Yup. It’s happened again. The following lots of NP Thyroid by Acella Pharmaceuticals LLC have been recalled due to sub-potency! 15-mg, 30-mg, 60-mg, 90-mg and 120-mg NP Thyroid®
And as the creator of Stop the Thyroid Madness (STTM) patient-to-patient movement, I’m not surprised.
Since Acella brought NP Thyroid back after the recall(s) in 2019, there have STILL been complaints by some hypothyoid or Hashimoto’s patients!! No, not all. But enough to cause concern. The complaints have occurred in thyroid groups directly associated with STTM…and even in groups that are not directly associated with STTM. I was hearing those complaints in STTM coaching calls. I was hearing about them from many patient volunteers who contact me!
What were the continued complaints? They revolved around not being able to fully get out of one’s hypothyroid state.
And this is the second time for a recall of NP Thyroid
The first recall(s) happened in 2019. And you can read my blog post about it here. You will read that in some patients, their newly obtained NP Thyroid prescription was causing problems in the Summer of 2019. Then by Fall of 2019, there were obvious changes along with a return of hypothyroid symptoms, like a “cat piss” or “ammonia-type: smell. Patients reported back then:
It now smells and tastes horrible, worse than 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.
Then in the same blog post, you will read about the recall due to sub-potency, then later “super potency”. Either way, it was clear that too many patients were NOT feeling well on it anymore. Even those who said they still did feel well, didn’t have labs to prove it would last.
So what do you do now if you had returned to using NP Thyroid since it came back out again?
Still to this day for what appears to be the majority of hypothyroid patients, Armour desiccated thyroid is working (even though there have been periods in the past where it had problems, but they seem to have been corrected a few years ago). So is using synthetic T4 with synthetic T3. Examples of the two synthetics are Tirosint for T4, with Cytomel or Sigma Pharm for T3. Honestly, all the brands have worked.
BUT….we as patient learned that to make either work correctly, we have to have the following:
1) The right amount of cortisol, otherwise we get hyper-like symptoms when raising. You can read this page to see clues that you might not have the right amount of cortisol. i.e. some levels being too low, others too high. All can cause hyperlike symptoms when raising a product with T3 in it. It’s the results of pooling. 2) The right amount of iron levels, otherwise we get rising RT3 (reverse T3), an inactive hormone which can block us from achieving the right amount of T3. 3) Optimal free T4 and optimal free T3. Optimal is NOT midrange. Optimal is not below midrange. Optimal is not just slightly above midrange. Read the page on optimal.
So let’s talk. Use the Comment feature below.
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ARE YOU GAINING FROM THE KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM OF OTHERS?? See the STTM books here.
Stop the Thyroid Madness has an excellent and active Facebook page. Daily posts reflect what we as informed thyroid patients have experienced and observed again and again.
Nutty information from some groups
And this statement in the graphic was made by someone on an important post. That post spoke about years of patient experiences on one particular subject which repeatedly counters what some doctors state.
And on one side, we agree about some social media posts!! There can be some pretty nutty information from some groups on Facebook or elsewhere. That poor information can come from members or the group’s owner or admins.
And as far as doctors, there can definitely be some who give brilliant information to us in their offices, or via a virtual appointment.
For example, my husband had to have his bladder removed last month. He was exposed to Agent Orange decades ago, and that toxin eventually wreaked havoc on him. That’s why I haven’t posted much here in months–it’s been hell for him with all his problems. And it’s been time-consuming for me as a caretaker, besides the grief from worrying I was going to lose him. And we have gotten good information from his surgeon as to how the surgery would be performed (before it was performed), and how long it would take him to recover.
But when it comes to thyroid disease and issues related, we as patients have sadly and repeatedly found too many doctors to be SORELY and BROADLY misinformed. It’s the very reason I created the patient-to-patient, Stop the Thyroid Madness movement nearly two decades ago.
And even to this day, too many doctors still keep us sick. They pointedly REFUSE to see, to learn from their patients.
So to those of you who might share the same sentiment as what was shown in the graphic, here’s information you badly need to be open about. Each point below starts with what doctors commonly believe or state, followed by what that statement or belief has done to millions of us as thyroid patients.
