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Tag: methylcellolose

To all doctors and pharmacies: cellulose IS a problem with desiccated thyroid

(Though this post was originally written in 2010, it’s been updated to the current day and time, because it still applies!)

A patient reported on Facebook that a particular large and well-known health center in Texas decided to make their own compounded natural desiccated thyroid for their hypothyroid patients…with cellulose.

Having read my blog posts about certain negative patient experience with cellulose, she told the pharmacy that many of us have noticed distinct problems with the addition of cellulose in our desiccated thyroid medications–exactly why the newly formulated Armour in 2009 caused too many patients to see a return of their hypothyroid symptoms. Naturethroid has not escaped the same fate for some.

(There is also wonder if, after Activas bought out Forest in 2014 and patients then reported that Armour wasn’t working as well for them in 2015, if added cellulose was the problem. We’re not sure.(

When she asked if they could remove the cellulose, she received a firm and condescending “No” from the pharmacist, referring to cellulose as “a common ingredient in many medications and not a problem.”

Not a problem? Once again, patients are dismissed as if we couldn’t possibly know what works, and what doesn’t work, in our treatment and in our own bodies. A shameful reality. She left disappointed. 

What is cellulose?

Cellulose is the most common organic substance found on our planet–a fiber abundantly found in plants and trees, and most especially in cotton.

Where is cellulose used?

You wear it and you write on it! You eat it when you consume celery, potatoes, or mushrooms. It’s used to stabilize and thicken processed foods, and may be found in many cheeses, dry milk, puddings, and more. And since it’s difficult to find anyone allergic to wood, it’s been a common ingredient in medications, used as a filler.

So where’s the problem for thyroid patients?

  1. Unlike the happy cows in their pastures chewing their cuds, human stomachs  have a limited ability to break cellulose down. Cellulose is a fiber. And what does fiber do? It “binds”. It binds to the desiccated thyroid that has gone down with it.  i.e. the life-changing effects of desiccated thyroid are clearly dampened by the presence of cellulose. In 2009, after Armour was reformulated with an increase of cellulose in the mix, a great deal of patients started to report problems, and to some degree, on Naturethroid, whether the latter switched to microcrystalline cellulose or not (as compared to the larger celled methylcellulose).
  2. Hypothyroid patients do not digest well. As one of many complications of hypothyroidism,  especially due to the inadequate treatment of T4-only medications and poor diagnosis from the TSH lab test,  low stomach acid and poor digestion is COMMON in hypothyroid patients.  So when you add cellulose to the mix, you are further damning thyroid patients.
  3. Though not specific to just thyroid patients, we are not too comfortable with finding out that cellulose can collect in our lungs, as revealed in pubmed articles here and here.  (Thanks to thyroid patient Danny for alerting me to this.)

Bottom line, desiccated thyroid is a quality and superior treatment medication which has changed the lives ten-fold for thyroid patients around the world. But cellulose and desiccated thyroid DO NOT MIX for certain patients, it appears. And BRAVO to those compounding pharmacies who have listened and have used the beneficial probiotic acidophilus as a filler. We appreciate you.

JanieSignature SEIZE THE WISDOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to know your options for better thyroid treatment?? Go here.

Need help finding a good doctor? Go here.

Think desiccated thyroid didn’t work for you?? Go here.

See common Questions and Answers here.

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Here’s the skinny about the “new” Naturethroid: the good, the bad, and the curious

(A lot has gone on since this post below was first put up in 2010. So after reading the below, see what happened in 2017 here.)

As the one grain tabs of Naturethroid desiccated thyroid by RLC Labs are hitting pharmacy shelves again all across the nation here and there after the recent shortages and the sad reformulation of Armour,  and patients are starting to use the new Naturethroid, we are gathering some good information, both anecdotal and factual:

  • The typical smell of desiccated porcine is less intense with the new tablets. We have no idea why.
  • The tablets are now stamped with RLC on one side, and N over 1 on the other, whereas before you’d see just NT1 or a reference to the fact that Time Caps Labs (TCL) used to make Naturethroid for RLC Labs
  • The package insert is no longer inside the bottle but stuck on top of the cap
  • Lot number info used to be on the edge of the label running vertically, whereas now, it runs along the bottom of the label  under the ingredients.

One grain is still 65 mg, with the T3 content being at 9 mcg and the T4 content being at 38 mcg.  The T2, T1 and calcitonin still unmeasured.

There are filler/inactive ingredients which have changed:

  • Calcium filler has moved up from 16 mg to 17 mg (calcium binds thyroid, but you just take more. Don’t swallow it with milk, please.)
  • The old contained Magnesium, Potassium, and Sodium (each at less than 1 mg), whereas in the new, potassium is now removed
  • And here’s the best part: the old NT had Hydropropyl Methylcellulose–that’s the larger size cellulose structure which we know binds some of the thyroid hormones. Now, the new NT has Microcrystaline Cellulose, the smaller size. (Too bad we can’t see all cellulose removed!)

Below are the new NT fillers, which are identical to the old except for the cellulose change:

Carnaba Wax, Colloidal Silicon Dioxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Hypromellose, Lactose Monohydrate, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystaline Cellulose, Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-400, Sodium Starch Glycolate, Stearic Acid.

Most all the above comes courtesy of Stephanie Buist, owner of the Iodine group on Yahoo and thyroid and adrenal patient and advocate.  Thank you, Steph!  You can read about the fillers here by scrolling down.

Oh and by the way, the new tablets are now scored. A helpful addition!

In patient groups, we are seeing a variety of experiences with the new Naturethroid.  Most folks seem happy with it so far, and even some report it seems a tad stronger than the old (the cellulose change may have caused that). Occasionally, someone will report problems, but they appear to be from underdosing or a potential RT3 problem which has arisen and needs treatment with T3-only.  Changing brands can also bring different reactions, so you have to wiggle the dosage around sometimes to find your sweet spot once again.

All in all, it looks good.

P.S. If you are reading this via the Newsletter Notification, just click on the above link to put yourself right on the actual blog post if you want to comment. Let’s gather all our experiences with the new Naturethroid.

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If you missed the last internet radio Thyroid Patient Community Call with Dr. Kent Holtorf, you missed a VERY good one. Thank you Dr. Holtorf for excellent information. But good news! All the shows are recorded.  Just go to the following link, scroll down, and you can click on any past interviews, including two with Dr.  John C. Lowe and a great one with Endocrinologist Dr Pepper–one of a rare breed of open-minded Endos.  (I’ve also stopped doing my long intro’s about me in the last two, figuring if someone wants to know, they can go to the About Me page, or read the Introduction in the book which has even more detail. lol.)

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=62603&cmd=tc

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