had filed the second complaint online and recall no action being taken. So, I started the entire complaint over again. Anyway, Mr. Esuzor sensed that I was not going away and I told him I was taking the tainted pills to a private lab to see what was in them. He seemed uncomfortable with that. He subsequently shared with me that an investigation was taking place at Acella in Georgia based on my complaint. He asked for my confidentiality during the process and I obliged. Soon after, repeated messages from Acella were left on my phone wanting to talk to me. I ignored all. Mr. Esuzor at the FDA took one more phone call from me and indicated that the investigation was still ongoing but then he never would answer or return another phone call. I had told him previously that I wanted all publicly available documents from the investigation. He seemed uncomfortable with my enthusiasm. I received the Voluntary Recall letter from my pharmacy dated June 6, 2020. I was very surprised to see the reason for the recall to be excess T3 and nothing else mentioned.
In my gut and my observations from other sources, I feel that there is a possibility that the animals, pigs or cows, were poisoned. It’s possible that we were even experimented on with viruses. People who have no thyroid are a captive audience for experimentation I would think.
As an aside, I’m pretty sure that in my research I had found something online indicating a company in Tampa that was importing thyroid medication was given an official letter from the FDA, I think, warning them that there were problems with the factory in China where the drugs came from and suggested that they did not sell the drugs. I don’t recall the timing of it but it might explain why Acella switched to a European source. But did they ditch the tainted pills or try to shove them down our throats?
I think we should demand all documents from the FDA investigation.
Jamie
Karla
Hi Jamie, do you have any updates on your experience, research regarding NP thyroid? I’ve been taking NP for years, and I know I noticed the changes with the smell, but it has taken a while to notice issues with the meds because I was dealing with mold exposure/toxicity beginning last summer. I haven’t been on this site for quite some time, so I am just learning of all the issues with NP. I’ve been through this history of changes to both Armour and Erfa before…heavy sigh that we have to deal with this when all we need is thyroid replacement! Thank you and all the best! ~Karla
Janie Bowthorpe
Everything I state is based on reported patient experiences and observations. And there sure have been a lot who’ve reported problems cropping up with NP, besides the terrible smell (like “cat pee”). And it’s now been recalled anyway. And yes, it does seem to catch up to patients like yourself who felt they were doing well…then they were not. So most are switching to Armour (which works again) or T4/T3 and getting optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Patricia
I started with NP Thyroid in Dec 2018. In Oct 2019 I started having daily hives. In Dec 2019 The weekly angio edema began and in Feb 2020 I ended up with anaphylaxis. I stopped taking NP thyroid in June 2020 when the pharmacy sent me a recall notice. Now I’ve been diagnosed with hypogammaglobulinemia. I know that can be caused by medications that suppress the immune system. Never had this before and I have to think there’s a connection.
Marg
WOW! “Immune system”??? Timed for the release of Covid-19? My several phone conversations with Dave at NP were frustrating. Why would a GA company move their source to Europe? Not tell us, not name the country of origin? Before the NP had the “cat pee” smell, it was clearly failing me. I called Dave, and of course found out in a roundabout way the fillers were changed. NP was 100% good; is this why they messed with it? To weaken a large population? Your diagnosis is tragic, but it now makes sense as to why all of us were sick on NP. Now I’m on Armour, it’s not great, and it’s expensive. Will the price come down, or will they stop production? Thyroid meds seem to be the key to most issues. Keep fighting, there will be justice, we must believe. Thanks, Janie!
Janie Bowthorpe
My husband started going downhill on NP before the cat pee smell too i.e. the summer of 2019. We had no idea what was going on. But when the cat pee smell and all the problems started by Fall, it was clear.
No, I don’t think they were trying to weaken all of us. Instead, they were going elsewhere for both porcine powder and fillers. But the DENIAL and gaslighting from Acella was HUGE. I lost totally respect for Acella.
As far as Armour, work to get optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal Read the latter carefully.
Marg
I read the link for optimal on NDT: it makes sense. (Please go to med school!) My Armour has not been price-reduced per PTrump’s working with pharmaceutical companies. My insurance will not pay unless I try their other Tier I first. I have, but via other docs many years ago, who could hunt down, prove that they didn’t work? I sent Armour an email asking when they will reduce the price. I’ll let you know if they respond. As for porcine, uh..it’s the animal they use to experiment on. Why wouldn’t they take lab animals for themselves first, and leave us with non-viable? NP changed their tune overnight, not apologizing, not caring. Of course they knew it was putting us in jeopardy. HCQ was promoted in 2005, now it’s not. See how FDA is messing with us? This NP/NDT is one example. And I have been known to get results. We all know how to contact the White House, politics aside. This is our lives, not politics! We’re way stronger than we realize. Be blessed today!
Marg
Allergan/Armour has a patient form on their website that enables them to work with your doctor to allow 3 months of free pills, sent to your doctor. It’s not perfect, but it may help defray some costs.
Jennifer
I am having daily hives now too! Even after discounting use. They started in October 2019, never had a issue like this before. I have to take Zrytec almost every single day or I break out in huge whelps. I know to take Zrytec because my fingers and toes start itching. The onset of symptoms is the same time as when I first started Np Thyroid.
Michele
I just wanted to take this opportunity to again thank Janie for all that she gives to us. She’s right there to help, answer questions and keep us all as sane as possible. We’ve all been through the ringer “again” with all the changes in NDT, but she’s still right here to help us all. Thank you Janie!
Dawn
Agreed, Michele! I have a wonderful thyroid doctor, but no comparison to Janie as far as finding resources, understanding labs, and always what the next step should be.
So please add me to the loads of gratitude for you, to you. We would be on our own lost islands without you Janie. 🙂 Thank you for everything!
Janie Bowthorpe
That means a lot to me. Thank u. 🙂
housemaid
I have a big bottle of the cat urine NP from last summer. I took one pill of that and quit because it tasted rotten. I did not want to get permanent damage that I have read other people have gotten from NP. However, I found an old good bottle of NP from 2016 and have been using that for a long time with no problem. Now I am soon going to run out. Early last fall I picked up 2 bottles of Thyroid-S, but I am leery of that because it also has a lighter smell of cat pee and taste. I have been on natural thyroid for years and never smelled cat pee in my pills until last summer with NP. WP was really my favorite due to lack of fillers. Has it gotten any better? Should I risk taking Thyroid-S?
I have thought about buying Armour since it has a different source of the porcine powder. I checked on GoodRx and found some weird price differences. I use Walgreen’s, but the other pharmacies had the same strange price differences. My dose of 120 mg a day costs $61.46 for 30 pills at Walgreen’s. However, the 180 mg dose drops to $45.60 for 30 pills. And the 240 mg dose is $51.26 for 30 pills. If I bought the 240 mg dose and split it in half, the price would be just $25.63 for 30 days. I don’t understand this pricing, but I would like to know if the Armour pills can be split in a pill cutter. I have never used Armour before but have heard that it has a hard coating.
Janie Bowthorpe
At first, we weren’t sure that WP had gone downhill like Naturethroid. But it eventually became clear it did, in fact, go downhill.
Armour does have a hard coating compared to what it used to be, but I think it can be cut with a good pill cutter.
Marg
Volume drives prices down. What sounds logical to get 240 and split it, won’t work. Your doctor cannot write over your prescribed amount per your labwork. As for price, I also pay out-of-pocket at Walgreens. With the news regarding price cuts on generic, NP is the generic for Armour, and they’ve twisted this so badly, all to their advantage. They should answer to this debacle since the White House is pushing for US-based drugs. What has happened to their US porcine? It’s sad to recall how well I felt on NP prior to their downfall. We can get answers, but it takes time and commitment. Be blessed!
Janet H.
Hi Janie! I Was doing great on NP but switched to Armour back in oct/nov. because of the yucky changes 🙁 I have been doing ok on Armour and pretty close to optimal but gained weight and not feeling as great as I once was. I’m on 3 grains a day and read that others have had to add T3. I’ve never used T3 only with NDT so wondering if it has in fact helped and how much is recommended? And do I drop the amount of Armour if I do add in T3?
Janie Bowthorpe
Can you post your frees with ranges?
Janet H
Thank you! I’ll post my labs since I started Armour in sept. I thought I was doing ok on 4 grains but my numbers climbed above range. So I dropped to 3.5 then to 3 and couldn’t get labs due to COVID situations. Like I said, I was ok but not great. Since COVID I went even lower to 2.5 to see if it would help me feel better because I have a history of rising RT3 as my frees increase. Got labs done and realized that wasn’t a good idea. So I asked my dr for some T3 and I’m going to do a saliva adrenal test soon. I’m back to 3 grains. I think I felt overall better on less but I really hope it’s because it sounds like I’m pooling and hope that T3 can maybe help. Haven’t taken any yet, just picked it up today. I really appreciate your wisdom!
Recently- 2.5 grains
11.7 RT3 (9.2-24.1)
.78 T4 (.82-1.77)
2.6 T3 (2-4.4)
January- 4 grains
6.5 T3 (2-4.4)
December- 4 grains
1 T4 (.7-2.5)
4.0 T3 (2-4.4)
November – 4 grains
3.7 T3 (2-4.4)
September – 4 grains
12.9 RT3 (9-27)
.7 T4 (.7-2.5)
3.3 T3 (3-2.4)
Janie Bowthorpe
Hard to say if you were pooling in January because you have to compare it to the free T4. But it’s possible. https://saliva-cortisol.squarespace.com/
Janet H
Yeah, I’ll be getting an adrenal test done as soon as I can. I’ve been working out of state for 4 months due to COVID So everything takes longer than usual for me now. In the meantime, do you have a recommendation on if I should use the T3?
Janie Bowthorpe
A recommendation of a T3?? Cytomel.
And here’s one of the best saliva cortisol tests: https://saliva-cortisol.squarespace.com/
Janet H
No, I was referring to my initial question. I switched from NP to Armour but gained weight and not feeling as great as I once was. I’ve read that others have had to add T3. I’ve never used T3 only with NDT so wondering if it has in fact helped and how much is recommended? And do I drop the amount of Armour if I do add in T3?
Janie Bowthorpe
But is it possible you are underdosed and not achieving an optimal free T4 and free T3, thus not feeling as great as before? Have you checked your frees on the amount you are currently on?
Of course, you can still add T3 to the Armour you are on and at least achieve an optimal free T3. But it’s an added expense you’d have to accept. Does that make sense?
Janet H
I guess I’m confused by the difference between pooling and RT3. Regardless, I read somewhere on this site that patients on Armour find it helpful to add T3 too. So I’m wondering why and should I too.
Also, I’ve been optimal with my T3 with T4 kind of lower in the range and a rising RT3. I read that T3 is helpful with RT3. My RT3 seems to go up every time I increase NDT.
Janie Bowthorpe
POOLING: when T3 goes high in the blood because it doesn’t have the right amount of cortisol to get it to the cells. Cortisol helps shuttle T3 to the cells when things are right. When things aren’t right, T3 just hangs out like pooled water when sticks and branches prevent it from going down the pipe.
RT3: what rises too high in the face of low iron, inflammation, or high cortisol–the latter three the most common causes. Rising RT3 is just rising RT3…just as falling snow on the ground gets higher and higher the more it snows. It’s not about “not getting to the cells.”
Not everyone needs to add T3 to Armour. You just need to raise it until the frees are optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Linda Osmond
Hi, all. I recently switched from NP thyroid to Armour. I was hesitant knowing that Armour had changed years back but was my last desicated option. It was also my first thyroid Rx when I started this journey. I felt great with mood the first week on the Armour, but I’ve had stomach upset for the entire 3+ weeks that I’ve been on it….loose bowels for a good portion of the morning and afternoon. I decided to try using some remaining old NP Thyroid (it’s like gold, right?) for a day or two, just to see if the stomach upset would go away. Basically, after my first morning (1/2 dose) of NP Thyroid, the GI problems resolved. So, what could this mean? Could it be that my body doesn’t tolerate the fillers? I am gluten-free, and I hear some Celiacs online (I am not Celiac, to my knowledge, but have some genetics related to gluten issues) express that they’ve had problems on Armour. Looking for insight. I’ll try going back on the Armour and stick it out a few more weeks until I can test, but perhaps someone has some thoughts on the gut issues. Having consistent loose bowels is new for me. So, I’d love to hear others’ thoughts. Thank you!!!
Janie Bowthorpe
We can never guarantee that Armour is gluten free. It will depend on what source they use for a filler, which they could go back and forth with. But it’s a VERY tiny amount as far as the filler. If you continue to have those issues, going with T4 and T3 can help and getting optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Linda Osmond
Thank you, Janie. I’m curious, if I do decide to go with compounded T4 & T3 (not made from desiccated hormone), it seems that one larger local pharmacy compounds with lactose as an option. Is this supposed to increase absorption of the hormones, or why would one choose lactose as a filler, I wonder? I know lactose is used in homeopathy, so there must be a good reason, and that is taken sublingually. Just trying to think of what a good option of fillers might be to consider with compounded hormones. If I try the capsules, I plan to open them and try to take them sublingually. Not sure if it will work, but I don’t think it could hurt. I was used to taking all of my NDT sublingually. I chew the Armour and let it sit there before washing down with water, but it’s not the same as sublingual.
This conversation is also triggering another thought about my GI issues on Armour. I wonder if this could be from swallowing the hormones and fillers vs absorbing them sublingually. Bypassing the gut would be a great benefit with any hormones consumed, as well as some undesirable fillers. And I think the liver would not have as much processing to do.
Janie Bowthorpe
I want to personally state here that I would never do compounded T4 and T3. You are stuck to a certain amount. It can be far better to get just a T4 product, and just a T3 product, and raise each to achieve optimal frees, which is a free T3 at the top part of the range and a free T4 around or just slightly above midrange.
Do also you know that it takes longer to see the conversion results of T4 to T3. So you go slower with the raises of T4 to see those results in labs as far as what it contributes to your free T3 lab result.
Armours ability to be done sublingually changed years ago sadly. It’s hard and doesn’t have the tiny bit of sucrose to help the process.
Linda Osmond
Thanks, Janie. Your comments and thoughts are helpful.
Lynn
I believe that Armour was causing reflux for me. I had not had it before but it started when I was taking it and stopped when I tried compounded t3/t4 (I had other stuff with that) and started up again when I started Armour again. I’m pretty sure it also causes tightness in my chest and my hair gets frizzy and then falls out. Super weird I know. Now I am trying both compounded porcine and compounded t3/t4 to see if that helps. Still thinking there could be something wrong with the porcine but that seems to help the hair.
Janie Bowthorpe
You may have been underdosing yourself.
Lynn
I guess but I am taking the equivalent amount in both the Armour and the porcine/t3-t4 combo.
Jay
I have also made the switch from NP to Armour……………I had a BRIEF bout for several days of loose stools so I make an effort to increase my FIBER intake mainly with more beans and bananas and I am back to normal.
NOT sure if loose stools had anything to do with Armour.
Michele
I’m here to report my testing and feeling on Synthroid and Cynomel for the last 8 weeks. Just got the results of my tests and my FT4 is right at the lowest reading, my FT3 is right in the middle. My TSH as you would suspect is at a 0.02 range and so the NP wants me to back off what I was taking. I have to go off Synthroid as I am apparently the 1 in 50 or so who have a reaction to it/fillers. I had 24/7 low grade headaches and felt “unwell”. I have a bottle of Armour that expired in 2016 and started taking it. As I recall, they changed from dextrose in it to cellulose, so I am taking it with a little bit of a xylitol candy and hoping for the best. After 2 days, the headache is barely there. The other aspect of synthroid for me is that I can’t remember where I am going and what I was doing. Memory issues. The NP said that was the other complaint/side effect. I asked to return to discuss the Rx and the dose since I have issues with lowering the dose (50 mcg Synthoid and 25 mcg of Cynomel). I had been on 75 of Synthroid,but the headaches and memory issues were just too much so I dropped it back to 50….better. So, my questions to Janie and the group. What is the general opinion of having FT4 below range and just not taking any T4 at all and just sticking with Cynomel only…sort of the “Wilson Syndrome” or “RT3” repair theory. Or going back to my previous 2 grains of Armour even thought it’s from when they reformulated it and its’ expired in 2016. And the other thing is that they are now apparently coming clean about Swine Flu in China…and I read somewhere that Europe sourced their desiccated thyroid from China. Do you think that’s what is happening to our NDT??? A conspiracy theory that could be correct? I don’t mean to offend anyone, but the timing is pretty “suspicious”. Thanks everyone, especially Janie. I know Janie feels that people should be able to tolerate Synthroid, but not me….typical.
Janie Bowthorpe
Janie doesn’t feel everyone should be able to tolerate Synthroid. Janie knows that there will always be that rare individual who reacts to fillers. And it’s far, far more rare than 1 out of 50 to react to filler, but it happens.
Yes, we can do T3 alone, but it’s about multi-dosing it approximately every four hours, three times a day, and getting your Free T3 optimal. Midrange isn’t. Read this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Michele
Thanks. I don’t think it’s the fillers as much as it is the “chemical” in Synthroid. This is the 3rd time in 40 years of trying it with a change of doctors. Each time the memory goes, the headaches come and my balance goes off. The vestibular system is part of the head/brain and that’s where I have an injury. So, no more Synthroid for me. I used to take T3 only 5 times a day and was fine. I prefer to take something with T4 in it since even taking 50 mcg of Synthroid/T4, my level was the very bottom of the range. Without any T4, it’s nearly non-existent.
Christine Stolz
Thank you Michele for sharing your information. I’ve been on N-P Thyroid for around three years. About July, 2019, I noticed extremely loud ear ringing, loss of balance and memory functioning, headaches, pressure in the head and back of the neck. My symptoms are worse when I lay down so sleeping is very difficult without a sleep aide. Since July I’ve seen a doctor, a physician’s assistant, an ENT, three physical therapists, and a neurology nurse practitioner. I’ve had MRIs of the brain and neck with and without contrast, an X-ray of the neck, a hearing and sleep test, and electromyography and nerve conduction studies. No one and nothing has been able to help and my symptoms continue to worsen. I took myself off the N-P Thyroid on Christmas Eve 2019, but my symptoms have never gone away. To me some of the medicine smelled like fish.
Kay R.
Day before yesterday I stopped Synthroid and t3 for one day and felt better, not okay but better. You are describing my symptoms without all of the scans and Doctors. Last May I finished a 500 pill bottle of ERFA and opened and took a new dose of a 100 pill bottle. It was bought from a Canadian pharmacy …3 bottles. I went hyper for 2 days and backed off the dose and slowly tried to raise for about 6 weeks till I was on my former dose.. I was off and unwell and fell and hit my head , saw the doc a week later who took xrays . Tried Bovine felt awful ..nauseous off balance but not until Dec 2019 did not know what to call it …vertigo. Saw one chiropractor who was rude and said “it’s not your thyroid medicine” ( I started For the first time in my life synthetics last week of Oct)
Since then the vertigo is always there with metabolic problems, as in hot cold feels like walking in cement. If my husband holds my feet I can stand the way I feel, but my legs start to vibrate and that goes all over. It’s weird but we have been going through this for so long. All of your stuff..bad headaches neck pain and over the months occasional cough. Husband tested neg for covid twice…fingers crossed.
Pandemic for us and pig population. Yesterday I did what Michele talked about. I also had a 2016 Bottle of ERFA and took a grain. Took about an hour for me to go back to hell….where I am in today also. Took a small amount of t3 this afternoon, but I am vibrating hot right now in bed.
On paper my TSH a month ago on Synthroid and old erfa was within range free T’s looked good, but I have never recovered. Some days better than others , but not good.
Now, maybe Janie or someone can say whether our body’s have some kind of cellular memory and all thyroid meds are going to be a problem going forward. The afternoons are worse for me…probably high cortisol ….along with bad reactions to meds now. Feel like I was poisoned . Wish I had stayed off everything yesterday. All I can think of is to do that …which is hard, but maybe I need to clear the body. Zero meds for me for 5 days in the past year meant a TSH of 23 free 3 midrange and t4 baseline. My hair grew back. That was last year before trying bovine. Btw, I believe Synthroid keeps my heart stable ….that has been the only good thing besides numbers …oh and no problem with antibodies ….my new erfa did not smell bad but it is bad. I have sent all of this info to my doc who is okay, I hope….we are in Houston.
I have left out so many other symptoms…..sorry. I am very grateful for this page and all of the people who have spoken here. They are the reason for the recall of NP…it’s all about the money.
Michele
I’m so sorry that you two (above) are having such horrible symptoms. I’ve been through all the brain scans with and without contrast too. This situation is a nightmare. I am still taking the old expired in 2016 Armour with a small piece of Xylitol candy. I remembered that I had called the makers of Armour at the reformulation and they said they took out the dextrose and replaced it with microcrystalline cellulose. So, I’m adding back something “sweet” and so far it’s okay. I’m also taking 1/2 grain more than my “stable” dose of the past. Side effects are much better. I am happier too. I have a thyroid ultrasound scheduled for this week and go back to my NP the following week. I think it’s too soon to re-test for my dosage of Armour to see how the levels have changed, but I’ll ask anyway. This is so sad for us all as most of us were optimized before all this happened. I am trying to be positive and very grateful that I don’t have covid though! With Janie saying the new Armour is working for some, I think I will ask for that next week when I go in for the follow up on the ultrasound. I know that you should wait 6-8 weeks before re-testing FT3 and FT4, but if it’s just changing from Synthroid/Cytomel to Armour, do you still have to wait that long? Anyone know?
Patty of Fremont Ca.
I have been on this NP. for as long as it has been out. I love that it is a natural product. At the being, my doctor had to adjust my doses, with the new formula, I ONLY notice the smell of cat urine…. but I feel great on it. never had any side effects. I Just sorry for the other patients that are having problems.
Janie Bowthorpe
Patty, just a warning: we’ve had a few say they were doing great on what 99.9% aren’t doing great on. Thus, they eventually crash.
Lynn
Do you think that the new NP only affects certain people? I know three people that have been on Naturethroid since the change last year and they are fine – no adjustment in dose. Surely in a year they would have crashed. The Naturethroid and NP thyroid affected me within two weeks. What could cause them to last this long? I also went back and smelled my Armour (four different bottles – 2 each of 15 mg and 30 mg) from December and March and they all smell faintly of cat urine (stronger with higher dose). And the porcine powder compounds I have received in the last two months smell exactly like NP did after the change. I also smelled my Naturethroid from 7/19 and it has a strong chemical smell that I would guess is masking something. My older Naturethroid and the good NP have a faint smell but not like any of these. This has been going on for over a year for me now of feeling like crap except for the few weeks I was on NP (after Naturethroid went south) before the cat urine smell. Why can’t we figure out what went wrong with NP and Naturethroid in hopes of a fix instead of trying to get optimal of a NDT that might be bad (Armour) or synthetics which some can’t seem to tolerate? I think we are missing something?
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Lynn. The way I do Stop the Thyroid Madness is to be open to individuality. I also call this the “Gray Areas” of our experiences–even have a page about gray areas. But when it comes to Naturethroid, or NP, and etc, there’s a problem when someone says they are “fine.” We see a lot of people who say they are “fine”, and we believe them they feel fine….yet we notice their adrenals are kicking in big time with high cortisol awhile, fooling them about being “fine”. Some last longer than others with high cortisol, but it always ends up causing problems. I even have a doctor who thinks she’s “fine” on Naturethroid..and I kinda wince, wondering when it’s going to hit her. And like others, she’s not willing to consider that she may not be as fine as she thinks…:(
And then there’s the optimal vs non-optimal frees. We know we need to be optimal. But when someone’s frees are NOT optimal…here is where there is individuality. Some see non-optimal frees cause their hypo to come back with a vengeance pretty soon as you did (and often stressed adrenals). Others may take a year and more!! But go backwards they do.
You asked “Why can’t we figure out what went wrong with NP and Naturethroid in hopes of a fix instead of trying to get optimal of a NDT that might be bad (Armour) or synthetics which some can’t seem to tolerate?” For one, we can’t figure things out because there is SO much secrecy from pharmaceuticals as to where they get what they use. Acella finally stated “from Europe.” So WHERE in Europe? And how do they know that the porcine powder they are getting isn’t messed up (which our symptoms imply it IS). Then you have pharmaceuticals who proclaim “We changed nothing” when it’s CLEAR that changes occurred. yet they get away with saying “We changed nothing.” Sad. It does beckon the question “On whose side is the FDA in all this??”
Second, not sure what you mean that Armour “might be bad.” Right now and for awhile now (in spite of changes in the past), it’s working when people understand HOW to use it (which many don’t then wrongly claim Armour isn’t working).
Third, to the contrary, most people do just fine with the synthetics if they do BOTH T4 and T3. Those who say they don’t tolerate it are actually thinking only of their experience when on nothing but T4. Being on nothing but T4 has been a huge mistake and seems to have caused millions with problems. If they add T3 to it, and get the free T3 up there, it’s fine. Of course, there can be a very small percentage who react to fillers, but it’s literally a small percentage, even if real for them.
Lynn
Thanks Janie for explaining it to me. I’m just so frustrated because I have now been sick for a year and have tried just about everything. I can’t go above 1/2 grain of anything without various symptoms that change everyday but mostly joint pain and fatigue. I don’t even care about the fatigue anymore because I can’t remember what it is like to not feel it. It seems my body doesn’t like anything included anything I take to help my adrenals. My doctors don’t know what to do so they are testing for other things now. I’m wondering if it might be best for me to stop taking anything and see how I do since I can no longer tell what is causing what anymore. Either that or take 1 grain of something and hope the side effects calm down. I’m stuck.
Janie Bowthorpe
If you can afford it, consider doing a coaching call with me to help get things clearer. The one on one talking helps if it’s needed. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/coaching-call
Betty White
At first I had all kinds of trouble with NP when I got some that smelled like cat pee. I went back on armour and had problems. I asked the Doctor to put me back on NP late last year and so far I am doing very well. I have lost weight and have energy. Not sure what happen, but I hate the smell. For some it will work. I did have to go down to a lower dosage.
Janie Bowthorpe
Betty, be careful thinking it’s working. What we’re seeing a lot for several months is that individuals who think it’s working are actually noticing the effect of rising cortisol and a little extra adrenaline. It can disguise that it’s actually not working. Thus people head for a bad crash.
Betty
I thought that might happen after a few months, but it has been about 7 months. Some times the pills stink and that I hate, but so far I have been good.
Liz
Acella needs a wider recall! I finally asked pcp for a thyroid panel 3 weeks back; among other high T3 sx, palps, headaches–but low T4 sx, too: cold all the time, temp 96- 97 round the clock for weeks. (Endo’s here in the 1950’s–won’t rx “unscientific” porcine but PCP won’t do more than rx, so it is DIY medicine without the ability to order labs/ or meds for myself, as usual. btw, have been on NP Thyroid for 6 years, hypothyroid since 2002, and noticed new stink, too.) My free T3 was way high,much higher than ever before and free T4 bottom number of normal. But my batch is not recalled! I called Costco pharm; pharmacist had no idea about recall, said he looked online and saw nothing, had received nothing. I can’t tolerate synthetic T3–wicked palps/arrhythmias–but T3 low without it. No one believes me but it is clear my adrenal fx slumps seriously from time to time, perhaps in response to MCAD issues…or in response to too much T3? Could that be?
Sharon Davis
May 27 started refill of 60 am 90 pm 3 days later get a text from Walmart with a link about recall due to super potency.,I didn’t think it was mine that I just received. Pretty much ignored it but day 6 start having headache that continue still today also elevated b p not getting clear answers from endo now it’s day 2 of U.N. recalled med how soon should I feel better? Desperate!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Most people are leaving NP Thyroid behind, and moving to Armour or T4/T3, and getting their free T3 and free T4 optimal.
Melissa Davis
Me too! I was having pound headaches in top of my head and felt awful! I went from exercise daily to not being able to exert any energy without my head pounding!
Janis Tramel
I wonder about contacting Acella Pharmaceutical directly and sending them proof via medical records to support the damages I have suffered from taking this tainted medication. Is that just a naïve thought that they might decide to make this right?
Janie Bowthorpe
Based on what so many have stated, it may be naive. Patients have expressed that Acella is about nothing more than making money and hiding what is going on.
Rachael
There is a law firm in Fresno, CA pursuing legal action towards Acella. Check out https://wagnerjones.com/acella-pharmaceuticals-recall/ if you have samples of medication for testing or lab work from when you were on NP it might be worth giving them a call.
Kay
NP Thyroid : I also have had terrible problems with NP Thyroid and could not get the endocrinologist group, that I go to to, listen to my problems. Finally I had my GP help and he took me off of this medicine. I feel so much better and am back to my normal self after switching me to Synthroid. On Jun 8, 2020 I received a letter from my pharmacy about a voluntary recall by Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC on 13 lots of NP Thyroid 30, 60, and 90mg. This is a quote directly from the letter. “The products are being recalled because these lots have been found to be super potent by the manufacture. The product may have up to 115.0% of the labeled amount of Liothyonine (T3).” I pray that non of you had the terrible symptoms that I was having and that you actually have an endocrinologist that knows and listens to you. You can verify the lots by going to acellapharma.com/news
Janie Bowthorpe
It would be a better thing to add T3 to that T4. Even a healthy thyroid gives us some direct T3. And though you feel better, you are risking all sorts of problems by forcing your body to live for conversion alone.
Lynn
What is the feedback on using compounded porcine? Is anyone having luck with that?
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s strangely mixed. Some say that their compounded had the “cat pee” smell that has been in NP Thyroid (the latter which has been making many patients sick). Others stated they were doing fine.
Lynn
I started using some and was still having symptoms so I even got some without any fillers thinking that the filler of microcrystalline might be my problem but no difference. The straight porcine smells like cat pee. The one with microcrystalline has a faint smell. Maybe the filler masks it? The porcine powder is also dark and I expected that the porcine with filler would be speckled but it is not. Maybe the clean it somehow? I guess this porcine is problematic because of the pee smell as opposed to it being the normal smell.
Janie Bowthorpe
The smell of cat pee exactly corresponds to when people started going downhill.
Janis Tramel
Walgreens Pharmacy told me if I received the recall letter, I had been given the tainted medication. Only those who received the recall letter were given the tainted medication.