1)“The TSH lab test is the best way to monitor you.” To the contrary, doctors who go by the TSH and its erroneous “normal range” have been keeping us sick for decades, whether for diagnosis or treatment. Here’s solid information as to why.
2) “Synthroid or Levothyroxine, by themselves, are the gold standard of hypothyroid treatment, no matter the cause.” To the contrary, these are simply one of five thyroid hormones–T4. It’s a storage hormone meant to convert to T3, the life-changing hormone. But as we have experienced for decades, being on nothing but T4 has caused the vast majority of us problems. Here’s solid information on that.
3) “Let’s only do one of two thyroid antibodies to see if you have Hashimoto’s disease”. Guess what? One antibody they choose can be perfectly normal, and the other they don’t choose can be high. So you lose the important diagnosis. Here’s solid patient information.
4) When it comes to your Hashimoto’s disease, let’s just wait and do nothing to let it run its course. As stated similarly in the patient-to-patient book Hashimoto’s: Taming the Beast, that’s akin to letting a dog chew your leg off, but by bit.
5) “You should ONLY take thyroid meds on an empty stomach.” To the contrary, nearly two decades of reported experiences have shown that many thyroid patients still do well even with fruit, or veggies, or grains (if not gluten intolerant) in the stomach. Even taking meds with coffee and cream has seen patients report not being a problem if they are consistent, and watch their free T3 and free T4, and adjust as needed. The main things we avoid in the stomach at the same time are iron supplements, calcium, high fiber, etc, which can bind “some” of the thyroid hormones. Even soy mixed in with thyroid hormones at the same time can negatively affect absorption.
6) “T3 is dangerous as you get older.” We have definitely and repeatedly blasted that out of the water. There are groups for those who are older thyroid patients, and they report soaring on T3, just as younger people do. Sure, they may need to start low and raise low. But they do wonderfully. And guess what–heart and bones NEED T3. And T3 has repeatedly improved bone density, improved heart health, in patients!
7) “Your low TSH with T3 in your treatment will cause bone loss and heart disease. Thus we need to lower your meds.” That has been the most egregious and false belief by doctors ever, and has made us see a return of our hypothyroid symptoms. For one, it’s Grave’s disease and its resultant low TSH which causes bone loss and heart disease. Our low TSH is just a normal result of having T3 in our treatment and has NEVER caused bone loss or heart problems.
The Dark Ages of correct thyroid treatment
I could go on and on about how too many of our doctors can be in the dark ages about thyroid treatment and cause us immense problems. It’s worldwide.
So do know that in the area of thyroid disease, you can be making a huge mistake thinking you need to listen solely to a doctor without also listening to nearly 20 years of reported patient experiences, observations and wisdom in getting well. The latter is what this website and the books are about. And…it…has…changed…lives.
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Recalls include NP Thyroid by Acella Pharmaceuticals and both Naturethroid and WP Thyroid by RLC Labs
Hello everyone. I’ve been delayed in getting this important blog post done about recent recalls because my dear husband has had some serious health issues off and on for two months. And we are still dealing with them. But I had a recent chance to churn out this blog post. Read the information below, and then you will see questions that I hope some of you can research and post about. ~Janie, hypothyroid patient and site creator
Let’s start with the facts: 2020 has seen three (!!) American-made natural desiccated thyroid recalls. And this outcome fits what a certain body of patients have been reporting as far as new problems they encountered on these three products.
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The voluntary recall of NP Thyroid by Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC
ABOUT ACELLA and NP THYROID: Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC is a specialty pharmaceutical company. Its desiccated thyroid called NP Thyroid came out around 2010. NP had always received good reviews via patient comments in various groups, including the Stop the Thyroid Madness Facebook page. Patients have often happily compared it to the older Armour, i.e. it had a sweet taste and could be placed under the tongue. Success with it seemed to be high as long as patients had good iron and cortisol, and got their frees optimal
PATIENT REPORTS BEFORE THE RECALL: A few concerning reports started coming in by a body of patients in the Summer of 2019. My own husband was one of several who saw symptoms come back. One big one was fatigue in the late afternoons, which is a common hypothyroid symptom. But more negative reports strongly picked up in the Fall of 2019 that NP had changed. Patients who had done quite well on it were now experiencing problems. Reported were that hypothyroid symptoms came back, and/or lab results had gone downhill. Patients also reported a “cat pee” or “kitty litter” smell (even after a 2020 coating). Some reported that NP burned their esophagus’ or stomachs. During this time, Acella stated to patients that they were getting their porcine powder from Europe (similar to what Erfa of Canada stated a few years previous).
