NOTE: if you are reading this via the email notification signup (bottom of any page on the Stop the Thyroid Madness [STTM] website), none of the links will work in the email. Click on the title of the blog post, which will take you to the actual post, then click on the links.
This blog post can be important for you as a hypothyroid or autoimmune Hashimoto’s patient.
Recently, US Representative Katie Porter thoroughly and pointedly GRILLED Richard A. Gonzalez, the CEO of the pharmaceutical company, Abbvie (formerly Allergan). In fact, she figuratively pulled his pants down.
And if that company name sounds only vaguely familiar, Abbvie makes the life-changing Armour desiccated thyroid—a porcine-based hypothyroid medication which has clearly changed lives since the 1890s once a patient or their doctor clearly understands how to use it correctly. And years of patient reports show that it has done this far more aptly than T4-only like Synthroid or Levothyroxine for millions.
Additionally, Armour desiccated thyroid by AbbVie is the ONLY remaining desiccated thyroid product on the US market (more information about that below), yet it’s price has gone FAR too high for the financial comfort of many patients.
And why did Representative Porter successfully slaughter Mr. Gonzalez? It was about the ridiculous INFLATED PRICES, the hollow justification of the inflated prices, their enrichment of shareholders over the well-being of patients, and the lies from the company.
Humira and Imbruvica
Now granted, the medication focus of what she did was on the ridiculously HIGH prices for an anti-inflammatory medication called Humira, of which the price has been raised 27 times!!
It was also focused on the NINE times price increases of Imbruvica since 2013, a cancer medication made by AbbVie.
We are the new price gouging target
Whether you have autoimmune Hashimoto’s disease or any cause of hypothyroidism, we as thyroid patients are now the unfortunate and egregious target of a ridiculous price raise a few years ago for the LIFE-CHANGING Armour natural desiccated thyroid. This price gouging has not been easy for a large body of hypothyroid or Hashi’s patients whose well-being depends on a now much higher price for Armour desiccated thyroid with its T4, T3, T3, T1, and calcitonin.
Even worse for hypothyroid or Hashi’s patients…
- There have been recalls of RLC’s Naturethroid and WP Thyroid, as well as twice of NP Thyroid by Acella. Something badly changed in all of them when the only US distributor of porcine powder ceased to make it.
So Armour is the ONLY US-made desiccated thyroid left, and which continues to work for the vast majority if they and their doctors understand how to use it correctly and how to spot and treat the cause of perceived problems!! It’s a medication which has completely changed lives since the 1890s. Also see Chapter 2 in the updated revision STTM book. - Even compounders are stating they are having a hard time finding a consistent and quality porcine powder anymore.
YET THERE ARE PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FINANCIALLY because of the ridiculous price increase of Armour desiccated thyroid a few years ago by AbbVie.
Another whammy: Insurance companies and Medicare
Not only do hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s patients have to deal with a now MUCH higher price for Armour (as compared to the previous affordable price that was there for years), we have many insurance companies as well as Medicare refusing to cover this life-saving and safe medication.
For Medicare, they wrongly believe it’s dangerous if you are over the age of 65. Yet, there are MANY, MANY hypothyroid patients over 65 who report changed lives on desiccated thyroid, especially once they and their doctors understand how to use it…and especially understand how important it is to have the right amount of cortisol and iron before raising natural desiccated thyroid.
Kudos to Representative Katie Porter
Want to see her downsizing of Richard A. Gonzalez, the CEO of the pharmaceutical company, Abbvie? Go here and play the video. Below the video, you’ll see a transcript.
What’s next?
Good question. We’ll just hope that this disgusting revelation about AbbVie by Representative Porter will continue to emphasize that PATIENTS NEED AFFORDABLE MEDICATIONS and not for the sake of extravagantly lining the pockets of CEO’s and shareholders.
Please note: YOUR COMMENT WILL NOT BE APPROVED if you get into political ranting or controversial political names of any kind. This is only a post to discuss how medication prices affect you, your thoughts on the gouging, or to send support and thanks to anyone like US Representative Katie Porter for unmasking and making naked to anyone’s eye about pharmaceuticals, price gouging, and related.
Here’s the YOUTUBE version of Rep. Porter’s takedown of CEO RIchard A. Gonzalez.
Here’s the Wikipedia page for Representative Katie Porter.
Rep. Porter Introduces 2019 Legislation to Crack Down on Pharmaceutical Price Spikes
This is a revealing article about pharmaceutical price gouging in 2019.
Stop Price Gouging Act by the US Congress
A 2020 plea to Pharmaceuticals to stop gouging meds
POST SCRIPT: There appear to be some people who themselves are so political that they negatively accuse this post and myself, Janie Bowthorpe, of being “political”. That is ridiculous and shows who is the one being political. This post would have gone up whether the Representative was Democrat, Republican, or Independent.
The bottom line is that this post is about standing up to those pharms who price gouge. Period. A few years ago, Armour just suddenly went FAR higher in price, even while other brands (which we can’t use anymore because of the recalls) stayed where they were back then. So depending on what someone has to take to get out of their hypothyroid state, the price became ridiculous, all while other NDTs stayed the same lower price, So stop making it political, and focus on the message.
Important notes: All the information on this website is copyrighted. STTM is an information-only site based on what many patients worldwide have reported in their treatment and wisdom over the years. This is not to be taken as personal medical advice, nor to replace a relationship with your doctor. By reading this information-only website, you take full responsibility for what you choose to do with this website's information or outcomes. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use.
