Is Armour Thyroid Going Off the Market?

I take full replacement for thyroid cancer, gr 4. Jan. 11, I went for a refill and was told only gr 2 was only available. Pharmacists said, “this happens every year at this time.”. So they refilled 60 pills, instead of 30.
BiMart. My next refill is Feb 11.
Said not to worry about it.

What was the manufacturer recall about?
I ask because of what the pharmacist said. I don’t rememeber that this happens every year for the last 30 years I have been refilling my Armour.

I am concerned because I take a higher dose. Please reply, Mary.

p.s. to my above post. Actually, I am waiting for the full cycle from the synthetics back to Armour for us full replacements of thyroid meds.

I need my medication as I am full replacement.

I know Pharmacists and doctors have said Armour is only manufactured at ONE company, Forest. I am a critical care nurse and many medications are manufactured by only ONE company.

I am curious as to exactly what a manufacturing recall is.
Thanks

Thank you for the answer to all my questions. My pharmicist only said they were back ordered and they didn’t know what the problem was. I looked at Forest website…nothing on it. I hope they get their problem fixed soon…we need their product!! It works better for me than any other.

Glad the rumor is false. Have been on Armour now going on 2 months, after seven years on synthroid. Never felt right on synthroid so I decided it was time to try something else. Well I feel better than I have since they had to destroy my overactive thyroid with RAI. I am very happy. My first labs since starting show me in normal ranges. Yippee!!! Wish I hadn’t been so skeptical all these past years.

I am on Medicare and AARP RX Plan. They refuse to pay for ARMOUR. I have to pay more than “off the street”. they say I MUST TAKE A GENERIC. I explained the difference between synthetic, bovine, horse urine and my sensitivities. I pay $33.00 per month to be covered and only take one COVERED medication.
Is there a generic for ARMOUR? HELP.

Sarah, my insurance tries to charge me $50 for Armour since it’s not their preferred drug. I asked the pharmacist how much it is without insurance, and it’s $15. So I just pay for it out of pocket since it’s cheaper than using insurance! So I recommend asking pharmacies in your area how much it is and see if it’s worth it to just pay yourself and leave Medicare and AARP out of it (especially from a place like Costco or Sam’s or even Walmart).

Good timeing for this article. I to have been having trouble at Wal Mart pharmacy. Now I realize it isn’t all their fault. I’m also changing insurances I hope they will cover Armour.

I get my prescription of Armour at our local pharmacy & pay $8.99/mo. out of pocket. They do have a generic & it’s approx. $4.99/mo.
Armour has been a life saver for me.

I also had a problem filling my Armour prescription this month but my very savvy, independent, compunding pharmacist said she always has a problem getting the Armour thyroid this time of year and she said she would make a note for next year to order more in December to avoid my inconvenience. Now, that is service! BTW, she was the one who pointed out to me that I cannot switch back and forth from Armour and the generic like my other chain drug store had been doing with my prescription. My doctor confirmed this to be true and I have had much better results.

Karla, what is the generic of Armour you posted??
Right now at Bi Mart I pay $19.00 with insurance. Above that amount is says price $27.99. This is for 30 pills of gr 4. Your dose must be much smaller than mine.

Does anyone know why Armour Thyroid has been dropped from all Medicare D policies “formularies”, and the 2008 official one on the Medicare website?
Drug companies at work?

I am wondering WHY there was a manufacturing recall? What was the problem?
My husband had his thyroid removed last year at a famous Mn. Medical facility, the DR refused to write him a prescription for Armour saying it wasn’t a STABLE product. We seem to be running into this alot when we ask to switch meds. Any advice on how to get out preferences through to the DR.? Thanks.

i never heard of armour i’ve been on synthroid for 5 years i’m still not right but my doctot won’t switch me what to do

I have heard some really positive stories about ARMOUR, but my endo refuses to prescribe it to me. She insists it can’t be properly used by our bodies. I had RAI in August of 07 so I am new at this replacement thing. I have Graves Disease and even with the synthroid, I can’t loose the weight I have gained since RAI (35 lbs ! ) Any suggestions? I am in a small town and the Doctors are hard to come by….