THE RECALL: The first official FDA-announced recall was announced May, 2020. It referred to super potency for the 30mg, 60mg and 90mg tablets.I can’t find it at the moment, but the Acella website stated this recall was about NP made in late 2018. ***Another recall announcement in September 2020 refers to the 15mg and 120 mg tablets, AND THIS TIME, referring to sub-potency. Sub-potency seems to fit what patients have been reporting for a year now. as far as return of symptoms
MORE INFORMATION TO READ (also do a search for “NP Thyroid recall”):
The voluntary recalls of Naturethroid and WP Thyroid by RLC Labs, Inc
ABOUT RLC LABS and ITS TWO DESICCATED THYROID PRODUCTS: RLC Labs cites an 80-year history, which is impressive, with a dedication in “improving the lives of others and will continue to be at the forefront in the field of hypothyroid treatment”. Their two main desiccated thyroid products are in the heading and had always been popular with, and appreciated by, patients.
PATIENT REPORTS BEFORE THE RECALLS: A body of patient reports of problems with Naturethroid first seemed to start in 2018 in various social media thyroid groups. This was after RLC’s two desiccated thyroid products had somewhat disappeared from pharmacies for awhile starting in 2017, then came back out. Example of reported problems once Naturethroid came back out ranged from a return of hypothyroid symptoms, and/or labs that went south or became odd, and/or the inability to raise it enough to remove returning symptoms. Negative patient reports about WP Thyroid came in more slowly and referred to similar problems.
THE RECALL: On August 25th, 2020, RLC announced the recall of both of their desiccated thyroid products due to sub-potency. This recall includes a total of 483 lots of both Naturethroid and WP Thyroid in all strengths and within current expiration on consumer levels. RLC stated these products contained less than 90% of the labeled amount of liothyronine or levothryroxine (please note that though pharmacies use the implied synthetic names for T3 and T4 there, desiccated thyroid is NOT synthetic) Here’s the official September, 2020 FDA announcement of this recall.
MORE INFORMATION TO READ (also do a search for “Naturethroid recall” or “WP Thyroid recall”):
UPDATE: AND NOW A LAWSUIT: You can read about it here.
What have hypothyroid patients been moving over to
From many patient reports, and in spite of changes in the past, Armour desiccated thyroid has still worked well, say patients in a variety of groups. This has been especially true, say patients, if they get their free T3 and free T4 optimal, and have the right amount of iron and cortisol to do so. Sadly, it’s not the soft, sweet NDT it used to be, which patients loved. But it is working, say many patients. Please share this with your doctor.
Patients are also reporting doing well on both synthetic T4 and synthetic T3, and getting optimal. The same holds true with T3 alone if one gets an optimal free T3. For those using both T4 and T3, we can compare to what is in one grain of many desiccated thyroid products: about 38 mcg T4 and 9 mcg T3. So for two grains, it would be 76 mcg T4 and 18 mcg T3. And etc.
There are over-the-counter bovine thyroid products to try after these recalls. Just pay attention to whether some are driving RT3 high (studies show that when cows are slaughtered during certain seasons, their RT3 amount can be higher) or watch out for bad batches as revealed by labs going south. This would be good info to share with your doctor. PLEASE NOTE: I have seen too many posts which are basically advertising for an OTC product. I won’t approve those comments.
So far, it appears Australians are lucky, as their prescription based, compounded NDT seems fine. The same may be true of some European-based brands. If there are others, please comment below.
Readers, if you can find solid information on each of these questions, and hopefully with links, post the info as a comment.
THE AMERICAN SOURCE OF PORCINE POWDER: What happened to the US source of porcine powder from American Laboratories in Omaha, Nebraska, and on which patients seemed to do well on? Why did it stop being available, forcing new sources of porcine powder for some pharmaceuticals?