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114 Responses to “The CEO of ABBVIE, the price gouger of Armour desiccated thyroid, got his pants pulled down!”
Barbara Krall
AbbVie has a patient assistance program that provides Armour Thyroid at no charge to qualifying patients.
https://www.abbvie.com/patients/patient-support/patient-assistance.html
You have to jump through some paperwork hoops but once approved you receive a 1 year supply at no charge. 800-222-6885
Just be aware that the customer service reps often give out conflicting info (not deliberately I am sure — I think they are probably not trained properly).
The income cap is $87,480 for 1 individual.
https://www.abbvie.com/patients/patient-support/patient-assistance/income-criteria.html
Vickie Pleiss
Medicare nor government programs, including Medicaid, Medicare advantage, etc.. Only insured qualify. No help for seniors. I pay the cheapest price in town. I paid $130 by buying 90 days. $65 month otherwise. (I’m required to be on Medicare since I’m over 65.)
Steven Bennett
Just read the comments by Janie Bowthorpe dated May 20, 2021. It looks like Abbvie is at it again. Ninety days ago, I paid 48.99 for a 90 day supply of Armour Thyroid (30mg) tablets. Today, I paid 89.34 for the same prescription for 90 Days. In both cases, I was using the Walgreens savings card. When I checked the good rx website, it looks like the average cost from all Pharmacies is close to 90 and some odd dollars for the same prescription across the board. That is an 82% increase in price within 90 days. Insane! Wish there was another treatment for Hypothyroidism out there because I’m allergic to the synthetic thyroid medications.
Steven Bennett
Still feel the same way, but after further investigation, Walgreens decided to drop their savings plan coverage by over 40% without notifying anyone. Coupled with a 6.67% retail price increase, caused the effective 82% increase in price in 90 days. Looks like I have to shop around for another pharmacy.
AI Dogmom
I have Hashi’s and ended up with a dog with AI thyroiditis too – fun fact, dogs require over twice the NDT a human takes when optimal. Anyway, we both take Np Thyroid since WP disappeared, but I have to pay full price for hers (because she’s a canine). The cost of Np Thyroid has jumped up twice since the pandemic started and is now in line with the overly inflated Armour price. It’s actually a smidge MORE expensive than Armour! 200 2-grain pills are $420 where Armour would be $400 for the same amount. I see lower prices locally on Good Rx (in the $200s), but when we call they never actually have stock to fill the prescription. Can’t find anyone talking about a Np Thyroid massive price increase. Is anyone else noticing it? Anyone know the cause? Is it supply-chain related? Related to the FDA recalls and competing with AbbVie?
Janie Bowthorpe
Here is the latest of many articles about what pharmaceuticals are really about: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/books/pharma-gerald-posner.html
Carrie
Janie, what do you think of the attached article?
As a medical assistant, I hear patient complaints often. They still ask about Nature-Throid. It seems to have been the best for most of our patients. NP has been the second choice. Armour has not worked for many, of course the price hasn’t helped. I would like to know if you think there is something to this article: https://www.restartmed.com/thyroid-medication-recalls-in-2020/
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Carrie. It’s better to understand why someone would complain about the remaining NDT, Armour, that still works for a strong camp of patients.
Yes, there definitely seem to be some batches or Armour that came out which appear to have been a little messed up. Labs were showing it, too.
But there are also complaints that have nothing to do with bad batches/changes..so far. Some complaints will arise because the individual never got their free T4 and free T3 optimal. If you aren’t truly optimal, it nearly always backfires with a return of symptoms. The individuality is when it backfires. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Or, there will be complaints due to having low iron or inflammation. Either of those will push RT3 up, the inactive thyroid hormone. And symptoms that can resemble hypothyroidism can happen. So it’s imperative to learn about and test RT3: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3
Or, there will be complaints while on Armour due to having a cortisol problem. High cortisol can also push RT3 up. And any cortisol problem (mostly lows or mix of lows and highs) can cause T3 to go high in the blood, not making it well to the cells, and hyper-like symptoms will happen as one raises Armour or just T3. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/pooling
Or, someone will make the mistake of thinking their doctor knows what he or she is doing, and hold the patient hostage to the TSH. BAD mistake. It’s never about the TSH. It’s about the frees and RT3. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless
Here’s what STTM posted a year ago: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2020/09/20/2020-the-year-of-desiccated-thyroid-recalls/
Deanna Tomski
I had TSH 36 mcIU/mL when was diagnosed with Hashi; high TPEX and TGAB (304 IU/mL), and low freeT4&T4. Yet my body still produced T3 somehow (it was in the normal range). I had all the classic symptoms-cold, brain fog, thinning hair, bad nails, fatigue… excluding the only one-my weight stayed the same (I am on a slimmer side.) As a postmenopausal woman, I had very low Progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone as well as 10 times higher cortisol than normal. Till the moment I was diagnosed, I didn’t take any medication neither for thyroid nor for anything else. I guess I just missed the development of the disease many years ago unless it hit me hard. My Dr put me on the synthetic T4/T3 (76/18). All parameters -T4, T3 , TSH came into a norm but TPEX & TGAB didn’t change. To my understanding, the drug is just masking the problem by “hiding” the damaged thyroid from the attacks of the immune system. Yet, my symptoms improved a little bit but not enough to feel better.
My question is: would be Armour a better option for me?
