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Guest Post by Jacqueline about the availability, or not, of T3-only meds

The following is written by thyroid patient Jacqueline of the United States, and may be of interest to all of you who use T3 / T3-only, no matter where you live. Her mention of Cytomel is a major brand of T3, but there are other versions.

Let Jacqueline and others hear about your issues with finding T3.

Just spent the better part of two hours trying to locate some Cytomel after Walgreens and Safeway said they and all their distributors (which are used by all the other pharmacies) are out of the 25 mcg size tablets. I have tried to locate Cytomel at least two times in the last 6 months. Earlier, I had been able to locate some in the pipeline of pharmacies and distributors. But not anymore.

Keep in mind that I do not convert T4 to T3 very much ( I do take NP Thyroid for T4, T3, T2, T1). I have tried generic and compounded T3 meds and got nothing from them. So I switched back to Pfizer-branded Cytomel last year with now a  HUGE expense as the price is now so high that the formularies do not list it any more, meaning I only get 20% coverage.

Per day, I take two of the 25 mcg of Cytomel by Pfizer, plus 60 mcg (~1 grain) NP Thyroid.  I have taken Cytomel for 20 years. To try to save money after Pfizer hiked the price about six (?) years ago, I tried switching to the generics and to compounded T3. But they were very ineffective for me, and I have been dealing with health problems that the attempted switch caused for the last year and a half. I resigned myself to the high expense, but now Pfizer has disrupted the supply, and may now be making changes in how/where it is made. UGH

My experience in trying to reach Pfizer

1. When I tried to send an email to Pfizer via their website, the field keeps saying I have too many characters no matter how many are in the box, so that was a failure.
2. When I called Pfizer Customer Service 800-533-4535 five times today this happened: there is only voice option to respond to questions on the menu, so I said “Product Information”, then “Cytomel”. They cut me off every time. No idea if the call system is broken or the product name triggers the line to be cut.
3. When I called 800-438-1985, I took the section for “Professionals” because that was the only thing that made sense. A service rep took down all my personal information, then found me a customer rep.

What Pfizer’s customer rep stated to me i.e. these “company-lines”:

a. 50 mcg is not being made until March 2019, and is unavailable. (I could use this size of the pills by cutting them in half, would save me the most money, actually.)

b. 25 mcg is not being made until March 2019, and can be ordered by pharmacy drop ship to individual patients. Actually, the manager Safeway’s pharmacy refused to do this for me. My Walgreens pharmacy did it, by going though their distributor, which the customers service rep did not understand would be necessary. Pfizer gives only two bottles per call to the pharmacist, and I got one, another client got the other. I have no idea how long this will take – last time Walgreens ordered a drop ship of Cytomel, it took 3 weeks, acc’g to the gal at Walgreens. This will not last me until end of March, so I have to consider other options, as well. Meanwhile, the old Cytomel pills expire in February!! I have no problem taking them for a while post expiration, but this is all a mess.

c. 5 mcg are back on the shelves. I would have to take 10 pills a day plus maybe 1 or 2 more to compensate for the extra filler in so many pills- thus could cost me, after the piddling 20% insurance coverage, $800 or more per month. This is the most expensive option, but I may need a back-up.

Why the disruption in supply?

Pfizer Customer Rep said that there is some “change in ingredient(s) supplier.” The exact details are considered private “corporate information” LOL. Actually this is CRUCIAL info for docs and their patients. I will consider moving to a different company’s product since there are going to be changes and the timing is not certain or shared with patients.

i. If even one ingredient is being made in a new facility, the formula is different, and may not perform the same. For those of us who depend on something in its exact form, WE NEED TO KNOW THIS.

ii. Since we depend on this product for our health, we need to know the TIMING of this, and whether they DEFINITELY will resume producing this medication.

iii. Reasons for disruption are factors we and docs should know for deciding whether to change to a different version.

My theories about why this happened

1. Price hikes led to removal from formularies (official list giving details of prescribed medicines) led to limited insurance coverage, rather than co-pays, which then reduced demand (I tried to switch away for this very reason, but nothing worked, so I came back despite the insane expense). For example, the first approx. 14 years of taking Cytomel, it was covered by my co-pay. Then the list price went way up A LOT (why? KEY INFORMATION NEEDED BY US as patients who NEED T3). From that point on my insurance only gave me back 20%, so I was paying almost $500/month. When I gave upon on alternatives and went back to Cytomel, I was on T3-only to reduce RT3, so I was actually able to take fewer pills (2 x 25mcg vs. 4x 5mcg in the past), which reduced the cost a bit as it seems to be more based on # pills than #mcg. It is likely that many switched to generics or compounded versions to save money when the price was hiked. The reduced demand would make it less profitable, and harder on the production facility.