Christine Stolz
Hi, Kay, could you tell me some of the “awful symptoms” that you had while on what may have been the superpotent NP Thyroid? I was on NP Thyroid and some, but not all, of my symptoms were and still are: memory loss, confusion, balance issues, headaches, severe ear ringing, pain and pressure around the entire head and back of the neck that are extreme when lying down thus difficulty sleeping. Here are some of the medical professionals I have seen because of my declining health since my symptoms began around July 2019: a doctor, a physician’s assistant, an ENT, three physical therapists, and a neurology nurse practitioner. I saw all of these medical professionals prior to receiving the Drug Recall information about the superpotent amount of Liothyronine. Also, I have had MRIs of my brain and neck with and without contrast, hearing and sleep study tests, an electromyography and nerve conduction study, and twice have had four steroid injections to the back of the lower head and neck areas. My symptoms continue and seem to be worsening. Prior to beginning NP Thyroid I was on Synthroid (levothyroxine) and developed a severe cough, which I had for years and went away after switching to NP Thyroid, but came immediately back when re-trying Levothyroxine. I have had the above mentioned issues for a year now even though I have been off NP Thyroid since December 24, 2019.
Dawn
Hi,
My pharmacy allowed me to switch out a recalled batch of NP for Armour (with my MD’s approval) and pay the difference. I was thrilled as I thought when I’m done with my good NP, I’ll go back to Armour.
I just tried a 30 mg pill and within minutes, I have ringing in my ears and a warmth in the middle of my back. I have Celiac and follow a very strict GF/Dairy/Egg free diet.
I read about Armour’s fillers before I took it and the only thing I could find was cornstarch as a possible allergen.
Anyone on Armour have these sensations? I am feeling defeated now, bc only after one small dose, I immediately reacted to it.
Thank you for any help.
Janie Bowthorpe
It might be that Armour is revealing a cortisol problem from having been on NP…https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
Dawn
Thank you, Janie. I had this same reaction when I originally swallowed a tainted NP pill. Armour looks the same grayish, speckled as the bad NP. I am so sad about this because it was my last hope. I cannot take synthetics. I am tired of being tired and angry of this every few years.
I will look into a cortisol test. Thanks very much.
Christine Stolz
Dawn, please note my reply to Kay. I am suffering greatly from extremely loud ear ringing since around July 2019. I, too, was on NP Thyroid. I listed many of the symptoms I developed before going off NP Thyroid on December 24, 2019 in my reply to Kay.
Sheila Sutton
I have no thyroid. And have been fighting other autoimmune problems for the past 7 yrs. That being said it is had to pin point problems when they raise their ugly head. But I have lately (past 3-4 mos.) had problems with fluid retention and body and muscle aches. My dr. thought it might be my BP meds. but stopped them and still have the problem. Then I got to thinking about my NP thyroid and if it might be the problem. And I’m really leaning to it being the problem. I did notice the change in taste ( cat pee smell ) and texture. But didn’t think to much of it at the time. I called my Dr. and spoke to his nurse and ask to be put on WP thyroid again. I had to quit taking it because they shut down their production for some time and had to go on something else and NP was it. Can’t take Armour or Synthroid . Has anyone else had these symptoms ?
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid has been reported by patients as causing such a myriad of problems, that yes it could be your problem. And Armour now works if you get your frees optimal! https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal Synthroid works if you add t3 to it and also get those frees optimal
Linda
Hi Janie & All,
I have a good 6 month supply left of my NP Thyroid, 120mg in the morning, 90mg in the afternoon. I just found out about the recall on NP Thyoid from my pharmacy. So, I did some investigating, and of course went to Stop the Thyroid Madness for information. Ugh… I made the switch from the failing and then disappearing Naturethroid to NP a couple of years ago. And now this. I have noticed that despite my constant exercising, my weight has crept up. But I am also 44.75 years old and ultimately, I am in very good physical shape for someone my age. I tend to over-exercise when I am stressed out. I bicycle a 1/2 hour every morning and I jog 20 minutes 4x/week and I do yoga and Pilates several times per week. But I am exhausted every night, much to my boyfriend’s chagrin. By 10pm, I am a total useless and often cranky zombie. I am back to about 2 weeks of relatively severe pms and my midsection, while toned because I do literally 400 sit-ups/day, has a layer of fat on it that maybe should not be there considering how much I exercise, I am generally depressed too much (but that’s just me I think and my psychological response to the current affairs isn’t helping). Anyways, after reading all of this bad press about NP Thyroid, I am wavering on the decision to switch to Armour. Honestly, the only thing stopping me from making the switch at this point is money. I have 6 months worth of NP Thyroid at home. My insurance only charges $30 per 3 month supply of NP Thyroid. If I make the switch to Armour, I will pay $210/3 month supply. I don’t make a lot of money, and I may lose my job within the year due to the pandemic. I feel really defeated, Big Pharma again continues to toy with my/our physical and mental well-being. Is it really worth it for me to make the switch to Armour from NP given the massive cost difference? I am willing to pay the extra money if Janie and anyone else feel it will help me to feel better. I suspect my boyfriend would love for me to make the change, as I’ve been more interested lately in snuggling with my cats than him for the past year (again, I have attributed this to my age, but now I’m thinking it’s another shoddy NTD product). =’-[ I welcome any and all thoughts. =]
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s probably cheaper to go with T4 and T3 and get those trees optimal.
BJ
Linda, try a online coupon from GoodRX where you can purchase a 3-month supply of Armour for around $82 -depending on strength – without using insurance. I’m on Medicare which will not cover NDT’s and my pharmacy allows me to use the GoodRx coupons instead of Medicare when I specify to them that I am paying out of pocket with the coupon instead of insurance. Are these NDTs being purposely sabotaged? Good luck!
Chris
30 MG NP Thyroid superpotent recalled batch put me in Afib and have been in it for a month now. Healthy runner up to this point, now on heart meds for arrhythmia and BP (Beta Blocker and a ‘black box warning” medication to slow the upper atrium of my heart. Failed cardioversion in hospital, now have to have ablation. I am averaging btwn 88 to 125 BPM on my heart rate and I have always had bradycardia (slow rate btwn 49 & 55 BPM) runner’s heart. My life is hell right now. I’m suing Acella. My quality of life right out the window.
Starr D.
So sorry you’re going through all this, and I really hope things get better
for you as soon as possible. Glad you are suing Acella, and I hope
you get big money from them, for all the harm they’ve done. I say this
as someone who’s been harmed by thyroid medicine changes in the
past…starting with Synthroid, long ago–but I never usually found out
what had caused the problem until it was too late to sue. These
companies have gotten away with wrecking a lot of people’s lives,
for a very long time. And it needs to stop.
I also was harmed by the latest NP failures, and if I hadn’t had so
much experience that I figured out something was up with my NP medicine–
and then comparing it with what others on this site were going through,
last August & September, when I was getting into big trouble–AND
if my thyroid doctor hadn’t worked with me real fast to reduce
dosage and change medicines–no doubt I would’ve ended up in
ER as well, or worse. I’m still not over all this, yet–maybe the best
I can do is get in on a class-action suit against NP, if there is one,
according to what one lawyer said. So, on behalf of all thyroid patients
like me who’ve had years of their lives destroyed by reckless,
uncaring thyroid drug companies– Sue Acella, Big-Time! Thanks!
Ryan
Can I ask what occurred with your situation and what temporary or permanent issues cropped up for you? I’m worried for myself as well and want to try and compare symptoms if possible.
Starr D.
Hi, Ryan. With this current NP mess, it’s really sad because it
was trying to help me better than some of the other medicines for
awhile–and then it failed me, like it did with so many others. I took it
for over a year before the following happened: Terrible headaches
where I could hardly hold my head up, and a lot of pain in the neck
area where my thyroid gland would be if I still had much of it that
functioned, anymore. Also made my eyes hurt a lot, my stomach,
and my ears. The headache and neck pain reminded me very much
of what I had when I was diagnosed with Grave’s Disease when
I was 11…(autoimmune Hyperthyroidism.) Who needs to relive
that, right? Also made my pulse go too fast and hard my last day
or two on it….it was 100 at the doctor’s–I could feel it go down
gradually as I discontinued the NP (and all thyroid medicine) for
a short time….if I’d stayed on it, I probably wouldn’t be here, now.
I’m told I probably don’t even have much thyroid gland left that
functions due to the radioactive-isotope drinks they gave me
back in 1975-76 to knock out a lot of my thyroid gland–so to
think that this medicine could trigger such a bad response in
whatever thyroid gland cells I have left in there–well, that’s
pretty astounding, to me. Funny thing is, I had similar neck pain
and bad headaches hit me when I was on WP thyroid towards
the end my run on it….soon they quit making it, at least for awhile. So,
maybe they were putting out an inferior product, too. Sure was for
me, anyway. Unfortunately, my body always seems to figure out
when a thyroid drug company’s been altering a formula or getting
inferior ingredients…or both! I’d be a zillionaire if I could’ve sued
for every time I’ve been burned by these companies.
The first time was the worst, though, as that’s what has really messed
me up since I was not quite 20 years old. In 1982-83, Synthroid
changed formula, its assaying method (how they tested it to make
sure it worked OK, I think), and possibly where they got their
ingredients from. No matter what dose I’d be on of the New Version,
it gave me breathing trouble that I still have till this day (gets better
and worse depending on what thyroid drug and amount I’m on,
but I still haven’t gotten rid of it, yet), and it would make me very
nervous, shaky, etc–even if my labs were OK. Messed up my
attention span and concentration levels, and also made me more
prone to getting a bit of chest pain on the left side–again, even if
my labs looked OK. I often had to take less thyroid medicine than
indicated by labs, just to survive. My current endocrinologist, though,
is good about working with me on different things that help to some
degree. Example–giving me 400 mg. of magnesium glycinate per
day, to try to help some of the hyperthyroid-type symptoms all these
meds give me, except Old Synthroid. It does help, to some degree.
He also checks my ferritin levels, and recommended to me some
iron supplements I’d never heard of before–but have been helpful,
to some degree. He actually does thyroid research, and he’s good at
diagnosing some thyroid conditions that other doctors miss. He also
checks the Vitamin D3 levels, and B-12….all things that can help you
do better, in general, with the thyroid meds. He keeps up on latest
things for thyroid patients, too.
That being said, I’m not sure how well I can get–even with his
expertise–but I just had an appointment with him and he raised
my dose of name-brand Armour a bit–and he’s willing to go slowly
on it with me, because I need to (I’ll be doing alternating doses of
1 3/4 grains and 2 grains, for a couple of months–we’ll go from there.)
The reasons I’m trying to stick with a natural thyroid medicine of
some sort, after all this, is because I was getting some bleeding
problems on the synthetics, and the natural ones seemed to
stop it–even the troubled ones like WP and NP, toward the end.
Also, the natural medicines seem to help heal some skin issues
I have from all this better than the synthetics, when the natural
ones are being made more correctly, that is. Right now, Armours
seems to be the best of the natural ones, from what I’ve experienced
and from what I’m reading from others. And that’s a big deal for me
to say that, because I’ve failed on Armours around five other times
during the past decades…so for me to give it any kind of compliment
right now is quite something. They must have someone different in
charge of it right now…it’s been bought and sold a few times over the
years, so sometimes that does make a difference–usually not in a
great way, but we’ll see. I’m still not done with working with Armours,
so I can’t give a final verdict on this current version of it. But for now,
it’s working better than other things I’ve been on lately. But, we’ll see…
Jay
How do your blood tests look? (how long after your last dose was the blood drawn?)
Have you had thyroid antibodies tests to check for hashimotos?
Starr D.
Hi, Jay. I just got my blood test results back and had a phone appt.
with my endocrinologist to go over them, this past Thursday. At the
time of the labs, I’d been on 1 and 3/4 grains Armour (name brand)
for 74 days…I got the labs drawn a little earlier than he wanted
because I was having some symptoms that seemed like the
thyroid was getting too low, to me–so he worked with me on that.
I never take any thyroid meds or supplements before the blood
tests are done…took the last dose around 6:00 pm or so, and
got the labs done around 8:00 am the next day.
My Free T4 was flagged as Low 0.90 ng/dL range–0.93 to 1.70
My Free T3 was in the lower range of “normal”
2.9 pg/mL range–2.5 to 4.3
My TSH was flagged as “Low,” but doctor wasn’t that upset
0.23 uIU/mL range-0.27–4.20
He was going more by my symptoms and the Free T4 and T3
levels when he said I could try a small increase of 1/4 grain
of Armours, every other day. If I can’t handle it, I’ll let him
know…I hope I can, and that it’ll help me. If not, we’ll have
to go from there. This doctor has tested me for Hashimoto’s
antibodies maybe a year ago, and said that’s not my problem.
Jay
How do you take your Armour? Do you swallow, chew, or dissolve under your tongue? The Armour pills are much harder than the good NP so I am chewing the Armour to make sure they digest.
Janie Bowthorpe
Any of the above work! 🙂
Starr D.
Hi, Jay. I cut the Armours in half with a pill-cutter, because
I have to divide out my medicine a bit or it hits me too strongly.
Maybe it’s good I do this, too, for I also notice the Armours pills
are pretty hard–maybe by cutting them, it helps release them a little
better. I just swallow it with a cup of water or so.
By the way, I couldn’t handle the increased amount of
alternating doses…started getting bad headaches and
nervousness. Doctor said to go back to 1 and 3/4 daily
of the Armours, and add in an extra quarter or so when
I can. Any increase I take will have to be very gradual,
I guess. Right now, I had to lower the dose for a few
days after my bad reaction last week. Hope to be back
on the 1 and 3/4, anyways, in the near future. And maybe
that little bit of an increase per week, a bit later on.
Janie Bowthorpe
Starr, you probably need to read this, as it’s you: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Elizabeth C
I’m so sorry you’ve had this much trouble from NP. I too have had a terrible year on a wild goose chase in and out of cardiologist and other doctors offices trying to figure out what the cause of my heart palpitations and many other symptoms were. I had hair loss, weight loss, tremors, insomnia, most disturbingly the heart palpitations and rapid heart rate. I tried getting treatment for hyper symptoms but my doctor didn’t test T3 and said my levels were likely acceptable. It’s been a nightmare. I too hope the company has ramifications for not following GMP or at least holding their porcine supplier to a higher standard with GMP. I still have heart palpitations despite being off of it for a few months. I wish you the best.
Janie Bowthorpe
Most common causes of heart palps: being underdosed, being on nothing but T4, having a cortisol problem due to the latter. Etc.
Elizabeth C
Thyroid is tricky! In my case it was from being on NP thyroid and too high of T3. My labs indicated hyper. It was a nightmare! I hope Acella is addressed appropriately for their lack of quality control on the porcine thyroid.
Starr D.
Sorry you’ve had such a hard time with the medicine, as well.
When I described what I’ve been through to David at the
Acella company a couple of weeks ago, he said, “Yikes!”
Then he went on to say that although he still believed
in his company’s product, if he were me, he’d “never
take it again.” No problem, there–I surely won’t!
Best to you, Elizabeth–I know what it’s like, going
through all this. Hope it gets better for you, soon.
Janie Bowthorpe
To “still believe in his company’s product” when it’s QUITE CLEAR that people have been going south on it speaks volumes…..
Starr D.
Yes, Janie, I was kind of amazed that he was still
cheer-leading for NP in any way, after all that’s gone on
But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by anything, anymore.
At least he admitted he thought it stinks for me, though,
and to stay off it. Not much of a victory…but something.
P.S. I am reading that page you recommended about
people like me, having trouble with raising the doses.
Thank you for that….I am just a big thyroid mess today–
crying about my nice brother who passed on Mar. 31,
and trying to get back on as close to the correct amount
of the Armours as I can handle. Made it to 1 and 1/2 gr
for 3 days…it’s gone OK. Still under what I need, but
hoping to get close to it, soon. I swear, if I get rich, I need
to make a “Thyroid Home” for patients to stay when they’re
really having trouble—free of charge, and help with all aspects
of thyroid diagnosis and recovery. I can dream……..
Janie Bowthorpe
I am so sorry for your loss, Starr. 🙁 And I love your last thought….
Angela F
Chris: Don’t know if you’ll get this, but if you’ve pursued your suit a/o are a part of the Class Action, please let me know. I had the same paroxysmal A-fib diagnosis and also PACs as a result of the NP.
JRB
If it’s a choice between Nature Throid or NP Thyroid I’d pick NP after my experience with the two. I couldn’t feel the T3 in Nature Throid ,perhaps absorption issues, but in NP Thyroid within the hour after taking it I’d feel the T3 and my symptoms would subside, even when I was underdosed. In my experience I felt that T3 pretty darn good and I have the newer pills. I’m back on a synthetic combo now because I needed a slightly lower dose of T3 on 120mg of NP and of course you can’t do that. My thyroid still produces and converts T3 on its own in “normal” but not optimal levels so I feel like I’m a person that can still take majority of T4 and supp with smaller amounts of T3. Now I know all my horrible debilitating symptoms were due to Low T3.
Janie Bowthorpe
Time will tell if Acella’s NP is getting better. But I’m personally so disgusted by what I saw as a huge lack of integrity by Acella that I will do anything else but NP Thyroid. And frankly, we’re not seeing very much positive coming from patient reports even still about either NP or Nsturethroid. Those that are saying they still feel good on it are seeing an eventual bad crash with returned hypo and/or adrenal stress.
JRB
This is why I’ve gone back to synthetics after experimenting with NDT and it’s tough right now because my T3 is real low and it’s going to take weeks until the T4 starts working so I’m dosing daily with Cytomel to at least be functional. I’m not sure if I should stick with my usual 88mcg of T4 and add Cytomel on top of it or reduce my T4 to 75mcg and add a little more Cytomel. Anyone have any experiences with that or suggestions? On 88mcg of T4 only my T4 was anywhere from 1.6-1.8 and FT3 at 2.6. I haven’t tested the RT3 but I’d bet they’re high. I’ve been on supplements for a little over a month for low B12/folate, which was under 400, and some other low nutrients like iodine. Iron was 48% sat , ferretin 47, iron 133. 23andme said I did not have the variant for hemachromatosis. Haven’t had a saliva cortisol test. A morning blood cortisol at 8am was 13. I don’t know what that means. Ugh, even though I wasn’t optimal of NDT I was sleeping so much better. As soon as I get back on synthetics I’m waking up after maybe 6 hours of sleep and can’t get back to sleep but maybe that’s because I took all that T3 away. On sythetics I have to build my levels up to optimal. I was on 90mg on NP and getting 13mcg of T3 and now only dosing with 5mcg of cytomel on 88 mcg of T4.
Javdw
Book:
“Bottle of Lies”
by Kathryn Eban
Published 2019
Alarming investigative reporting on generic drugs made in China and India, and the trouble the US FDA has to control the getting worse problem.
Carol
Trust me, when the FDA says something is bad I
Immediately go out and get it because it MUST be working.
Selene Seltzer
From another page on this STTM website:
[by ss – FYI – In support of a refund request, you can ask your pharmacy for a Patient History Report showing:
Rx#, Store, Date, NDC, RPH, Medication, QuantityDispensed, Claim ref #, Days Supply, Retail Price, Prescriber, Amount Paid]
Here’s the latest from Acella:
Acella has confirmed that all recalled medication has been removed from pharmacies and all NP Thyroid in stock at pharmacies is current.
– If you would like to send your medication back or receive a refund from NP, they have contracted with Qualanax to facilitate the returns and refunds process. (Note that you do not need to return the medication but you are welcome to do so if you want.) To contact Qualanax, please note the following:
–- Before you call, please have the bottle of NP in front of you as well as a copy of your receipt from the pharmacy. (If you need a copy of the receipt, your pharmacy can scan and print a receipt from your current bottle when you pick up your refill).
–- Call their Customer Service line at 888-280-2042. The CSR will guide you through the process. If you are sending back the medication, they will send you a Recall Kit.
Kathryn Baylis
I’m crying “Uncle!” when it comes to NDT for the meantime. I’ve been through both the Naturethroid and NP Thyroid problems. Armour would be an alternative, except that it costs 5 times what NP Thyroid costs–-which itself was almost 5 times what Naturethroid cost me!
My concern is that, back when I developed hypothyroid problems, I was under the care of a TSH-only/Synthroid-loving endo. Synthroid put 70lbs on me in less than 3 months, made me feel arthritic, foggy-minded, headachy, and lethargic. When I asked my endo about NDT, she wouldn’t even consider it, and actually wanted to RAISE my dosage of Synthroid! I fired her and found a hormone specialist (from your recommended list) who put me on Naturethroid after running proper full tests–-which showed a nearly toxic level of T4 and almost zero T3, meaning I do NOT convert. On Naturethroid I immediately started feeling like myself again, and lost the weight slowly over about 3 years (yeah it sucks that it took 3 months to gain it, but 36 months to lose it, but it’s been gone and staying off for over a year now, thankfully). However, Naturethroid went south, so I switched to NP Thyroid, even though it was more expensive. Now NP Thyroid has also gone south, and the cheapest price I can find for Armour with my insurance–-and also on GoodRX–-is $145 for a 3 month supply of the strength I need!!! For context, NP Thyroid is about $45 and Naturethroid is about $13 for the same strength and number of pills. FYI; generic Cytomel (Liothyronine) costs a little more than my usual prescription for NP Thyroid, about $56, but would still be affordable for me–-brand name Cytomel costs a whopping $345 for the same amount and strength!!!
So, before I ask to go back to a synthetic, I need to know one thing. Since I do not convert T4, will I have to take a T4/T3 combo, or can I request to be put on T3 only? After having had such a horrible time with synthetic T4-only meds, which took so very long to undo, I just want to avoid once again ending up with an overabundance of unconverted T4.
I appreciate any advice you can give me before making the call to my hormone specialist.
Thanks!
Janie Bowthorpe
Do know that I was perhaps a LOUSY converter to T3 when I was on Synthroid alone. Granted, I never did the free T3 while on Synthroid, but I can assume that was the problem as I was MISERABLE all those 20 years on T4 alone, even after a raise. But when I moved to NDT, I got the same lab results that everyone got when optimal, including that midrange FT4 with an up there FT3. So you just may be fine on T4/T3. Just learn this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Kathryn Baylis
Thanks, Janie! I clicked the link and read the entry, and it was really helpful. The only thing to do now is call the doc and figure out equivalent dosage–-as long as I can get him on board with the change (if he refuses, then it’s back to square one finding another doctor who will–-sheesh! Hope I don’t have to).
Michele
Hi Kathryn, I go back farther than you with the rotten NDT scenarios…starting with Armour, then Erfa, then NatureThroid then NP and now I have given up completely. It also seems *to me* that the natural dessicated thyroid product is coming to us via Europe and they are supposedly getting it from China. The news is talking about all the pigs they are killing with the swine flu in China…and have been for over a year. I have no proof, but I have eyes to see it on the news and a brain to put it together…they are apparently “cleaning” the parts with chemicals (thus the chemical smell like cat pee??)….anyway, I am fed up with the nonsense. About 2 months ago I started with Synthroid (brand nameT4) and Cynomel (generic T3). I too never seem to convert well and if I raised NDT, I had RT3 issues. I stayed on the T4/T3 combo for about 6 weeks and started feeling poorly…just tired, headachy and not well. Doc couldn’t do labs until the end of June due to the virus. Last week I dropped my Synthroid and upped my T3. I am doing much better. I can’t wait for the blood test to see where I am on the synthetic combo. I think, like you have experienced in the past, we each have to do our own research and test and try things out. Synthroid gives me a headache, and also makes my mind not work for a memory…so I cut back on it. Don’t give up. You’ve been here before, and you will get optimal. Janie’s support and group are so wonderful! You are not alone.
Kathryn Baylis
Hi Michele! You know, one wonders if it’s the swine flu or the chemical wash that messes up the T3 in the pig thyroids. But Acella’s claim that the T3 is too high is BS, since the effect is exactly the opposite.
I finally got labs done (suspicions confirmed–-my T3 was so low it was almost nonexistent), and my doctor wrote me a scrip for 25mcg of liothyronine (generic Cytomel). Took me 3 months to convince him something was wrong, including sending him a copy of the recall notice from Acella. Don’t doctors also get notified if a medication is recalled, so they can stop prescribing it? I also hate the fact that he’s starting me so low, but I get that he wants to be sure I can tolerate the synthetic. He did only give me a month’s supply to start, so I hope he titrates the dose up next month. It’s been less than a week, and I feel somewhat better, but it doesn’t feel like it’s really done a lot to kickstart my metabolism yet. Fingers crossed the engine finally turns over and keeps running when he raises it next month.
The thing that really bugs the crap out of me the most with the bad NDTs is all the progress I lose, not to mention all the time lost. It just takes soooooo long to get through the process of realizing something’s wrong, researching to find out exactly what’s going on, then convincing my doctor there’s a problem necessitating a change in thyroid meds, and then waiting to slowly regain all the lost ground once he finally makes that change in meds.
Since I don’t convert T4 to T3, when I’m not taking meds containing T3, my levels totally tank and I have like zero metabolism. Every single time it happens it sets me back nearly a year! It can take me 6-8 months to slowly lose 30lbs, without starving myself, but only 3 months to gain back 20lbs of it, with zero change in eating amounts and exercise habits from when I was losing weight. Two months ago, I was less than 10lbs away from my goal weight–-nothing extreme, just the average for my height–-and now I’m nearly 30lbs away from that goal!
Same thing happened when Naturethroid went bad in 2018. I cannot have my weight yo-yoing like this every other year. It’s not healthy. I’m no spring chicken anymore, and that kind of strain can take a toll.
And it seems that the supposed professionals–-doctors and pharmaceutical companies–-just can’t seem to understand how unhealthy all the fallout from this is. You’d think Big (or Little) Pharma would jump on fixing it, if only to keep their products selling, and doctors not only go by lab work, which can be incomplete or the wrong type of tests (like the useless TSH), but also believe their patients when tell them about the adverse effects they’re experiencing, because part of the Hippocratic Oath states “I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug”.
Karen Cole
I have reached out to the manufacturers of NP and Nature-throid. I don’t even know where to begin with all the information I collected from them. But let me say this, in my opinion it is best at this point in time NOT to rely on only natural thyroid. I am now going to do a “cocktail” or “fail-safe” method. 1/2 synthetics, 1/2 natural. So if one gets recalled/doesn’t work, the body can rely on the other, and tweak it more at that given time. It is terrible, and sad, what has happened to the raw thyroid material that ALL natural thyroid makers have gone through. The supplier should be held accountable–(lawsuit), since the raw thyroid was not of the quality sold to the makers of Armour, NP and Naturethroid. But, shame on the manufacturers for not fully testing the products before shipping them out in 2018 and 2019. We were their guinea pigs. And those of us that had a total thyroidectomy,, suffered the worst. Only if we had died, would this issue be of greater importance to the World/FDA. I am a writer,(see “Silent Bark” in IMDb) and could not even pick up a pen these last few months whilst on naturethroid. (And on NP before that.2018-2019). I have gone back on a combo of Armour and Levothyroxine. Good luck everyone.
Janie Bowthorpe
Do know that you are reaching out to companies whose products now suck, and they act as if all is hunky dory in the name of continuing to take your $$…
And the worst thing to do is take any NDT with T4. NDT is already 80% T4 as it is, besides the fact that it’s T3 which changes lives, not T4.
And why hang onto a product that we know has changed for the worst. If you want to stay with NDT, Armour appears to be the only US-made brand that still works. All you need to do is raise Armour by itself until your frees are where they should be. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Lynn
Do we think that all the porcine is bad? Is it worth it if f I can get compounded porcine? Either alone in a capsule or with microcrystalline as a filler?
Janie Bowthorpe
The makers of Armour state they have a US source of pigs. And since currently, Armour has been the only one left that is working, it says that not all porcine is bad.
Lynn
I didn’t do well on Armour after trying it twice in the last 6 mos. hair loss and leg cramps. Only thing I haven’t tried yet is brand name synthroid and cytomel together (synthetic t4/t3 resulted in improvement in hair loss but also caused leg cramps and hair pulling scalp sensations).
Ryan
Started noticing weird symptoms recently that feel almost like tension headaches. Thought maybe I had pulled an inner neck muscle or was inadvertently putting myself under a lot of stress. Started having dizzy spells while laying down, and even a little bit while standing. Feet get cold but I don’t think they’re numb or tingling like thyroid type symptoms would indicate… at least in my history. Hands are sometimes cold too. Temp ranges from 96.6-98.2F Pretty normal for me, I’d say. Feels like I’m walking through a cloud sometimes, or like there’s a band wrapped around my head with tension and pressure at the base of my occipital bone and across my forehead, between my eyes, etc. Pain above right eye under the eyebrow and around the eye socket as well, eyes kinda feel dry. Been on NP thyroid for the extent of this whole ordeal but these symptoms are a bit new. The whole dizzy, lightheaded, slightly drunk feeling as well as pressure points on the face may not be involved with my thyroid and might be a tension headache or something, but it seems coincidental that it happens right as a recall comes in for at least one of my strengths (I’m on 1x15mg and 1x60mg a day).
Walmart (my pharmacist) sent me a text about the recall today, but I’ve felt like this for about 2 weeks, maybe slightly before my last refill. They told me however that their stock wasn’t affected which seems strange.
Janie Bowthorpe
The weird symptoms you are talking about are pertaining to what happened in 2019. The recall is about what happened in 2018, and it was hardly noticed by the majority. What was VERY noticed is what happened in 2019 and is still being noticed…
Ryan
Not denying that, just weird that it would happen now. Was doing ok after my thyroid adjusted for the gross piss smelling tablets. I just didn’t have much of a choice since I can’t do armour, synthetics, and naturethroid is never available.
Dawn
Hi Ryan,
I’m curious why you couldn’t take Armour. Can you please explain why? Thank you.
Ryan
When I took it, even at doses my doc thought were adequate, it’ll cause me to feel flushed constantly and occasionally break out in hives. Taking an antihistamine would stop this, so I’m allergic to an active ingredient in it.
Karen Cole
Naturethroid is being tested, again. There’s quality issues. I can attest to that. Got TSH tested last wednesday,(because of all the physical issues we all have experienced, are experiencing), it was 22!, Last week, I found 2 different strengths in my bottle! (1 1/2 grain AND 1 3/4 grain!. Pills marked N150 AND N175).I couldn’t believe it. Went back to pharmacy–they opened the master bottle, and, yep, MIXED doses in the bottle. I reported it to RCL Labs and CVS Pharmacist reported it to corporate CVS. RCL has opened an investigation to see if its the plant that caused this, or an employee at CVS. The weird thing is, my TSH should have been low because of this mixture! That shows NONE of the strengths seem to be working!!I If anyone reading this is taking Naturethroid, I suggest switching to Armour/synthetic combo, but also, CHECK THE MARKING ON YOUR PILLS. If you have mixed dosages, PLEASE let us know on this website, and also call RCL Labs. And if it turns out it was not just my bottle, we should call the FDA. I found the mixture in a bottle of 97.5 (1 1/2 g) naturethroid.