Janie Bowthorpe
There’s a good chance that the amount of T4 and T3 you are on isn’t making your Free T4 and Free T3 optimal. We raise until we achieve what’s on this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
CAWS
So this article was about the drug king CEO being hammered about drug prices. Are we looking at any relief for Thyroid meds? I have been paying $50 for 90 / 90mg Armour tabs [3 months supply] for years and all of a sudden the best price I can find [with a coupon] is $140. !!
Same for Cytomel. I was paying $32 for 90/ 25mcg of brand name Cytomel in MAY 2021 and now they want $240! WTF?
Are we to expect some relief for thyroid patients because of this woman, should we not get our hopes up or call our Congress person? Seems I can get GENERIC Cytomel for $44 at Kroger [with coupon] but have never tried that before. Has anybody here used the generic? I don’t have Medicare part D either because my meds cost less than the insurance.& now I see they won’t cover Armour anyway. I have been on this for 31 years and yes it did stop working around 2015 so we added Cytomel to the mix.
I don’t know how many of you are aware of this; but in 2000 Synthoid was sued in a class action lawsuit and paid out 106 million to plaintiffs . Found guilty of RACKETEERING. They were able to overcharge because they mislead doctors about the superior effectiveness of their drug and prevented cheaper generic drugs AND Armour from selling product. Later on they lobbied for Armour to have to go through full FDA approval testing even though they were exempt since they had been on market for 100 years. I believe that was around the time it disappeared from the market for a while while they fought this. That is why to this day it is a battle to get & keep an Armour prescription as the MDs still think [because of the drug reps] Synthroid is the one that works better than all the others. Not true. Many of us can’t convert the synthetic T-4 to T-3 especially if metal poisoned by the dentists!
FS
I just got my second 6 month prescription for Armour filled. I am on a Michigan expanded Medicaid plan. The first time I got it filled, the pharmacy subbed NP Thyroid – I think because the plan wouldn’t pay for the Armour. This time when I got it filled, I got the Armour. Not sure if my Michigan Medicaid plan added Armour to the Rx list or what, but I was happy to get the Armour. No more cat pee taste!
Chris
Hi so I recently transitioned off Armour 120 mg to 75 mcg of Tirosint and 50 mcg split of liothiroine. I asked my doc to do this bc I was starting to feel foggy off the Armour. It’s been 8 days on this regimen and I feel ok. How long does It normally take? And if a 4 week trial doesn’t do this, would it be better to go back on Armour?
Does the t1 and t2 have much better benefits or is it just the T4/t3 ?
Janie Bowthorpe
Chris, you were foggy on Armour because 120 mg makes practically no one optimal. You simply needed to raise it. Read this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Chris
Actually not true. For a year and change I was a 1.2 FT4 and 3.8 FT3 and those stayed level. RT3 stayed at a 12.
Then numbers went to .9 ft4 and 3.1 and 3.0 in the last two labs. So no Armour is definitely funky.
Janie Bowthorpe
Read the blog post better. I talk about both sides of experiences.
Janie Bowthorpe
Sorry, today’s blog post. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2021/07/06/is-armour-working-or-not/. There are actually two sides going on here.
And for those who have found armour not to be working, I’d be curious what happens if you raise it trying to get optimal.
Chris
Do you recommend going up to 3 grains
Janie Bowthorpe
Generally, what we’ve learned to do is when we get to the two grain area somewhere, to do labs to see where we stand. Then we raise to achieve what’s written about in this page: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
KB
Janie-Have you heard anything about the quality of porcine thyroid from New Zealand? I have found a source for it that’s not expensive, though it takes almost 5 weeks to receive it. The bottle lists the equivalent of 1grain of desiccated porcine thyroid plus fillers, and nothing else. Has anyone else asked you about it, or told you their results from using it? Thanks-Kathy
Janie Bowthorpe
There are comments that Argentina is weaker and New Zealand can be fine.
TG
Hi KB – can I ask which brand this is, and which website/company you are ordering it from? Thanks
Judy
Hi Janie
I finally got my desiccated compound thyroid prescription filled. I did ask the pharmacist where do they get their porcine powder from. He told me that they get it from China. He said like everyone else does. Ok, so I opened one capsule powder was white a bit sweet don’t know if it was the loxoral that they used as a filler. But then I added a few drops of water and the powder turned brownish and the cat pee smell was there. Prior to adding the water there wasn’t much of an odor.
So, I guess China is where the porcine e powder is coming from. I won’t be taking them. I don’t want to risk getting sick. So, I started armour. Too early to tell if it’s working.
Janie Bowthorpe
Now you have given us very interesting and unique information as far as opening it up, adding the water, smelling it. Thank u for this post.
As far as Armour, there are still plenty of people who are finding it to work fine…if they understand to get their frees optimal. And to get optimal, we have to have good cortisol levels (free T3 will go high in the range or above, and that is pooling, meaning it’s not getting to the cells) and good iron levels. If iron is too low, RT3 goes up.
Judy
Please feel free to post on Facebook. Thanks
Janie Bowthorpe
And would you mind if I copy what you wrote for a post on the STTM Facebook page? I don’t have to use your name if you don’t want me to.
Judy
I also forgot to mention that prior to adding water ithe powder was smooth. When i added the water it became coarse.
