Thread: UPDATED any armour thyroid users I can commiserate with?

June 22: I just updated this -- see post #9

So, a couple of years ago my doctor switched me from synthroid to Armour thyroid. Life has been good. I took it for granted.

As anyone who uses it knows, it has been in very short supply lately. After several months of Walgreens being unable to fill my prescriptions, doling me out 10 days at a time, 3 days at a time, making me endure skipped doses, I visited my doctor to find a solution. She switched me to a bioidentical thyroid hormone made by a local compounding pharmacy. She assured me it would be even better than the Armour Thyroid and sent me on my way with 30 day supply, and orders to have a Thyroid panel done in few weeks to test my levels.

I have been on it about 10 days. I have gained about 4 lbs and have had muscle aches and pains, and sinus trouble. I thought I was getting sick. Then it hit me. I feel just like I used to feel all the time on synthroid.

I went to the Armour Thyroid webpage. A window popped up containing an apology for the short supply, and a statement that they do not know how long the shortage will last.

This sucks.

I want my Armour Thyroid back.

Anyone else?

Yep. Why is this stuff so hard to get?

I'm sorry you are feeling badly. I hope your supply gets filled soon. Do you think another pharmacy chain could possibly have some available?

oh i didnt realize that there was a shortage of that drug. not many people in the hospital i work at are on armour (that stuff stinks reallllllly badly). hopefully they can get their supply together!

Originally Posted by dancerose

I'm sorry you are feeling badly. I hope your supply gets filled soon. Do you think another pharmacy chain could possibly have some available?

No, it is a production shortage.

I am a Certified Pharmacy Tech, and the problem is that they can't make enough. They get it from cow thyroids ( so it's not synthetic) and for whatever reason, they just can't get the cows or something. Nobody can get it right now nationwide. They haven't given us any hope that there will be a larger stock :(. the only natural alternative we give patients is called "nature-throid". everybody else is just getting a combo of synthroid and cytomel...
Check out the nature-throid tho, alot of places can order it, our patients have had good luck with it.
Hope that helps!!!

Its pigs. But yeah, they can't make enough so no pharmacy has it.

I'm not sure if the compounding pharmacy that filled my new stuff is using the nature-thoid stuff or something else.

Originally Posted by jsxevans

I am a Certified Pharmacy Tech, and the problem is that they can't make enough. They get it from cow thyroids ( so it's not synthetic) and for whatever reason, they just can't get the cows or something. Nobody can get it right now nationwide. They haven't given us any hope that there will be a larger stock :(. the only natural alternative we give patients is called "nature-throid". everybody else is just getting a combo of synthroid and cytomel...
Check out the nature-throid tho, alot of places can order it, our patients have had good luck with it.
Hope that helps!!!

I am having the same problem. On bioidentical "Natur-throid" and experiencing no benefits; my doctor's office also tells me they cannot get Armour.

-Devora

UPDATE:

I've been on the compounded thyroid since I started this thread in Oct. of 2009 through May of this year. Then I had a thyroid panel done, and guess what? I was hypo again. T4 was low, TSH was high.

Luckily, Armour thyroid has become available again, so my doc switched me back. I am definitely feeling better! It is hard to evaluate the affect on my weight, because right after I switched, I got a bad stomach flu that lasted almost a week, and I lost alot of weight.

However, generally after being sick, weight will return to normal eventually, but instead, my weight has stabilized almost down to my pre oct. 09 level.

I also got another thyroid panel and all the levels are good.

AND (hypothyroid people please take note), after being back on the Armour for a month, my free T4 was on sort of the low end of normal but my TSH was WAY BELOW NORMAL. A low TSH would generally be interpreted as you're getting too much thyroid medication or are hyperthyroid. But as my tests demonstrate, the TSH is not a very good test to fine-tune thyroid medication.

So if your doc only does a TSH, demand that she do a full panel, and ask to see the results to make sure the active form of thyroid is where it should be. Your TSH could be normal or even low, and you could still be hypothyroid.