Kathleen
I just received my recall notice from Rite Aid about 2018. So, what is happening with the 2019 meds? Clearly, something is wrong with them too. Assuming my prescriptions have been filled with pills from 2019 not 2018 – For the last 1.5 months I have been feeling horrible, similar to Karen’s description and the side effects are getting worse and worse daily. Now all these odd symptoms are making sense. Also I have had an odd feeling in my throat below my thyroid – like it had a vice on it. I was starting to think I had COVID. AND now my TSH is 0.17. My doctor just prescribed a lower dose but I’m skeptical about taking it. What are the FDA and Acella doing? What should we be doing?
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, something has clearly been wrong with NP thyroid even since last summer, and especially beginning by fall of 2019. Yet here we are with the recall only for what was made in 2018 and early 2019? No recall of what smells like cat pee, what caused a return of hypo, what was burning when swallowing, what was burning stomachs and causing nausea?? Nope, whatever is going on to allow all the latter speaks volumes about Acella and/or the FDA.
Starr D.
Hi, Ryan. Just wanted to say that I got terrible headaches from the NP, so bad that
I could hardly hold my head up–it was just like I had when I was originally diagnosed
with Grave’s Disease (autoimmune hyperthyroidism) years ago…I really didn’t need
to relive that kind of thing! Also from the NP, I would get that my eyes hurt really bad,
would get ear aches, stomach aches, and my neck hurt really bad like where the
thyroid gland would be, if I even had much of one left that works (which I don’t.)
At least some of my NP is involved in the recall, although I told Acella (the drug’s maker)
that I was getting the same symptoms from all the pills from them I was taking (60 mg,
and 30 mg, for sure.) –they noted this down when I called them, they said. I filed out
an FDA Medwatch report on this, too. Just wanted you to know that it’s possible to
get symptoms like this from the NP….mine gradually got better as I switched to something
else, though I’m still not well like I should be from my thyroid trouble, in general.
Ryan
That’s unfortunate. Any idea why switching hasn’t helped you? Is it the meds, the dose? Have you had your levels checked recently to see if you’re within range?
Janie Bowthorpe
FYI: it’s not about just being “within range”. We have to fall in a certain part of those ranges. This explains with many different kinds of labs: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values
Selene Seltzer
please see my comment dated June 9 above and comment from Annomaly, dated June 3, 2020 on this page
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Vincent Jericho
Regarding the recall. I have some of the “pee-smelling stuff” from last summer I refused to take. Called Walmart, they said they did not keep a record of lot# I received. It was “from too long ago”. I CANNOT believe they do not have lot #. I would think legally they have to keep them. I would like to get my money back from the 3 months of wasted pills. Anybody know if these lot #’s being recalled extend back to last year or is it from this year only? Also has NP cleaned up their act?
Starr D.
Hi, Vincent. My brother and I got our NP thyroid from Sam’s Club, which
you probably know is owned by Walmart. They also told us they don’t have
the lot numbers for any of the thyroid….it seems like over there, you only
get lot numbers if your medicine comes in one of those sealed bottles
from the manufacturer that probably has the lot number right on it. If
your medicine comes in the usual orange bottles that they fill, it doesn’t
seem like Sam’s Club, anyway, keeps a record of the lot numbers–and I
guess WalMart, too. I don’t know if this is typical of many pharmacies,
or what. But it should be changed, if it is. I also would’ve thought that
legally, they should keep a record of such things. There is some information
about lot numbers on the NP Thyroid Website….you can try to call them, too,
at 1-800-541-4802…it starts with a recording saying, “If you’re calling about the
NP thyroid recall”….and then you choose whatever number they tell you to.
They were more interested & helpful when I called a few days ago then they
were, today….someone might be able to tell you if your pills were involved.
I have to say, they only said one of my doses was–the 30 mg. pills, but I told
them I got the same side-effects from the 60 mg, too. They said they made a
note of this. Good luck.
Selene Seltzer
For info on Acella recall please see comment from Annomaly, dated June 3, 2020 on this page
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Mary
I just received a text message from my pharmacist about the “urgent recall.” I also was on NP Thyroid for most of last year through March 2020, with horrible hypothyroid symptoms, to the point that I was almost always totally exhausted, skipped much looked forward to holiday events because I was too exhausted, etc. my medicine was changed 2 & 1/2 months ago & I’m gradually improving, but still totally exhausted at times, still some muscle/joint pain, altho much improved. Also gained a significant amount of weight last year, & have lost perhaps 2 or 3 lbs. back since changing medicine, but not nearly all that I gained. My labs showed worse levels also. So, I concur that it didn’t seem at all “too potent,” but not potent enough. Thank you for your updates. Hope everyone is well.
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid has sucked since last Summer, and definitely since last early Fall. Have reported on this often and in the blog posts.
Linda
Acella’s admission that their NP Thyroid tablets had 115% of the labeled amount of Liothyronine (T3), while a long time in coming, didn’t match the symptoms that I, along with multitudes of others, have reported, i.e., major HYPOthyroid symptoms. Logically, the increase in T3 should have caused HYPERthyroid symptoms, or so I thought! HYPOthyroid symptoms caused by too much T3 made absolutely no sense to me so I decided to research T3 side effects that would explain the worst hypo symptoms I’ve ever had.
The websites I checked listed the same, mostly well known HYPERthyroid symptoms, except for one. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, in addition to the normal list of symptoms, provided info on allergies, drug interactions, other medical problems, precautions, etc. that I didn’t find elsewhere. Specifically, under PRECAUTIONS, it says,
“THIS MEDICINE MAY CAUSE SEVERE HYPOTHYROIDISM, CALLED MYXEDEMA COMA, WHICH MAY BE LIFE-THREATENING AND REQUIRES IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION. Check with your doctor right away if you have the following symptoms: weakness, confusion or non-responsiveness, feeling cold, low body temperature, swelling of the body, especially the face, tongue, and lower legs, or difficulty breathing.”
“. . . Check with your doctor right away if you notice any changes in your sugar levels.”
Although the majority of my symptoms were hypo (including some listed above), I did experience a few hyper symptoms which I attributed to a common heart rhythm problem (PSVT). I am not diabetic, but for the first time in my life I experienced what appeared to be severe reactive hypoglycemia. Theses companies that make this garbage is putting our lives in danger and someone needs to pay, especially since money is the only thing they understand! I’m done with this garbage/poison – I’ll get all future thyroid meds from a compounding pharmacy – and hope for the best! That is until some bureaucrat decides to screw that up too.
K Baylis
Just read the NP Thyroid recall by Acella. I resent being gaslighted. If there was too much T3 in recent batches, then why have I gained 10 lbs in 8 weeks–remaining as active and eating the same (normal, not excessive) amount as I did when I started taking NP Thyroid in the summer of 2019 and was finally losing weight?
Janie Bowthorpe
Yup, it’s a bit off, for sure, when NP has done nothing but make a huge body of people sick and hypo…as they have reported.
Mary
And labwork showed much increased tsh, low ft3, ft4, plus many worsened hypo symptoms: fatigue, weight gain, joint/muscle pain, etc., etc. So at least last year & early this year’s batches seemed not potent enough. There were shortages in previous years of nature thyroid where sometimes the pharmacies were completely out of the medication for periods of time.
K Baylis
Has anyone had Naturethroid and NP Thyroid pills from an old (good) batch and the new (bad) batches tested by an independent lab to see what exactly changed? Obviously we can’t trust the manufacturers to be truthful with us, so the only other alternative is an independent lab to tell us why the sudden loss of effectiveness. I’m tired of the roller coaster ride of finally feeling like myself again–-mentally alert, energetic, weight coming off–-then suddenly crashing when the formula is changed. Added to that is the sudden increase in cost of NDT as opposed to the synthetics, even with insurance or GoodRX. Generic levo is dirt cheap in comparison to the “reduced” price of every one of the NDTs–-and the full price is through the roof.
I’m not one who automatically jumps to the conspiracy conclusion, but this domino effect of NDT meds going bad almost sounds like the Synthroid and generic levothyroxine “Pharma Bros“ trying to increase sales of their pills, which do not work for a majority of thyroid patients, through some means or other, by totally discreditIng NDT meds which have worked beautifully for over a hundred years.
Sorry to vent, but I’m frustrated by two years of this unnecessary monkeying with thyroid meds. Naturethroid going south ruined my last year of grad school, and now NP Thyroid is doing the same for my post-grad job search. You cannot be sluggish and have brain fog when you’re writing your thesis or going on interviews (in person or on Zoom).
Laura
Thank you so much for all these information
My endocrino just prescribed me NP thyroid Last Friday because all the side effects I suffered from previous treatments.I had Graves for two years and few months later Hashimoto started to affect me. My antibodies are >600 and My Tsh went up to 8.5 recently. So my endocrino gave me Tirosint 25mg last February. I had strong headaches and neck pain so she gave me Porcine Thyroid 30 mg. I quickly felt great but 4weeks later I had severe pains around the stomach area and felt suddenly very tired. The next day, I had strong palpitations, lightheaded, strong fatigue, muscles weakness, hot then cold feelings, metallic tastes, shaking, tremors..I did blood test that did not reveal something wrong.Then My endocrino asked me to stop the porcine and to take Synthroid 50. I felt dizzy and completely tired.So i tried 25mcg but still have strong headaches and neck pain.Tired, I called another endocrino. She gave Levothyroxine 25mcg (1/2) but then changed because of gluten and the headaches, eye pains…she gave me Unithroid 25mcg and it was aweful.Mood changes, headache, very tired , water retention, lightheaded etc…so I stopped it and tried again Levo 25mcg.So My endocrino wanted me to try NP Thyroid.I refused and wait for her answer. Actually, I feel very exhausted even if my Labs seem great. In fact I read the previous infos regarding the adrenal distress and realized that I experienced all these symptoms. I actually take Active Adrenal with great hopes. In fact I already have the same two years ago and no doctors explained what I had.they did many exams (MRI, Xrays, bloodworks…) and went to ER. They wanted me to take antidepressants but I was absolutely not depressed. By surfing on the net, I suspected an Adrenal fatigue and bought Active Adrenal . But today I do not know what to do , I don’t want to take NP thyroid, Some of synthetic treatments give me strong headaches eye pains..maybe Armour? I am lost. Sorry for this long post.Thank you so much in advance
chris
I have eye pains too, over my right eye and I’ve been getting headaches for a few weeks now really badly (with they eye pain).
I just got the recall call today but I never thought about my eye pain with this.
thanks,
Janie Bowthorpe
NP Thyroid has sucked since last Summer, Chris. The recall is basically old news for those who figured out when it started to suck.
Ryan
I have eye pain over my right eye as well! I’m on 1x60mg 1x15mg NP right now. Have had weird blurred vision issues, or tension headaches. Feeling of being dizzy or lightheaded, like I’m mildly intoxicated. Started about two… two and a half weeks ago? I thought I injured my neck but there’s no pain. Then I got the recall text from my pharmacist and I’m wondering if it’s the meds doing it. I thought I was dying at one point due to all the crazy covid crap going on. Almost felt like a fever, but no thermometer showed me to have an elevated temp.
Janie Bowthorpe
The recall is about what happened in 2018, and hardly noticed by the vast majority. What you are experiencing is from what happened in 2019 and is STILL causing people problems….
Kristi
Hi. I have questions. I reported the NP Thyroid change in November of last year, twice, to Acella. Got the blow off of nothing changed except suppliers. I kept having terrible stomach issues, pain, burning, nausea, etc. so within the same week I reported my issues to Medwatch. I finally had to see my gastroenterologist which placed me on nexium (did not help) & agreed it was probably the medication since my stomach was fine before. My primary care is fantastic and put me on Tirosint to try and for some reason T4 drops my levels so fast that I end up borderline hyperthyroid & my skin gets super itchy/burns. She said it was probably too strong (30mg) & placed me back on Armour (30mg) which I had been on before. My functional medicine physician had made the switch from Armour to NP the previous year due to less fillers & I felt better on NP until the “supplier” change. Still struggling with stomach issues. So here we are with the NP recall due to 115% more T3 than normal. What kind of damage has this done to our bodies…heart, stomach, etc.? I’m frustrated that my stomach is still having issues from NP & it’s scary to know how badly people were overdosed on T3. Anyone know the long term damage it has done? I do not trust “Big Pharma” at all. I plan on letting my primary care know & go from there. At this point, I would love to no longer be on thyroid medication because I do not trust the pharmaceutical companies. It’s all about the money. Has anyone had any luck with the thyroid supplement that uses bovine from New Zealand? Why can’t Armour reformulate without all of the fillers? They have been around for many years & know many thyroid patients struggle with filler ingredients. Any suggestions/recommendations? Thanks in advance.
Karen
The FDA has recalled np thyroid. Just wanted to let you know.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi and thanks. Yes, reported it yesterday on the STTM Facebook page. You can see all the interesting comments, too. https://www.facebook.com/StoptheThyroidMadness/posts/10156907431202721?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCpFGrZAJMiZ5zRHXgNiTS4JsHpHC8LtpJwxRjCxA_456gD_HGWuDCbD7r1ZIXiWQpJJGFhIYniQBB4-_uRgR4nLqe8tBF-jWYYbzvdTWzB8gJHUEdGfUKMVGx6uANqndxMuO32ActvELkwKr0NttOlkbk0Yb0W0a0lp6i7jqWFaP9-gMlR0LpTzhxEMG4mTun3i3rt4ZxnDCotLDdipAvH7Foi7eKzboSXqLbFl684ZRMJ_wHEvOsHqh3dagoleUFXZCYuOfecOmoMao16mmTYa41l95Ue9cn9YqoZ8gKXwvKX-NNt-6AnuG-ekqyzUJT3VPUhTKYK-Jl7&__tn__=-R
Ryan
So I’m curious. Where does that leave us with meds?
Janie Bowthorpe
Read this and scroll down: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Emma
Hmm… When, a couple of years ago, I reported getting very sick on NP Acella, I was told on this very same forum that it was not possible and that NP Acella was the superior NDT treatment. It really made me feel the same way I felt in so many endo offices being told that levothyroxine is the holy grail. Just having a little “told you so” moment here…
Janie Bowthorpe
Emma, are you normally this condescending and rude? First, when you got sick “a couple of years ago”, absolutely no one was reporting getting sick then. Acella was in fact a very superior NDT which had been changing lives…as was explained to you. That doesn’t mean you didn’t get sick, but again, not one single person was reporting getting sick then. What has gone on with NP lately only started to happen in Summer of 2019, but more so in the Fall of 2019 and to this day. So instead of your “told you so”, try to be a little more open-minded as to what may be going on now for many, not then.
Kay Porky
I received an email from Acella stating the problem with NP started in Fall of 2018, NOT 2019. So Emma reporting problems “a few years ago” IS correct. I was having problems, too, back in 2018, I just never “reported” it on this website before.
Janie Bowthorpe
The problem is that hardly anyone was having problems in 2018, even though you were. And another issue is that some people blame NP for problems before 2019, which were actually the result of NP revealing a cortisol problem, or the patient being underdosed. But the vast majority were having major problems in 2019 starting in the summer and especially by Fall.
Toni
I was having problems in 2018 I was in the hospital because of it and I reported this to Acella. They told me they never heard of such symptoms. It was confirmed by the hospital and my doctor it was from NP thyroid.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Toni. I believe you when you say you were having problems. But those kind of problems can also happen when someone is using NDT alongside a cortisol problem, i.e. the problems are revealing a cortisol issue.
Or, someone can have problems due to never having been truly optimal with their free T3 and free T4. That usually results in a backfire.
So we end up having to look for more consistent reports implying a product was itself bad. And that wasn’t there in 2018. But the consistency did start to appear around the summer of 2019, and then very strongly by the fall.
All in all, 2018 was being reported as a good year for NP by fellow patients as long as they didn’t have a cortisol issue, and were truly optimal. And doctors nor hospitals don’t tend the understand that either of these issues (a cortisol problem or not having optimal frees) can result in problems.
Beth T
Oh no! Recalls on some lots of NP Thyroid issued by the FDA on Friday, 5/22/20:
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/acella-pharmaceuticals-llc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-certain-lots-np-thyroidr-thyroid?utm_campaign=NP%20Thyroid%20by%20Acella&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Beth and thanks! It was posted yesterday on the STTM facebook page. You can see all the comments about it here: https://www.facebook.com/StoptheThyroidMadness/posts/10156907431202721?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCpFGrZAJMiZ5zRHXgNiTS4JsHpHC8LtpJwxRjCxA_456gD_HGWuDCbD7r1ZIXiWQpJJGFhIYniQBB4-_uRgR4nLqe8tBF-jWYYbzvdTWzB8gJHUEdGfUKMVGx6uANqndxMuO32ActvELkwKr0NttOlkbk0Yb0W0a0lp6i7jqWFaP9-gMlR0LpTzhxEMG4mTun3i3rt4ZxnDCotLDdipAvH7Foi7eKzboSXqLbFl684ZRMJ_wHEvOsHqh3dagoleUFXZCYuOfecOmoMao16mmTYa41l95Ue9cn9YqoZ8gKXwvKX-NNt-6AnuG-ekqyzUJT3VPUhTKYK-Jl7&__tn__=-R
Carol
Acella has a recall on some of their NP lots but I don’t think it’s any of the lots that were posted on here. The reason is super potency of the T3. The expiration dates range from June 2020 through December 2020. This is the time when so many of us started having problems with it. It was posted on the FDA website today and, unfortunately, I couldn’t get the link to post.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. It was posted on the STTM Facebook page May 22nd. You can see it and all the comments here: https://www.facebook.com/StoptheThyroidMadness/posts/10156907431202721?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCpFGrZAJMiZ5zRHXgNiTS4JsHpHC8LtpJwxRjCxA_456gD_HGWuDCbD7r1ZIXiWQpJJGFhIYniQBB4-_uRgR4nLqe8tBF-jWYYbzvdTWzB8gJHUEdGfUKMVGx6uANqndxMuO32ActvELkwKr0NttOlkbk0Yb0W0a0lp6i7jqWFaP9-gMlR0LpTzhxEMG4mTun3i3rt4ZxnDCotLDdipAvH7Foi7eKzboSXqLbFl684ZRMJ_wHEvOsHqh3dagoleUFXZCYuOfecOmoMao16mmTYa41l95Ue9cn9YqoZ8gKXwvKX-NNt-6AnuG-ekqyzUJT3VPUhTKYK-Jl7&__tn__=-R
SUSAN M HALL
I just got off of a tele-medicine call with Dr. Edelberg @ WholeHealth Chicago. I am going to switch from NP Thyroid to a T4/T3 combination of Synthroid & Cytomel. I’ve been up and down like a yoyo on various NDT’s i.e. Naturethroid and NP Thyroid and am extremely frustrated to say the least.
I had a total thyroidectomy in 2004. I’ve been a runner all of my life and currently it’s exhausting to even run .5 mile, notwithstanding all of the other symptoms like air hunger, hair loss, weight gain and muscle aches.
If you are looking for a functional medicine doctor, Dr. Edelberg does consultations and prescriptions via tele-medicine. I saw him in person in Chicago in January. I live in Pennsylvania and had gone thru six different doctors/endocrinologists before I found him. He mentioned the STTM website on his blog which is how I came to find him. Highly recommended.
Lynn
Would love to hear how you are doing on synthroid/cytomel. I have also been all over the place with thyroid medications since Naturethroid went south for me last July and then NP in September after a good month and then the refill with the bad smell and symptoms restarted, Armour in December and synthetic T3/T4 compounded. Synthroid/cytomel is the only combination I haven’t tried yet.
Janie Bowthorpe
Lynn, Armour works if you get optimal. Same with compounded synthetics. Are you not raising enough to get there? https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Lynn
I made an apt with a new Dr who thought that Naturethroid had some challenges when it came back in stock with potency but they have since worked it out. Has anyone else heard this?
Janie Bowthorpe
Naturethroid is not the same good NDT it used to be. Many are seeing a return of their hypo. Those that think they aren’t…are in for bad surprise…not opinion, but what we’re seeing. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Bob
Last time I used Armour I could never get is does right with either more of it or less. Always felt over medicated on Armour since it changed in 2014. Before that it worked great, moved to Nature Throid and when that went south moved to NP Thyroid and that went really bad in Dec. of 2019. Really sad to see how many suffer needlessly over something that has worked so well in the past.
Janie Bowthorpe
True, it’s horrible to see all these NDT’s go south. It’s also uncomfortable seeing many who “think” they are doing well on them (Naturethroid, NP, WP, etc) only to find out the hard way they are destined to see a return of hypo, if not stressed adrenals. I’m seeing this in my own current doctor. She’s not ready to believe it.
BUT…the current Armour is working well for patients again. So is T4 and T3. But for either, you have to understand the goal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal Staying with non-optimal frees, especially the free T3, sets you up for a crash, sooner or later. The individuality is when it goes south.
Susan M Hall
I’m currently on a combination dose of Synthroid 150 mcg and Cytomel 5 mcg three (3) times a day @ wake up, noon and bedtime. Cautiously optimistic. I will do labs around August 3, 2020 (5 weeks out) and report back results FT3, FT4 & RT3 & iron labs.
I also started a liquid iron supplement Floradix Floravital Iron and Herbs Liquid Extract Formula with B12.
I added Celtic Sea Salt 1/2 teaspoon in one cup of water in the morning & 1 teaspoon of ground milk thistle from organic milk thistle seeds that I ordered from nuts.com
As an aside I walked 76 miles in June or around 4 miles a day 4-5 times a week. Not running yet but I hope to start running again in a week or so once the new thyroid hormone changes kick in.
Janie Bowthorpe
Sounds like you are on a good road!
Do know that your ratio of Synthroid (T4) versus T3 is off. You should be on more T3 and less T4. For example, one grain of desiccated thyroid, which is a combination of T4 and T3 (and the lesser thyroid hormones) is 38 mcg T4 and 9 mcgs T3. So two grains of desiccated thyroid would be 76 mcgs T4 and 18 mcgs T3. 3 grains would be 114 mcg T4 and 27 mcg T3. You can see by the latter you’re on too much T4 and not enough T3. And it’s not being on enough T3 that is the biggest problem.
Granted, the purpose of T4, which is a storage hormone, is to convert to T3, the active hormone. But there are too many things in life that can block that conversion. So we need to have the right amount of/more direct T3 when those situations happen.
When taking the two synthetics, you may not get to those exact numbers. But you want to be as close as possible. You may have to firmly teach your doctor about this. They are so firmly trained about the use of nothing but T4, that they are a bit scared of T3 and too often don’t give enough.
And remember that your goal is to get optimal. It’s not just how you feel. You will feel good before your frees are optimal, but you still need to get them optimal. Don’t make the mistake so many make by stopping their raises when they feel good. Those feelgoods can eventually backfire unless you get those frees optimal. This explains: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
If the four needed iron labs proved you have non-optimal iron levels, read this page:https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron
Finally, milk thistle can slightly lower iron levels. That’s why we always take a little iron with it. But if you were taking that iron to raise inadequate iron levels, you might not want to be on the milk thistle right now. Or you can stay on the milk thistle if you have a reason to be on it (usually to treat stressed liver or help lower high rt3), and take the higher amount of iron as shown on the latter iron page.
Michele
Like others, I’ve been through the changes of Armour, Erfa, and now NP. I am done even though I wish I could go back to Armour, my level of trust with these companies is zero. I just got Rx’d Synthroid (brand name) and I have leftover Cynomel and am trying that and will re-test after 2 months. I don’t feel great on it, not like NDT and it will be interesting to see how it goes. I just got (with insurance at Walmart) 135 50mcg tablets of Synthoid for $184! You’ve got to be kidding. GoodRx and the other one on TV both were rejected with newly printed off coupons as of today. No good. Would have been $209 without insurance. I wish I could trust Armour, but someone said it’s even more expensive, and the fillers in the generics don’t work for me, nor the dyes. This is so sad.
Janet
Michele, you might want to give the Armour a try again. I didn’t tolerate it a few years ago but am doing well with it now. I had to increase it by 15 mg over my previous NP dose but numbers look good and I feel okay. I’ve been through all the different brands and combinations, too. I’m good with Synthroid allergy-wise, but not any of the synthetic T3s (I’m very allergic to calcium sulfate fillers). It’s amazing how your life can be turned upside with one small change.
Nancy F.
I was reading some other sites and it was mentioned about reporting to the FDA medwatch [you can get a form online], to report NP thyroid and how Acella stated there was no change in formula but people are getting sick and it now smells and tastes like cat pee. Would that help.
Nancy F.
Oops sorry I meant bovine thyroid from cows.
Nancy F.
I also have had reactions from the change with the NP thyroid. And I also called the company, I did reach someone and they did state that their supplier for porcine thyroid they were now getting from Europe, They were manufacturing it still in their plant in Georgia and nothing else was changed except where they get the thyroid. What do you think about using a thyroid that comes from iodine (cows). Has anybody tried that.
kurt
Guess im the oddball here (again). Im still using NP thyroid and feel good if I get enough sleep, (i’m a night owl). I get them in original bottles of 100/ 60mg pills from Target CVS. I take them sublingually as I have for years.There was some sort of “blip” in my symptoms around summer 2019, must have been one odd bottle. I’ve been on the same dose for 1.5 years. I am 100% gluten free, maybe thats the difference.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Kurt. Just beware. The percentage is extremely high as far as people not doing well on NP at all, whether gluten free or not. And it appears that some think they are doing well due to being fooled by the climb of cortisol and even adrenaline (due to the body being alarmed about the poor efficacy of NP). As a result, a major crash comes with stressed adrenals.
Starr D.
Has anyone filed a lawsuit against Acella for their NP thyroid with the European porcine?
I tried to look this up online, and I’m not finding anything. I had a really bad time with it in
August and September of 2019. I’m still not well, but Armours right now seems to work
better for me than my last NP batches. Man, that stuff was awful for some of us.
Beth
I am so disappointed to read this info on NT. I have been on cytomel and synthroid. My doctor just prescribed NT yesterday and I was so excited to try it. Is it even worth trying, or should I just continue on the cytomel/synthroid combination?
Janie Bowthorpe
Based on the high amount of patient reports, I wouldn’t and just get those frees optimal on the two synthetics. Lots of people are feeling great on them if they do. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
DelAnn
Is there a link to the posted lot numbers of reported bad NP pills that has been updated since September 2019? If so would you please post it. Thank you.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Go to the STTM blog posts–there’s one right after this post and should be mentioned in the title.
Chris
So what should people who want to try NDT medcations do?
Janie Bowthorpe
Scroll down on this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Michelle
This news about NP thyroid is very disheartening. As many have stated, I had the same experience with Armour after fighting to find a doctor that would prescribe an ndt instead of awful Synthroid. Armour worked great until it suddenly didn’t. Switched to NP thyroid and got better for a while just to end up back where I started again- with relentless fatigue, weight gain, muscle aches, constipation, brain fog, and hair loss. A new endo dr insisted my symptoms are hyper instead of hypo and lowered my dose. Now I’m having scary heart palpitations, labored breathing, and dizziness. My endo’s response is to lower my dose more, which I know is not the answer. But what else is there since all of the other NDTs went south already? I don’t want to go back to synthroid and all of their mystery ever-changing fillers. I’ve tried a compounded form of T3 and T4 and ended up sick to my stomach. Maybe if enough of us lodge complaints, we can make something happen. I’ll join the effort and contact them tomorrow.
Ash
I had one of the stinky bottles mentioned earlier but refilled my script on 04/03/2020 and the pills do not smell anymore! Hopefully, this means they have made some adjustments for the better this time.
Janie Bowthorpe
Unfortunately, no. It means they have been trying to cover up the crap inside. Lots of patients still having the same problem. NP Thyroid is just not worth it anymore, say patients.
Irene
mine still stinks, I just got my refill last week.
Lynn
Thank you Janie fior all you are doing for everyone. I have been trying Armour with cytomel and can’t seem to make head way. Here are my latest labs on Armour 30:
T4 – 1.0 (.8-1.8)
T3 – 3.1 (2.3 – 4.2)
T3 reverse – 12 (8-25)
And I am also showing EBV antigen if that makes a difference.
When I try and raise, I get more joint pain, fatigue and hair loss. I understand I may have a cortisol problem from the bad naturethroid and then the bad NP but I don’t seem to be able to tolerate adrenal cortex or holy basil. I tried t3 only and couldn’t raise because it made me dizzy. So now I am back trying t3- 5 mcg/t4 19 mcg synthetic combo and I have a terrible headache, can barely see and my body feels like it’s weighed down. This has been going on for 9 months now and I’ve lost hope. I think my doctor is frustrated with me and thinks I am almost optimal so maybe it is EBV. I have been researching and trying to get myself out of this mess but I get nowhere. I was on NT 1 grain for 6 years without a problem and she can’t explain why I would now be closer to 1/2 grain as a curative dose. Can some people lose the ability to tolerate any medicine and if yes, what do they do? Would it hurt me to stop everything and see what happens? It can’t be worse than this.
Janie Bowthorpe
Did you test reactivated EBV? You can show EBV exposure in the past, but that doesn’t mean it’s activated now. So if you did the right one, what active EBV can do is raise that RT3. And yours is trending upwards. RT3 can also go up from inadequate iron or high cortisol.
We all have to do a saliva test to see exactly what is going on. Guessing doesn’t work. And that may be why you felt you didn’t do well on ACE, not because you don’t tolerate it, but you used it wrong, or needed something different. And only saliva testing will show what is wrong, thus what to treat.
Lynn
Thanks Janie! I have done two saliva tests thru ZRT. The last one being 1/26/20:
DHEA 1.6L
Morning 8.8
Noon 3.4
Evening 1.2
Night 1.5
The EBV was Early Antigen D result >150.00 H
My last iron test was 11/23/19:
Iron 130 ug
Transferrin saturation 43%
TIBC 301.ug
Ferritin 84 ng
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. You didn’t put ranges. Always need them. I’m guessing your morning is slightly low i.e not at the top area. Can’t tell about noon without the range. Is it high? Evening, which is afternoon (hate that they call it evening. lol) looks just a tad under midrangewhere it should be. Night looks high. Am I close?? If so, that is a seesaw pattern, meaning a stress pattern, and needs adaptogens like ashwaghanda, l-theanine, lemon balm etc three times a day to help even them out, and holy basil before bedtime for just a few weeks.
Iron was high. Were you on iron supps?
Lynn
Sorry about the ranges.
Morning 8.8 (3.7-9.5) was 7.6 on 9/22/19
Noon 3.4 (1.2 -3.0) was 1.8
Evening 1.2 (.6 – 1.9) was 1.2
Night 1.5 (.4 – 1.0) was 1.5
I did not feel while when I tried holy basil last year so want to avoid that one if possible.