Christal
So is Armour still working? I’ve seen some unsettling but passionate posts claiming that it’s gone downhill,and that everyone should just give up and switch to t4/t3. I ask because I know I’m getting a dose increase (I’ve seen my labs) at my next doctors appointment. I’ve only been on armour a few months, and had to switch doctors to find someone willing to raise according to frees and symptoms, I know she would be willing to switch to t3/t4 but I don’t want to over complicate things. Is there a good patient support group that you recommend?
Janie Bowthorpe
I did a poll of MANY people which includes those who had just picked up their prescription, and YES, it is STILL working. You have to take into account that a body of those people who swear it isn’t working were NOT optimal (which will cause a working NDT to backfire), or have a cortisol problem (which will cause T3 to not make it to the cells well) or had high RT3 (which will cause feel-bads and can lower free T3.)
Of course there can always be a stray bad batch. But overall, the evidence is definitely not there yet that Armour has gone downhill.
Christal
Thank Jamie, I will continue with Armour, it has been so much better for me then Levothyroxine.
Susana Mora
Janie, Love your response. I have been on Armour for 2 years. I have low cortisol in the morning and my reverse T3 was high so I recently started a lower dose of Armour(90mg Armour plus 25mg of cytomel). Am I one of those people that should not stay with Armour because I am not currently optimal?
Janie Bowthorpe
Not sure what you mean. But when our RT3 is high, we tend to go low with Armour like 60 mg if RT3 is quite high, for example) and use T3 (to stop the conversion to RT3) and to raise until our free T3 is optimal. We also have to treat the cause of the RT3. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/reverse-t3 Plus give ourselves cortisol for a low.
Tina Rizzo
My question is if anyone else had any issues in the last year with having to up the dosage of their armour? I have been for years. I am up to double the amount of what I was taking last year and with the price of it, it’s crazy.
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Tina. The problem with your question is that if you were underdosed, hypothyroid symptoms can come back. Thus the need to up your armour. That is why this page exists: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Barbara
My question is how can I contribute to the movement to get Medicate to approve NDT’s and not just the synthetic drug made by pharma? I have been on NP, Amour and compounding since my Total Thyroidectomy 15 years ago. Now on Medicare and they refuse to pay for Armour. Can’t take Synthroid. I’m stuck paying not only for my monthly fee for Medicate but also my Armour.
Janie Bowthorpe
That’s a very good question. I would first recommend getting on the internet and typing in something along that line and see what you can find. Something like “getting Medicare to approve a drug”. Then let us know.
Joan Smutko
It’s not just Medicare and Part D. The policy I had before going on Medicare didn’t pay for Armour either, so I think research has to be done on ALL insurance policies and whether they cover Armour. Is it just Medicare, and my former insurance which won’t cover it, or is it ALL insurances which won’t cover?
Joanne Seward
Hi Janie.
Saw an integrative doctor. From prior bloodwork is bumping T3 from 9.7 to 10.0 mcg. Is that considered a big increase and if so what positive changes will I notice?. Been on 8 days now. Take one in AM and one in PM. On a compounded meds with both T4 and new T3 amount.
Judy
Hi All
For anyone who’s been on desiccated compound or bio identical compound for at least a couple of months. Please let us know about your experience. Would love to know if those that have posted here at one time or another. If you are still on the compound medication Any follow up. I know there’s been some who have posted in the past.
Thanks
Janie Bowthorpe
The problem with this question is that you can have someone reporting problems with NDT or compounded, when the reality is they are underdosed, or have high RT3, or other issues which are really the problem, not the NDT or compounded.
Dawn
Hi Janie,
Happy June! I hope you are doing well. Question: I have been squirreling the last of my good NP from an rx 3 years ago. I took 2 grains, was doing so well until the nonsense happened. My doctor wrote me a script for synthetic T3 which I started last Friday. I take 1 old NP and 12.5 mg of T3. I understand this is a bit more T3 than what I was taking before.
Unfortunately I started getting hypo symptoms yesterday. Enlarged tongue, painful soles of feet, scrambling for words, etc..
Is this normal? How long before I can increase the T3? I feel like I’m only getting the benefit of the good old NP.
Thank you, as always, for your guidance and help! Please know how appreciative I am of you!
Janie Bowthorpe
We are able to raise T3 every week
And this is our goal: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Dawn
Thanks so much, Janie. I have your book and have referenced it many a time. My brain fog was so bad that I didn’t even think to look at the book for my answer.
Thank you a million times over! You are beyond a blessing!!
Terre Bolton
Abbvie acquired Allergan in late 2019 and when people get back to going in for fillers & botox, Abbvie should make a mint. Maybe, then, they will drop prices on Armour–we can, only hope. OR, maybe RLC labs will get their Nature-throid issue straightened out once & for all
Lorie
And this is why I self treat with overseas T3 (way cheaper), Nutrimed and iodoral with the end goal to eventually move to iodoral only. After the death of my brother from cancer almost 4 years ago, I’ve finally been able to decrease my 5 mg of prednisone 2.5mg. I’m not waking up doubled over in pain any more and I’m beginning to lose weight. The pharmacy companies that make desiccated thyroid meds are price gouging us. My goal is to never be held hostage again by pharmacies for my thyroid med.
Judy
Janie
What would you recommend as good fillers. For compound desiccated thyroid. I have appointment with doctor and I’m going to have her send script to try compound. As with most I’m running out of options
Thanks
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi. It’s individual. For example, some do olive oil, some do Vitamin C, etc. 🙂
Kelly
The last thyroid med in regular pharmacies left for me to try is Armour, I feel very nervous about trying this med, the fact that it has been sold to Abbvie, and it seems to not work for a lot of people, Does the manufacturer on the newer bottles say forest/allergan or Abbvie?