2. Cost of raw materials went up? Raw materials in short supply??? How they are looking for alternatives?? If this is the case, the company should be telling us this!!

3. Raw materials supposedly made in Puerto Rico facilities taken out by Hurricane Maria and now unavailable??? If so, Pfizer should be telling us this.

4. 5 mcg are likely the most popular as they are most common usage is to supplement a T4-only synthetic or a Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT)) with a little bit of T3. For example. I used to take 150 mg Tirosint (gel-based T4, also very expensive now, so I switched) plus 20 mcg Cytomel. However, when my RT3 went way up (after I was on generic and compounded T3!), I had to take A LARGE amount of Cytomel for T3-only therapy: my theory is that the numbers of people taking such high doses of T3 and/or doing (temporary) T3-only therapy are not that high or constant, so there is is not much demand for the 25 mcg or 50 mcg pills of Cytomel.

Sorry about this long saga, but I hope to help others.

If anyone has any further info about any of this,. or any suggestions, or any relevant experiences, I am very interested.
Please post!!!  ~Jacqueline

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From Janie: as we wait for more information as well as your comments on this important Guest Blog post, here are links to help you in your quest to feel better..

1) Want to order your OWN labwork because you like being self-directed? Go to this page and scroll down to see the icons for different lab facilities.

2) Have a high RT3? Check out this page.

3) Learn what patients have learned in the use of T3-only.

4) See the different brands of T3 in pink on the Armour vs Other Brands page.

5) Have what looks like a optimal free T3 (top part of range or even higher) but you still feel awful? You may be pooling due to a cortisol issue that needs discovery with a saliva test. Once you get your saliva results back, DO NOT go by their graph. Go by this page.

6) Here’s info on the different thyroid medications: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/hypothyroid-medications/

NOTE: if you are reading is via the email notification you signed up for, DO NOT REPLY TO THE EMAIL. It will not be received. If you want to comment, CLICK ON THE TITLE of this blog post, then scroll down to comments. 

58 replies

UH OH–Naturethroid and WP Thyroid Shortages and what to do

NOTE: this post starts with what was going on in September 2017, and there are updates to it at the bottom of the article. If you didn’t know about this, you need to sign up for blog post notifications at the bottom right of the STTM website.

UPDATE: since the new Naturethroid has come out in 2018, there have been an awful lot of patients reports in seeing their hypothyroidism return, with labs to prove it. It has not been pretty.

Feeling panicked or frustrated by the shortages of two particular brands of Natural Desiccated Thyroid? Let’s take a look at all of this and what you can do.

Brands of NDT

Nature-Throid® and WP Thyroid® are two brands of NDT produced by the U.S. pharmaceutical RLC Labs. (There’s even an older third brand occasionally still foundable: Westhroid, which is said to be exactly the same as Naturethroid, though in less strengths than Naturethroid provides.)

As mentioned in the most sought-after patient-to-patient hypothyroid book on the market, RLC (formerly Western Research) has been around a long time–since the early 1930’s. And it appears they aren’t about to end that long tradition of their existence.

Why the shortage

RLC explains that the shortages are due to “significant upgrades to our facility and equipment”. And though that has created great inconveniences to and frustrations by users of their products, it’s clearly stated by RLC to be a temporary issue, though the resolution may take awhile.

Steps to consider in the meantime

  1. Writing the prescription differently First, make sure you doctor writes your prescription in a way that you are able to get any other brand of NDT your favorite pharmacy provides. One way is for him to write simply “desiccated thyroid”, then the amount you use, instead of mentioning a brand.
  2. Call around to different pharmacies. Patients are reporting that some still have their supplies of Naturethroid or WP, and especially WP. See if that makes you lucky.
  3. Consider other NDT brands. For example, NP Thyroid by Acella has been proven by patients to be a solid and well-made Natural Desiccated Thyroid, similar to the old version of Armour. And there are no shortages of NP.
  4. Compounding pharmacies Though more expensive, these versions of pharmacies are a way to have your NDT made according to you or your doctor’s specifications, especially fillers used.
  5. Using synthetic T3 with synthetic T4 If the two synthetics are used, patients have learned that their goals end up being the same as Natural Desiccated Thyroid as far as lab results with the free T3 and free T4, plus removal of symptoms, as well as not going by the TSH lab test. To see different brands of synthetic T3 like Cytomel and others, go here and see them in pink.