I was not on iron supplements.
Janie Bowthorpe
L, H, L, H. Adaptogens 3 times a day.
One of what’s here one hour before bedtime: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ps Only for a few weeks.
Treat whatever is stressing you.
Kay Roberts
Dear Janie,
I ordered the adrenal test and the results for me as of yesterday….
DHEA low <1.0 2-23 age ….68
Morning low 6.5
Noon low 2.3
Evening high 3.1
Bed high 0.8
Same range value as Lynn’s
Last night ordered the ps and holy basil from amazon…coming Monday.
I have had vertigo for 4 solid months and so many of poor Lynn’s symptoms. Couldn’t raise or lower thyroid hormones.
Totally bed bound. Thank you so much for helping so many people!…the ability to test at home right now is invaluable.
Btw, I have late stage Lyme coinfections, as well….but my adrenals appear, for lack of some extensive testing….to be my problem. Hope the adaptogens help.
Again thank you. Kay
Ps to Lynn….I always have high antibodies to EBV ….also have HV6….taking high dose acyclovir. For decades. Watching reruns of the office to cheer me up…..also blogging office ladies. 😷
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Kay. Where results are low, we need cortisol to replace what’s not there, not adaptogens. We can’t get out of our hypothyroid state without the right amount of cortisol to assist in carrying thyroid hormones to the cells. Where results are high, then targeted adaptogens like Holy Basil etc. After we get out of our hypo state and get our frees optimal, we can start a wean off the cortisol and cortisol lowering adaptogens.
Amy the Anomaly
HELP!!! Here we go again! I have been deeply, adversely affected by the changes in Armour and Naturethroid over the past few years, and now it’s happening again with NP Thyroid. Got a new batch on March 12, 2020 and now two weeks later, all of my hypo symptoms have returned and I can barely walk! One of the most obvious places on my body that reveals a thyroid medication problem is my legs. My calf muscles lock up, have sharp pains running through them, and feel as though I have rigor mortis. There is a sense that the muscles have absolutely no elasticity and will tear if I use them. I can barely walk. This is unbearable and has stopped my life, yet again. I also have weight gain, severe bloating, insomnia, racing heart, hip, knee, and joint pain…the works! Can someone please suggest alternative medicine(s)? I know what works for one may not work for another, but I truly need suggestions. I don’t know what to even consider. I can’t live like this. I can’t believe this has happened AGAIN and the company behaves like nothing has changed. Obviously the outsourcing to Europe has changed some critical component(s) of NP, and the company won’t admit it. Please be specific with possible suggestions. I live in Maryland. Thank you!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Alternatives on this continually updated page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Jeni
So I commented back in the fall when I had a major crisis and figured out it was due to the Acella NP issue (I had been taking it for years and was doing pretty well on it). I had switched to Armour just to rule out the Acella NP and that’s how i figured it out. I decided the Armour was obviously better than the horrible things that were happening to me on the latest NP garbage, but I had many hypo symptoms happening. So I went to my dr and she agreed that after looking at my current bloodwork (below) I could switch to a synthetic combo T4/T3 and suggested I do a compounded. So that’s what I did. Here’s what it was on Armour:
TSH 1.09
FreeT4 .8 (.68-1.51)
FreeT3 2.4 (1.7-3.7)
A little over a month into the compounded synthetic and I was literally falling asleep at my teaching desk every day and could not get through the day without caffeine. It was bad. I also felt as if I was gaining a pound a day. I returned to my dr and she said lets do some blood work.
Well bloodwork came back and TSH lowered, FT4 is the same, and FT3 actually increased. Here are numbers on Compounded Synthetic T4/T3(below)
TSH .75
FreeT4 .8 (.68-1.51)
Free T3 3.5(1.7-3.7)
So why the heck did I feel like such crap? So tired, no energy and gaining weight if FT3 had increased?
She won’t increase it, just said the compounded synthetic must not be agreeing with me, so I could go back to Armour, wait a few weeks, recheck bloodwork then go from there.
Help-I just don’t know what to do ! Ugh..
Janie Bowthorpe
When you were on Armour, you were underdosed!!! So of course you still had symptoms of hypo.
And because of having been on the bad NP for a certain length of time, followed by being underdosed on Armour for another certain length of time, your compounded labs now reveal you are pooling that free T3 due to a cortisol problem.
Read about pooling here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/pooling
And read where you should have had those labs went on armour here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
But because you now have stressed adrenals, you’re going to have to correct that: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-imfo
Jeni
That’s what I figured…pooling because of stressed adrenals-thank you for confirming that. I’m not surprised that’s the issue..being on that NP and not sleeping or eating for months and having major anxiety and depression due to that horrible med I’m SURE stressed my adrenals to the max on top of being under dosed afterwards. Not going to be easy to deal with this when I can’t really get to the doctor or lab due to this pandemic and quarantine…ugh. I’m back on Armour, so obviously still under dosed, but probably need to stay that way until I can get my adrenals the help they need, correct? Then increase my dose?
My adrenals were tested a year ago and were in good shape (before the NP mess), do you think a high quality adrenal supplement will help during the time being until getting to a dr. and doing lab work etc. is a possibility? It could be weeks or months and I want to do something to be proactive and help give my adrenals some support. Thank you SO much for your help!
Janie Bowthorpe
You don’t treat adrenals from a test that’s a year old. Your adrenals can be very different now. We have to redo and only saliva: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/saliva-cortisol
Jeni
Completely agree.. but getting to my doctor to get evaluated and get a test ordered is not happening right now with all that is going on. Do you know of a company where I can order my own online and they will send me thekit and later the test results?
Otherwise I’m going to need to get on some herbal supplements to support my adrenals, because staying this way is just no good :(.
Jennifer Megge
Hi Janie, hoping you can help. Here are my lab tests from the past year. Back in October I had been doing great for years on Acella NP but some depression/anxiety amongst horrible other symptoms had started since the new batch, but my thyroid numbers were still not bad, I had been at my best weight ever for years and the least amount of thyroid symptoms. October is when I was suspecting maybe something was up with NP, and in late November had my dr switch me to Armour just to see. All my depression/anxiety craziness stopped, but my numbers tanked. Hypo symptoms of dry skin, weight gain, dry hair, tiredness , muscle aches began. So then went to a synthetic compounded combo for a bit. Symptoms continued and I was falling asleep at my desk, so she put me back on Armour. Just had my numbers checked again to see where to go from here. I do not feel good on Armour. I was waking up with zero energy. You helped me to see that it looks like pooling is happening so I ordered a test during this pandemic and just received my results. Cortisol is okay, but high in evening and night. Which goes along with major hunger at night too.
Any thoughts, where do I go from here? Trying to get to my doctor is a joke, and it is all telehealth right now. Could high evening/night cortisol be the reason for the weight I’m gaining and the pooling? I have not changed my eating and I am packing it on quickly, have little energy, don’t wake refreshed, and no libido. What the heck should I do from here? She is willing to put me on synthetic combo of t4/t3 like synthroid/cytomel next if need be.Thank you for your time. Here are all my lab results.
FT4 (.7-1.5) FT3 (1.7-3.7) TSH (.4-4.5)
Oct 2019 (NP Acella 90) 1.1 3.5 .29
Jan 2020 (Armour 90) .8 2.4 1.09
Mar 2020 (compounded .8 3.5 .75
synthetic combo T4/T3)
May 8 (back on Armour) .7 3.2 .6
ZRT CORTISOL RESULTS
DHEAS 10.1 (2-23)
Morning 6.0 (3.7-9.5)
Noon 2.2 (1.2-3.0)
Evening 2.0 (.6-1.9)
Night 1.0 (.4-1.0)
Jay
I will be switching from NP to Armour soon and am concerned…………..can I ask how much Armour you were taking per day?
Jeni
I’m taking 1 1/2 grains of Armour
Janie Bowthorpe
That is underdosing you. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
jjmegge2@gmail.com
But I can’t have my Armour raised (or go back to the synthetic compounded) until my adrenals are in better shape, correct?
Ugh-it’s like the chicken and the egg 🙁
Janie Bowthorpe
Correct. We have to have the right amount of cortisol to get optimal with our frees without problems.
Gail
Is anyone on compounded NDT? How are you doing? Something seems different with my last refill and I confirmed they are using a new lot of the thyroid USP powder. Just wondering if it’s me or if others are having problems with compounded now too.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes there have been some who have noticed that their compounded porcine powder went south…
Lynn
When will the bad porcine affect Armour? It must be using USP powder too.
Janie Bowthorpe
Armour is supposedly from US pigs. They appear to have a source. But time will tell…..
catherine
I am on compounded porcine NDT. Someone on this board had mentioned ractopamine fed to the pigs and it stuck with me as a possibility as it is the same substance used in meth amphetamines.I noticed with the last two batches that I wake up with a small amount of thick yellow concentrated phlegm in the back of my throat and the taste of it seems to coat my teeth. My thyroid antibodies were negative on my recent test but I suspect that my thyroid is under attack from the pills. I have had this happen in the past when on bad medication/Np thyroid. Dont know what to do as if I switch to synthetic my immune system will crash and leave me more vulnerable to the coronavirus. I am just recovering from the virus and have no sense of smell at this time. Just concerned as I am not sure if I am rotting my teeth away. This happened with NP thyroid as well and went away when I switched to compounded porcine NDT compounded with glycine. A lot of enamel stripped off when on NP thyroid.
Anyone else have this small amount of thick yellow phlegm in back of throat and strange taste when running their tongue over their front teeth?
Yemi
Thank you for this article! I’ve been on Acella since the spring of 2018. It worked great for me. I got pregnant March 2019 and was about 4 or 5 months pregnant when the shortage occurred and everything had been going well. Thankfully two different friends of mine who had also tried Acella had extra bottles of it and gave me their medication to see me through. When I finally received the new medication I started taking it the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy, two weeks into it my doctors saw my baby’s stomach had stopped growing and told me they needed to take her out early. There’s no way to prove this is because the medication changed but until I saw this article I couldn’t figure out why all of a sudden my baby had stopped growing. Thankfully even though she was born small and early she was healthy. I have a feeling because of my friends, I could continue the old medication long just enough to get me to that point. I can’t imagine what could have happened had I changed to the newer version earlier, perhaps things would have had a different ending. I’m grateful that it all turned out ok. I’m just sharing my experience here in case it can help anyone. Thank you Janie for your work!!!
Janie Bowthorpe
Whoa. I know it’s true that correlation doesn’t always imply causation, but that does make one wonder…. So glad your dear one turned out ok.
Mary
I’ve also had worsening hypo symptoms since being changed to np thyroid last year. Last week I was prescribed Cytomel & had nausea & vomiting. I was hopeful that it would help as even the 1st day felt a slight improvement in symptoms. Any suggestions on dealing with the nausea would be appreciated. Thank you
Janie Bowthorpe
Not sure why Cytomel would cause nausea and vomiting? Maybe it’s a lingering effect from how bad NP was for you, and others?
Mary
The pharmacist said he has heard of this happening at 1st until the body acclimates to actually having enough t3. He suggested asking for a prescription for Zofran, which my dr sent in today. I took 1/2 of a 5 mcg with the Zofran & did okay this afternoon. I read about the t3 pooling & think I may have had this previously (currently just low t3, but fairly certain I have a cortisol issue due to stress & early morning migraines) Do you know if rt3 just clears out on it’s own if the cortisol issue is resolved? Thank you so much for this wonderful website – it is helping me so much better understand the thyroid symptoms I’ve been living with, & gives me hope that perhaps I will one day be “optimal” too.
Mary
I read that there was an fda recall for a supplier of ndt in September 2018, & then an np thyroid recall in July 2019. My insurance stopped covering Armour around July 2019 & so I was changed to np Thyroid. I noticed extreme fatigue, muscle & joint aches, weight gain, etc. worsened late last summer but thought it was related to ongoing stress. Over the holidays I had a few infections & was so exhausted I stayed home from planned holiday outings. Finally last month a doctor ordered thyroid blood work & my numbers were a lot worse, so I was changed about a week & a half ago to other medicines. Thank you for posting about this so we know this is a possible factor
I don’t recall exact dates but recall there was a shortage of some of the other ndt’s in 2017/2018 because the pharmacies were sometimes out of the medications & I’d sometimes have to go a short time with no medicine.
Janie Bowthorpe
Never heard of a recall of NP Thyroid. But it’s lousy anyway now.
Jenny
I’m possibly a little late to this particular ‘party’ but reading comments feel less that I may be going mad at least ! I discovered NP around 1 1/2 to 2 years ago after ERFA no longer worked for me and doubled in price anyway….I’ve been doing so well, started running again, writing etc etc. Interestingly, they DID smell awful but still worked well….I felt great. Then I started a new batch that’d cost me hugely to import into the UK, but had to me previously been worth it and within around 4 or 5 days all my hypo symptoms returned including extreme menopausal flushing that’d been apparently helped previously. Annoyingly I have several bottles in reserve all bearing the same expiry dates and batch numbers so I am, as they say….scr***d. I am going to ask the pharmacy for a refund but doubt they will give it to me, but more importantly I am now very very worried about what to do next. I cant take synthetic stuff and dont like the look of most of the available NDT for the number of scary sounding excipients they contain and why I preferred firstly ERFA and then NP…. So I’m wondering if anyone can recommend anything that is currently still easing symptoms successfully. I’m at the beginning of the decline at the moment but not sure for how much longer I’ll be able to function atall. I would be very grateful for any advice, from anyone atall..I should add I never involve doctors and only observe my symptoms or absence of and energy levels and feeling of wellness or otherwise, as a determinant of what to take or not and how much….thankyou so much.
Shantel Brooks
I have been on the same ndt/cytomel dose for 5 years since getting optimal. I had to switch to NP early 2018 after the shortage with Naturethroid. Things were going well for 2018 labs. Oddly, when I had my labs pulled Dec 2019, my FT4 and FT3 had both dropped, which they had not done in over 5 years. I was not aware there had been an issue with NP Thyroid that started in the fall of 2019. I have a lot of health/pain issues so plenty to blame changes on beyond my thyroid. But i was shocked about my labs changing bc they literally have been the same the last 5 years. I do now wonder if it is bc of the NP change? Also, in 2014, I did not do great on Armour. Is there a chance I could do better on it now? I am only on 1 grain ndt and then T3 meds.
Janie Bowthorpe
NP has definitely changed for the worst. Patient experiences prove is now sucks. So everyone is moving over to Armour a working compounded NDT, or T4/T3, and getting optimal. But you need to be sure you get truly optimal on anything you change to. Too many fail to read, say they are optimal, and they aren’t. So it backfires. This: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Frank Moore
I noticed last year 2019 that the NP Thyroid had a strong chemical smell. My wife and I both take it and all the different strengths have the same smell. I upped mine to 120mg my wife takes 2 90’s and one 30 . We both feel hypo. This is very disturbing to us as not only does it affect us but we have been activists for NP Thyroid and told everyone that we meet that had thyroid problems how good it did for us. This should be criminal deception.
Janie Bowthorpe
I agree.
Jo W Nutt
Discontinuing my NP after return of Hypo symptoms and 15 lb weight gain since December 6, 2019. Trying to figure out whether to go on Synthetic T4/T3 or Armour. My two question are:
1. Has any one been able to lose the weight gained from bad NP by switching to synthetic T4/T3?
2, Have you been able to get rid of the hypo symptoms when optimized on the synthetic T4/T3?
Janie Bowthorpe
1. Yes, but helps to get optimal to do so.
2. Definitely
Sven
Hi I‘m new with NDT and my Batch from 2019 has NO smell. Is this a good or bad sign?
Thanks
Sven
Janie Bowthorpe
Need you to specify which brand.
Sven
Acella NP 😉
Janie Bowthorpe
It appears they are disguising the bad stuff inside. Not, not worth being on NP, say patients before you.
queen K
I have used NP thyroid by Acella for one full year -2019. My labs either came out on the lower end or on the higher end of normal range, never optimal. I decided on trying it after reading good reviews for Acella but something definitely went wrong with the medicine composition.
This year I have started taking Bovine Thyroid with brand name – Priority One’s Thyroid 65 (1 cap=65mg). I started with a low dosage and now have doubled the dose as required by my lab results. I am hoping to get my labs done again by the end of this month to see the difference. Has anyone tried this brand or any other Bovine brands after having tried porcine thyroid, please do share your experience.
Karen SF
Update on my prior message. I contacted CVS about the chemical smell from my 90-day supply of NP Thyroid. The rep let me speak to a Pharmacist who told me they can talked to Acella in Oct 2019 about the smell complaints but were told they have a new supplier. I explained that with the irregular smell of chemicals and not “pig” I would not ingest them. I also talked with David from Acella and received the same “company marketing speech” that everyone else received. However, we did have a 3-way conversation with CVS Pharmacist, myself, and David who agreed to send me a new 90day supply thru CVS which I am receiving today. I did explain that if it had the same chemical smell I would not take them.
I then called my Dr (who I’ve used for 10 yrs, always works with me, and specializes in Thyroid and uses NDT for patients.) She said she has had no patient issues using Nature-Throid and is getting me a 30day supply and in 4 wks I’ll get labs. I did explain that I heard that all NDT was not working, but agreed to try (smell) the Nature-throid product. Otherwise, she will write me a script for synthetic T4 & T3.
My question – is anyone doing well with Nature-throid? If not, what are your issues. are they the same as the NP Thyroid or different? Is is just weaker, not consistent, etc? Not sure whether to waste my time on it. I do trust my Dr but feedback from this group is definitely appreciated.
Janie Bowthorpe
We have yet to see one person on Naturethroid achieve optimal frees. It’s not been worth it.
Karen SF
Are they not getting optimal frees because they aren’t taking enough or something else?
Janie Bowthorpe
Something else. i.e. something is extremely wrong now.
TAI
I filled a prescription for thyroid NP on 11/12/2019 for 360 tablets; 0.5gr. I’ve been steadily taking 3 tabs a day ignoring horrendous cat pee smell and awful taste. I’ve had a return of hypothyroid symptoms as well as new heartburn, heart racing and overall feeling poor since this latest batch. I have labs due 3/6 and am looking forward to my results but after all the research I’ve just read, I am anticipating poor lab results due to Thyroid NP being contaminated or compromised.
Janie Bowthorpe
And as you have found out, not worth it to try it out. It’s terrible.
TAI
What would you recommend switching to? I would like to stay natural. Thanks.
Janie Bowthorpe
In this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Karen SF
I received a new 90 day supply of NP Thyroid 30mg size and they smell very chemically – not pig smell as my good batches have been. I take about 3grains per day and have been doing very well on NP Thyroid over the last year (was on WP Thyroid until their downfall.) After reading this blog, I am not willing to even try these tablets. My health is very important and I’m not willing to risk taking these. I did run across a website (https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/np-thyroid-by-acella) which offer to sign a petition to the CEO at Acella Labs – I signed it. Maybe all of us should sign and show our force in numbers. It the meantime, I’m planning to get my Dr to give me a script for T4 and cytomel that gives me the same T4/T3 as my current NP and tweak until I get optimal. I prefer NDT, but won’t go back until they fix this contaminated mess!
Janie Bowthorpe
Totally and completely understand your last sentence.
Jey
Hoping someone can help as I’m at a loss on where to go from here. I did wonderfully on WP thyroid + Cytomel until the shortage. Switched to NP (plus Cytomel) over a year ago and did fine on that too. I even thought I was doing okay on the newer, stinky version of NP. In October 2019, my doctor took me off Cytomel because I was having a heart arrhythmia. However, when I quit the Cytomel, I also began taking magnesium and my heart seems better. So, not sure if it actually was the Cytomel. Fast forward 4 months and I am alarmed at how thin my hair is looking, I’ve been completely unmotivated and depressed, feel somewhat of a brain fog in that I can’t seem to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing or if I do, can’t seem to actually do it (symptoms similar to the pooling I had a few years back). I was in denial about the NP but am beginning to really wonder if it IS the NP, or just the lack of Cytomel. I’m not sure exactly when the hair loss started. It seems like I have been trying to brush it a certain way to cover areas for longer than just these last 4 months, but even if that’s so, it is definitely much thinner now. As of October, when I was still on NP and Cytomel, my TSH was .002 (I am without a thyroid so this SHOULD be low), T4 at 1.0 and T3 at 6.5 BUT I had labs done after taking meds, so T3 was probably higher due to that. I can have my doctor order new labs with fasting, but I’m unsure whether to ask for Armour, Synthroid, or just my Cytomel back. The hair loss is really bothering me, but I know the lack of motivation needs to be fixed too. I was miserable on Synthroid-only for years, then had pooling issues with Armour, so not really sure what to do.
Janelle
What are pooling issues?
Janie Bowthorpe
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/pooling
Starr D.
For those of you who are lost regarding what to take if the NP thyroid failed you (as it did me), you might give the real Armour a shot, even if you’ve been on it before and not done well. NP really started making me sicker last August through September, and I’ve pretty much been on just about everything over the years. In more recent years, though, the natural
meds did try to help me with some symptoms the synthetic thyroid drugs just could not help. I really wanted to stay on something natural if possible, so my endocrinologist and I talked it over, and agreed I should give Armour a try, even though I’ve had bad results with it about five different times since around 1987. Haven’t taken it for about ten years, though, so was just hoping it was made better this time.
Maybe it is. I’m not well by any means, yet, (I have a complicated case), but
I do think it’s trying to help me as well as NP did when it was better, and maybethe Armour is actually somewhat better than that (for me, anyway, at the moment.) There was an especially bad side-effect I used to get from Armour (seeing weird spots to the side of my visual field, even when my eyes were closed, sometimes.) I’ve not gotten that sort of thing, so far. I think Armour has a different owner than the last time I took it 10 years ago, and maybe it’s possible they’re doing a better job with it, and maybe getting better ingredients, etc. That’s one reason
I was sort of open to trying it again….a different owner can sometimes make a product better or worse…..I was hoping for “better.” Maybe it actually is, at least for some. We’re still not done adjusting my dose, so we’ll see.
Also want to add that the other times I was on Armour, I didn’t always have a
doctor who also tried to work with other things that help the thyroid, like iron,
Vitamin D3, magnesium, etc. My current endo does, so I’m sure that helps.
I don’t have much of my own thyroid gland left that works due to RAI for
Grave’s Disease (hyperthyroid) in the mid 1970s when I was eleven & twelve
years old. So, I’m really dependent on these thyroid drugs to work right.
I’m not where I need to be yet, but at least the Armour is going in the right
direction for now. Wanted to share in case this might help someone Starr D.
jay
How long have you been on Armour (this time)?
Also how much Armour are you taking per day?
I am going to be making the switch from NP to Armour soon and was wondering whether I might need a higher dose of Armour than what I was taking with the old NP to get to feeling good. (In other words was the old NP a little stronger than the new Armour?)
Janie Bowthorpe
Just in case, we favor starting on a slightly lower dose of Armour, wait a few weeks, the test the frees to see if you need to tweak to get optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Starr D.
Hi. I’ve been on Armour since mid-September, 2019 to present day. Janie
is right when she advises anyone to start on a lower dose than they might
eventually need. I think I started on 1 and 1/2 grains for awhile (1 grain or
60 mg, in the morning), the rest in the afternoon. We then raised it to
a little under 1 and 3/4 grains based on labs and my symptoms–keeping
the one grain in the AM and the rest in the afternoon (around 4 pm is when
my doctor advises taking the afternoon dose, although I don’t always
hit it at exactly that time. He says it works better, splitting it up like that.)
I just had a new thyroid appointment today…I have still a lot of obvious
low thyroid symptoms, and he said I could raise the dose to 1 and 3/4
grain of Armours daily, without even looking at the labs (they haven’t
come in yet because I was unable to get them a week earlier, like I was
supposed to.) 1 and 3/4 grain is the dose I took most often on NP thyroid
when it was working better and helping me better. But when NP started
making me sicker, I could barely take any of it for a few weeks, and then
I had to stop it, completely. Whenever I’ve had a bad experience on any
thyroid drug and change to another, I’ve learned the hard way that it’s
always better to start on some dose that’s lower than you may really need.
On me, it takes some time for the bad, old medicine to dump out, and
the new medicine to start working. For a few weeks on me when I’m
changing meds, it’s sort of like a battlefield going on–older drug is kinda
fighting with the newer drug, until the older one finally fizzles out (could
take a few weeks, on me). Then, the newer drug can have a chance to
build up and actually start to help (if it’s going to.) I would definitely NOT
go higher on Armour than NP…..go lower, if anything, just to make sure
it agrees with you ok. Like if you’re on 2 grains of NP, ask for 1 3/4 Armour,
or 1 1/2 armour, or alternate between the two doses. Just my thoughts
on this. Good luck with it, Jay. You’ve got a shot at it, I think, with the
Armour–at least how they’re making it, this time around. Starr D.
Beth
So I have been taking the new NPThyroid for about 2 weeks. I can already tell there is a problem. How long should I wait to get accurate labs?
Thank you.
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s always, always up to you, but there are simply too many reports of bad results from NP.
Alan
I have been taking the new NP for a few months, it seems to be working fine for me. I alternate doses, 95mg for two days, then 100 mg for one day, then 95mg for two days, etc. My TSH jumped up about three months ago to 2.98, I knew I was under dosed. My doctor raised my meds for three weeks and then I did blood work, my TSH had dropped down to the proper (suppressed) levels. All appears very good, and I feel good. I am holding my breath after reading all of these comments, I hope I continue to feel good, and I hope the new NP is stable.
Janie Bowthorpe
Alan, it’s not working. Too many reports from people that prove it. And the low amount you are taking has never made anyone optimal with their frees. It’s also never about the TSH. It’s common to think we are doing well on a bad med due to the rising cortisol and adrenaline it’s been causing. See this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
PeggyPillTaker
I feel like I should post this to help others….. My dose of NP thyroid is ____ mg. However, I always ask my doctor to write my script for the 15 mg tablets (1/4 grain) and I insist that my pharmacy give me the sealed bottles except what they can’t give me sealed. The manufacturer sealed bottles of 100 tablets. The opened bottle they give me in the amber colored prescription bottle is always speckled and when used (ingested) does not actually work too well. I open my sealed 100 tablets, add 3-4 desiccant packets to the opened bottle and that works fine for the month. I accidently lost almost a whole 100 tablet bottle (just got misplaced) found it again, opened, tried to use it, although far from expiry date, it did not work. Had hypo symptoms. All those tablets speckled too from air etc. Oh, with the 15 mg tablets, yes, I do take my tablets throughout the day at different times to equal my total dose of thyroid medication needed. Nothing wrong with that – don’t know if anyone else tries this. It works okay for me…..
Terry Jackson
I had a thyroidectomy about 10 years ago and took Armour for a number of years and then learned of NP Thyroid which was close to half the cost… so I started taking it. About a month ago I started feeling horrible and tired and went online and learned how NP Thyroid had changed their supplier and there may be issues with the new pills. My wife takes Armour so for the past three days I have taken that and I now feel great. The results of my Thyroid bloodwork came back today and my TSH was 75! Remember, I do not have a thyroid so I rely 100% on the pills. My creatinine was also high and I believe that is caused by the incorrect NP Thyroid. Having bad thyroid medication can be very scary stuff. I want to send my pills back to the manufacturer for a refund.
Mike R
This is interesting. Since December, I have been on a steady decline. Gained 15 pounds, felt tired, unmotivated. I chalked it up to winter in a northern climate. But, I finally had enough, I knew something wasn’t right. I made an appointment with my dr. to have my levels checked. Haven’t gotten the results back yet. But, I checked my prescription and noted that my scrip was filled in early December. Right when my symptoms started coming back…
That’s what prompted me to do a search on NP Thyroid changes and saw this article. What is someone supposed to do now? This was the one thing that seemed to give me results. I have a feeling that when my doctor gets back to me, my TSH levels will be high again. He already said that he will likely just increase my dosage. But, taking more of something that isn’t working doesn’t seem like a great solution.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Mike. You are right–taking more of what now sucks is not the solution.
Scroll down on this post to see solutions: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Thalia
WHEW! That explains it. I actually threw out one whole bottle cuz I thought SOMEHOW, SOME WAY my cat had peed on it! Gross tasting!!!!
Victoria N.
I was doing good on 2 1/2 grains NP Thyroid plus 100mcg levothyroxine to balance everything out. My Frees were good and I felt good. After the change my Frees have both dropped to 25% of the range. My doctor (a DO) won’t up the dose to get my Frees back to where they were before (I was under a different doctor in a different state, but then we moved 1800 miles). I guess I will try crushing/chewing the tablet to see if that helps. I try taking Vitamin C with my tablets to increase absorbtion, but I forget most of the time. I will also try taking my anti-depressant at night instead of with my thyroid pills.
christin poeschl
Hello,
I am writing you from Austria/Europe. I have Hashimoto, for the last 25 years (probably longer) and the only medication that works is natural thyroid. Ever since the reformulation of Armour I have been taking Erfa Thyroid (3 Gr.).
I was rather happy with this medication – as it is one of the few ones that get to Europe regularly – but I just opened a new box of 1 grain, 60 mg Lot 19F03, Exp: 06/2022 and the pills have a horrible taste, a rather chemical taste, which they never had. They smell entirely different compared to the older ones. It is a pungent stench but not porcine.
The appearance definitely changed as I compared two 60mg tablets from different lots with different expiry dates (different color and texture). The newer ones are whiter and the cover is much smoother, shinier, not as yellowish and does not have these speckles.
I made a picture that I am unable to attach here, but it looks exactly the same as the picture of one of your readers for the NP thyroid ( if you want I can send it via e-mail).
My question is if any of your readers reported changes on Erfa recently ( I could not find anything on your blog)?
This is all very strange and for years I have been thinking that users of natural dissicated thyroid are being deprived of any control. I wrote to Erfa and the response was the same as ever: nothing changed, just different raw material. I wonder if we all get the same pills just under different labels. The ERFA pills also lack any information on the ingredients, something that is impossible with Austrian medicine, all the ingredients need to be on the box or bottle.
Anyway, keep up your good work, your blog is like a democracy for thyroid patients all over the world!
All the best from Europe! Thank you!
Kind regards,
Christin
Jay
Have you tried the German Version of Natural Thyroid?
I have heard about it on this site and others for many years.