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 the 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.
If anyone has any feedback or sources to good desiccated that is being compounded, I would greatly appreciate any guidance,
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
Kelly
Since I was doing well on Naturethroid shouldnt the problem of me not doing well on the compounded desiccated or Armour (which I started a few days ago and am already having reactions) point to the meds being the problem and not my adrenals or iron?
Janie Bowthorpe
To do poorly on two different products does imply either an iron or cortisol problem
Judy
Kelly. I’m curious. Did your desiccated compound have a weird smell. Like cat pee? Did you have a chance to smell them. Maybe that would be an indication of what they are using.
Christopher
Hi Janie,
Love your work. I have a question. My labs were optimal for a good year on Armour 120 mg (came off of 100 mcg of symthroid in January 2020) through January of 2021 my free T4 was 1.4 ; free t3 was a 3.8 and TSH was a .17. But was feeling good. Over the last 2.5 months, I’ve felt like crap. Then my labs in April read the same TSH and a lower ft4 – .9 and ft3 (3.1).
My endo said he wouldn’t pump up my medication and I am feeling underdosed. So I made an appointment with a functional medicine doctor and NUrse practictioner who own an optimal hormone wellness clinic in Florida. They want to just add t3 to my Armour but I feel like I need more T4 and t3.
She mentioned compounding pharmacy T4/t3 if I’m concerned about Armour not working. I mentioned to her my doctor put me on a trial of 125 mcg of tirosint and 25 mcg of t3 (t3 dosed 25 mcg 2x a day) and I felt fantastic and my numbers didn’t change but my endo said that was too much t3 and brought me down to 20 mcg and felt blah.
If Armour the same dose is an issue, (which I don’t trust abbvie since they’re synthroid 🤢) should I ask for a 125/50 T4/t3 combo of Tirosint and cytomel or compound that dose ? .
Janie Bowthorpe
When we are moving to synthetic T4 and synthetic T3, we try to get on the same amount of what once worked with NDT. So if 2 grains once worked, that would be around (depending on mg amount of either in pill form) 76mcg T4 and 18 mcg T3. And if for some reason, you still need a raise, a raise would be 94mcg T4 and 22.5 T3. Etc.
Christopher
Yes, I met with my functional Doctors NP. She believes since I was optimal before it should bounce back but is adding 25 mcg of t3 to my daily dose of 120 mg of Armour.
Janie Bowthorpe
Why not just raise the Armour?
Christopher
I honestly asked if I should just do 100 mcg of Tirosint and 50 mcg of t3? She wants to do compounding if this additional 25 mcg work
Janie Bowthorpe
And I gave you an honest answer about equivalent amounts between NDT and T4/T3. lol. And I would have no idea what an additional 25mcg will do. That’s about finding out with labs a week later.
Christopher
OMg I’m so sorry I meant I honestly asked my doctor about it. Not meant towards you lol.
Janie Bowthorpe
And there’s the problem with communicating on a silent computer/phone screen. lol.
I’m still curious why she isn’t just raising your Armour. Raising Armour until optimal has been doing the trick for decades. I think doctors are VERY insecure about the use of NDT and even T3.
Christopher
So she works for a functional practice and believes she wants to get my T3 up. So she’s very focused on increasing my free t3 towards the top range. She added 25 mcg of t3 in top of my 120 mg of Armour.
Before I got put on Armour I was on 100 mcg of synthroid until my free t3 started to go to the tank.
Janie Bowthorpe
Having the free T3 in the top area of the range (when one has the right amount of cortisol) is what we have learned to shoot for. If we stop midrange where we do start feeling better, it all eventually backfires. Midrange ends up not being enough longterm. At the top part of the range ends up being the right amount for longterm with no backfire.
It would have still been fine for her to just raise the Armour to get that free T3 up there, though, as long as you maintain an RT3 at the bottom of the range or below.
Christopher
Yeah my RT3 was a 12 so not entirely worried. Would it be best to go up to 3 grains and add 5-10 mcg of t3 or is that too much?
Janie Bowthorpe
12 can mean the RT3 is climbing, we have noticed. As far as your question, I would have no idea. We as patients go up based on the free T3 and free T4, but we have to watch the RT3.
Christopher
Yeah on the RT3 ever since starting Armour my RT3 went from a 23 to a 13 then has been 12 the last 2 labs.
James lake
Its allways about the money and pumping up stock value. And never about patient health conserns.
Terre bolton
Ah, I could have written your post!–however; my dr. is willing to work with me. I have been on levo & cytomel @ current dosage for 3.5weeks. I feel much improved and will do labs tomorrow as I’ve started w/some mild heart pounding. Had this using NP after Nature-throid recalled. Felt horrid on NP. I like that one can titrate the T4 & T3 individually. Would be great to have Armour $$s brought down as it worked for me yearrrrrs ago
Suzanne Patterson
This makes me so sad. Armour is the only treatment that has ever worked for me. Without it my life would be much different, and not for the better. And there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do about it. No one listens to us. From Abbvie we get excuses, and from the government we get lip service. I’m not saying that Katie Porter isn’t sincere. But without support from others in Congress nothing will be done. I wish that there was some way that we could band together and start our own manufacturing facility, but that’s not possible. So we’re left at the mercy of those who should care about us, but have shown that they don’t.