Why a pharmaceutical might be doing an upgrade

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states they inspect pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities worldwide, based on standards outlined by the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMPs) regulations. This is especially true for those facilities which manufacture active ingredients like “thyroid tissue”, as well as the finished pill or liquid product from the contained ingredients. They state “inspections follow a standard approach and are conducted by highly trained FDA staff.” 1

Says the FDA:

CGMPs provide for systems that assure proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. Adherence to the CGMP regulations assures the identity, strength, quality, and purity of drug products by requiring that manufacturers of medications adequately control manufacturing operations. This includes establishing strong quality management systems, obtaining appropriate quality raw materials, establishing robust operating procedures, detecting and investigating product quality deviations, and maintaining reliable testing laboratories. This formal system of controls at a pharmaceutical company, if adequately put into practice, helps to prevent instances of contamination, mix-ups, deviations, failures, and errors. This assures that drug products meet their quality standards.2

If you really want to get detailed information on CGMPs, here you go: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/ucm064971.htm

Stop the Thyroid Madness has not seen anything stated from RLC that this is the reason for the upgrades causing the shortages. But it will be interesting to see what the Naturethroid and WP Thyroid tablets look like, and act like, after this upgrade and catchup.

UPDATE as of OCTOBER 10th, 2017:

Heard the following from a gal who called RLC Labs: They have been working on the one grain tablets, and stated they should be finished in about two weeks. Then they will be mass shipping to pharmacies after that time around the first of November.

UPDATE as of November 2nd, 2017

From RLC Labs:

We are happy to announce that Nature-Throid 1 grain (65 mg) is shipping! Shipping for this strength began a few weeks ago and it should be hitting pharmacy shelves soon, but that can be variable; some locations may even already have it stocked and available. If your usual pharmacy is unable to fill your prescription, we recommend contacting other local pharmacies to see what they have in stock. You can also try any of the mail-order pharmacies listed on our website for a potentially faster turnaround. Strengths are being prioritized based on highest demand, starting with Nature-Throid 1 grain, and we are releasing in all counts. The next strength to be released will be Nature-Throid ½ grain (32.5 mg), and we will post here when it starts shipping. We are unable to provide any updates around WP Thyroid at this time, but will share them and any other new details on this page as soon as they are available. Every effort is being made to have all strengths stocked and available as quickly as possible while still maintaining our strict quality standards—the industry allows for a monograph discrepancy of +/-10% between T4 and T3, but WP Thyroid and Nature-Throid are not released outside of +/-2%. Patients are and always have been the top priority at RLC Labs, and we are literally working day and night to get back to our usual pace as quickly as possible. Your understanding and continued support are greatly appreciated as we do our best to get back to our usual pace. *Please discuss all health-related questions or concerns, including those about symptoms, with your physician.

UPDATE as of January 15, 2018

https://getrealthyroid.com/product-availability.html

In the meantime, NP Thyroid by Acella is a good one to switch to. You may have to adjust it for your own needs.

MORE INFORMATION:

  • Can Hashimoto’s patients do well on Natural Desiccated Thyroid? Find out here.
  • Is it true that thyroid cancer patients should avoid NDT? See this.
  • How do I use Natural Desiccated Thyroid? See what patients have learned here.
  • What if I want to use synthetic T3 instead? See this.
  • Where do I get the Stop the Thyroid Madness books I hear so much about? Right here.

 

 

1. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalprocess/manufacturing/ucm169105.htm
2. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalprocess/manufacturing/ucm169105.htm
663 replies

THYROID CANCER IS AN EASY CANCER?? Patients are appalled!

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“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” ~ Nelson Mandela

It’s not uncommon when perusing the internet to see the word “easy” associated with “thyroid cancer”, or described as “the best kind of cancer to get”… as if of all cancers, this one is somehow less difficult, less arduous, a walk in the park or a piece of cake cancer.