I have never seen any actual reviews on how it works but If you try it please let us know how it works for you.
christin poeschl
They all worked well – depending on the fillers the different pharmacies use – but as they use the same raw material as the American brands they will probably have the same problems. Most of these natural thyroid medications come in capsules, for ex. in combination with olive oil, so the smell is not noticeable and it will take time till people notice the changes. Some of these medications even use grounded Armour as raw material. As far as I could find out the raw material that most of the US. brands now use does not come from Europe – the pharmacists say there is no European business producing thyroid – but originally from South America, guess Brazil, are bought by European firms in Spain or Italy and then exported to the US under the label of European thyroid. If this holds true, then this would be the explanation why all the brands have the same problem. And it is also a fact that they all smell very much like cat urine and the chemical stench is just the coating. I took a new Erfa pill, washed the coating off and immediately the urine smell is there. the old ones do not smell the same. It is very difficult to get any information on the raw material, in the US or in Europe. This is also a kind of lobby and nobody wants educated patients. Only Ms. Bowthorpe and we, the patients!
Janie Bowthorpe
Christin, it’s compounded NDT that comes in capsules. Other brands are tablets.
Janie Bowthorpe
Sadly, the terrible stench has become common for most of the pharmaceuticals, which makes patients wonder what they are swallowing. And they have always stated “we changed nothing”, which patients find to be insincere and insulting. Plus, there’s been a widespread return of hypo on the now-stink pills.
Dina Ciccone
OK I’ve received a few phone calls and I just got this email I am off of work on Monday so I plan on calling. Please load this up with questions you want me to ask.
Hello,
Thank you for contacting Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC. We would like to speak with you further regarding the issues you experienced while on Acella’s product. Please contact the Medical Information Department at (678) 581-4436 (Monday through Friday, 9:00am — 5:00pm EDT), to speak further regarding your experience.
.
Kind regards,
Medical Information Specialist
Janie Bowthorpe
Good luck. The same thing has been going on for months, and nothing has changed, other than seemingly coating the tablets to hide the awful smell (and thus the continued awful results from whatever is inside). Patients state they are still doing lousy on NP Thyroid..
Dina
I talked to them today and it was just them asking me a bunch of questions. At the end the guy asked if I would ship my pills back to them if they sent me packaging. I might stick a couple in there but I would like to hold onto them on the off chance someone needs them to figure out what’s actually going on with them.
Janie Bowthorpe
Nothing comes of it. Patients are feeling it’s a waste of time and fake concern.
rich
I too have noticed the negative change. Weight gain and tiredness requiring naps that have been gone for years.
I contacted Acella 2/6/20 and was told the vendor was changed from a USA pig supplier to a European supply.
On 2/11/20 a different department called and asked a series of questions. They are replacing the last 90 supply, bought 12/1/19, of the 60mg+60mg+30mg pills I take every day (150mg/day). They hope for my local CVS to fill the new order and take back the old product.
If CVS does not want the product, then Acella will send a mailer to me to have the product shipped back so they can analyze it.
JustMe
Rich, I have been following this since it started. I really hope they may listen, but what you’re describing is exactly what hundreds of others have done…and no response after the initial “we’ll replace it.” They’re appeasing a disgruntled patient base and lying. I don’t understand why, but it’s getting harder and harder to truly trust anyone to help. STTM is a great resource and if you haven’t, read all around the website, get the books and find their Facebook page. I don’t know where I would be without Janie and STTM. I’m not affiliated and I don’t know Ms. Bowthorpe personally, but I have seen her work tirelessly to be a patient advocate and help everyone. I follow some other places and people too, but STTM is by far my most heavily relied on source for information and understanding.
peggy
Ditto on what “JustMe” said.
Janie Bowthorpe
Just Me and Peggy, I deeply appreciate what you said. I’ve always valued having integrity in what I do, and supporting patients since I myself suffered so long. Thank you.
Tracy
I have been waiting since August for my replacement prescription!!!
Jason
I’ve been on 90 mg of NP Thyroid for several years now. My TSH was 2.22 back in January of last year. Had it retested in November and it had climbed to 3.21. Coincidence?
Janie Bowthorpe
If you are on the pre-changed NP, you’re simply underdosed. So it backfires. On a working NDT, we have to get optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Jill Walters
I have been taking NP thyroid for several years. I switched when Armour went south. I was taking 150 mg NP you until I had a medical event and it was discovered that I was way over-replacing. My dose was lowered to 120mg in July. Last week my doctor told me that my TSH was undetectable and lowered my dose to 97.5 mg and switched it to “Nature-throid” by accident because she’d never heard of NDT.
JoLene
I’m relatively new to this (again) after originally being prescribed NDT for out-of-whack thyroid lab values + severe hypo symptoms back in 2015. My doc had 1st prescribed Armour and then Naturethroid when I couldn’t get Armour Rx filled due to supply availability. I took the Rx for a year or so and felt better (at least I was not *as* horrifically fatigued + was finally able to have some activity and lose weight, etc). But foolishly, after about 9 months or so of taking the NDT Rx, I stopped taking, as I thought I’d gotten things fixed and could just coast. I know – absolutely foolish! I was able to manage somewhat but as of Oct 2019, some major stressful life events ultimately left me back in absolute exhaustion-mode + I gained 20 lbs in 3 months. I finally woke up and thought maybe I needed to go to my doc, and she started me on pellet bio-identical hormone replacement therapy — but she also suggested I have labs drawn to see where I was at with my thyroid levels. My TSH was 3.9, and my T3 & T4 numbers were all sub-optimal, so in addition to the BHRT, she suggested I start back up on thyroid Rx. So on Dec 2, I got the BHRT pellets (estradiol/testosterone) implanted, but was also prescribed NP Thyroid Rx at 15 mg. [I had advised my OBGYN that I wished to go with NDT Rx (vs synthetic) and she agreed. She started me out at 15 mg NP Thyroid but as I’d felt so much better when I was on 60 Naturethoid (similar dose in Armour) + I wanted to feel better ASAP vs. struggling along for weeks/months slowly going up from 15 mg to 30 mg etc. …. in January, I asked her if we could increase my dose, she agreed after doing a 2nd set of labs and increased me to 60 mg NP Thyroid.
But now after reading this blog and seeing that there are so many terrible reviews of patients’ hypo symptoms returning when being on NP Thyroid, I’m now not sure what to do ! FYI: I have both samples of 60 mg NP Thyroid as well as a 90 day filled Rx of NP Thyroid – and neither of them have the terrible cat pee/ ammonia odor that is described. Does that mean that I should feel safe in going ahead and taking the NP Thyroid ? Or should I ask my doc to switch me to Armour Rx? I know that will be harder to get (and I don’t believe my insurance covers Armour) but at this point, I don’t care [I’m willing to pay out of pocket if I have to!] just so I can be on the right Rx to help me feel better [vs. going for weeks and weeks and not seeing any change and/or feeling worse]. I know that ultimately we must watch our labs to ensure we are working towards getting to the “optimal” levels but as I’ve not yet noticed a difference in feeling any better (where my hypo symptoms have gotten any better), I don’t want to keep taking the NP Thyroid if it isn’t helping?
FYI: Despite taking the NP Thyroid since December 2, I don’t feel that I’m seeing any abatement of hypo symptoms, and what’s worse (I don’t know if it’s related or not) but I’m still gaining weight (despite doing my best to try to lessen caloric intake – but appetite still ramped up) and my fatigue symptoms aren’t better – PLUS I’m started to lose sleep due to restless leg syndrome symptoms!!! I told my doc aout this and she suggested taking magnesium supplements + a CALM drink powder or gummy. I am doing that now but it’s not helping hardly at all with the RLS symptoms at night.
HELP?
Janie, can you please advise?
And I want to thank you so much for all the time and research you dedicate to the STTM site and helping us get the information we need, as smart individuals who are trying to advocate on our own behalf to get the best quality of life we can get! I thank you so very much in advance!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi JoLene. You are very welcome.
There are recent remarks by patients that Acella has been coating the NP to hide the smell. Yet hiding the smell, if it’s true, doesn’t change that NP went south for patients. So who knows. The only hope is that your pharmacy still has a strong stock of the pre-changed NP. And by the way, if they do, you are far from optimal. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Dawn
Hi,
My doctor wrote a script for Low Dose Naltrexone for 0.5 mg. The compounding pharmacist said this dose is too low to receive any benefit. Is anyone taking this? What dose were you started at? Can you take this with NP (the old stuff)? Have you noticed hypo symptoms decreasing while taking LDN? Insurance doesn’t cover it, so this will be oop. Thank you for any insight.
Janie Bowthorpe
That can be a starting dose. But people raise and they find that either 3 mg does the trick or 4.5 mg–the latter is most common. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ldn
Jennifer
Just reading this today because I too am experiencing hypo symptoms with my NP Thyroid. I have chronic Lyme disease as well making my symptoms cross over. I am currently being treated with LDI amino acids, supplements, and LDN (low dose naltrexone). .5 is a beginning dose. My doctor has me on 4.5 now. I had to stop taking it at night because it was causing insomnia. I take it in the morning now. I was taking 240 mg of NP Thyroid and then after being hot in December, the heart palpitations and racing heart started in January. I even went to the ER because my doctor was on vacation and I had to rule out a heart attack. But now that I’ve read this post, I’m wondering if all the trouble I’m having isn’t from the NP. We dosed down to 90mg, then I started freezing and feeling awful, air starved…again,blah blah, now I’m on 165mg, still the same. Just sent an email to my doctor to see if he may consider putting me on Armour again to try and get relief. I don’t know why you may be on LDN, but I am happy with the results of 4.5.
Susanne Bengtsson
I am so grateful for all this information and do not expect a response to my questions as I can only imagine the time and energy it takes to keep this website running – and yet I will still ask 🙂
I’ve been on NP since 11/2018 – for a while taking 120 per day but since 7/2019 taking 90. I developed bacterial pnemonia fall of 2019 and then reactivated epstein barr 11/2019 – current symptoms are nausea, fatigue, tremors, insomnia, brainfog. My labs have been fairly consistently as follows TSH 0.040, FT4 0.88, FT3 2.92 however my Thyroid antibodies went from 1.3 in 3/2019 to 8.7 just recently (range 1-9). Liver enzymes ALT jumped from 35 in 7/2019 to 60 most recently. I just started Tirosint Levothyroxine 50 MCG and 5mcg Liothyronine (working slowly up to 15mcg).
Is this the correct dosage in your opinion and also can epstein barr cause elevated liver enzymes and thyroid antibodies??
Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, it takes a lot of time and energy and this is all volunteer. Your labs show you are seriously underdosed: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal And it looks like you now have an adrenal problem (nausea, tremors, insomnia etc) from being so underdosed. To find out what seems obvious, patients order this: https://sttm.mymedlab.com/sttm-profiles/zrt-saliva-adrenal-4-sample–2 Read all about it here–promise you will read it all: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/saliva-cortisol
Susanne Bengtsson
Yes, I have had high cortisol 24/7 since I started testing through saliva 12 years ago however finally managed to get levels normal for the first time in September 2019 after trying phosphatidylserine. Now as I think back this is when my nausea, tremors and dizziness started. Is it possible that the sudden change in cortisol output affected the thyroid and caused these symptoms? But then how come the thyroid labs didn’t change? I am due to retest my cortisol to make sure it’s still holding and will also retest thyroid after having switched from NP thyroid to Levothyroxine 50 MCG and 15mcg Liothyronine. One last question if you have time – is it ok to take all thyroid meds together first thing in the morning or do you have to split them up? My functional doctor states it is less stressful on the adrenals when you split them in two. Thank you again.
Janie Bowthorpe
High cortisol pushes RT3 up, yes.
Together, then together again by early to mid afternoon.
Belle
Question for those switching from NDT to synthetic T4/T3: Is it necessary to replace the T1 and T2 that are found in the NDT? If so, how can that be replaced? Thanks in advance for any information anyone can provide on this.
Janie Bowthorpe
If on T4 and T3, there’s good reason to believe that the T3 will continue converting down to T2 and T1.
Mary
I had been taking Naturethroid for a few years before I couldn’t get it anymore this past September. The pharmacist switched me to Acella (Lot #M328G19-2). I did notice the small etc. that others are writing about but I felt okay. Now I couldn’t get Acella so they gave me Armour and my chiropractor said she hasn’t seen my body this depleted since I’ve been coming to her for the past few years. I guess I’ll go on synthetic T4 and T3. I don’t know why it has to be this way after doing so well for years on Naturethroid.
Karoline
How long, once stopping NP Thyroid, does it take to get the medicine out of your system? I feel AWEFUL on this stuff! I have crazy reflux, tight chest, upper back pain, fatigue, headache, bloating, crazy anxiety and hurt all over! I take 60 mg. Is it possible to not take meds and just improve levels through diet?
Lori
One grain is rather small, it might be possible with a herb and vitamin routine along with an organic diet free of soy and endocrine disrupting chemicals, you can always try it and see how you it works for you. Feel free to PM me if you would like a copy of my entire herb and vitamin routine geared towards thyroid. I am on medication however but my problem is severe and I’ve had it for along time so I developed a herb and vitamin routine to help me feel better.
Edie
I have been on NP for several years now, and my labs were always really good (I didn’t do so well on synthetics (Synthroid and Cytomel combo), Armour, or Nature-Throid). Last month, I got a bottle of the new NP, and while my hypo symptoms didn’t return, the taste was ABSOLUTELY awful, made me nauseous. This month, the smell and taste is not nearly as bad. It still doesn’t smell or taste nice, but not quite as disgusting. My symptoms are still at bay, so all is good there. I just wanted to report about the new batch that I have received, and the fact that things might be improving.
Janie Bowthorpe
There is suspicion they are trying to cover up the smell and taste. If that’s the case, the interior is still the same i.e. may still cause problems.
Edie
Well, this batch isn’t making me nauseous, so that is a plus. None of my symptoms have recurred, despite the last bottle tasting horrible. As long as I am feeling good, and am not getting nauseous, I will continue taking the NP.
Janet
Edie, do you have an expiration date or lot number from the new batch? I’m curious if it was manufactured after all our complaints.
Edie
Hi, sorry I hadn’t seen this earlier, but I have been crazy busy with tax season. I get my NP from CVS and I don’t see a lot number, but the expiration on my latest bottle is 3/2/21. They tell me that they special order my NP every time I order a refill (I live in a very rural area, and apparently I am the only one around here who takes it). I had some of the horribly stinky/nasty tasting ones, these still look the same as the bad ones, but don’t smell very bad, and I slightly chew mine when I take them, and they don’t really taste that bad. They don’t taste as good as they used to, back in the day, but also totally not horrible. Also, none of my symptoms have returned.
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s just a matter of time that you are doing to go very south. Absolutely no one has done well on NP, sooner or later, since it changed. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Edie
I am sorry about all of the people having issues. However, my symptoms have not returned since my first bottle of the new batch back in December. My endo (who prefers to treat with NDT) agrees that my latest labs are still great (I would post here, but I can’t find the copy of them right now), they were just as good as they were before the changes. I am still losing weight, and no return of fatigue or other symptoms. I chew mine up in the morning, chase with water, and am doing fine on them.
Janie Bowthorpe
Edie, just beware. It appears most are not doing fine, and the “feel goods” backfire with a return of hypo. Watch your frees, as no one has great labs anymore. Great labs have nothing to do with falling anywhere in that normal range. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Jeni Megge
I have recently switched from Acella NP to Armour because as I wrote here months ago, I felt absolutely horrible on NP-I got severely anxious and depressed and lost my appetite and could barely function. It all seemed to go away once I switched to Armour.
Sadly, on Armour I have many hypo symptoms and just do not feel my best (constant headaches, hair falling out more than ever, and some anxiety returning).
My Dr. offered switching to a synthetic which I am more than fine with at this point. I really don’t trust any of the NDT’s anymore.
Here are my options-I just want to get this right, any thoughts on which is better?
Here are the results of your recent blood work:
TSH (0.4-4.5) N current level is 1.09
Free T3 (1.7-3.7) N current level is 2.4
Free T4 (0.7-1.5) N current level is 0.8
N = Normal + = Abnormal
Your thyroid labs on the Armour are okay – a slight adjustment of the T4 would be optimal.
Using a T3 / T4 combo we’d have to compound it and use University Compounding Pharmacy in Troy.
The benefit would be a near exact match of what you would need.
According to their 2019 pricing sheet they charge about $45 for a one month supply but $96 for a 3 month which is quite a savings.
Your T3/T4 compound would be T3 15 mg / T4 65 mg
If we changed to a Synthroid product (T4) and used cytomel (liothyronine) (T3) we’d use Synthroid 150 mcg and Cytomel 5 mcg 2 in the am and 1 in the afternoon.
So one Synthroid per day and 3 cytomel per day.
Synthroid and cytomel DO come in generic form so it’s cheaper and I’d recommend staying with the same pharmacy for generic brand consistency.
Janie Bowthorpe
Jeni, if those were your labs on armour, your problem is that you were severely underdosed. Study this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Jeni Megge
Ugh….
So I need my dose increased in order to fall in the top part of Free T3 and the midrange of Free T4?
Now just to figure out how to get her to agree to that since she apparently just follows traditional ranges.
Janet
Jeni, I’ve had to raise my Armour by dose by 40% to get it comparable to NP Thyroid, but it is working for me. We watch my body temperature and heart rate to help adjust so I don’t get hyper, but I’m feeling much better. I would love to do the Synthroid/Cytomel but I can’t tolerate the calcium sulfate in the name brand and generic T3s. I feel good as far as thyroid function, but get awful stomach pains from it. I may go to a compounded formula like yours since I could choose the fillers.
Emily Jane Smith
If the reformulated NP Thyroid does not work for you, is there any way you can be refunded either by the pharmacy or by Acella for the price of the medicine if you paid out of pocket?
Janie Bowthorpe
So far, it’s been rare for anyone to be refunded.
Emily Jane Smith
Oh, well! That is disappointing but, I guess, not really surprising. Thank you, Janie!
rich
I posted above 2/11/20. Acella is replacing my product and asked to the old batch to be returned
Amberc
Hello there, been following a while
Switched from synthetics to armor and felt good for two months or so, now having increased anxiety and hair falling out triple the amount than normal.
So I call the local compounding pharmacy which compounds t3/t4 ask them to tell me when the porcine powder they use was manufactured and what was in their compounding.
I also asked them if they can make armor and np compounded with a doctors conversion (of what I’m on) and prescription.
They flat out refused and were rude enough for me to almost cuss them. They won’t; call me back with the info, text me, email me, write it in a formal letter, write it on a scratch pad, send me a web link…. nothing. I asked them to do any option of these to communicate back to me what I’m asking of them!
A simple:
1. What porcine powder do you use and when was it manufactured?
2. What ingredients are in the compounds you make for thyroid meds/compounds?
They say I have to come in and they won’t help me on the phone and they can look at a bottle. They want me to look at the bottle they use for information. Which obviously the bottle will not include the information I’m asking. He’s telling me that is “the only information he can give me… is what is on the bottle”. That is crazy and untrue! There is lots of specific info he can give me about compounded products!
What in the world is happening here? I get compounded progesterone here and they have no problems shouting from the rooftops what they put in that compound.
I said: “I perceive your getting irritated with my questions and I want you to know, I’m just trying to make the right choices for my health and I want this information so I can keep myself well along side my doctors care. I want to ask you: are you not telling me because:
A. You don’t want to
B. You don’t know and don’t want to look it up
C. You know, but can’t tell me because you will get in trouble
Or
D. You know that it is a batch of porcine powder that has been reported is bad and is causing the return of symptoms in people that need thyroid supplementation and are willing to make and sell bad stuff because you don’t want to lose money”
And he was rude and got off the phone quickly with the understanding that my husband will be coming tonight to ask for the exact same information.
This is a pharmacist at medicine man compounding pharmacy in Hayden, Idaho on prairie ave
1.208.762.9355
Can you help me to see why he won’t give the info and what choices you would recommend from staff that won’t help you to know if their product is safe?
Help!
Thanks for all the research and work you do
Tricia O'Connell
Hi Gang,
I just got off the phone with a Pharmacist from Acella. He did admit that the supplier for the active ingredient was changed but could not comment on if (with all our negative results) they intend to change back or make any other adjustments. He documented my issues (return of Hashi symptoms, burning chest and throat, nausea, acid male cat pee smell and taste). He is contacting my Pharmacy to get refill info and may have me send back some tabs to Acella. So it’s probably all just PR and won’t go anywhere but I had my say. I told him how disgusting it is that after so many years Acella joined the moneygrubbers and discounted patient care and safety. I’m looking into changing to synthetics and truly dreading the process and expense. Hang in there folks! We are all in this together.
Janie Bowthorpe
It has never gone anywhere, and so far, patient expressions about Acella range from denial, gaslighting, disgusting, insulting and on and on.
Dina Ciccone
I switched to Armour Thyroid in December. I ended up going to the ER on New Year’s Day thinking I was having a heart attack because I was burping and I couldn’t breathe. The doctor at the ER thought I had GERD and maybe I do but I’ve never had it before. I got my results back from my thyroid results and my TSH was very low. I cut the dose in half ASAP and the GERD subsided. However, last week I believe I started having atrial fibrillation and I see a cardiologist next month. I started on WP until they stopped making it, then I went to NP and it was wonderful until it wasn’t and now on Armour I’m having all of these more severe issues. I am very upset and stressed over all of it.
Jay
How many grains of Armour were you taking per day before and after you cut your dose in half?
Dina Ciccone
I just did the switch from NP to armor so I was taking about 135 and that was too high so I went down to 90 and now I’m afraid to even take my medicine. I’ve been doing half of the 90 so 45 for the past few days
Janie Bowthorpe
Dina, what happened when you switched to Armour? Higher heartrate or palps? Anxiety? If so, it sounds like you may now have a cortisol problem, and would also need to check your iron level with all four iron labs. Do Discovery Step One here to see if you have a cortisol problem: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info Do all four iron labs. This page explains why someone has reactions: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol It’s all correctable and you will then be able to raise and get out of your hypo state without problems once you correct them.
Janie Bowthorpe
Dina, it sounds like the Armour was revealing that you have either a cortisol or iron problem. Might want to study this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol It’s NORMAL for the TSH to go low with T3 in one’s treatment.
Dina Ciccone
My TSH was .094 and my free T4 was .8 she did not test T3.
Carmen
Im on nature thyroid and the gerd (belching like a college frat boy) that you described has been my life for years now. I thought I was crazy! I came on the site today to see about switching my Ndt only to find that they are all problematic now. Now I don’t know what to do.
Janie Bowthorpe
Armour has still been working for several patients. Same with synthetic T4 and synthetic T3. You just have to remember to get optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Ann
Hi All,
After 6 weeks being on Amour my results are as follows
Free t3-2.8 pg/ml
Free t4- 1.1ng/dl
Tsh- 0.01
My question is if my freet3 seems low would I just supplement with t3 or go up a dose in Amour? I switched over from NP at the same dosage and my t3 did go down from 3.1. Thanks
Janie Bowthorpe
Patients with informed doctors have always moved up by 1/2 grain every two weeks until in the 2-3 grain area, then they get labs done to see their progress. If not optimal yet, they continue raises while checking labs. Sometimes only 1/4 grain raises if getting close. optimal. We have to have the right amount of iron and cortisol to avoid problems when raising. It’s all in the updated revision STTM book. Get the book and refer. Ignore the part about NP Thyroid…that was before it went bad. https://laughinggrapepublishing.com/product/sttm/
Ann
Hi Janie,
Thanks for your response. I do have your book and have optimal iron and cortisol levels. Im just wondering if my t4 is where it should be and I’m low on t3 if I should just take the t3? I have noticed where other people are saying they are supplementing with straight t3 to get optimal on Amour. Currently I am on 2.50 grains of Amour. My doctor is pretty willing to do whatever I suggest to help me…I’m just not sure if its raising a 1/4 grain or just adding t3. Any help you could offer would be most appreciated.
Janie Bowthorpe
Compare your results to what it talked about on this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal It will help.
No, there are many who just raised Armour and got optimal. Right now, it’s the minority who felt the need to add T3.
Ann
Thank you. I just wasn’t sure if I added more t4 into the equation whether it would cause that to go higher too. You have been much help to me and many others. I can’t thank you enough.
Jay
How many grains of Armour do you take per day? How many hours after you took your last dose was your blood drawn?
Ann
JAY,
I wasn’t sure your question was directed to me and I didn’t want t be rude and not respond. I am currently on 2.5 grains and my blood was drawn 27 hours after my last dose of amour. Sorry if your question wasn’t directed to me:)
Karen
I just read an interesting review on np. She said after taking np it effected her liver function . After being back on nature throid for five weeks her levels are normal. As in a earlier post I just had an MRI because something showed up growing on my liver. I no you keep saying that nature throid is bad but it is working for some people. So this could explain why some people are having stomach issues. I had liver issues on thyro gold as did other people so there is a connection some how.I would not put np in my body ever again.she also said something about bacteria in np.
Janie Bowthorpe
What was the date of that review? Understand that we have yet to see any evidence that Naturethroid is now working. All we know is that when it came back in 2018, a huge body of people were reporting a major return of hypothyroid symptoms after going back on Naturethroid. That continued throughout all of 2019. We’ve also seen people say it’s working, but then they discover it never was and they were being fooled by the excess release of adrenaline and cortisol because it wasn’t working. And labs proved that it wasn’t working.
If the day comes that we see the evidence that Naturethroid is now working again, plus labs to prove it…and there are a good body of people reporting that it’s now working with labs to prove it, I will for sure report it.
Karen
The date was January 14
Janie Bowthorpe
Recent. But we still need much more feedback and proof, as there are people who say that, but their labs say otherwise.
Sally
I posted while ago echoing the same problems about the change in the pills, but the more I reviewed 2019, I determined it was changing even before the obvious change in appearance/smell. Hypo symptoms started showing up in the early summer – only to get drastically worse in the fall (with the arrival of the changed pills).
Go out and buy/checkout the book Bottle of Lies by Katherine Eban (details the fraud going on with generic drugs). I’m fairly certain something similar is going on here. After reading her book, I’m not getting my hopes up that FDA will come to the rescue.
I find it interesting that Acella keeps saying it’s coming from a European country, but never says which one. I’d have much more trust in something coming from Germany than somewhere like Ukraine.
Still trying to get things back to where they were – not much success at this point (sleeping is really a challenge). Tried a generic T4, but that gave me a nasty rash.
Trust no one and everybody lies…
Janie Bowthorpe
See alternatives that can work if you get optimal by scrolling down on this blog post: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Kelly
I have been on Armour for 3 years, and over the last year I have been in a Hashimoto’s flare. During this time I have gained over 25 lbs. I just changed from Armour to Nature throid. Should I go back to Armour?
Janie Bowthorpe
Definitely. Naturethroid went south. Get optimal on Armour: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Also get the patient-to-patient book Hashimoto’s:Taming the Beast to read all the ways patients got their antibodies down: https://laughinggrapepublishing.com/product/hashimotos/
Lauren Blowers
Two days on those simply HORRIBLE NP Thyroid pills (2 60mg per day), and my chin broke out in a rash not to mention the tingling sensation right after I took them!! Seriously. I actually begged my doctor to call in Armour. What kind of CRAP is Acella putting in those pills? Acella’s website claims that the pills are exactly the same, but they are using a new manufacturer overseas which adheres to FDA standards. Total BS!! I don’t know how sick I would have become had I continued usage!
Kate
I was placed on NP Thyroid about 3 weeks ago and I’ve notice an itch that started in my scalp and is now all over my body. It can be a tingling sensation as well. My doctor keeps telling me to take the medication, however, I feel as if I’m going crazy with this sensation. Benadryl helps stop it. Anyone else experience this?
Janie Bowthorpe
Since NP now sucks and leaves what appears to be practically everyone with hypothyroidism, itching can be a symptom. This is why people are leaving NP Thyroid and Acella in the dust.
Nicole
I’m wondering the same thing. I have old Nature Throid from when it was good in 2017 but I was told by the pharmacy and manufacturer that since I kept it in the refrigerator it may have lost potency
Janie Bowthorpe
It would only lose potency if it got wet or exposed to humidity…. If it was sealed, it may be fine.
Jennifer Riedel
I’m posting here to see if anyone shares the same symptoms I’ve been experiencing since switching from Nature-Throid to NP Thyroid to the “unchanged” NP Thyroid. I switched to NP Thyroid in 2018 when I couldn’t get my Nature-Throid refilled due to the shortage. No biggie – I took the NP Thyroid with no issues, I actually liked it better. In August of 2019, I refilled my prescription – the pills that normally were essentially odorless and tasteless (I used to chew them before I swallowed – but I can’t anymore), now had a horrible taste and smell about them. A few weeks after starting the new “unchanged” NP Thyroid pills, I feel hungover without having had anything to drink, I feel as if I have a pill stuck in my throat (I even had a swallowing X-ray done – neg results), I can’t take a deep breath, I have no energy, and I experience quite a bit of nausea. I’ve been banging my head against the wall trying to to figure out what is causing this. I never imagined it might have something to do with the “unchanged” NP Thyroid. Is it possible?? Has anyone else experienced any of these symptoms since the change – specifically, the shortness of breath? All labs have come back as normal.
Best Regards,
Jennifer
Janie Bowthorpe
There were batches of the visually unchanged NP last summer, before it clearly changed, that caused my own husband to see a return of his hypo. Turns out others reported the same.
Karen
Yes I had that shortness of breath and the other symptoms also. I have gone back to nature throid still don’t feel well. Np messed me up pretty bad.
Janie Bowthorpe
Wrong one to go back to. It went south as well, and so many who have tried it aren’t doing as well as they used to. Scroll down on this blog post to see alternatives: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Ann
Hi Janie,
I switched to Amour 5 weeks ago and am feeling better than when I was on NP. I will test numbers at the end of the week and work from there. My question is on the optimal iron levels you have listed. Do these numbers reflect being off iron for the stated 12 hours or after being off 5 days? I’m not sure there would be a big difference between the two but I am curious. Thanks for all you do!
Janie Bowthorpe
They reflect “close to” where people fall who don’t have an iron problem…what we kept seeing repeatedly in labs over the years.
Ann
Thank you….I understand that….I’m just wondering if the optimal numbers are after being off iron for 12 hours or for 5 days?
Rachel
What’s left in NDT? I luckily still have about a years supply of thiroyd but due to the swine fever outbreak have no idea when more will become available. My body isn’t able to use synthetic t4 and I only recently got these new ones that made me sick just trying to take them.
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s not about moving to T4-only when those run out. It’s about moving to T4 with T3..both..and maintaining optimal lab results from both of them. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Paulina
I started on NP in June and by November, I was barely functioning. Swelling in my hand and feet, due to the swelling it was difficult to walk, muscle soreness, fog, hair loss, weight gain (30lbs) this cause me sever hardship. Dosage 60 mcg with the 330 embossed on the pill. I did report this to the CDC. Two of my other friends experience the same issue.