Christopher
I don’t trust abbvie. They screwed up synthroid with a bunch of nonsense fillers. Since they bought allergen – I’ve noticed it doesn’t have that old Armour smell and the pills aren’t as thick. Plus the effectivity is off. I’m hoping to get off it.
Cathy
There is talk of Armour no longer working over the last couple of months and labs crashing for people.who have been on Armour for years. Has anyone here experienced this?
Janie Bowthorpe
Understand that there has always, always been some claiming this about any NDT. And yes, there can also occasionally be a batch that was off for most any NDT.
But for the rest, and when you dig deeper, you discover that the person wasn’t truly optimal, or had a rising RT3, or had a cortisol issue, etc….even when they deny it and think they were optimal, think their cortisol is fine, think their iron is fine, etc. When they show their labs, it’s all there as to why they didn’t do well.
Bobbi
It has not worked for me for almost teo and a half years. No matter the dose . And the two endos that listened to my sysmotoms and Janies info I sent them to back my claim up have left their practice , which seems to happen I do not know if its because and I mean no meaness or rudeness against any race , religion or what not but these ladies are indians working in a male indian practice and it makes me wonder . Im hoping they have plans in the near future of setting up their own private practice and in my home state . Or they went home to their country to help heal their countymen/women which is just as good !!!
Aimee
Cathy yes, I have heard this too! Armour isn’t working anymore, according to the folks at Adrenal Fatigue & Thyroid Care group on Facebook. They claim they are affiliated with STTM but Janie’s saying otherwise that it’s still a viable option, so who knows…Personally I have noticed the color of my pills are changed; less yellow/cream color and instead more of an off-white color & they’re thinner. I take 180 + 30mgs of Armour daily, plus 10mcgs T3
Christopher
Hi Aimee,
Armour I believe isn’t working and it’s not the adrenals. I was optimal for a good year on 120 mg (1.4 T4 and 3.8 ft3) and they crashed down to .9 and 3.1 in April. So something is off and I didn’t make any changes to my dose.
I’m looking at compounding or going T4/t3 route.
Janie Bowthorpe
I would love to figure out what has happened to you with Armour. i.e. is it one batch that may have gone bad and another batch will better….or is this permanent for awhile and why. There are still SO many people doing well on Armour, even with new bottles being picked up. So we are in a waiting game….
Fiona
Hi Janie,I have been on armour for many years and found it amazing until the last 6 months approximately. Am very healthy but in the last few months all my old symptoms coming back. Something is not right with armour ..Please advise
Janie Bowthorpe
That may have nothing to do with Armour. It may be because you’ve kept yourself underdosed all this time (which means that though you may have felt good for a while, it is backfired), or your rt3 is gone up (which should be in the very bottom part of the range or below).
Here is an explanation of what we have found optimal to be: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal
Tracy L Curry
How can we help? How we organize & galvanize what Katie Porter has “started”?
I was on Naturethroid with a brainless medical group who didn’t even respond to the recall until their office ran out of it. Then they switched me to Nature-thyroid. I only realized that TOO had been recalled after I stopped using their medical services because none of my numbers for ANY hormones were ever right in the year I was going to their practice. Armour is SO expensive, I’m currently TRYING Levothyroxine & Cytomel. I’m so frustrated like everyone else.
Bobbi
I feel everyones frustration , fear, and anger on being kept sick by price gauging . No one deserves to be kept feeling like they have the mind of the walking dead. And constant fear of not knowing if tomorrow or this night is their last . We all know if the thyroid, pituitary, hypothalamus, and thyroid are not in sync heart attacks and strokes are most def guarenteed to happen as well as adrenals tanking . Im praying fir us all as well as my son whose been ignored and begged for the full thyroid panel being told the TSH is all thats needed and what they went by and i had enough and bought a panel online and sure as God’s son turhed water into wine he is severly hypothyroid with a RT3 of 38 and no doctor willing to treat him for it.
Bobbi
Adrenals along with pituitary, hypothalamus and thyroid . Im in a moving car forgive me for the errors.ðŸ˜
Lorraine Carlucci
Thank you for looking out for patients’ interests and not those of Big Pharma. Natural desiccated thyroid is the closest thing we have to what nature makes in a healthy thyroid gland. Hypothyroid patients who rely on this natural medicine to replace their missing thyroid hormones should not be made the victims of price-gouging pharmaceutical companies. Please keep this and other medicines so many depend upon for our health both affordable and reliable at all times.
Gloria Peters
Thank you so much for sharing this! It appears to me that the powers up there are doing their best to phase out NDTs and to make it so unaffordable to people who do well on NDTs so they will switch to more affordable synthetics (T4/T3);so basically forcing thyroid patients to take just Synthetic T4 and T3; it is about $$; not about patients; and it has become so obvious and sad. I saw this coming too; good for this woman Katie for speaking up! Sometimes I think the medical world thinks thyroid patients are stupid! (and the old should not take it after age 65 is just so they can keep patients unhealthy, making it convenient for doctors to dose just one pill (T4) and make their $$ off of Synthroid).
barb scott
When dealing with Abbvie, please add the price of Synthroid the list. Synthroid is also made by Abbvie. I, like others, take it along with compounded T3. Price keeps going up and insurance pays less and less. Thanks for all you do.