Nor is it uncommon for thyroid cancer patients to be told something in a similar vein by their doctors. And of course, many of those doctors will use the “one little pill” pronouncement about the treatment afterwards. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!!

So where is the truth? Do you have reason to be nervous about your surgery? About your cancer? Is it that easy? What will your life be like after surgery?

One side of the story

Many thyroid cancer patients do report that all went well in many ways. They caught it early enough. It didn’t spread to their lymph nodes. Some didn’t even have to use pain medications after their surgery. If some did, it was short-lived. Others moved over to Tylenol after going home. Or ice packs. Drains were removed smoothly. Recovery went smoothly. Energy returned in several weeks. And they report that the cancer remained gone.

But here’s the other side of the story which completely dispels the myth that thyroid cancer is easy or the “best” cancer to get.

1) No matter where the cancer is, the emotional reaction is the same.

Many a thyroid cancer patient will tell you about their fears, depression, aloneness or anxiety when they were told. Or the denial, anguish, anger and stress they feel. Or the numbness. Or the fears of it returning. Or the unknown.

2) No surgery is fun, and that includes thyroid removal

Who wants to endure the pre-op or the aftereffects of surgery. No matter if some do better than others, it’s not fun to be in a hospital, be put to sleep, the waking up, the drains, the recovery, the discomfort, the time away, and the cost.

3) Many thyroid cancer patients have to endure RAI treatment after surgery and the side effects

RAI stands for Radioactive Iodine Ablation, also called I-131, given in either in liquid or capsule form. Since the thyroid easily absorbs iodine, and the radiation is strong, it serves to destroy any remaining tissue or cells that might still have thyroid cancer in them.

And side effects are far from pleasant and can include isolation, stomach problems, heart palps, neck tenderness, all over achiness, changes in taste, salivary inflammation and parotitis, facial or neck redness or “sunburns”, peeling skin, fatigue, fogginess, nausea, dry eyes, irregular period or other reported problems.

Then comes the reported risks that can come later in life due to having RAI, which include “bladder, breast, central nervous system, colon and rectum, digestive tract, stomach, pancreas, kidney (and renal pelvis), lung, or melanoma of skin”. Keep in mind this is about “risk” rather than a definite outcome, but it’s not fun to consider.

You can read of one patient’s opinion and experience with RAI titled Why have million of patients been treated with RAI?

4) The fear of recurrence always lingers!

Life-long monitoring is a sure bet when one has had thyroid cancer. The itchy reminder that it “could” come back never goes away when one has to have neck examinations, certain thyroid blood tests or neck ultrasounds.

5) The “one little pill” mantra of easiness is foolhardy

That one little pill is a reference to T4-only, aka thyroxine or levothyroxine, also commonly known as Synthroid or other brand names. And reported patient experiences for all too many reveal continual problems, sooner or later.  Equally as silly, that one little pill leads to the use of many other pills to treat the symptoms of continued hypothyroidism that many report finding themselves with while on the T4-only, one little pill. Those include statins, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety or pain meds, to name a few.

The conclusion?

You are not alone. Thyroid patients know that thyroid cancer is not as “easy” as they make it sound, nor is it the “better” cancer!  We are with you! Join the group below for camaraderie, wisdom and support!

This page was brilliantly updated July, 2015 to reflect even better information. Enjoy!

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If you could turn back the clock, would you have started on NDT instead of T4-only??

CLOCK turning back.bmp“If you could turn the clock back to when you were first diagnosed, would you even have bothered trying the synthetic Thyroxine (T4-only) or would you have jumped right in with NDT (Natural Desiccated Thyroid)?”

The above is an interesting real question asked by a new thyroid patient recently to other thyroid patients in a forum.

She is in the dilemma that so many NEW hypothyroid patients find themselves in when their doctors are pushing T4-only, yet patient experiences as outlined on STTM are saying that NDT was a better treatment for all too many. WHO TO BELIEVE?? Sure, some state they do well on T4-only, but is there more to the story?  Here are the answers from many different individuals in that string, plus more:

  • I would definitely go directly to NDT. NO doubt about it!!!
  • I never would have taken synthetics if I had known then what I know now. I have spent the last 15 years or so (maybe longer including the undiagnosed time) not in optimal health.
  • I agree 100% with the above two comments!
  • I would never have started on synthetic. Straight to ndt!
  • I was diagnosed 6 months ago. I switched after 2.5. I never felt any improvement on levo. If anything felt worse
  • I have been on over 9 different meds for the last 5 yrs. I found the STTM site, switched to NDT and I will never go back to all those drugs/meds! Life is actually returning to my body! The dr’s can keep you sick! Just my own personal experience!
  • I agree with the above. Had I known I would have never of taken Syncrap (Synthroid). Now I’m trying to fix the damage that has been done.
  • I have only ever been on synthetic (nine years), first Levoxyl and most recently Tirosint. If I had to do over, I would have tried NDT first no doubt.
  • On Eltroxin, heart issues were chest pains, numbness on my left arm, tachycardia, inverted t waves on the ECG which led them to believe i had a heart attack. I had a crazy fever and was doing reverse t3 clearout when that happened, but had it not been for synthetic, i believe i would not have gotten that bad. After taking synthetic for just a few months i also became thyrotoxic with large amounts of t4 pooling in my blood which ultimately meant to me i had conversion issues.
  • I’ve been on synthetic for 15 plus years. At the time I was desperate and even though I’ve done mostly natural on a lot of other fronts… I wasn’t aware there was an alternative. It seemed like a lifesaver at the time, as I was desperate. Now, with all the additional issues, which may likely be connected, I’d go with the natural for sure.
  • I took Synthroid, Levothyroxine and Cytomel… none of these synthetics helped me. I think my fibromyalgia diagnosis 15 years ago was due to an undertreated thyroid on Synthroid. I lost a LOT of hair as well! Armour’s resolved my hair loss within a week. It’ll take a while to grow back, but at least I’m not losing handfuls anymore!
  • I would have gone for Natural…I was HORRID on Synthroid
  • A year ago I got so sick I could barely walk to the bathroom. I couldn’t breath, shower, walk, and literally felt like I was dying. MY levothyroxine was raised from 225 to 275 which bought my TSH from 15 down to 2.5 which my NP thought was “great” – all the while I’m telling her I feel like I’m dying.  I will never ever go back to SYNTHETIC (T4-only)!!  Only wish I had even known there was NDT 25 years ago. I JUST heard of NDT 6 months ago through a Yahoo Group and then thank GOD I found STTM.  
  • If you have a choice ndt is a great option.
  • I would too have gone straight on NDT. I spent 2 yrs fighting with my levels (going from hypo to hyper) while taking Synthroid and Cytomel. Not one of the 5 doctors I saw could ever get me regulated. Within 3 or 4 months after I started self-treating (because I was living overseas where they don’t even have NDT) I was optimized…lost almost 40 lbs and felt wonderful.
  • I would have absolutely gone with NDT first…
  • If I had stayed on Synthroid for 6 months, I would not be here now because I would have committed suicide. I was thinking about it at 2 months. Thank God I discovered NDT (Natural Dessicated Thyroid) hormone then and switched.
  • I was on Synthroid for a good 20 years and would have said I was doing great, energy-wise. But I never realized that my rising cholesterol, need to nap and antidepressant was due to Syncrap being inadequate. I wouldn’t do it again, in spite of having better energy than others. 
  • I would not have tried synthetic thyroid first. NDT closely resembles the human thyroid hormones. NDT has T1 and T2 (which they are not even sure what the purpose of these thyroid hormones are yet), T3, T4, and Calcitonin. Calcitonin is important for bone strength. People who have taken synthetic, T4-only thyroid have eventually developed osteoporosis. Our bodies need all the ingredients in natural thyroid.
  • That’s easy. I would have started on desiccated. Why take the risk when T4 has caused so many problems for so many?
  • Yes. I am one who was started on both T4 and T3. I thought it was the right thing. When I switched to Np Thyroid, it was hugely better. It’s true what peeps say about it better even better. I do have good iron and cortisol.
  • Yes, yes, yes.

Another gal mentioned she would have gone to to the high iodine protocol first (on the premise that her hypothyroidism coud have been from low iodine).

Another said she didn’t do well on NDT, but she and any others in her shoes can discover why here i.e. it’s not about NDT–it’s about two common issues that NDT will reveal, and if treated correctly, one can soar on NDT!

Another felt it was a tough call due to some doing well on T4-only…but you have to consider that many aren’t as well as they claim (and are taking meds to bandaid the symptoms of a poor treatment), or they will and do see more problems crop up the longer they are on, in spite of doing well now.