I HAD BEEN ON THYOLAR SINCE 1975 WITH GOOD RESULTS, BUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, HAVE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS GETTING WHAT I NEEDED (OUT OF BUSINESS, OUT OF STOCK, LATER, ETC, ETC) THAT I ASKED MY DOCTOR TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE, AND AFTER A YEAR OF TRIALS AND TESTS,, AM USING SYNTHROID, 112 MCG, WITH GOOD RESULTS. I FINALLY DECIDED IT WAS THE MANUFACTURERS’ OWN FAULT THEY ARE LOOSING CUSTOMERS! IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING!

I use 1 1/2 grain Armour. That was not mentioned. I guess I’ll find out when I call in to refill my prescription next week.

As far as the suggestions for endos who won’t prescribe Armour, ask your pharmacist if he/she stocks it. If so, ask for a referral to someone who prescribes it. That’s how I got mine. If your pharmacy does not carry it, then look around for a compounding pharmacy because they usually carry Armour. Then ask for the names of physicians or nurse practitioners who prescribe it.

My BC/BS insurance covers it and it is quite inexpensive. I think it is maybe $8 or $9 for 100 tablets of 90 mg.

To everyone out there that has a doctor that will not switch your medicine to Armour, I say that you need to get rid of the narrow minded doctor that you have and find an Armour friendly doctor!!! They are out there! I was on a synthetic for 2 years and still didn’t feel right. When I told my doctor at that time that something was wrong and that I wasn’t feeling much better, I was told that “Well, this is how you’re going to feel for the rest of your life, so get used to it!” I could not accept this advice! I was blessed and found Mary’s website along with a list of Armour friendly doctors in my area. I am proof that Armour works and has made me feel human again!

Thanks for the advice ! I use a compounding pharmacist for my HRT. (I take bioidentical) It didn’t even occur to me to ask him about Armour !!! I will email him and see what he says !!

First time I’ve read this column, but I have been taking 1 gr Armour. I have been paying
+-$20.00 at the local Rx for #90. You might want to check Life Extension Foundation’s Rx.
Last I checked for the same Armour it was $6.00!
http://www.lef.org or 1.800.544.4440. Also their monthly health magazine is worth the $12/yr

Could someone help me find Armour? I live in South Africa and there are no suppliers here that I know of. I have looked on the Forest Pharmaceuticals web site and there is nowhere on the site to direct consumers to a supplier. Even their UK site gives no help.

I just called my pharmacist to have my prescription refilled today, and 1 1/2 grain Armour is on back order also. (according to my pharmacist at the local Rite-Aid)

i took only synthroid for 12 years. then thyrolar for 2. i was never right and knew it. finally made the doctor switch me to armour. he did not want to do it. i take 1/2 grain armour for the increased t3 and .075 synthroid for the t4. yes, both. the dr wanted me on synthroid and cytomel. i wanted and got synthroid and armour. for the past 2 years, around this time, cvs has told they could not get armour, i had to go to another pharmacy. when they tell me they can not get it, i make them call, and sure enough it is on back order. i got my dr to prescrib 1 gr armour and cut it in half. so keep 2 mo supply at all times. armour has been a life saver for me.

I take 2 grains of generic Armour per day, manufactured by a company called “Time-Cap”. My mail-order pharmacy always fills it with 1/2 grain tablets, so I just take 4 tablets per day. No issues to date.

I had a doctor say to me that I would NEVER get Armour from *her* office (I have a thyroid doc who manages that, thank g*d). I asked why and she stated “stability” issues. That’s when I told her that Synthroid et al, had been recalled due to inconsistency issues, too and that Armour was the only thyroid med that wasn’t required to go thru the FDA approval again a couple of years ago. She couldn’t think of anything to say to that, so she said “It’s made from ground up pig’s thyroid!!”. That’s when I asked if she was Jewish and said that I eat sausage too! Ridiculous. I’ll stick to letting my Thyroid guy manage my meds, thank you very much. Armour is the only med that has even come close to stabilizing my Hashimoto’s symptoms.