PHARMACEUTICAL SECRETS:Why is there not more transparency from pharmaceuticals for a medication we depend on for our very lives?
A “EUROPEAN” SOURCE OF PORCINE POWDER:Why, when two pharmaceuticals have admitted to moving to a “European” source of porcine powder (Acella and Erfa in Canada), are WE not allowed to know WHAT European source? Where are OUR rights as consumers of this important medication?
THE CAT PEE/AMMONIA SMELL OF PORCINE POWDER:Why are so many porcine powder products today now having a “cat pee” or “ammonia-like” smell…when they didn’t used to have this smell?? That even includes some compounded desiccated thyroid products!
DOCTORS AND T3: Why, as a certain body of hypothyroid patients are changing to synthetic T4 with synthetic T3, do we have to deal with doctors who are deathly afraid of T3? Do they forget that a healthy thyroid also releases direct T3? So the big question is: WHAT is going on in their medical school training and continuing education that makes practitioners so pitiful in their understanding of the use of direct T3?
I want to invite YOU, the reader, to do some research and comment on these questions since I am bit occupied with my husband and his health issues right now. BUT I WILL NOT APPROVE EMPTY CONSPIRACY COMMENTS (such as “Big Pharma is trying to take away our desiccated thyroid.”). What has happened to us, then these recalls, is concerning, but not necessarily an evil plot!
Or you can comment on your personal experiences with these recalled products. Some weren’t noticing problems, but they later came back and said they were. Others seemed to report problems from the get-go.
…and for the same reason, it may be hell being YOU if you are an INFORMED thyroid patient.
Continue reading….(and if you are getting this as an email notification, do NOT reply to the email. Go to the actual blog post.)
For anyone reading this who has no idea who I am or what I’m referring to…
My name is Janie A. Bowthorpe, M.Ed. I am a hypothyroid patient of many years. I also recently acquired Hashimoto’s as of this year, the autoimmune version of a thyroid problem. Long story about the latter.
And there was a past period of nearly 20 years in which I suffered. I suffered at the hands of numerous poorly trained, blind, and zombie-like medical professionals, no matter how “nice” they were as people. You can read my story at the end of this article.
And after those 20 years of misery, I had to get well by the seat of my own pants and my own direction. And it turns out that my experience was FAR from alone. It’s become obvious that easily millions worldwide over the past several decades, with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s, have paid a price.
Ultimately, I was angry at the horror of what I went through for nearly two decades, all while being told I was normal. I was also horrified as I began to see that I was NOT alone.
So I started a patient-to-patient movement in 2002 which ended up being called, by me, Stop the Thyroid Madness(STTM). It has had key groups, the website, the facebook page, and the books.
And what constituted the movement that I started? It was and still is a complete patient-to-patient movement about getting well. It was about OUR experiences, OUR observations, OUR wisdom…NOT about what doctors were being taught, and clearly what they were NOT being taught, which has served to keep millions sick and tired for decades (including my own mother who suffered from a poor treatment).
And neither the Stop the Thyroid Madness LLC (STTM)books or the website are about “opinions” which exist like flies around a horse. Anything associated with STTM is about our solid and consistent experiences, observations, and wisdom …worldwide. I had no choice but to make the focus on all the latter. Why? Because too many medical professionals act like their (abysmal) thyroid training is from God Almighty, and have been harming us–the latter as experienced and expressed repeatedly by patients worldwide.
So why am I saying it is hell being me, the person who has been compiling all this patient-to-patient information, and whose head is full of the info?