Chrissy
I’m ready to make the switch from NP NDT to T3/T4 synthetics but not sure the best way to make the switch. Do I do it slowly over time or just take my NDT one day and then switch entirely to synthetics the next day? Thanks so much.
Janie Bowthorpe
One grain of NDT equals 38 mcg T4 and 9 mcg T3. That should help based on what you were on. Yes, some are switching over in one day. But we also found it’s important to test the free T3 and free T4 within a few weeks to see if it was a good switch, or if tweaking up or down is needed.
Chrissy
Perfect, that’s what I’ll try. My doc and I had figured out the ratios we just couldn’t decide the best way to actually make the switch. Thanks for everything.
Eneida
Hi Janie, after 5 months of brain fog I was lucky to find out this blog saying there was something wrong with NP so now have been on 19 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg T3 roughly equivalent to 1 grain. I used to be on 2 1/2 grains of NP. My free t3 is only 2.7 and t4 1.1 and I still feel cold and brain fogged, but I’ve tried raising by the equivalent of a 1/4 grain and my heart speeds up at night to about 75 from 58 normal waking me up often. Should I just raise any way and will the heart beating fast go away in a few days? My cortisol is a bit low but but not too bad. My ferritin is 52. Thank you so much for any guidance you can provide. Eneida
Janie Bowthorpe
Eneida, one grain has 38 mcg T4 and 9 mcg T3. Those amounts are just starting dosesfor someone just starting out with having T3 in their treatment.
And if you react badly when trying to raise, this page applies: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
Karen
Ok just got a phone call from Acella months later inquiring about my problems after talking np. He said it was a follow up from FDA report I made. Wanted to know if I had any new health issues and I said yes I just had to have an MRI because they found something growing on my liver in a CT in the ER. I still am unable to eat without pain and reflux. Keep on reporting to the FDA I think something is happening but don’t know what. I told him I don’t think they are doing anything.so why bother . I still would like to know what caused me to be so sick months after stopping np.
Lynn
So sorry! I feel like I haven’t been the same since I took it and can’t seem to get back to normal. What are you taking now for your hypothyroidism?
Karen
I am back to using nature throid. Still having a hard time raising my dose.I cannot use synthetic t4 allergic to all of them.
Janie Bowthorpe
Naturethroid went south, Karen. We find it’s far better to go to T3-only if there is issue with fillers.
And what do you mean by allergic to T4? Overall, doesn’t exist as an allergy. May be fillers instead.
Lynn
Naturethroid is where my problems began. After taking it for 6 years with no problems I was switched to WP when it was on back order. When I was switched back to it in June I started having all sorts of problems and that’s how I ended up on NP. Right using Armour but not optimal yet. Going slow.
Janet
Did he say anything about whether they’re making changes? I’m sure for legal reasons they won’t admit to any fault in the product. I haven’t heard from them yet and I also filed a MedWatch report with the FDA. Hang on to your old bottle in case we can find a lab to do contaminant testing. I’ve put in a few inquiries.
Lynn
Hi Janie,
I know I am under dosed on Armour but am slowly increasing because I have been so sensitive to medication since the NDT debacle. It seems that I am losing hair the more I increase it. Shouldn’t that be getting better? That was my first symptom when Naturethroid went bad. My hair got softer and frizzy and started to fall out. I’m scared to increase more if it is the Armour causing it.
Janet
Lynn, because the hair loss occurs several weeks after the stress on the system, you may still be losing hair from the bad NP period. I kept losing some hair after I started Armour, but I also had some thyroid swelling. Like you I was concerned it might be the new medication but decided to keep with it for a while. The swelling went down (probably was a goiter from the NP and then weeks on Synthroid) and today I noticed new little hair sprouts all along my hairline. That was so exciting! In the past that’s always been the sign that I’m getting the correct mix of T4 and T3 and starting to stabilize.
Lynn
Thanks for your reply. The weird thing is that the bad Naturethroid really made it shed and two weeks after I started the good NP it slowed down significantly and then the month I started the urine NP it started to shed again. I stopped and tried a synthetic t4/t3 combo and a couple of week later it stopped completely and I had new growth but it gave me a bad headache so now trying Armour and no headache but the hair shredding is increasing with each new dose increase to get optimal. I feel more tired as well so worried that Armour may not be working for me or that to take enough for my labs to be optimal will make my hair loss worse?
Jennifer
Janie,
I am taking compounded thyroid and the last time I got it re-filled, the expiration date was only three months out. It had no odor whatsoever (not the characteristic “piggy” odor or anything). I had been given that same lot# before so I know the medication is getting older. Before, it had 5 or 6 months out before expiration and had the characteristic odor. What I’m wondering is if it is still potent enough to keep my thyroid at the same level or could I possibly start going hypo on it since it appears to be losing its strength? – (or I assume it’s losing its strength since it has become odorless).
Thank you. I don’t want to get messed up on it; it’s always a long ways back to normal.
Jennifer
Janie Bowthorpe
Our experiences say that it’s probably fine since porcine powder has a long lifespan. Maybe you can see what happens.
Michele
Janie, what is the life of NDT? I have some really old stuff that “expires in 2016” that I have been using. It’s the reformulated Erfa, but is better than the NP stuff, and then I also have Armour that was reformulated and it turns to “paste” sublingually, so don’t know if it’s any good or not…and I think the situation with that was they used talc instead of dextrose in the reformulation. Any thoughts? Thanks. Also (sorry for all the questions), how long does T3 last? I bought lots and have it in the freezer, but it’s really old, wrapped 2 times in foil and then ziplock baggies and then frozen…someone said to do that ages ago).
Janie Bowthorpe
NDT has a long life, apparently. But that was before they were all changed, so no telling about the changed ones.
Not sure which reformulated Armour you are mentioning. If it was 2009 or 2015, Armour became bad.
Michele
Thanks Janie. My Armour expired in 2016, that’s all it says on the bottle. The Cytomel and Cynomel are all in the freezer and since they are synthetic, I am hoping that if I were to need them, they will work okay.
Kay Hargis
Since my thyroidectomy in 2005, I have tried the synthetic and the various NDT replacement thyroid products. Palpitations have been the worse side effect of all of them, but some nausea and flu like symptoms have come in varying degree as well. But nothing like the miserable symptoms that came along with the NDT changes in late 2018 and all of 2019, apparently as a result of outsourcing the pig raising and processing to overseas sites. One really begins to lose heart when we see there is no hope for any other options. We who depend on these meds to stay alive despair that there seem to be no businessmen anywhere who have the integrity to care enough for their fellow human beings to produce high quality products in the USA where they know they can control the safety and quality of their product and thereby relieve the suffering of millions of others.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Kay. It is true that none of the NDT’s are the consistent and great NDT’s they used to be. But with what you described since 2005, it sounds like they are all revealing that you could have a cortisol and/or iron problem. Check this out: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Also, can can’t stay on non-optimal doses too long or our hypo comes back with a vengeance. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
C DeBrun
Yes I’ve noticed a massive difference in the NP Thyroid since April-May and i regularly get my bloods checked which are all over the place. My TSH is currently .864 Free t3 2.6 Free t4 7.5 and cortisol is decreasing and is now at 51. If I encounter any kind of stress my throat closes up to the point where i really strain to talk. I cant sleep at night brcause I wake every twenty minutes. Lately I’ve been picking up any ailments such as flu etc but getting it really bad. Also the lympocytes in my bloods recently said 4.1. I feel awful and unfortunately my GP doesn’t seem to know what to do. I went to see a ‘specislist’ and he said my bloods were fine….and recommended LDN… can anyone help me?
Janie Bowthorpe
Your labs are super low. This is our goal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
But you have a cortisol problem (as revealed by your sleep issues especially, for one). But testing is about saliva,not blood. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/saliva-cortisol Then we treat the results. This is where you need to study Chapter 6 in the updated revision STTM book and also teach it to your doctor. It’s the one with a blueish background and a girl with her fists up.This one: https://laughinggrapepublishing.com/product/sttm/
C DeBrun
Yes I’ve really noticed a change in the NP thyroid since April and I’ve been getting bloods regularly. My TSH is .864 and free t3 is 2.6 and free t4 is 7.5 also my cortisol is continually dropping and I feel awful. My throat feels like there is a large lump in it and if I encounter any kind of stress it gets to the point where my voice weakens. I can’t get a full nights sleep because I wake every twenty minutes…..can anyone help as GP doesn’t seem to know and ‘apparent specialist’ reckons I need LDN.
Sue R
Lab results 7 weeks after switching from NP Thyroid, to Synthetic T4 (Levoxyl) and Synthetic T3 (Sigma Pharm). I had a total thyroidectomy in 2011. I take 4.5 mg LDN (low dose naltrexone) at bedtime along with my Thyroid meds. Hair loss has improved greatly, heart palpitations have stopped. One negative I have noticed is that I have a lump in the throat sensation since starting the synthetic, but not sure if it is the meds or due to tight neck muscles. I have always been in the low range of FT4, even when on NDT. I am thinking about increasing my T4 med slightly to see if I can get more optimal. The current dose is a 4 to 1 ratio. I do not have a cortisol issue. Overall I feel better than when I was on NP, but I don’t feel optimal yet.
TSH – 1.49
FT3 – 3.4
FT4 – .7
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Sue. You’re still very underdosed, thus still very hypothyroid. That’s why the lump in the throat, lots of time. See this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Sue R
Thank you Janie. I feel like I am underdosed, but not sure how I should adjust. I am currently taking 50mg Levoxyl and 12.5mg Cytomel (4 to 1 ratio). I am not getting compounded meds due to cost, so am limited to tablet dosages available. I was thinking of increasing to 75mg Levoxyl and 25 Cytomel (3 to 1 ratio), or 75 mg Levoxyl and 17.5 Cytomel (4.28 to 1 ratio). Do either of those choices sound like a reasonable change? With past experience I know I become hyper very easy with too much of a change.
Janie Bowthorpe
Raises would depend on one’s free T4 and free T3. We are always seeking optimal frees: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
If you have hyper-like symptoms when raising, that can be a sign of an adrenal problem, plus iron should be checked, too: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Sue R
I am going to increase my dosage to 75mg Levoxyl and 17.5 Cytomel (Sigma Pharm), retest again in 6-8 weeks, and will post new labs. Thank you for the additional info on Iron and Adrenals. I will look into those if I have problems raising my dosage. I am so thankful for your site and all the great information you provide.
Lynn
Is a lump in the throat a symptom of hypothyroidism? What about acid reflux? It has just started for me n the last two weeks and I can’t figure out why.
Janie Bowthorpe
A nodule could be a sign of being still hypothyroid, as can acid reflux. This is our goal to not be still be hypo: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Nodules can also go with Hashimoto’s and a continued attack with high antibodies. The least common is thyroid cancer. But the first paragraph is more common.
Sue R
New labs after 7 weeks on new dosage of synthetic T4 & T3. Lump in throat sensation has resolved, in general feeling better. So glad I made the switch from NP Thyroid to synthetic. It feels good to know that I am on a stable medication that hopefully won’t change. Glad to be off the wild ride of NDT.
TSH: 1.12 – previous lab 1.49
FT4: .7 (range .6-1.1) – previous lab .7
FT3: 3.5 (range 2.5-3.9) – previous lab 3.4
Current dosage 50mg T4 (Levoxyl) plus 1 extra 50mg tab per week; 12.5mg T3 (Sigma Pharm generic)
Doctor increased T4 by 50mg/week (1 additional tab per week), kept T3 the same.
I will retest again in 4-6 months to make sure things stay stable. I only had to adjust the synthetic once to get to this point, so I’m pretty happy about that.
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, others have felt the same way about T4 and T3. 🙂
Do you know that you aren’t optimal, thus it’s going to backfire eventually. We see this happen all the time. Check this out: https://stopthethyroidmaness.com/optimal
Sue R
I have looked at the optimal page a few times, and I see that I have low FT4. Reading that page, I think I may have an adrenal issue. Have you heard of anyone taking CBD Oil to help with adrenals, or Adaptogenic herbs? I know from experience that if I increase my T3 & T4 dosage again that I will have hyper symptoms. Do you think that Adrenals (cortisol) could be what’s causing the low FT4?
Janie Bowthorpe
We’ve learned for years that it’s important not to guess and order and do a saliva cortisol test. Otherwise you could be treating the wrong thing. https://sttm.mymedlab.com/sttm-profiles/zrt-saliva-adrenal-4-sample–2
CBD calms, but it won’t raise low cortisol enough, we’ve noted.
Do you have the handy Lab Values card yet? It’s what you can compare your results to: https://laughinggrapepublishing.com/product/lab-values-card/
Janet
Just got my labs back from several weeks on Armour.
Free T3 5.1
Free T4 0.78
TSH 0.703
That’s way better than my last tests on Synthroid alone. I still have some swelling of my thyroid gland but hopefully that will go down if numbers stay optimal.
Janie Bowthorpe
Those aren’t optimal. You are pooling. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/pooling
Janet
These have always been typical levels for me when I’m feeling good. We check cortisol, iron, etc and everything is in normal range. I have an immune deficiency that causes abnormal cytokines so it affects diurnal cortisol levels somewhat (high normal morning, low normal night), but nothing that needs treating. My doctor said if the swelling doesn’t go down I can get an ultrasound, but I’ve never had nodules, antibodies or even abnormal RT3 so he thinks it was a reaction to the weeks that I was on Synthroid alone and will go away.
Susan
Hi. Just wanted fo chime in. Ive been on armour for a few months and dont feel well. Im always so tired, yet cant sleep. No physical energy whatsoever. I just don’t feel good or positive yet im not depressed. I didnt do well on armour in the past either. I take hc, 20 mg. I do take ativan but have for years. In the past i never had this exhaustion. Ive also had bad heartburn since np and now armour. I never needed prilosec. I was at one point taking pepsin hcl and felt much better. I was wondering about compounded time released t3? I did ok on cytomel for a long time, then it felt like it hit me fast and was gone in like 2-3 hours. Im hesitant to go compounded t3 cause of the cost, cause of the pita to get to an optimal dose, simce i dont feel optimal now. I feel like im taking more than i should, more than i have in the past-90 mg armour(thats 1.5 grains), then 25 cytomel, then another 45 mg armour. Ive been doing this for 10 years now and in the beginning when i was really “on” it tracking temps, taking notes, my optimal was 2.25 grains-2.5 or equalivalent cytomel. I dont have the money for a pay out of pocket doc. I just think trying to get to optimal with compounding would be a lot of hassle and expense. How would they do it? If the dose was too high, could i cut the pill and adjust ? Im sick of this bs. Is anyone on compounded t3? Also the massive weight gain that will not budge. Is like to finally get optimal so i can finally wean hc!
Janie Bowthorpe
Susan, when we are tired on an NDT that is still working like Armour, it means we aren’t optimal. Study this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Also, if you did a saliva cortisol test and your results were super low, 20 mg has never been enough of HC. It underdoses us. Thus the adrenals continue to be stressed. Read Chapter 6 in the updated revision STTM book. This one: https://laughinggrapepublishing.com/product/sttm/ It’s very important to learn from years of our successful experiences, both for you and to teach your doctor.
Lynn
I’m and on month two of armour and not sure if I am getting better. Not as tired as on NP but am pretty sure I am under dosed but going slow. Question about being underdosed. Since everyone has varying needs isn’t it possible for someone to be optimal at say 1 grain of Naturethroid which I took for years and feel fine? If I was underdosed did it take 4 years to burn out my adrenals? Also in regards to hair loss, mine started about three weeks after switching from WP back to Naturethroid in 6/19. Does that means the hair loss was due to the 5 months I was on WP (1/19-5/19) or the reformulated Naturethroid. I assumed it was the Naturethroid because at the same time as the hair loss I also developed joint pain, fatigue and brain fog pretty badly. Right now I am still tired, some hair loss and a little reflux which is new. Joint pain is gone but brain fog is still there but a little better.
Karen
Can anyone tell me if armour pills are speckled also. The last time I tried it I couldn’t breathe good.the nature throid are speckled but they say they are getting the powder from the us and Canada
Janet
Karen, they’re not speckled. I rinse the outer coating off and then you can see some darker spots once it’s wet, but nothing like the NP.
Lynn
I was just wishful thinking about if any of the NDT’s find there way back to their old formulas. How will we know? They have scared us so badly no one will want to try them. I’m still slowly working my way up to optimal on Armour. I know that I am having a little more hair fall than usual and have had reflux the last two days since I increased. My doctor said that your hair reflects what happened two to three months ago. Naturethroid is what started massive hair fall I believe and it started about three weeks after starting the new back in stock one. Anyone know if my doctor is right about hair fall timing?
Janie Bowthorpe
The problem might be that the old formula used pig powder that was quite better than what they are getting now. And no telling what other crap was put into NP Thyroid for whatever reason…but of course, secrecy and denial abounds.
Janet
Lynn, that’s called telogen effluvium when it’s related to some kind of stressful event or trauma to the body (and the bad tablets were definitely trauma for many of us). And the doctor is correct:
“Telogen effluvium is a common cause of temporary hair loss. It is characterized by an abrupt onset of hair shedding usually seen several months after a triggering event.”
This is a really good article about it. You’ll notice that iron deficiency will make it worse so like Janie always says, it’s really important to keep an eye on your iron status. I’ve had it happen several times and fortunately my hair always grows back to normal thickness after my health improves.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321590.php
Janet
I’ve been on Armour alone now for a few weeks and seem to be fine with it. I wasn’t sure it was going to be as effective but the heating system was malfunctioning in our building this week and my apartment has been in the 60s which normally would do me in. My hands were a bit cold but my body temperature is staying normal. (When I am optimal my temperature is exactly 98.6 and when I had trouble with the bad NatureThroid and NP it dropped significantly.) So I’m taking that as a good sign. I also have been able to get back to my normal exercise routine and I can only do that when T3 is in a good range.
Renee
I have an observation that I wanted to share with everyone here. I have been taking 120mg of NP thyroid since 2018. I was taking one 120mg pill per day, but when I had to get a refill this month, the distributor sent LOT# G, with the speckled pills, to my pharmacy in the 120mg tablet. I said I didn’t want it, so my pharmacist called my doctor and got my prescription changed. I now take two 60mg pills per day. My big concern was that I didn’t want to take the speckled cat pee pills.
I kept about 6 of my old “good” 120mg tablets so I could compare them to the new 60mg tablets when I got them. I wanted to determine if they looked or smelled different to me.
Let me say this….the new 60mg tablets appear fine visually. I personally don’t see any speckles. BUT, they really smell like ammonia/cat pee and/or chemicals to me. I stuck my nose in my old bottle, with the old pills, and sniffed and then immediately stuck my nose in the new bottle and sniffed the new pills. I noticed a DISTINCT difference in smell. My old 120mg pills have the normal “piggy” smell to me. The new tablets smell nasty and chemically.
I have been taking the smelly new ones for over a week now, and I seem okay for the most part. My hair isn’t falling out. I AM gaining weight and I’m tired, but I will attribute that to the holidays since I ate stuff I shouldn’t eat, and the stress of the holidays often exhaust me. I will be doing a round of the HCG diet in January. If I don’t lose any weight on it, then I will know that there is a problem with my thyroid for sure.
I’m not having any bad reactions that I can definitively attribute to the smelly pills, but I will say that i have to hold my breath to take them. The smell of ammonia, or whatever it is, makes me want to gag. It’s so gross.
I didn’t get the lot number on my new 60mg tablets, but I can call my pharmacy and get it if anyone thinks it is important.
So yeah…there’s that. *sigh*
Janie Bowthorpe
You can lose weight with the HCG diet even while hypothyroid though. But you need to be very careful assuming you’re going to be okay on the new smelly tablets. They have caused several to see their adrenals become stressed, their iron go down, and all sorts of other problems. It’s up to you, but most have gotten to the point where they say it’s not worth it to try them.
By the way, most HCG for weight loss is super hard to get now. The FDA claimed they were not safe, even though many have successfully used them. Hope you find a good one somehow.
Renee
Hi Janie. thanks for your input! I get my HCG through my functional medicine doctor, who orders from a compounding pharmacy in Florida. I am hoping and praying it is just as good as it has always been before. Even with that said, I will be vigilant in listening to my body, and if I start feeling really poorly, I will go for blood work. I will not hesitate. I’m not going to mess around. I had a really awful experience after the WP debacle and I got really sick on Naturethroid. I don’t want to go back there again as it took me MONTHS to get sorted out again.
I’m just so terrified of synthroid. I was on it for years and my body slowly broke down to the point where I actually thought I might die. I HATE being tied to big Pharma for the rest of my life. Ugh.
Janie, thank you so much for this website. I come here every single day to read and to see the latest updates. This site keeps me informed and it keeps me sane. You have my eternal gratitude.
Janie Bowthorpe
You’re welcome! And do know that Synthroid as Synthroid is and was not the problem. The problem was being on Synthroid or any other T4 “all by itself” which was the problem. It is not a problem by adding synthetic T3 to synthetic T4 and getting optimal.
Laura
Thanks for all you do, Janie. In August, I became aware of the issues with NP, but kept the faith that Acella would fix these problems. In my experience, I definitely noticed a difference in NP since spring 2019, and I am concerned that it has caused my cortisol to lower again. Sounds like others are having the same issues, so if anyone is dealing with this successfully (or not), I would like to hear from you. I was diagnosed with Hashi’s about two years ago, and found out I had adrenal exhaustion because my free T3 was pooling when I raised NDT. I have been taking adrenal cortex since my diagnosis, and have had optimal frees for over a year. Everything was perfect, and I was feeling wonderful up until Spring 2019. I had my labs done in April 2019, and my free T3 was a little over the range, which was probably the first sign, then came sleep issues, aches, appetite, fatigue, etc. The next labs were scheduled for August. My doc had switched practices, 1.5 hours away. When I saw her in August for labs, unfortunately the nurse did not request the proper thyroid panel, so I had nothing to compare to April. My next labs were scheduled for March 2020. By December 2019, I was crashing at 3 in the afternoon, and could hardly keep my eyes open. I was then convinced that NP had to go, so last week, I decided to request a full thyroid panel and make the switch to Armour. Still waiting for the lab results, but happy to say that after 5 days on Armour, I am having a bit of improvement in fatigue, the aches have almost completely gone away, and sleep is much better. What kind of poison is Acella putting in NP!!?? I will NEVER go back to taking NP! As it turns out, Armour is much cheaper than NP with my insurance, so I am very happy about that, too. I’ve been taking my temps which are fluctuating from day to day with a difference of 0.4F. I feel like I should do another saliva test, to see exactly where I’m at, but scared to go off of adrenal cortex right now. So I guess I will just have to monitor my temps and wait until my next labs in March and see if Armour gets me back to optimal and my symptoms subside. What a scary disappointing mess!
housemaid
If anyone would like to leave a review of the new stinky NP thyroid pills on WebMD, please do so. It might at least save some people from wasting money and damaging their health by buying these bad pills. https://www.webmd.com/drugs/drugreview-154794-NP+Thyroid
Amy
I just spoke with fda . People need to fill at the medwatch report online on fdas website . If they get a lot of complaints Re NP thyroid , they will investigate .
Helen McKinley
I’m wondering if I’m having an allergic reaction to the new NP? My thyroid levels (although not optimal) haven’t changed significantly, but I’ve had a chronic cough, chest congestion and post-nasal issues for three months. I’ve been trying to figure out what’s up since I didn’t have a cold or flu and usually my allergies don’t cause these symptoms. I suddenly realized it started around the time or shortly after I started the new NP. I’m going to use some of my stash of good NDT to see if it clears up. Wondering now how long that will take and what I should ask my doctor to prescribe next….
Michele
Helen, I had the same symptoms several weeks after starting on the latest RX of NP thyroid. Mine didn’t look different and didn’t have spots like the photos, but they did smell strange and I took them anyway. When someone else commented on the chronic cough that would come out of nowhere I really took notice as I’d been having that. Went to my NP and she said I had post nasal drip and it was from something in my throat…I stopped the NP and went back to really old (expired 2016) Erfa and Armour and started taking those reformulated ones that I left behind in the cabinet. After 2 weeks the throat/cough stuff stopped, but now I’m tired all the time and my hair is falling out once again. Like others, I have no clue what to do next. I can’t take Synthroid, but do fine with Cytomel…although my FT4 is low even with NDT, and so I want to get that in my system…how?
Janie Bowthorpe
It may not be that you “can’t take Synthroid”. It’s more about that you “can’t take Synthroid without T3”. We need to take them together if we are going to switch.
Michele
Janie, thank you for the response. You are correct. The 2 endos I went to both tried me on Synthroid alone, which was a nightmare for me (nearly burned down my house!) I might try the Synthroid with the Cytomel after I finish up with my expired Erfa and see how that works. Boy will it be expensive (no insurance for either!) My hair is starting to fall out again and I’m really tired and fall asleep in the afternoons. Not my normal at all.
housemaid
I was checking out the price of Armour since it seems to be working for several people. I also checked out the price of NP just from curiosity, Late last summer I paid about $115 for a 90 day supply of stinky 2 grain tablets of NP at Walgreen’s with Good Rx. Now that same 90 tablets prescription is selling at Walgreen’s for $54.51 with Good Rx, and Walmart has it for only $38.21. Sounds like a fire sale. Acella is finding it hard to sell these rotten pills! The FDA, the pharmacies, and the manufacturers don’t care about us, but Acella (and RLC Labs) do care about making money. I hope they’ve discovered they can’t make money selling a bad product.
Jennifer
Janie,
I take 90MG of compounded porcine thyroid daily. (I was previously taking Acella’s NP Thyroid.) If I have to switch over to synthetic hormone, how much Synthroid and Cytomel should I take? I’m also seeing in these posts where many folks do better with the SygmaPharma Cytomel than others for some reason. When you first start on synthetic T3, do you start out slowly and build up to the dosage that feels right? And then test? Are there any at-home thyroid testing kits that are available and dependable?
I used to take Synthroid and there were times I would have panic-attack-like episodes and it would take a week for it to get out of my system. It was horrible! I don’t have that problem with the NDT, so I really hate to get back on the synthetic stuff.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. One grain is equal to 25 mcg T3 in effect. Yes, many do quite well on the Sigma Pharm version of T3. 90 mg compounded procine is quite small and you wouldn’t be optimal on that. So moving over the equivalent amount of T4 and T3 is probably workable, we would guess. This will be different than just being on Synthroid alone. You’ll have direct T3 in your treatment. Remember to get optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Jennifer
Thank you, Janie. Then it sounds like I would take 1 1/2 tablets of the 25 mcg Cytomel, correct? Can these be taken sublingually? I searched for generic brands of Cytomel. I came up with SigmaPharm, Mayne, Mylan, Sun Pharma (from overseas market), Greenstone, and King (the info for King was from April 2013). It seems the only one with microcrystalline cellulose and hypromellose was Mayne so I know I couldn’t take that one.
What about my dosage of Synthroid? Would I take 90mg Synthroid since I was taking 90mg Acella NP Thyroid – or would I cut it back because I’m getting the T3 of Cytomel? I’m confused about switching from one to the other.
Janie Bowthorpe
Jennifer, I made a mistake just referring to T3. I’m with my sons for the holidays and distracted. One grain of any version of NDT is equal to 38 mcg T4 and 9 mcg T3. So by that, you can figure it out if you move to the two synthetics. And do remember that you’ll be underdosed, even if you initially feel better.
Lynn
Janie,
Because of adrenal stress I am moving slow with getting to my optimal dose of armour to avoid the weird headache I was getting with synthetic t3/t4. Can you move too slow and cause problems with being underdosed? I’m moving up after 30 days instead of two weeks.
Janie Bowthorpe
You need to treat the adrenal stress, not move up slow with Armour.
Karen
Can anyone on here tell me if they have added talc to nature throid. They say it would be in the paper insert that the pharmacy gets with the pills.I cannot take synthetic I am allergic. So I am going to try nature throid again I have no thyroid function because of rai.just hoping someone can clear this up.Just got done trying tirosint and synthroid bad reaction again. Thanks
Janie Bowthorpe
You really don’t want to go over to naturethroid. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2019/09/23/the-sad-saga-of-where-we-are-today-as-hypothyroid-patients/
Karen
Well I have to take something armour makes me wheez, I have read where other people went back to it after the bad np and are feeling better. Just wanted to know if they added talc.so if anyone knows please post I am pretty sick right now and can barely function.
Jennifer
Karen,
Have you tried compounded NDT?
Janet
I’m really sensitive to talc and several other fillers (especially calcium sulfate). So far I’m doing okay with Armour. I had severe reactions to the two generic T3 meds I tried. I have had some trouble with Armour’s formulation in the past but it seems to be a bit different now. I do rinse off the tablet to remove the coating before taking it sublingually. This is from the product insert:
“The inactive ingredients are calcium stearate, dextrose, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate and opadry white.”
Lynn
I started Armor a month ago and just did labs. They are getting slightly better than when I did the synthetic t3/t4 combo which was making the top of my head hurt. I am still not optimal but am going slow due to the weird reactions and sensitivity I have remaining from the Naturethroid/Np thyroid debacle of last summer.
Free t4 – 1.13 (.82-1.77)
Free t3 – 2.7 (2.0 – 4.4)
Rev t3 – 17.30 (9.2 – 24.1)
TSH 2.89 (.45 – 4.5)
My Armour still smells good.
Jackie
Just an update, folks. After I contacted Acella last weekend and left a message, I got a voicemail from David from Acella who asked me to send him an email documenting my experience. So it seems like they are taking this issue seriously. I’ve sent him and email and will report back what he says.
Janie Bowthorpe
Jackie, I think we all have to be careful assuming they are taking this seriously. Many many many have documented their experiences all while many more are innocently trying NP and report horrible reactions. This has been going on since summer even BEFORE the obvious changes.
Mimi McClurg
I talked to David from Acella over a month ago and I don’t believe they’ve done anything except change out my meds. These are a bit better. No smell and look and taste like old *Good* pills. I am still having issues from the *Tainted* pills making me sick, everyday gets a bit better. My labs were still off this week.
I am going to need to refill next week. I am worried wondering if anyone has found a better solution?
Janie Bowthorpe
People have gotten very unimpressed with their request to send them back. They feel fooled by Acella as stated in many groups.
Watch your frees. There were non-changed ones in the summer which were bringing back hypo, including fatigue in the late afternoon. My husband was one and there are others who reported it.
Di
OH NO!! I had finally made peace with a good compounded porcine powder from an AZ compounding pharmacy…and the latest batch is nothing more
than rotten NP–smell, taste, stomach pains, nausea, etc!!! It is definitely in the supply chain now, probably worldwide.
It is the porcine powder. (My filler is lactose. period.) What a nightmare. Been sick since August, and trying to keep
both my jobs and take care of my family—not to mention, just enjoy life again!
