Problem with the FDA: bashing what works aka Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT)

Unfortunately, the FDA (Federal & Drug Administration) has been quite the frustrating problem for hypothyroid-of-any-cause patients when it concerns porcine Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT), also termed as Desiccated Thyroid Extract (DTE). In other words, informed thyroid patients know that the FDA has been highly UNinformed about this safe and highly effective medication which literally changes lives, especially when it’s used correctly. It got to the point in 2026 that they were threatening to REMOVE patient access to NDT! (Yes, there is a correct way to use it according to over two decades of patient-reported experiences and observations, and the consistency of those latter two, approved by certain doctors.)

Scaremongering

In fact, patients have reported in groups that the contentious opinions of the FDA about NDT — as well as the same influenced-opinions of some practitioners and thyroid organizations — to be hostile, bullying, condescending, and highly false as compared to patients safe and life-changing experiences and observations for over 130 years of its existence.

Also, there seems to be the insane need to discourage its use due to “overuse” or “excessive use” with side effects. Really?? Clear logic tells you that most ANY medication can cause problems from overuse or excessive use! That’s why you work with a doctor!! That’s why you learn from other patients before you as to how to safely use medications. Wise consistent and expressed experiences also count!

Possible reasons

It helps to understand that there are unseen issues afoot that may allegedly explain this hostility, the false accusations against NDT, and the insane pushiness to only use synthetics:

1) Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, Tirosint, etc) is a massive market. NDT competes directly with them all. Think on that. 2) Major synthetic thyroid manufacturers have lobbying power and financial influence. Think on that. 3) NDT is older and not as patent-protected. Pushing patients toward patented synthetics benefits drug companies. Think on that.

Synthetics can work, but not for everyone

Yes, with all this negativity and totally false claims about NDT, patients are pushed by certain thyroid organizations, by the FDA, and by some practitioners, to use the synthetic versions of thyroid hormones T4 (storage version) and T3 (active version). And yes, some patients feel they do well on both synthetic T4 and synthetic T3 if they get their frees optimal.

But other patients can have noticeable and negative reactions to the fillers and binders in synthetics, as well as gut issues.

And it’s especially criminal, say a strong body of patients, to put them on nothing but synthetic T4 aka thyroxine. T4 is not what changes lives; T3 is! And expecting every single patient to adequately convert T4 to T3 is delusional.

Excuse our STTM french, but why the HELL threaten to remove NDT (as was threatened for August of 2026 but finally backtracked) with all sorts of absurd and false ideas about safety, inconsistency, inaccurate doses, or the idea that this so-called inconsistency will make people sick’ There are MANY patients who have reported the highly successful use of NDT for decades with no “sickness” as a result. It’s VIABLE, life-changing, and has a history of being a SAFE alternative that does NOT dictate removing it!! That has been downright BATTY.

From above: Here is the actual URL for the CDER form, which stands for Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, a part of the FDA: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/email/cder/comment.cfm TELL THEM WITH A LIST of the ways NDT changed your life. TELL THEM! EDUCATE THEM! And send this page to others to do the same!! Educate in numbers! Inform in numbers!!

Copy and paste this: Here are FIVE ways that Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) has SAFELY and PROFOUNDLY changed my life: (Change the FIVE to however many ways you are listing. REMEMBER to keep each example simply to they will truly READ your list of examples.)

Copy and paste this: I have learned that to keep these changes, it’s NOT about the TSH, but to get the free T3 optimal —the upper part of the normal range. And T3 naturally lowers the TSH—that is NOT “hyperthyroidism” and does NOT mean my NDT should be lowered. You WILL make me sicker by lowering it.

P.S. Hyper-like symptoms when raising NDT or T3

If a patient does get “hyper-like” symptoms (anxiety, shakiness, etc) when raising T3 or a product with T3 in it like NDT, that is NOT because of the NDT or T3! It’s about “what the T3 or NDT is revealing”: Stressed adrenals, which is either high cortisol, low cortisol, a mix of both, or low aldosterone. Stressed adrenals also cause pooling of the free T3, meaning not getting to the cells. We do this saliva test and we use this page to share with our doc and to interpret the results. Teach this to your doc!

NOTE: DO BOTH the what’s in the graphic as far as the CDER comment page, and add what you sent to the FDA to the comment box below. BOTH! It’s still very important to do the CDER page which goes directly to the FDA.

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P.S. This article is work-in-progess will be updated as new information comes in