Stephen Farkash
Actually, it’s not only Armour. I thought I might not be able to get NPThyroid anymore following the second recall. Turns out my existing prescription wasn’t one of the recalled lots. When I renewed my prescription, it had gone from a $10 a month co-pay to $31 a month. I also thought it wasn’t working at an optimum level but turns out my face swelling and redness was rosacea. So, the affordable option of NPThyroid, following a second recall, now costs more than 3 times what it did. Pharma is out of control and has bought enough members of Congress to ensure nothing will be done about price gouging. It’s hard to find a reason for optimism. Not enough Katie Porters.
Debra Cantwell
A very big Thank you to Katie Porter and Janie Alexander Bowthorpe.
I am a Canadian and I am sick of this nonsense of drug companies are causing drugs to be less effective, less reliable, periodically unavailable and very expensive.
It’s time this excessive greed and corruption was stopped.
Pharmaceutical need to start doing the right thing today!
I don’t know what to say to scream any louder this is wrong.
We’ve been wronged.
This needs to stop!
Connie Demmy
Thank you Representative Katie Porter. It’s about time one of our leaders stood up against unethical Pharma. God bless you. I stopped taking NDT over a year ago and now only use LIOTHYRONINE because it was just too difficult to locate a reliable and affordable source each time I needed to refill a prescription. Although I would prefer to use a more natural source like NDT.
Catherine Clark
I am retired, and now on a fixed income. I cannot afford Armour. The best I can do is NP thyroid. So this price gouging angers me, as this is probably why it is out of reach for me. Disgusting. Only in America.
Rose
Yes, price gouging has been absurd. It used to cost $19 for a 3 month supply. Now $60 for one month which $180 for 3. That is 10 times the price. I do ask my endo to ask Medicare Part D insurers to cover my NDT. They always say yes but the amount they actually cover is minimal. Maybe it would work better for someone else with this insurance.
D Nader
Rep. Katie Porter is a hero but we need MORE like her.
Thanks for this opportunity to respond. Armour saved my life 15 years ago.
I had done research (STTM led me to this life-saving info! and still guides me)
and had to change doctors three times to find a partner and true warrior in
my personal struggle. My health rapidly declined on the other insurance covered meds.- I kept
going back to Armour NDT because it works! And works well. And is consistent in delivering
what it is designed for.
Kelly
Suze, I am wondering what you are taking right now? I tried compounded desiccated after I ran out of naturethroid and did horrible on it. I switched to armour and am now reacting to that as well. I did not do well with compounded T4/T3 so I am not sure what to do. I called the compounding pharmacy to see where they sourced their desiccated thyroid and they said PCCA but could not tell me where PCCA gets theirs. It seems like the last thing I can try is time released compounded synthetic T3 along with a T4.. I really don’t know what to do. I am wondering if anyone here has been able to find a good source of desiccated?
suze
I wonder why all these companies never have to say where they get their desiccated thyroid powder. Obviously the source of the pig thyroids is important. What country? How are the pigs raised? Is the facility inspected? How is the procedure done, gathering the thyroids and drying them? Is the powder fully tested for T3 and T4 amounts and any other ingredients before being given to Acella or any other maker? Did Acella and other companies do their own tests for potency before making the pills? Obviously not or there would not have had to be a recall of batches that did not match the label. All this “desiccated thyroid” source has been taken on blind trust and faith. I know from my own experience I did perfectly well on Erfa desiccated thyroid in 2013-2014 and it became subpotent when I started new, changed batches, making me hypothyroid. They denied changing anything but hundreds of patients saw their symptoms return. I say go to the source: find out where the thyroids are being processed and stop using dodgy sources. Clearly Acella and all the others were being misled by the source of their thyroid raw materials. Are the companies testing the powder they get from foreign sources before they make it into pills? I can see now why so many doctors say desiccated thyroid is not reliable. We have seen that they can’t even give us the amounts they claim on the label because of lackadaisical production. If it happens to all thyroid brands, what does that say? It’s the source of their dried thyroid, and lack of testing it fully before releasing it to the patients.
Heather S
Get ready for more even more steep price increases due to the supply chain disruption that was caused by the lockdowns.
Mary Schneckenburger
I cannot use this drug due to the price. But it is the only available one of its type now. So we do without.
Becky
My insurance will not cover Amour and its $80 a month to get it. My insurance only covers NP Thyroid. Its so frustrating because you cant get the best thats offered when you pay for insurance.
Amy D Bielawski
Thank you Katie Porter… saw the vid.. It is great when our government actually works for us little people!! You are awesome!
Jerry
I totally agree the price of Armour is way too high, I just switched to it 11/20 when I ran out of Naturethroid. The only thing that eases the cost for me is that I checked my managed IRA account and found that I own some AbbVie, but only a small amount, but the earnings are enough annually to pay the cost of the med and then some. The answer may be first, thyroid patients need to buy up the AbbVie stock, and maybe a particularly wealthy thyroid PT could buy enough to control the corporation. Then, we need to start a new company to harvest and process porcine powder. There must be some “hypo” farmers out there somewhere who can do this. Then we need more research on HEALING our thyroids. There must be a way to restore our thyroid function, long past time to find it.
Judy
Jerry said:
“Then we need more research on HEALING our thyroids. There must be a way to restore our thyroid function, long past time to find it.”
Yes, that is very very clearly the ONLY solution at this point. That solution is needed NOW, given the urgent need. The writing is on the wall. Almost all thyroid meds have gone away at a shockingly rapid pace since only a cpl years ago. Don’t wait for the other shoe to drop.
karen
yes judy and jerry . thats what i want too , healing so we dont need anything else
organic local farmers maybe can help. i m going to ask
thank you jamie for all that you do!