Karen
Di yes it is. Every time I see a new comment all I think is report this to the FDA so they will have no choice but to test this crap. I still have my bad pills just by chance they move forward I have a case but not enough official complaints came in to do anything.So instead of telling it only on here file an FDA complaint they need to be stopped from selling this bad porcine powder. I still cannot eat without pain three months after stopping np.
Di
I will do that right away.
Janet
I think we have all hesitated to file a complaint with the FDA in the past because we felt the remaining NDT manufacturers would be harassed. But there’s really no one left to protect except the manufacturers of Armour and that brand has been around so long I don’t think it’s in jeopardy.
I filed a MedWatch complaint (FDA’s program) several weeks ago and finally got something in the mail last week saying they had received my complaint. But there was no other contact or follow-up. I have a feeling they wait until they get several on the same product before investigating to be sure it wasn’t just a coincidence someone reacted.
So perhaps if enough of us do that they will collect some samples for testing. I’m not sure if we’ll ever see the results…that’s all usually handled internally. I’ve been checking out various pharmaceutical testing labs to see if any are affordable enough to check my two lots. I sure would like to know what made me so sick.
Catherine
That is alarming! The enamel on my front teeth wore off rapidly after starting NP thyroid in April due to low stomach acid from the bad pills starting in June. This is serious and causes me extreme emotional and psychological stress. I switched to compounded porcine powder cut with glycine 2 and a half months ago. I have been doing better.
I had resigned myself to paying $100 a month out of pocket for the compounded porcine powder. To hear that you got a bad batch is scary. I actually got a batch last month that I about to start that smelled slightly off. I asked the pharmacist about it and he swore that it was from the same batch as the month before. I am not sure if I believe him. I will provide updates.
Last thing for me to do is go to Tirosint and cytomel. This has been a tortuous experience with side effects that are life long.
Di
The compounding pharmacy says “Nothing has changed.”
And maybe their supplier really is the same one they were using.
This is going to be hard to trace.
Dana
I am on Naturethroid 65 and I can’t get out of bed. Exhausted, living on high doses of caffiene.
Bloodwork shows TSH normal, free T4 lower end, and T3 definitely low!
I don’t know what to change to. Hair thinning slightly and weight gain!
Was on T3 alone for about a year but would crash after 4 hrs and need more. After that tried synthroid but had horrible joint pains and couldn’t do it.
I eat a high fiber diet and green tea.
I prefer bioidentical if possible or whatever NDT will really work. My NP thyroid 60 before, were white tablets.
If I were to try a generic T4 and T3 together, which generic do you recommend that won’t cause joint pains? (The Rx plan that gave me generic Synthroid comes from CVS network supplier and I couldn’t bear it.)
Please help.
Gill
Hi I have been on NP Thyroid for approximately two years since there was the problem with the WP Thyroid. All has been really good until the last 3 or 4 months. I am now on my 2nd lot of NP thyroid and it is one of the batches which have been listed. I am now hypo again, feel drained and tired and have had a number of migraines in a short space of time.
Has anyone swapped over to WP thyroid now it is available again? If so, how are you feeling? I know Armour has had issues too but know that WP worked for me. I’ve seen my GP this morning in the UK and even if I went back onto thyroxine (which I’m loathed to do) she can’t prescribe the liothyronine as I don’t convert T4 to T3. Follow up blood test done this morning and waiting to hear back from my endocrinologist but know it won’t be good news.
Any light anyone an shed on changing tablets would be great.
Thanks
Gill
terry
My IFM DR switched me over to WP Thyroid back at the beginning of September and I started feeling better. The only dose available is 1 grain (i’m taking 2 atm). I’m not optimal though, still working on that. She actually just dropped my dose a few weeks back because my rt3 was up again. We’ll see how it goes. If my labs aren’t better the next time we check I’m asking for t4 and t3.
Janie Bowthorpe
It’s probably a good idea to switch to T4 and T3. Seeing a growing body of people doing awful on WP. And having RT3 is also about treating the cause.
Janie
Gill
Thank you for your replies. Just waiting to hear back from my endo with blood results ….don’t want to end up wasting more money on something that is making me ill. Just hope I can get the T3 too as GP’s can no longer prescribe it apparently. Good luck to all. Gill
Terry
Janine, I’m working with two IFM Drs. Slowly ‘peeling the onion’ we’re currently working on mold/mycotxins. We still haven’t been able to get my TgAb antibodies down or figure out what’s causing them to be super high.
Jackie
Since picking up my latest bottle of NP in October I’ve become a complete wreck. Unbearable fatigue like I’ve never felt before; wrenching, burning stomach pain; constant flu-like symptoms; and wonky labs. I checked my lot number and it appears to correspond with bad lots listed elsewhere on this site.
I’ll be switching to Armour this week.
This debacle has cost me over a thousand dollars as I’ve gone to several doctors and have had multiple tests, including an MRI, to find out what’s wrong with me. I wonder if there’s some sort of class action lawsuit that can by filed against Acella for this.
Karen
This sounds just like me I am scheduled for an MRI because they found a lump on my liver with a CT scan.I have not been able to recover from taking the np thyroid for four and half months at eight pills a day. I find it interesting about the post after you about the amimes . I looked it up and it said they use chlorine to sanitize the product which will give off an amonia odor. Bingo cat pee smell . If used in high concentration it is toxic. So I think they got bad glands and our using them. Like trying to clean rotten meat. As for a law suit against them not going anywhere. Not enough reports to the FDA to proceed. This I know for a fact my report went nowhere because people are not reporting the bad reaction to np.God help us who are physically sick from this.
R.C. Mandeville
Hi Janie,
I also noticed that my latest rx of NP Thyroid (120 mg, received October 2019) seemed to have a very different appearance, odor, and taste than previous rx’s. After taking it for a couple of weeks, I had digestive upset daily, heart palpitations, felt weepy and down (I’m a psychotherapist, so this surprised and concerned me as nothing had changed in my life to warrant this) and also started to have sudden acid reflux symptoms – severe. I have notified my MD and just picked up Armour and started that today. Crossing fingers I do okay on it.
The reason I am writing is that my partner is a Chemist in the pharmaceutical / drug discovery industry. I asked him to smell this latest rx of NP Thyroid. He sniffed it, and immediately said, “It smells like you have free amines in there.” He went on to say that “free amines are not good drug practice, and is indicative of *possible* compound decomposition; i.e., possibly indicative of protein decomposition from the pigs.”
I hadn’t noticed anyone else mentioning amines and possible protein decomposition here in your comments so thought I would add that into the mix. Thank you for all you do for us – I have learned much from your site here over the years and it has been very helpful.
Best,
R.C.
Jeni
This is exactly how I was feeling for the past couple months. Heart palpitations, insomnia, horrible anxiety and debilitating depression (I’ve never experienced this in my life). I was crying nonstop. I was put on Xanax and an antidepressant. On a whim, I decided to look into my thyroid med, and low and behold things started after I picked up my latest NP script. I switched back to Armour and within 24 hours I am myself again. No Xanax needed, sleeping through the night without palpitations waking me again. I cannot believe this. I almost went out on medical leave from teaching because I could barely get in the shower much less through a day with 30 nine-year olds, and here i am a week on Armour instead of NP and those symptoms are gone..this is bananas.
Ann
Hi Jeni,
I am happy you are feeling better! Did you use the same dosage of Armour that you were using on the NP? Thanks.
Jeni Megge
I am taking the same amount of Armour, yes. Years ago, I had switched from Armour to NP back when Armour was getting hard to find and they added fillers. I just went back to Armour because I didn’t know what else to do.
I don’t know if I am optimal yet-and am guessing I probably won’t be…but just getting that NP thyroid out of my system was what got me feeling better. Whatever they put in there WAS and IS making us VERY sick! Within 48 hours my nausea was gone and my appetite returned. I had been taking at least 2 Xanax a day (which I had NEVER had in my life), and I haven’t needed ONE since I stopped the NP. Within a week and a half I have also stopped the antidepressant (which again had never taken in all my years) and am perfectly myself again. I couldn’t get out of bed and could barely get in the shower or take care of my boys. Now I am right back to myself. I am sleeping through the night again and not waking with heart palpitations and anxiety. The more I think about it the more I am absolutely ENRAGED. As a teacher, I had people covering my class for me, thinking I was somehow having a nervous breakdown. I could have lost my job. This is not okay, and it scares me to think there are people that have no idea and are continuing to ingest this POISON. I keep thinking what could have happened to me had I continued to take this. I spent tons of money on therapy, doctors appointments, prescriptions, even thousands of dollars on a GeneSight test to find an antidepressant and anxiety medication that would work-All for NOTHING. Something needs to be done-they are making people EXTREMELY sick!!
RC Mandalay
Hi Jeni,
I had the same exact experience as you after switching to Armour. As mentioned in my original comment, above, I was experiencing anxiety, heart palpitations, weepiness, acid reflux, digestive upset / diarrhea daily, etc, on the last couple of batches of NP Thyroid but did not connect it with the NP Thyroid until checking in here on STTM.
As mentioned, my drug chemist boyfriend said that the NP Thyroid smelled like free amines (that’s the cat pee smell) suggesting something is very wrong with these NP Thyroid pills. After switching to Armour (which I have never taken before) I felt completely fine within two days. Able to sleep; heart rate went from 110-beats BPM to 65 BPM; no more digestive upset, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, or weepiness (thank goodness for that, given I’m a therapist – I also could have become unable to work had this continued were I to have remained on the NP Thyroid).
At this point, I feel strongly that something is very, very wrong with the NP Thyroid pills and they need to be recalled immediately. This needs to be taken very seriously. In the meantime, I’ll know in four weeks when I get my labs done how my levels are and if Armour will work for me – Of course, even if it does, we never know when we will have something happen that results in our being unable to take it and/or access it. I can’t take synthetics and I have no compounding rx available where I live. This is getting scary and I feel angry that we are put in this position. To have our concerns dismissed or to be viewed as ‘histrionic’ is unacceptable and simply victimizes us twice. Enough is enough.
Angie F.
Free amines…Could “ractopamine” be one? Beta adrenergic agonist used in beef, pork, and large fowl feed as a “pro-lean” and weight gain additive?
Teresa
Hello R.C., Thanks for telling us about this. I was researching something different and came across this brief description on a website devoted to probiotics: “When protein-rich foods are fermented, they can produce biogenic amines like antihistamine and tryptamine. Some studies suggest that these amines can affect your central nervous system and either increase or decrease blood flow, which can cause headaches or migraines.” Could the pig meat used in China be old or allowed to ferment? Headaches are one of the constellation of symptoms experienced by many NP users. Let’s dig around into this subject.
housemaid
Well, the FDA letter about the Sitchuan Friendly porcine powder said that the Chinese factory was not using good manufacturing practices and was unsanitary. I picture big vats of rotting pig thyroids in that factory. I only took one bad batch NP pill and would not take another. If I’d gotten rotten meat at the grocery I would have returned it and gotten my money back, but Acella is offering no refunds.
I am worried about Thyroid-S, Janie. I recently chewed one made July 2019 and it reminded me of the bad taste that the new NP has, only milder. I didn’t smell anything but had just opened the bottle. The bad NP didn’t smell at first but 3 months later it reeked. Is the Thailand thyroid powder from Thailand or China? My 2016 Nature-throid has no smell or taste. The WP I used to take only tasted sweet. Did Thyroid-S always have a somewhat unpleasant taste?
Janie Bowthorpe
As far as the taste, we have to be careful, as even some of the former good NP’s tasted different or “bad”. I have some old NP left, and it doesn’t taste great—I chewed it again to see. And that’s always been common. But with the changed NP, the taste is worse than bad. It’s horrific.
As far as Thyroid-S, I only rarely used it. I’ve always had plenty of the former good prescription NDTs. And when I did use Thyroid-S, I never chewed it to taste it.
I am frankly worried about being on any NDT. Even if Thyroid-S is working…and even if Armour is working for some (though not all), and even if compounding pharmacies still have a working source of thyroid powder via the PCCA…..the haunting question lingers all around us i.e. when are THEY going to change to the crap NDT we are seeing with so many and we only find out with a new bottle?
Something verrry fishy is going on…and no, people need to get away from stating it’s a conspiracy to get us all off NDT. There is no proof whatsoever. But something is very fishy with how porcine powder has changed for so many pharmaceuticals…and with NP, on top of CLEAR other changes—the smell, the taste, the burning, the nausea.
The FDA goes around reporting all the bad things going on with other medications…(For example, Metformin, especially outside the US, having a carcinogen in it.) So where is the FDA about all this TOTAL AND COMPLETE CRAP going on with the very NDT that once changed our lives??
Janet
I agree, I think it probably comes down to trying to save money on raw materials and increase the supply to meet the demand. First it happened with Nature-Throid last year and you’d think Acella would have learned from that debacle. But then they did the same thing. So we jump ship to find the next safe thing and then the demand goes up and it starts all over again.
People seem to think Europe as a supplier is better than China, but it all depends on the quality of the handling and processing. Russia, Ukraine, Croatia, Serbia, Turkey, Albania, etc are all European countries. We have no idea what kind of oversight there would be.
They know what suppliers and formulations worked well for us before the changes. If they would emulate those conditions then maybe we’d get back to decent meds again. What concerns me is that no one is required to provide proof of purity and lack of contamination or degradation.
Person
This is what’s been going on with me, too… oh, the heart palpitations! I’ve been on NP thyroid since 2012, and until recently, this medicine’s been great. In my mid thirties, have never had palpitations before, and suddenly with this new batch of NP I’m a wreck. What in the world have they done to the medicine…? Something is very different and wrong with this new batch.
Kendra Bauser
Update: Switched from the new NP Thyroid which I had been taking for a week to compounded thyroid in a sublingual form.
Three days on the compounded and I am feeling back to normal.
The first night I took the new NP I hardly slept and contiued to sleep badly while taking it. Digestion slowed down significantly. Adrenals totally malfunctioned and I felt adrenaline rushes constantly (I am also on Cortisol 20mg day). Other symptoms were very itchy skin, dry skin, foot tendon injury that wouldnt heal properly.
Three days on new compounded formula, slept normally on the third day. Felt great at the gym but maybe a little hyper. Didnt crash in the afternoon during the second day. Hunger is way back, digestion is much better. Skin feels better. Mood is more positive. Foot pain is gone as of today (3rd day) But I have been resting it.
I never took the new NP long enough to do labs but I was in really bad shape after a week. Ill get my labs done after a few weeks on this compounded formula. Getting it through Pavillion Pharmacy in Atlanta GA. The Pharmasist was very knowledgable about thyroid and takes it herself. She’s a body builder as well and she was very sympathetic and familiar with my (and other patients) situation.
Antoinette
Hi ive heard of compounded thyroid…but only in caps..you can get it made to take sublingually?im very interested in this what pharmacy does that?thanks
Amy Lynn
@Kendra are you doing compounded porcine, or synthetic t3 & t4 compounded? If porcine, do you know the source? (PCCA porcine is what I’m on from another local compounding pharmacy, but thinking of switching pharmacies because mine doesn’t appear to be accredited in any way.)
Kendra
It’s not the pcca porcine. And I’m back to feeling horribly. Migrane for two days. Fatigued. Seeing my doc tomorrow and may switch to armour even tho I did horribly on it before. Not fun
Amy
Thank you for the response, Kendra. I didn’t do well on reformulated Armour either, & probably won’t go with Pavilion for compounding for myself now based on your experience. I’m sorry you’re feeling bad again before the holidays, you’re right, not fun! Hope you find a good source/thyroid med combination that helps you feel better soon!
Kate
Hi Kendra,
I too have extremely itch skin since taking NP. Did yours stop right away one you got off the NP? When I google itching it keeps leading me to other issues (like lymphoma) and can’t seem to find much about itching and NP. However, none of this started till I got on NP Thyroid. Thanks!
Frankie Beckwith
And yet, I see no relevant information regarding WP, which also has changed. I was doing fine on it, but when my refill arrived the new pills are darker in color than previously and my TSH tripled! So what is going on with WP???
Janie Bowthorpe
Frankie, pharmaceuticals don’t admit problems or what is causing them.
Megan
Thanks for this. Noticed everything mentioned and have been feeling so much worse since at least Summer) which explains why. Switching to synthetic t3/t4 but am confused b/c I did the math of how much of the synthetics I would need, but doctor is givine me MUCH less saying that Cytomel and Tirosint are much stronger than the generic versions (ie i am currently on 150 t4 and 55 T3 with NP, but they are perscribing 50 t4, and 10 t3). Have you heard of this before? I’m worried to make the switch b/c this seems very low to me. Anyone have advice or heard of the same? Thank you!
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, in some cases, they can be better than generics version. BUT NOT ALWAYS! This is why everyone who switches needs to keep track of their labs and get optimal by them. And if they prove to be too low, you have to be FIRM with your doctor where your frees need to be to feel your best and maintain it! https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Janet
This is my first week using the combination of Synthroid and Armour. I didn’t tolerate any of the T3 products because of an allergic reaction to the calcium sulfate filler. Compounded is still an option but I will have to pay cash for it.
I haven’t used Armour in many years, but am doing fine with it. There’s just a very slight piggy taste like NP before the change. I scrape the very thin polymer coating off the tablet with a sharp knife (it’s called opadry white) and then it dissolves fine on my tongue. It doesn’t contain any sugar so it’s not sweet but no unpleasant taste.
My symptoms are under control, body temperature normal and I feel okay energy wise. The depression I had experienced on the newer NP lots is gone. I think there is a contaminant causing brain swelling. That happened to me once years ago with NatureThroid but only with one lot number. I reported it to the FDA and the lot numbers I got after that were okay (the bottle I had was apparently tested but I wasn’t given the results).
I’ll get my bloodwork redone in a couple of weeks and see where I’m at with the T3. When I was on Synthroid alone (which my doctor asked me to try) my muscles were so stiff I tore a lot of ligaments and tendons. I think that convinced him I needed the NDT as well.
Janie Bowthorpe
Did you try getting optimal on Armour alone?? Some say they have been able to. This is what I mean why optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal It’s important to get the free T3 optimal especially.
You have to be careful adding T4 to what is already 80% T4. Otherwise, RT3 can go up. So watch that.
Antoinette
Hi when you made the switch from np to armour..did you have to take more or same dosage?thanks
Janet
Antoinette, I’m completely on Armour now and am using the same dose as I was on for NP. So far I’m doing okay but the real test for me is how I feel when I’m exercising and it’s been too cold to really push that to see how my muscles are affected. I’ll be getting new labs soon and might be adding T3 like Janie suggested if those levels aren’t optimal.
fliss peck
Janie I need some advice if possible please.
I switched over from NP thyroid which was making me really ill to synthetics 4 weeks ago. I was on 4.5 NDT happily for years always optimal bloods. I had my bloods done last week so 3 weeks on T4 150mcg and t3 35mcg which you advised. im gutted as my bloods are awful worst ive ever had and im so tired all the time. hair still falling-out lost so much now nails breaking….
its UK reference so ive added the range;
FT3; 3.1 (3.1-6.8) so right at bottom and always used to be near the top. TSH: 0.02 (0.2-4.2)
FT4; 10.8 (12-22) so under range and always used to be near top.
so what do I do now? does this mean that synthetics aren’t going to work for me in case what do I do? or do they need more time? but the FT4 being under range must mean I need way more t4 is that right? if so how much? and the t3 is com ing from the conversion which looks like it isn’t happen ing is that right? so I need way more t3 and if so how much? should I just stop the t4 and do t3 only? although I know my dr won’t fund that he only agreed to a trial if I took t4 and t3…. please help me interpret these and advice how much more of each I should take and if you think they will start working soon? I see dr tomorrow so if you have time to comment today would be really helpful.. probably could persuade him to let me try armour which is one NDT I haven’t tried and many in the UK say it works if you crunch it? but feel I should give synthetics more time and increase if that’s what’s needed? the strange thing is that my basal body temp is always good now at 36.7-36.8 each morning and pulse and BP are perfect too…whats going on? I took my T4 24 hours before blood test and my last dose of t3 at 5pm then blood test next morn ing at 10am….was that ok? thanks . fliss
fliss peck
hi Janie did you see my results I posted ? I would really appreciate your advice and comments in reply to my questions as im so confused as to what’s going on and why my free t3 and t4 are so low. I am seeing dr today was hoping to take what you advise to him …I will wait for your reply
thanks
fliss
fliss peck
hi Janie ..you asked me to keep you posted when I had any results which I have done and I was wondering why you hadn’t replied to my post? I hope you’re ok …..please when you get a moment would you give me your valued advice as I am confused why values are so low and what to do , was it means as per questions in my post.
thanks
fliss
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi there Fliss. 🙂 Please know that in addition to running this by myself, I have my hands in many pies of my activism, not just here. I also have an active private life, too, just like anyone else. 🙂 Because of all that, I may be delayed in answering posts at times.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Fliss. When the frees aren’t where we need them to be, we just raise. I won’t be able to say how much as we are all learning together on this. You just have to keep track of your labs. Yes, what you did with labs was fine.
Alex
To all who still has energy to fight! As Acella claims that “…the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) is now sourced from an FDA-inspected facility in Europe”, but refuses to appoint the country and producer of the NDT powder, perhaps should we try to write there and ask whats going on:
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/partners-networks/international-activities/bilateral-interactions-non-eu-regulators/united-states
S. Hack
Can someone please message me with a trusted place to get Thyroid-S? Anyone switched to that and doing good? I’m about out of my good NP and refuse to ingest anything that smells of cat pee (I have 60 of the bad tablets). I can’t switch to the synthetic’s due to allergic reactions. It give me panic attacks every time a company reformulates and about kills us and then we have to use all our energy searching for a replacement. We’ve run out of good NDT replacement’s now. I’m a pre 2009 Armour lover. Oh how I wish we could have the good stuff back.
Jeni
I have started having major anxiety and depression…crying spells. Doctor put me on Xanax and an antidepressant. I asked to have my thyroid labs checked since the only time in my life I have every experienced depressive feelings was 20 years ago when I first was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
My labs all came back in the normal range, and I have not been able to figure out what in the heck happened to me in the past 2 months. I even started dealing with major insomnia which I have never experienced either.
Something told me to look up my thyroid medication and sure enough I found others reporting the same thing in the past 2 months! I ran and checked my bottle to see when I had it filled-August 27th-and the last 2 1/2 months have been complete hell filled with anxiety, constant tears, and depression. I am also extremely nauseous in the AM. I found an old pill compared to the new one and its exactly like your pictures above!
Now I just have to figure out what to do-what in the world do we change to??? I only ever took Armour before NP.
Janie Bowthorpe
Armour with T3 until optimal.
Or, T3 and T4 until optimal.
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Jeni
Janie..
Armour by itself…
Or do you mean Armour with added T3?
And when you say T3 and T4, are you referring to synthetic? I know our options are lessening….
Janie Bowthorpe
You can try armour by itself but work to get optimal if you can. Or you can try armour with T3 and work to get optimal. Or you can do the two synthetics and get optimal. 🙂
Kendra
Ugh, that may explain my horrible insomnia as well. I literally havent slept much since my first dose. I am having air hunger at they gym and itchy. I just got a script for pcca thyroid compounded into a sublingual tablet, Ill probably be starting today. Ill post my labs. Dont have any from the new NP because Ive only been on it for a week. My first symptoms with the cat pee ones were slow digestion and no hunger.
Janet
Jeni, I have never been treated for depression but late summer and fall started having severe depression for no obvious reason. When I got of NP it immediately went away. That really makes me think there is some sort of contaminant in the product cause brain inflammation.
Angie F.
Janet, that’s interesting. I did not have depression on the new NP. In fact, except for BP and cardiac (PACs and potentially paroxysmal A-fibbing) issues, I felt pretty good. I did have some nausea occasionally and the stuff did taste like a cross between rotten pineapple and cat pee. I’ve posted here several times that I believe (and I believe it even more given the ear ringing/ototoxic related comments) that we may be dealing with a contamination issue..Could be solvents a/o other meds involved, incidentally two of the things that Sichuan was called out for by the FDA. I don’t know if these meds contain raw product from Sichuan. Also, I’ve posted about the ractopamine issue (Feed additive in pork, beef, and large fowl). If interested, you can Google that as well.
I’ve managed to get my hands on a few of the old Naturethroid (not yet expired, but from a batch that I either didn’t have problems with, or didn’t notice that I did). I’m trying that for a couple of weeks to see how I do.
Right now, I’ve had to, to avoid the serious cardiac issues and very high BPs, cut back to about 1 1/8 gr of N-T. Can’t seem to raise beyond that on NP, N-T or Armour and not going to until I’ve gotten cortisol checked out (I’ve done iron and I’m now a bit on the low side again).
Jeni
Janet-
I switched to Armour, within a week I cannot believe how different I feel. I am back to myself-no need for Xanax, and am almost scaled off the antidepressant completely. This is unacceptable. I could barely get through a day, I literally lost the last two months of my life. My therapist wanted me out on medical, but as a teacher I would not have gotten paid. I am fuming mad. I had no appetite, couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. They even gave me a sleep medication-and that barely worked. Now I am right back to myself. This is NOT okay.
Jernye Swin-Dell
I did a search looking for answers about some of the problems I’ve been having and wondered if they were NP related. I’ve just up my dosage of NP thyroid for 30mg to about 45mg. I’ve been o30 mg for about 1 yr. I too have noticed that the NP smells really fishy for quite some time now. In the last 2 days since I’ve up the dosage to 45mg my skin is really itchy and very dry. Also for the last 30 days I’ve been dealing with continual bouts of pseudogout (gout in the knees) and in the heel and in the hip and perhaps Rheumatoid Arthritis. After I’ve read about 1/3 of the comments and wanted to ask has anyone else had flaris of any kind of arthritis and does your pea smell like a cat’s pea when a cat is ill? Oddly mine does and that’s never happened before and I don’t have any animals…I’m alergic to dogs and cats.
Selene
My experience is that when my thyroid meds are close to being optimal my adjustments from the DO (OMM = Osteopathic Manual Manipulation) hold and if not there’s a lot of joint pain and subluxations. Also skin very itchy +++.
ate
Hi Selene, did your itchiness stop once off the NP? I am going CRAZY with the itch. Only thing that calms it is Benadryl.
Angela F
I have had what may have been gout or gout-like symptoms in my elbow, particularly right. Also, right now, even on old N-T (Not NP), my urine smells really foul…I wouldn’t call it “cat pee” smell, just really like something isn’t right. I have had that before all these problems, though, and typically would happen at about the same time every month.
I also had some itchiness on/off with one of the post March 2019 fills of NP.
Kendra
I have recieved the cat pee NP thyroid as well. Only been on it for 4 days but looking for an alternative. Seeing my doc on monday but trying to formulate a plan in the meantime.
Synthetics are looking good even tho I tanked on synthroid years ago. I never tried it with t3 as well so may be my answer. Has anyone done well on synthetics? I guess they wont be on this forum if they are!! ha
How does the PCCA natural thyroid look? I may try a compound, and if i do the compound of PCCA natural, do I need to take more since I have to swallow it?
Thank you!
Janie Bowthorpe
PCCA is still providing a working porcine powder for compounders. Their source is different than what pharmaceuticals have even using, apparently.
Julie
Do you know where their porcine powder comes from? Is it a trustworthy source? Is there any type of bovine source thyroid med?
Selene
I spoke to my compounding pharmacist recently who has quality/consistency/future availability concerns about porcine powder for compounders…
Over 2 decades on NDT and did well, then all the issues reported below. Naturethroid> Westroid Pure> Naturethroid> Acella. Now working to find my way through compounded synthetic T4/T3. 1st labs were in range but not optimal – still felt off. Continual fine tuning. Will continue to report.
Kelly
I’m wondering if anyone here has been able to find a good source for compounded desiccated thyroid? I have tried both compounded synthetic t4/t3 (dont tolerate cytomel) and compounded desiccated thyroid and had horrific reactions to both, the last one landing me multiple trips to urgent care and then g ER. I called the compound pharmacy to see where they sourced their desiccated and they said PCCA, but did not have any info on where that comes from.
It seems the only options I have left are to try Armour (which I am very nervous to try), synthetic compounded time release t4/t3 or try to find another source of compounded desiccated of PCCA.
Any feedback much appreciated,
Janie Bowthorpe
Since you’ve reacted to either compounded or T4/T3, that can be more about what it’s revealing in you. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Iva
I’ve been taking armor for years summer of 2017 all of a sudden they switched me to Acella The smell and the taste was horrendous. For me my hair started falling out which is never happened before I didn’t know why. And then I related it to Kaiser Pharmacy switching me from armour to Acella. I tried taking my bottles in and insisting that the pharmacy smells my pills but they wouldn’t do it. It was a dark time in my life. I wrote my doctor and told her look they gave me Acella formula 6 months ago and I’m losing my hair who knows what else is going wrong. So I need you to prescribe only Armour brand. She did and things got back to normal eventually. Then they started charging me an arm and a leg and I told them look I’ve tried your other stuff and I can’t use it so I did pay the bigger price. But eventually I change the tablet milligram and ended up getting it for $35 instead of $132. It’s a constant battle trying to get it for $35 sometimes I can sometimes I can’t
Kendra Bauser
Im thinking about Armour again even after It made me hypo before. How do you take the armour pill? chew? swallow? also do you need more medication to get an optimal result?
Janie Bowthorpe
Doesn’t matter how you take it. And some have needed to top if off with T3 to feel good again.
Rebecca
I have been taking Accella NP thyroid for approximately 5 years always 60mg and three a day.. Never had a problem. Sometime around May of this year I noticed a smell difference, then after dosing with my 3 pills I got nauseous, then later I got so sick I would throw up. I had always popped 3 pills under my tongue before I ate, now I have to take one pill at a time and make sure that I eat something beforehand, if I don’t then it’s back to upset stomach and throwing up. I really don’t know what to do but this has got to stop.
Rae Miller
I switched to Armour 60 mg twice a day about 3 weeks ago (same dose as I was on before), and have been doing fine; maybe even better than on NP Thyroid. No lab tests/results yet. I’ll wait to get labs until after the Thanksgiving holiday. So far, so good. I’m taking it sublingually, even though it doesn’t dissolve— it just turns into a paste, but at least it’s not chunky or smelly in any way.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Rae, Remember that most everyone will feel good on doses that aren’t yet optimal, thus it eventually backfires, we have noted for years. So it’s a good thing you are checking the free T3 and free T4 after the holidays. This page explains where you want to be to prevent an eventual backfire: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Rae Miller
My results from MedLab 11/29: T3 REVERSE 14 (8-25); T4FREE 1.0 (0.8-1.8) ng/dL; T3 FREE 3.1 (2.3-4.2) pg/mL. i can’t remember what calculation you do with the RT3… Do I need this test? I didn’t do a TSH because that’s always low.