Oh, and my Insurance pays ZERO towards my Rx! I haven’t priced it without insurance and should as they are probably ripping me off. I think it’s criminal that it’s not on their formulary at all anymore. (neither is my Allegra-D, which is expensive enough that I’ve stopped that one).

I’m sooo grateful to see this article. My pharmasist has been having difficulties getting my 3gr Armour for a couple of months now. Thankfully, they are willing to adjust and give me the 1gr (90 pills instead of 30) until this is straightened out. At first, they told me that it was being discontinued but I wouldn’t accept that so they checked it out and found that it was just on backorder!

Help. Is there anyone out there who has absolutely no thyroid (no thyroid tissue at all) and is taking Armor with success? I had my thyroid removed due to cancer 20 years ago, and Im just never ok…its always something…headaches, weak immune system, etc. I am on levoxyl and cytomel.

I have been hearing quite alot on the Armour debate. I caught your letter Mary to the “synthroid dudu” and may I say very well documentation. Thanks for being in our corner. It’s tough enough to get proper treatment on thyroid issues yet alone keeping your meds that work the best for you.

Thanks Mary for being in our corner. Nothing has worked as well for me as Armour and I don’t know what I would do with out it. I caught your letter you wrote this morning to the Synthroid gentleman. ‘To-shay” to you and your persistant knowledge on thyroid issues.

I have used Armour for years but recently my doctor switched me over to Nature-Throid. He stated that he has seen better results with Nature-Throid. I have noticed a difference but it may be also because he adjusted my dosage. This may be an alternative to Armour and all of their manufacturing problems. It’s too bad that this type of problems could be used as an arsenal in push for synthestics…

I insisted after being on synthroid (on and off) for 5 years that I be placed on Armour. I just took my 1st pill and am really hoping this works better than the synthetic. My doctor would not prescribe it to me at 1st, but I happen to be a pain in the ass and always come with a wealth of knowledge on my health. I made an appointment, got my thyroid checked, it was absolutely out of whack (somerthing like my TSH was at 66, when it should be at 5) basically I told them I refuse to take synthroid any longer and if they want me to be on anything it will be the Armour thyroid. They called it right in. Try your best not to be intimidated by doctors. It is your health and well being, its only their jobs.
Good luck to me and all of you on this thyroid journey.

The information I find on your site has been helpful. However, I wonder why you, Mary, have not been able to get clarification from Forest Laboratories regarding the frequent recalls. I join the others who wonder WHY the recalls. I have taken Thyrolar for years and after experimentation with Synthroid at a doctor’s urging, decided that nothing is quite the same as Thyrolar. Currently I am on Armour Thyroid, which is okay but there is a subtle difference in the way I feel. My mail order provider through our previous insurance said Thyrolar was unavailable. My doctor called around and arranged for me to get it through Wal-Mart. What gives?

Don’t forget about drugstore.com. They always have Armour available in all sizes. Fairly inexpensive too.

Thanks for this information, Mary. I, too, had trouble getting my Rx completely filled this month–thought it was the pharmacy’s fault. Now I know it wasn’t. To the woman who couldn’t get her AARP medicare insurance to pay for her Rx–I have medicare, too, and just got whatever insurer they gave me–didn’t research it. I was given HealthNet Orange. I only pay about $2. month. When I went to a compounding pharmacy, somehow they couldn’t connect with HealthNet and I ended up paying their full price, so then I switched to Walgreens and for several months I got it for free. Now, since my dosage has been increased it’s up to $2. But still–what a good deal!
I recommend you check around to different pharmacies and different drug plans. Good luck!