Stephanie
NP Thyroid is still on the market & it is a natural desiccated thyroid medication. I pay $15.00 a month with my private health insurance Anthem through my employer. Thankfully my independent owned pharmacy did not receive any of the recalled lots. I used to take Nature Throid before RLC Labs stopped manufacturing it last year. I hope they keep making NP Thyroid. My friend uses Armour & swears by it.
Jerry
I totally agree the price of Armour is way too high, I just switched to it 11/20 when I ran out of Naturethroid. The only at eases the cost for me is that I checked my managed IRA account and found that I own some AbbVie, but only a small amount, but the earnings are enough annually to pay the cost of the med and then some. The answer may be first, thyroid patients need to buy up the AbbVie stock, and maybe a particularly wealthy thyroid PT could buy enough to control the corporation. Then, we need to start a new company to harvest and process porcine powder. There must be some “hypo” farmers out there somewhere who can do this. Then we need more research on HEALING our thyroids. There must be a way to restore our thyroid function, long past time to find it.
Joyce Martino
Armour saved me in 2002 and I took it for some yrs and then it was changed and increased prices and company owners so I had to stop.
Thanks Katie Porter for speaking up.
Amy Lynn
Wow thank you for sharing this, Janie! Good to see someone brave enough to be standing up for us patients. My Armour is now almost $70 a month..that’s $840 a year! I’m on 2 different dosages, always have been, but it is getting ridiculous out there to afford necessary medicine. Plus the T3 I take along with the Armour, that’s easily over $1,000 a year just in medicine, not even including the supplements I need. Yikes!
Elizabeth
I had my doctor fill a prescription for Armour when there was the first recall of NPThyroid which I love. I could not believe the price on Armour! It was astronomical. This is supposed to be an affordable and necessary drug. I am disgusted by the drug company.
Kathie Mesarosh
Yea…to Katie Porter. Someone who has the ability to question what is going on and pressure these people for answers. This needs to be taken further until some kind of action or sanction is taken against these big pharma companies.
Cindy Worth
Boo, Abbvie!! I’ve been saying Armour is going to be costing patients high dollars just like insulin. I really belive they are working on getting a monopoly on our NDTs and our synthetics as far as thyroid meds are concerned. I’ve been boycotting them for years. Follow the money. Thankful for her advocating for us!
Julie Cinquina
My 16yo daughter’s doctor wants to switch her from NP Thyroid to Armour. When I went to fill the prescription I was told a 3mo supply would be $100. I pay $20 for 3mo of NP.
I guess that’s not as high as some others are paying.
Judy Wilson
Julie, do you see that price is FIVE times as much? Also pricing depends on dosage with higher doses costing more.
tyra fenn
Wonderful that someone with some ‘clout’ is getting involved in this fiasco, finally. Armour started all this way back when… by increasing prices for absolutely no reason and then chalking it up (justifying it) when the so-called piglet virus started. Then Armour started buying up all USP grade thyroid extract supplies from vendors, leaving other NDT mfgs scrambling, trying to find alternative NDT supplies and/or developing other sources of NDT extract. The other mfgs did not do too good a job of providing a good, quality alternative, thus all the erratic reactions to other NDT products in the intervening years … all… except Armour, of course. I can’t prove it and can only speculate that Armour has been thrilled to see overseas suppliers out of business. Dumb luck ??? or are Armour’s boot prints all over that coinky dinky too? Wonder where all those excess profits are going? … what the profits are being spent on. hmmmmmm…. ??? I could buy a 1000 60 mg tablets for a hundred bucks back in the nineties. Now I spend almost that on a month’s supply of Armour and few insurance companies offer any NDT coverage. The corporate greed is there for anyone to see and they could care less.
Mariea Caruthers
Please stop hiking the price of Armour. Those of us on Medicare are on limited incomes. We cannot afford to pay increasing prices for our required meds.
Please make sure we have a safe product.
Rachel Smith
Go Representative Katie Porter! What a wonderful way to show the facts! 🙂
Julie Cinquina
Thank you for the information.
Be blessed!
Jannine S Thorne
I take Armour currently and I feel the best I’ve felt in several years. Certainly better than I ever did on Synthroid or Levothyroxine. I am still working and covered by my employer’s health insurance, but I have to pay $70 per month out of pocket for Armour. My concern is in a little over a year when I go on Medicare, if it continues to fail to pay for an Armour prescription, will I be able to afford it? The cost is high enough with insurance, but I’m praying I’ll still be able to afford it if Medicare doesn’t pay and the only way to do that is to lower the cost!
Ann Solorzano
It took countless years to convince my doc @ Kaiser Permanente to switch me from synthetic thyroid RX to Armour.
Once on Armour, I quickly felt better and life looked positive once again.
My first pharmacy co-pay was $50 for 90 day supply of Armour.
With no warning, the next refill co-pay was priced at a shocking $120 for 90 day supply.
With such obvious price gouging by the RX makers, I could not justify the horrendous increase.
Suppose the third refill could be $200 or more. DISGUSTING!
I had to return to synthetic RX, and started feeling just as lousy as I felt prior to being on Armour..
Janie Bowthorpe
Hi Ann. If you are on both synthetic T4 with synthetic T3, and follow what is on the following page, you won’t feel lousy: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/optimal