Yes, if I could turn back the clock, I would have had better life experiences.

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Check out this photo, about Vitamin D, 64 symptoms removed, and life after thyroid cancer~

OOPS. THIS GAL’S DOCTOR WAS A BIT CLUELESS…

Look carefully at the photo to the left. You will see the actual outline of this woman’s thyroid. It’s obvious. It’s swollen. A swollen thyroid is called a goiter, and can be due to an autoimmune attack of the thyroid called Hashimotos, aka thyroiditis.

Yet, this woman’s doctor insisted she just had a throat infection, gave her penicillin for 12 days, and the outcome?  It’s still inflamed and sore. Jeez, doctor!! WHAT were you thinking!  She states: I always feel something pressing down on my neck and food gets stuck and then I’m having a chocking session. CLEAR thyroiditis and a blind doctor!

Thanks to this gal’s participation in the Stop the Thyroid Madness Facebook groups, she knows the truth, is empowered, and is going to try and get the RIGHT labs and treatment this time! Her biggest challenge is where she lives–the UK with a very dark- ages medical system that worships T4-only and doesn’t get the efficacy of Natural Desiccated Thyroid. It’s not a pretty picture in the United Kingdom or a lot of European countries if you have thyroid disease.

VITAMIN D–DON’T DISMISS THIS IMPORTANT VITAMIN FOR YOUR THYROID HEALTH!

Vitamin D is considered a steroid plus a prohormone, i.e. it’s not yet a hormone, but has affects on real ones. And your body can get it from sunshine exposure, or you can supplement with it. Why is it a great vitamin? It helps balance out your calcium levels and bone density, can help lower stress and blood pressure, and promotes a good immune system.

Vitamin D is found in two forms: cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) which is made via skin exposure to sunlight, or ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). D3 is the natural form and why it’s often preferred for supplementation over D2. After vitamin D3 is formed in your skin or taken as a supplement, it is then metabolized into two different substances: 1) 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), known as calcidiol and your storage Vitamin D, and 2) 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3), known as calcitriol. The former is the Vitamin D you measure via blood.  Good information on both can be found in the abstract here.

So why bring it up?  First, it’s important for your thyroid, i.e. it has to be in sufficient amounts for thyroid hormones to work in your cells. And second, a huge body of thyroid patients find themselves with low levels of this important vitamin! How to raise it? It can take 10,000 IU’s of D3 daily. Some doctors even prescribe more and sometimes once a week in these very high amounts. Add an acid to the drink you use to swallow your Vit. D–like one tablespoon Braggs Apple Cider vinegar, or lemon juice. It will promote better absorption.

SHE ELIMINATED 64 SYMPTOMS THANKS TO NDT AND TREATING HER LOW CORTISOL!! 

Next time you hear that NDT is not good, think twice. Her name is Mary, and you should check out the 64 symptoms she eliminated thanks to NDT, here.  You will see that she’s still working on a few more, but the difference is stunning!

A TESTIMONY FROM A COLLEGE STUDENT OF HOW NDT CHANGED HIS LIFE AFTER THYROID CANCER (even more than being on T4 with T3!)

I’m a male college student and in 2008 I was diagnosed w/ thyroid cancer. Cancer aside, I was placed on Cytomel followed by Synthroid. When I asked my doctors for natural options they said there were no such meds. For four years I was a prisoner in my own body. I had rapid mood swings, I was always cold, had a lack of energy and worst of all dry skin. The dry skin became so bad that I started to develop cystic acne covering my entire back and many on my face–I had no confidence and work out 5x a week yet I was scared to take off my shirt. I knew that there had to be a solution being that I didn’t have any of these symptoms prior to getting my thyroid removed so I began to research. This website, Stop the Thyroid Madness, got me in the right direction as far as understanding the role o f T3 and T4. After many lies, and doctors who denied to write for Armour or Naturethroid, I finally found a woman who knew about the “madness”. I have only been on Naturethroid for one month and my TSH, T3 and T4 levels may be off but I feel like the old me again! I have energy, I have steady moods, I have less brain fog and my skin is finally producing oil again and my acne is almost cleared 100%! Thanks for your work your site had changed my life for the better!

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE STTM BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SWEDISH AND GERMAN?? A perfect gift for your friend or loved one who speaks any of those languages. Go here.

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