This is with Armour only 60mg 2x day. What do you think so far? I’ve been using Armour instead of NP. Previous post Nov 10 has some previous labs. Thank you.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Rae. Your RT3 is moving up, which isn’t good, and your frees show you are underdosed. You’ll need to treat why the RT3 is going up: https://stopthethyroidmadnmess.com/reverse-t3 Otherwise, if you keep raising Armour to get optimal, your RT3 will continue going up and thus, worsening hypo.
Here’s what optimal means: https://stopthethyroidmadnmess.com/optimal
Michelle
Anyone else experience a burning (almost like reflux feeling) when taking the new NP sublingually? The taste on these new pills was the first clue something was wrong but I’ve been getting a burning pain in my throat too each time I take them. I haven’t experienced any other side effects yet since I had some good pills until just recently so am waiting to see what happens. I was on armour for years until they reformulated back in ’09 and then my numbers went all screwy so was switched to Erfa which was wonderful until ‘14 and then started getting hives when they reformulated. WP didn’t work for me (broke out my skin horribly and gave me stomach pains I think from the lactose?) NP has given me no problems and now to find out they screwed it up is so upsetting. I recently learned I was very deficient in iodine so began the iodine protocol (starting slowly). Has this improved anyone’s hypo symptoms to lessen the need for thyroid? I’m hoping it might so even with the change I can stay afloat. I’m allergic to synthetic thyroid (tried several brands of both t3 and t4 and they all cause me massive air hunger with difficulty breathing). I’m considering thyro-gold if there’s no other option!?!
Janie Bowthorpe
Yes, many have experienced that burning with NP Thyroid—and it’s a symptom that Acella has so far avoided addressing (which patients find to be a concern). It’s one of many reasons patients are moving to other alternatives, like T4 and T3 and getting optimal.
Michelle
Thank you for responding and all the time you spend in researching, informing and helping patients! It’s sad that we now don’t have a single NDT that hasn’t been messed with. I really do wonder if the swine fever that has destroyed so much of the pig population is playing a role in the issues with NP. The news reports show is has spread well beyond China and is in areas of Europe. If it’s in Europe where NP is located I wonder if the “clean up” process is what is contaminating the porcine powder? I’m thinking of trying armour again (along with cellulase) or having it compounded but wondering if this is in fact a contamination issue with the porcine powder that the same issues could develop with other brands if they get the same supply? If I try armour again using cellulase do people take the cellulase enzyme at the same time? Can compounded be taken sublingually by opening the capsules (wondering the same with thyro-gold if I decide to not chance another porcine based option)? When I swallow it my hypo symptoms get way worse and my free Ts drop much lower so I have to take it sublingually.
Janie Bowthorpe
Armour is the only one that still may work. Others are adding T3 to it. Either way, get those frees optimal. Yes about pouring the contents of compounded under tongue. Might taste funky though unless they add a sweetener.
Janie Bowthorpe
I replied to this but not seeing it. So if I’m wrong and I did post, some of this will be a repeat.
Yes, it’s terribly sad. As I saw each of them tumble downward, I was at least glad that NP was still around being so excellent. But when even NP changed, and changed WORSE than all the others with its burning when swallowing, burning in the stomach, nausea, horrible smell, horrible taste…and the bad return of hypo in so many…it was now anger-producing. The icing on the cake has been how Acella has responded about it all…
Yes, I think it might be a great idea to take cellulase with Armour. Yes, compounded can be opened and poured into the mouth, but it might taste bad….
Michelle
Thank you! I think I’ll talk to my compounding pharmacy and see if they can do a compounded without a cellulose filler using NDT and if not then try the armour/cellulase combo. Wish I could take synthetic t3 to help my t3 but I’ve got an allergy to every synthetic I’ve tried (both t4 & t3 caused me to daily gasp for air- worst year of my life!). I hope something works!
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. Is is possible that you were gasping for air (sounds awfu!) on synthetics because you were underdosed? Air hunger is common for some when they take too little, which will make them even more hypo.
Michelle
I have experienced exercise induced asthma from my thyroid being low but this was very different. I had been on Armour for 3 years without any issues until I got Lyme (but didn’t know it was that at the time) and my thyroid went screwy. I was referred to a different endo who switched me to levo and within the first week I had 4 panic attacks and felt like I had someone sitting on my chest and couldn’t breathe. Tried another brand with the same experience and even though my numbers and other hypo symptoms were still bad on the armour I never had that before or after switching back. About a year later they tried adding some t3 to my armour because upping my dose just increases my reverse t3 and from the first small addition of only 2.5mcg the breathing issues started again. Gradually made my way up to 30mcg while remaining on the armour and even though my free t3 got to over 4 (I tend to hover around 2.3-2.6 normally) the air hunger got worse and worse and not a single one of my hypo symptoms improved. I had to gradually lower it to get off and once I was back to armour only the breathing issues disappeared. We couldn’t figure out a common denominator as far as fillers other than my body must just reject synthetic entirely. It was a terrible experience!
Janie Bowthorpe
If upping your dose increases RT3, you need to treat the cause. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3
If your free T3 goes up like that on a small amount, you need to see if you have cortisol issues, which is likely: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info
Michelle
Thank you! Yes I have a couple different things contributing to the rT3 problem so it’s been tricky trying to control them all. Undiagnosed Lyme started everything (just thought I had an allergic reaction to some mosquito bites). Then very high estrogen causing extremely heavy periods that kills my iron (ferritin got down to 5 and iron serum to 18 before doctors stepped in). It’s been difficult trying to get my estrogen down/balanced but I’m continuing to try to work on that- unfortunately being hypo can also increase estrogen and since the two feed off each other that’s why this NP issue is so terrible! I can’t afford to get more hypo. My adrenals are also playing a role not only from the Lyme but also some personal stress I’m under currently so I just started taking ashwagandha to see if that can help calm my stress to more manageable levels. Hopefully one day I can get it all sorted- lots of trial and error but at least I know the sources now so that’s one battle down.
Nancy Jo Carter
Please help. My endocrinologist is totally clueless. Levothyroxin was not converting for me, so switched to NP thyroid 90mg ONCE A DAY. When I requested testing for free t4 and T3 along with reverse T3, they sent me 8 pigs telling me why I did not need these tests. Especially reverse T3! They have no concept of grains or twice daily dosing. They are dosing in a m just like when on levothyroxin. I am literally dying here. ME/ CFS. Bedbound, strange bumps over arms and legs, almost cyst like. Endocrinologist is also my PCP. Any help or advice appreciated. They are very dismissive and arrogant when questioned.
Renee
Hi Nancy Jo. I’m so sorry for what you are going through. I have definitely been right where you are. I can tell you my story and how I got the help I needed. Also, Janie has a page on this site about how to find a doctor to help you. I know it’s difficult to even think straight when you feel so bad, but check out the page where Janie gives you tips about how to find a good doctor. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/how-to-find-a-good-doc/
I also had issues converting the t4 in synthroid and had doctors that dismissed me, shamed me, upped my dosage and sent me into hyper mode giving me panic attacks and heart problems. On January 10, 2016, I woke up in the morning, opened my eyes, and my adrenaline immediately shot up to the point where I started screaming and thought I was going to die alone, right there in my bed. I called my dismissive doctor in hysterical tears, who told me to come in right away. She did an EKG and told me I was just having PVCs and prescribed 5 pills of xanax, patted me on my head and shooed me out of her office. I left feeling scared AND furious. I went home, got into bed, and started doing tons of research. Fear was a huge catalyst for me. I spent many many hours reading, researching and writing. I found Janie’s website and read everything. I found out that I was likely having an adrenal problem and probably a hormone imbalance. So, armed with a ton of information I started searching for a doctor. That wasn’t easy. I had one Naturopath tell me to just stop ALL my thyroid meds and all vitamins and supplements and soak in an epsom salts bath and just “breathe”. I went to a chiropractor, had acupuncture and every other sort of alternative treatment I could find, They were great, but none of them addressed my underlying problem. I finally found a nurse practitioner in my state who said she specialized in hormone imbalance and thyroid. I called her and made an appointment. I went to see her, sat across from her in her office and told her my story. She was the FIRST health practitioner who actually listened to me. She didn’t interrupt me, poo poo me, shame me or tell me to take epsom salt baths. She didn’t tell me to eat less and exercise more or drink more water. She didn’t tell me that PVCs and the mental and physical pain I had was just part of getting old and I should just accept it. She LISTENED to me, and at the end she told me that I was NOT crazy. She said it was clear to her that I was in real distress. She ordered the saliva adrenal sufficiency test, a hormone panel, the extensive thyroid panel and a bunch of other tests. I got my blood drawn and did the saliva test. Then one day her office called and asked me to come right away. I did. I got there and was sitting in the waiting room. I had my head down and she personally came out to greet me. She took me back to her office, sat me down and told me that I was very sick. My TSH was 95 (yep…95…not .95) and she said she was amazed that I was functioning at all. I also found out am homozygous for MTHFR C677T. I also have the Vitamin D genetic mutation. I ALSO found out that my body was making no progesterone, my estrogen with SKY HIGH, and I had almost no testosterone. She said my Vitamin D level was something like 20 when it should be much higher. I also found out that I had an adrenal sufficiency problem. My cortisol was high at night and low during the day. Everything was out of whack. The first thing she did was immediately put me on WP thyroid and 10,000 iu Vitamin D per day to start. About 20 minutes after I took my first dose of WP thyroid, that T3 hit my receptors and I FREAKED out. I called her screaming because my insides were zooming and I felt like my hair was on fire! I had no idea what was happening to me. She explained that I was getting NO T3 in the synthroid and the WP had t3 in it. She said it “woke up” those receptors and my body was just responding to it. LOL…so, she had me cut the pill into many tiny pieces to take throughout the day until my body could become accustomed to the T3. Within 2 weeks I had lost 12 pounds of fluid, the inflammation started going down in my body, my blood pressure came down, the adrenaline rushes stopped. Panic attacks eventually subsided. Once I was feeling a little better, she had me start on compounded natural progesterone and a low dose compounded topical testosterone cream to help with my hormonal imbalance, and I also started a methylated b-12 supplement and she had me go on the HCG diet, followed by a paleo type diet to help me lose more weight.. Over the span of 18 months, I lost over 60 pounds and went into remission. My body pain and all my symptoms went away. I felt better than I had in almost 2 decades. Then, unfortunately we all know what happened with WP thyroid and I ended up having to start all over again because I got really sick on Naturethroid. But, with NP, I am pretty much back to where I was with WP. I do have some problems with NP, but I can tolerate them pretty well. I haven’t been faced with having to take any of the speckled pills yet, so if and when that happens, I may have to reevaluate again.
Bottom line, my advice to you, while you’re lying in bed or on the couch, is to start with Janie’s website. Read everything. Take notes. Arm yourself with information. Write down questions that you have. We just have GOT to become our own advocates. That is one thing I have learned through this process. Then start looking in your area for functional medicine doctors. Look at the other options that Janie mentions. I found that traditional endocrinologists are not helpful when dealing with difficult thyroid cases. And many of them are just stubborn and won’t listen. I found for myself that I did best with a doctor who listens and allows me to be a part of my own healing process. I wish you all the best and I hope this helps a little. Janie is a wealth of knowledge. Take advantage of the information she has so graciously put together here for all of us. I know it helped me tremendously. All my best!
Tania
Hi All
On the new batch of NP….smell getting worse on opened bottles, anyone else notice that ?
I have added in 50 micrograms of Levothyroxine into my three grains of NP. I actually feel pretty good !!! I have had my TSH and T4 done , waiting for results. I will get a full panel done sone privately . But I wanted to say with the T4 added in, which mine was low, probably due to Cortisol, I am feeling back to virtually how I was feeling before the recipe change .
I will report back with what Labs I get . I bought the Cytomel, but I will carry on on the NP, with the added in Levo if I feel back to feeling good. I’m not sure I want to go the whole nine yards of Synthetics.
BP, pulse everything good.
Maybe it is not as potent ? But is it worth a full on over haul…I’m not too sure now /. AFTER I bought the Cytomel. Time will tell with Labs
Janet
Tania, I’m doing basically the same thing right now. I had about two weeks’ worth of older NP and after reacting to the generic Cytomel decided to use 1/2 dose Synthroid with 1/2 dose NP. I feel better than I have in ages. My Armour thyroid just came in so I’m going to do the same thing with that since my NP is running out. I’d like to try name brand Cytomel but it has the same filler ingredient (calcium sulfate) that I think I’m reacting to in the generics. For now if I can do half and half with synthetic and NDT I’ll be happy. I’ll get retested in a couple of weeks but I can definitely feel the difference.
Oddly adding the Synthroid has really helped me with brain symptoms, but if I take it by itself I get a lot of muscle pain because T3 is so important for muscle function and repair.
tania
Hi Janet
Thank you for the response. Can I ask were your lab results for T4 low on just the NDT ?
I have an unopened bottle of Cytomel sat here …cost me an arm and a leg to buy it and get it to the UK, but….I feel good on the NP, at 3 Grains with the top up of Levo at 50Micros. It is a hard call, but if you feel good, you are loath to change it all up completely.
Maybe, the NP will go back to how it was. But I have a lot of energy, my hair is good, no fluid retention. Brain fog??? Well…it’s always been a bit foggy. lol. Good luck in your journey. xx
Janie Bowthorpe
Tania, you most likely received a batch of the former NP.
Janet
Tania, my free T4 was always in the lower normal range on NDT even though TSH and T3 were optimal. It will be interesting to see if that changes with the Synthroid added (name brand). I do feel that the Synthroid really helped with brain symptoms, just not muscles. I have a muscle condition that requires optimal T3 or I get torn ligaments and tendons because my muscles seize up (it has to do with the sodium-potassium pump). So I kind of have a built-in test.
Janie Bowthorpe
If your free T4 was low in the range on NDT, that’s a sign you were underdosed. It’s never about the TSH being normal, by the way. It’s about this, as it’s t3 that changes our lives: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Lynn
I ended up testing iron myself at home and got these result that seem normal based on what I interpreted from your wonderful sttm book. Just want to double check!
iron 130 ug/dL. (30-160 ug/dL)
Transferrin Saturation 43% (14-50%)
TIBC 301.00 (220-430 ug/dL)
Ferritin 84.00 ng/mL (15-150 ng/mL)
I also am giving Armour a try.
Janie Bowthorpe
Look again: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values
Janet C.
Very interesting article. I’ve been taking Canadian desiccated thyroid by Erfa – the tablet is marked ECI 30. Since the spring of this year (2019), I’ve been feeling so much worse on this medication. I’ve been feeling extremely exhausted and sluggish and most worrisome of all is I now experience tinnitus after taking 1/2 pill. I was diagnosed as being in the beginning stages of meniere’s disease one week ago. My symptoms started at the end of April and I’m now wondering if the DT is to blame? I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in the spring of 2018 and have been taking the Erfa desiccated thyroid for 1.5 years. Any suggestions? I’d like to wean myself off of this medication and see if my meniere’s symptoms subside. Has anyone else experienced tinnitus after taking this medication?
Angie F.
I’ve noticed a ringing in the ears also..on ALL of the current dessicateds…And accompanying rise in BPs (about 20 pts systolic, about 15 points diastolic)…
dorothy
I wish we could go back to the old desiccated thyroid days before all these reformulations started. I lost my hearing suddenly in 2009 when armour reformulated. My hearing rebounded on WP thyroid. My vestibular symptoms returned on NP thyroid (when WP thyroid stopped production) and I’ve now switched to compounded synthetic. I’ve not been on it long enough to know if it will stabilize the tinnitus, dizziness, sweating, and disequilibrium. I’ve had ringing for years off and on for years also, and BP is higher when more hypo. Meniere’s can resolve itself when the thyroid is adequately treated. Hang in there…these are tough symptoms to manage.
Beth Franke
(Janie: I have two LOT#’s filled 7/3/19) I’m quite alarmed reading these comments about tinnitis. I’ve noticed this over a long time, and never would have connected these two things. I’m sitting in a silent house, and can notice the subtle high-pitched ringing in both ears as I type this. Within the past week, I had a very odd thing happen in my right ear after I added air to a Select Comfort/Sleep Number mattress, activating the compressor pump under the bed. When I released the compressor pump, which makes a considerable noise at a certain frequency & put my head on the pillow, I had a very strange buzzing vibration & sound in the right inner ear which continued for a couple minutes intermittently. I have never achieved ‘optimal FT3’ in 5 years… never above a 3.1 FT3 and always been under-dosed in my opinion regardless of product over 5-6 years: Levo 25mcg > 50mcg > 75 mcg > Synthroid 75mcg > NatureThroid 48mcg (right when it was bad that is what Dr. put me on & it took me 1 yr. of fighting for dosage increases to find out on STTM about all the problems) > 60mcg > 75mcg > NP Thyroid 90 mg (got my FT3 to a 2.9 on Quest ranges taking a 60 + a 15 — these were before the “smelly pill change” in July & were flat & oblong shape 60’s & I think round 15’s) > added Iodoral 12.5mg for 4.5 mos (too long) at same time I > NP Thyroid 120mg for 7 weeks, then reduced to 90mg for 3 mos. before testing again: recent labs dropped FT3 from 2.8 (June 2019) to 2.5 (Nov 2019) (FT3 range 2.3-4.2) on 90mg dose NP (taking 3x 30mg “cat pee” pellets which I filled in July 2019 (NOTE: they dispensed in original bottles, and I still have 2 empty ones! Filled 7/3/19 Walgreens 30mg NP Thyroid -round thick “cat pee” pellets- Exp. 12/2020 LOT M329A19-2 S/N 893087036441 GTIN 00342192329010 ). (bottle 2: Exp. 11/2020 LOT M329M18-1 S/N 463471262223 GTIN 00342192329010. Now I’m off the Iodoral / i-Throid (my iodine count went from 48 to 359 (range 52-109), although I took one pill the night before the labs…. & going back on 120mcg NP Thyroid (4x 30mg “cat pee” pellets filled in Nov 2019 and I just happened to think to check in on the thyroid forums and found all this… so upsetting, but if not for this & AFandTC FB pages, I would not know!!!! (So, THANK YOU!!) LABS: (6/21/19 when on what I feel was ‘older’ NP Thyroid 60mg +15mg) TSH .60 (.40-4.5) FT4 .9 (.8-1.8) FT3 2.8 (2.3-4.2) RT3 12 (8-25) iodine 48 (52-109) //// (11/24/19) TSH .92 (.4-4.5) FT4 .9 (.8-1.8) FT3 2.5 (2.3-4.2) RT3 11(8-25) iodine 359 (52-109) – possible skewed results, but laying off Iodoral for a while! (It did help though; at 4 weeks I felt my energy increase – should have tested sooner. At 7 weeks I got heart palpitations, so I cut back on the NP Thyroid from 120 > 90 & palpitations resolved). Walgreens does not keep Lot# or other data, and they said Acella will report it to FDA if there is a problem/no patient recourse on meds unless there is a known issue (“none reported yet” -per pharmacist) but here are the dates of my NP fills: NP Thyroid 60mg (1/13/19) // NP Thyroid 15mg (1/13/19) // NP Thyroid 30mg (5/1/19), {7/3/19} {10/7/19} – changes are subtle, but I’ve recently felt sluggish/brain foggy/fatigue again. The tinnitus has been going on a long time though -many many months- I just did not connect it to the meds.// ( ) = okay { } = “cat pee” smell/taste My Walgreens Pharmacist said he would report what I gave him (per above 2 bottles).
Julie
My new refill was purchased Oct 17, 2019. The lot number is M331G19-5. I have felt horrible since starting! And it tastes/smells horrible. I currently have a terrible cough and feel very rough (I rarely rarely get sick and no one else in my family has this). I’m definitely switching!
Tonia
I have a cough as well and got sick almost immediately after starting my Oct 10th refill. Actually, I think I was already exposed to something while traveling and didn’t start my new bottle until I got back. Within a few days, I was experiencing symptoms of a cold. By that weekend, it was even worse. I didn’t start the new stuff until 10/23 and was sick by Monday, 10/25. This past Monday, I had my appointment with my hormone doc and told her what was going on. They switched me to WP Thyroid (my request, as I did well on it before the shortage), I started those pills on Wednesday, and by Thursday I was already feeling better. Brain fog was gone, and I could focus again.
Julie
That’s interesting that you had a cough too! When did that stop? I switched back to levoxyl only bc I don’t know what else to take! It’s been about 48hours and cough is still there but I’m feeling a little better.
Rachel
I just tried my new bottle and god the smell and taste!! Put them side by side and saw the broad mottled change. I just went through this last year with Naturethroid and I can’t metabolize the synthetics!! What am I going to do???? Also just went through this with klinopin being bought out and they claim it’s the same but everyone has return of symptoms
I also have vertigo and tinnitus!!
Janie Bowthorpe
1) T4 with T3 and getting optimal
2) Compounded NDT and getting optimal — they seem to have a good source of porcine powder
3) Armour and getting optimal, and if someone can’t get there on it, they add T3 to it and get optimal
4) T3-only, multi-dosed, and getting optimal
https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Christine
I am taking the cat pee smelling NP thyroid now since early September and although they smell disgusting my most recent labs are consistent and have been great. No change in lab values and I still feel great.
Janie Bowthorpe
Post your lab results with ranges. That is not enough information.
And I think many of us would be worried as to what we’re swallowing if it smells or tastes that bad.
christine
FT3 3.9 (2.2 – 4.2), Ft 4 1.4 (0.8-1.8) , TSH 0.05 on 120 mg I am sorry if this is a positive comment.. i just thought it would help some to know not all is lost in some cases…and yes I know very well what I am swallowing !
Janie Bowthorpe
Why in the world would you apologize for a positive comment? lol.
But no, you really don’t know what you are swallowing. They seem to dodge explaining that. What is exactly causing the horrid taste? What is exactly causing the horrid smell? And you are swallowing it. On and on.
The bottom line is that for what appears to be the majority, the changed NP is not doing the job, besides causing problems for too many. And the second bottom line is that NDT’s used to not be like this.
Lynn
Glad for you! Are you taking any supplements that might be helping?
Lynn
I know that not everyone will go with this but my chiropractor did blind muscle testing with me on a bunch of medicines and supplements. The non smelly old NP was positive but the new smelly NP and strangely progesterone were not. The synthetic T3/T4 and synthroid were also positive for me.
Tania
Hi Christine
Thanks for your input, they are perfect labs !!
I have to say, My T4 on the NP has never been great, always low. So I have added in 50 Micrograms of Levo, and I am back to feeling great again. TBH, the taste does not bother me at all, so long as it works. Maybe we just have to stick with it ?? But if I had those Labs i wouldn’t change anything if I were you . x
Janie Bowthorpe
Do understand that we don’t know what we are swallowing with NP. It taste horrible, it smells horrible. NDT never, ever used to have either. And a large body are seeing a return of hypo. That alone is causing patients to avoid its
bcostigan
Interesting to see that posters values are doing great on NP Thyroid. I have a bit of a different tale…I’m in the early stages my hypothyroid. I started 1.5 grains of Armour in March. I wasn’t feeling relieve so I did blood work early October. Blood results from 1.5 grains of Armour in the AM on an empty stomach:
FT3 – 3.4 (2.3 – 4.2 pg/ml)
FT4 – 1.1 (0.8 – 1.8 ng/dl)
RT3 – 15 (8 – 25 ng/dl)
TSH – 0.90 (0.40 – 4.5 mIU/L)
The doc agreed to up my dose to 1.5 grains in the AM and 1 grain in the afternoon. This is where things get funky. They called in Armour to the pharmacy. There was a back order for Armour, so the pharmacy thought NP Thyroid was an equivalent fill, so they gave me that. I immediately read all this stuff here and had some pee smelling pills too…either way, I took 2.5 grains of NP for 2 months and felt no different. I just ran blood work – RT3 is pending, but here are the others on 2.5 grains of NP:
FT3 – 3.5 (2.3 – 4.2 pg/ml)
FT4 – 1.0 (0.8 – 1.8 ng/dl)
RT3 – Pending
TSH – 0.37 (0.40 – 4.5 mIU/L)
Unless my RT3 has shot way up, it appears the new NP Thyroid is way under-dosed…the other thing I find interesting is my TSH dropped quite a bit, but nothing else really improved.
I requested to have my script re-filled as Armour and the pharmacy obliged and didn’t even charge me for the re-fill.
I’m following this thread to see if there are improvements in NP since it is cheaper than Armour, it would be nice to have that option.
Janie Bowthorpe
So far, patient reports show nothing seems to have changed with the new, less effective NP Thyroid. And the path seems to be going the same direction that it has gone with the other, now less effective NDTs from other pharmaceuticals…a complete failure to acknowledge the high percentage of patients who have gone south on what used to do them well. NDT is simply not the quality and consistent product it used to be, and it appears that pharmaceuticals could care less, say patients.
Pam
I was doing well on the NP Thyroid until 3 month ago when i noticed the terrible smell.
I noticed every time I took the pill my stomach got so upset first I thought i had a stomach virus but soon I figured it out that it was related to the NP thyroid. My labs went down even increasing the dose did not help. I switched to Armour and my stomach pain went away already feeling better again.
Not sure what the did to the NP thyroid but whatever it is it made me feel awful
Kelly
I am wondering if anyone in this thread has found a good source of compounded desiccated thyroid? I just tried several batches of compounded desiccated and my health has never been worse, I don’t tolerate synthetic t3 and dont do well on t4 alone, I have no idea what to do. I tried my first dose of Armour today but am so scared to try anything because of how horribly ive been doing. I used to be on naturethroid before the recall and I was still sick (I have a lot of health issues) but was no where near as sick as I am now. Any feedback would be much appreciated.
Janie Bowthorpe
Since you’ve reacted to either compounded or T4/T3, that can be more about what it’s revealing in you. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
Catherine
I was previously on NP thyroid and got very sick from it. I switched to compounded pcca United States sources porcine powder with glycine for the last two and a half months on 3 and a half grains and have been doing ok. I just received a refill and the smell is very different. Normally there is little smell and it is slightly sweet. This time it smells slightly like cat litter. It is a fishy sort of rotten smell. I called the pharmacist and he denied getting a new batch of powder and said it was from the same batch as last time. I am not sure if I believe him.Has anyone else who made the switch to Compunded NDT powder experienced this? I am seriously thinking about switching to a Tirosint and Cytomel combination as I cannot live like this.
Janet
I think there is something that has changed in the extraction process for the raw materials. I left a message with Acella yesterday asking if they had done a full toxicology test to be sure there were no contaminants making us sick, but no one has responded.
I was doing well with name brand Synthroid and SigmaPharm generic Cytomel combination, but then started reacting to the filler in the Cytomel (calcium sulfate). My reactions got too severe to continue, so now we’re going to try half Synthroid and half Armour and see if I tolerate that. My husband uses Armour and it’s not too bad as far as the smell yet. But I am allergic to the opadry white which is a BPA based coating on the surface so I have to scrape it off with a knife. This is such a pain!
Tania
Hi
I’ve been adding Levothyoxine 50MCG’s to my three grains of NP now for a week, I still feel hypo, but not as much. Waiting to see my Doctor Tuesday, to let them know I want to go back on Levo, and I will be adding in T3 myself, as I doubt they will fund this on the NHS . Before I take the plunge back to the Levothyroxine nightmare , which was TSH of 6, a Free T4 of 27, Free T3 below the bottom of the range on 185MCG’s of Levo….and huge Thyroid dumps, and never feeling great tbh. I have heard a few people mention Thyroid-s on here recently from Thailand.
I’m thinking that would be a much easier route for me than the whole switch to synthetics again . Can anyone tell me if you are on Thyroid-s how you are doing on it ? Where you buy it from, if you do? And….did you switch from another NDT ? And did you have to up the dose ?
Thanks in advance
Janie Bowthorpe
Thyroid-S has worked well for years. Remember to understand optimal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Tania
Janie, thank you !!
I was put on Hydrocortisone by Dr Hertoghe years ago along with NDT and some other hormones.
I slowly swapped from Levo onto Erfra. I had very high T4…Well, you can imagine what happened with my first dose of Hydrocortisone !!!! HUGE Hyperthyroid reaction….I will remember it all my God given days !! Now, my Saliva Cortisol was low. I had a blood draw at AM at the doctors, and it was below the bottom of the range. They thought Addisons and did the short Synachtin test. said i had adrenal function. I think years of being Hypo Thyroid had exhausted my Adrenals . But I am very Autto immune so they said the Addisons would go with the Hashis and the Type 1 Diabetes , which I have had since childhood.
Dr Hertoghe’s bloods showed very low Cortisol, and he said I would be on Cortisol for the rest of my life . I spent a year on it…i did well at first, but I did start to feel over cooked on all of it. I gradually weaned myself off Prednisone as i thoight with fixing my Throid and giving my Adrenals a rest I would manage without it .
After reading your very good link. I realise that my labs on NDT, off prednisone, I always had the low T4, and the high T3, well, optimal T3. Maybe with being Hypo Thyroid for ten years, I got used to feeling suboptimal, and optimal I just felt too over cooked ??? I had very high Testosterone on the Prednisone, over the very top of the range for a woman .They said I had “sudo” polycystic ovary syndrome , with no cysts. I think it was making anti bodies to long acting insulin, and locking it up in my blood .
One thing that has always puzzled me that Hertoghe said, is….I had no antibodies to show Hashis, but he said that was because my body had already destroyed my Thyroid ?? But before treatment my TSH was only 7 , with bottom of the range T3 and T4…i was not well, but I was certainly not ill, ill. With a complete destruction of the Thyroid, would a TSH not be in big double figures ?
I think the Cortisol will be my problem once more Janie . i have had a very rapid and sudden weight loss again, since the change in NP… 8 KG in a few weeks . So not exactly a hypo symptoms, but when my adrenals crashed before, i lost huge amounts of weight .
I will do a saliva Cortisol, and decide from there whether to go the Levo/Cytomel route, or the Thyroid-S route . Maybe neither will be right until I address the underlying Adrenal problem, and maybe I do need to be on predisone for the rest of my life. Thank you so much for helping to piece stuff together . You are a very good person.
Mimi
I posted a couple of weeks ago regarding NP by Acella My pharmacist switched out for a newer version and it doesn’t smell as bad but I am not feeling any better. I have labs tomorrow so we will see. Can you tell me what meds everyone has had good results with if they have switched from NP???
It was working great for me before these tainted batches. Thanks
Jean
I switched to natural compound d and it’s working g well.