REAL SITUATION ONE with my use of hydrocortisone: Once after moving to a new town, I began the hunt for a new doctor in my new location. And I thought I found a good one. At our first visit, I happened to be on a physiologic and safe dose of hydrocortisone (HC) due to high chronic stress which had tanked my cortisol levels. It had been prescribed by my previous very open-minded doctor. And based on nearly two decades of safe patient experience with HC that I had been collecting and compiling on STTM (see chapters 5 and 6 in the updated revision STTM book), I knew what I was doing in its use, as have a large body of patients over the years. Yet he proclaimed “You are simply going to permanently stress your adrenals.” All I could do is give a huge silent “sighhhh”. I tried to gingerly explain there’s a difference between my physiologic dose vs a pharmacologic dose, and that I would eventually be weaning off since the chronic high stress was abating. He stared at me like I was a lunatic (and I was able to wean off within the next month, by the way)
REAL SITUATION TWO with my labs being “normal”: I once went to urgent care. I was having very strange pins and needles situation in my feet, my left pinkie, to the left of my cheek. Thought I was having a stroke! Labs were done, and the physician proclaimed “All is fine and normal (meaning in range)” and sent me home with the diagnosis of neuropathy. But having observed lab results for nearly two decades and compiled what we were observing, I knew what the problem was when I got home and previewed my labs: my potassium was two points from the bottom of the range! We aren’t meant to be that LOW–healthy levels are usually a few points above midrange for nearly everyone we have observed. I proved it by immediately drinking coconut water several times a day for more than a week and onward (it’s high in potassium). And it all went away. When I got an email that asked me to evaluate my experience, I stated that a potassium result THAT low is NOT “normal” except with sick people who made up the “range”, and how patients with the right amount of potassium are usually a few points above mid-range! I got SILENCE from that survey instead of the typical reply these surveys get at the local urgent care. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values.
REAL SITUATION THREE with my husband’s aldosterone, which JUST happened the other day as I’m writing this: I had been suspicious for months that my husband’s aldosterone was low. He pees a lot at night; his sodium is towards the bottom area of the range; he craves salt—-all symptoms of low aldosterone which I have written about as well. An aldosterone test was done: 3.28—the range is around 2-24 for that facility And what does the doctor say? “He’s normal.”. OMG. I tried to gingerly explain that years of observations show that when someone does NOT have an aldosterone problem, they are nearly all in the upper quadrant of the range, NOT towards the bottom. His low result CLEARLY shows low aldosterone. And of course, I am dismissed, the topic changed, and his low aldosterone is not being approached to find a safe treatment. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/aldosterone and more in Chapter 6 in the updated revision STTM book.
But this hell is not just for me as creator of STTM!
Today, there are a huge body of “STTM informed” thyroid patients who walk in their doctors offices and get the same or similar displays of condescending disdain or dismissal. Patients are treated by far too many medical professionals as if we couldn’t POSSIBLY know what is right and what is wrong.
Or the practitioners narrow-minded, medical-trained beliefs are shut SO TIGHT that they can’t see past their own noses and then make the following nutty statements:
“The Synthroid/Tirosint/Eltroxin/levothyroxine does a fine job treating your hypothyroidism”. You clearly aren’t paying attention to what just a storage hormone is doing to us. Hey, did you know that your medical school training is greatly financed by the makers of Synthroid, doc??
“Your TSH is too low and will permanently shut down your pituitary.” It never has!
“Your suppressed TSH will cause bone loss and heart problems.” To the contrary, the optimal free T3 and free T4 we achieve has proven to result in stronger bone density and better heart health!
“We need to lower your T3-containing meds to raise that TSH”. Thus we get more hypothyroid–aren’t you proud?
“Your lab results are “normal”, so there’s nothing else to do.” Lab results have NOTHING to do with falling anywhere in those ridiculous normal ranges!
“There’s no need for the RT3 (reverse T3) test.” To the contrary, a rising RT3 reveals either low iron, inflammation, or high cortisol. A rising RT3 makes us more hypo. And with rising RT3, we need to greatly lower T4 and add in T3.
“There is no research/evidence to back what you are saying.” And THAT is where you are wrong if you took the time to really search for and look at research. Besides, nearly TWO DECADES of consistent and reported patient experiences, as collected and displayed on Stop the Thyroid Madness, proves what we now know. WE are the evidence.
“T3 in one’s treatment is dangerous.” No, when T3 causes issues, it’s about what the T3 is revealing.
So if you are an INFORMED thyroid patient thanks to patient-to-patient Stop the Thyroid Madness information, make a comment below and explain HOW you, your lab results, your meds, or your problems were dismissed. Because if a practitioner dismissed YOUR knowledge, he or she is dismissing nearly two decades of strong patient experiences and wisdom!