To add to the confusion as of Jan. MEDICARE will no longer pay for Armor thyroid. I reported this to my doctor, and she said I could complain if I had time in my life but that its another attempt to discredit Armour with no evidence. Looking after your heath is not a simple problem.
Best to one and all,
Andrea

I hadnt heard any rumors about Armour, but the generic versions that the pharmacies in my area used have apparently stopped producing their version of the med.

Like Sarah, I am on Medicare and the AARP RX Plan, and just learned last week that Armour is no longer covered. As Karen discovered and chose to do, I was able to get mine for about $15, but my doctor, who has thyroid issues himself, would like to see if Synthroid works for me or a combination of Synthroid and Cytomel (which I have taken before, alone). He is an excellent doctor, and I am thinking of trying to change, since the drug manufacturers and/or insurance companies are going to continue doing this to us (I imagine it’s just as difficult, if not more so, for those with heart problems or diabetes whose medications are discontinued). In the past, I would have been opposed, but since my doctor has had issues of his own and also provided me with his home number and a cell number in the event of an emergency, I think it’s best that I try. Who knows? The combo might work better together. I often fee that despite my dose of Armour, I still have symptoms of low thyroid.

What’s the worst that could happen? If I croak, then at least I no longer have to deal with the health care system in this country!

All,

I called Forest Pharmaceuticals, as I was concerned re: the manufacturing recall affecting my prescription, and my local Pharmacist had not heard of it.

Per Forest’s QA rep., only 3 grain (180 mg) and higher tablets were affected by the QA recall – the issue was that their shelf life was “not as stated”. So if you’re taking 2 grain or smaller pills, the Dec-07 recall does not affect your prescriptions (aside from possible backorders, due to availability issues).

One source of info re: doses and lot #’s is:

http://www.iguard.org/alert.html?aid=38

-Chuck O.

As of Feb 21st, 2008 The Pharmacies in Arkansas Still are running out of Armour thyroid pills of all doses. What are people to do if they are not still able to get the medication they need. My Husband is on Armour and we are not able to fill his prescription?
I think it that they could have resolved this recall by now since the recall was back in 2005.

My Doctor finally just put me on Armour Thyroid after almost 2 years of asking and talking to him about it. He said he didn’t think I could get it filled. I easily filled it at Costco Pharmacy. I wish I could find an a lab to take the tests more economically. They are expensive.

Some Armour Thyroid actually is off the market, at least temporarily… or so says the rep at the manufacturer with whom I spoke today.

I have been unable to get a refill for my wife’s prescription of Armour Thyroid (180-milligram strength) for the last couple of months. Both the mail-order pharmacy that my health plan uses, and the local supermarket pharmacy, have been unable to supply this strength, saying that it was unavailable from the manufacturer.

I left a phone message with Forest Labs today, and just got a call back from one of their representatives. She acknowledged that the 180 milligram product is currently “on backorder”, and that shipments are not anticipated until June (!).

When I asked why, she said that Forest is currently going through a manufacturing process change which affects the higher-potency (120- and 180-milligram) versions of this medication. The lower-potency (60- and 90-milligram) potencies of Armour thyroid are still available.

My wife and I have arranged a “90 milligram, 2x daily” prescription with her doctor, to cover her needs until the 180-milligram potency is back on the market… the local Safeway pharmacy has this potency in stock. It’s costing us more, but she so strongly prefers Armour that I think it’s worth it.

Today is March 22, 2008 and I can’t get any Armour. I was told 2 weeks ago that it wasn’t being manufactured. Your article was written in January. Please note that 2 months later this shortage has continued. Additionally, my pharmacist (Walgreens) doesn’t know anything about it and neither does my Internist. Go figure!

Mary, FYI.
Re: “Armour ¼ grain, 2 grain, 3 grain, 4 grain and 5 grain sizes are on back order. They are shipping to wholesalers at the end of January, 2008, and are expected to reach pharmacies by the early part of February.”
Wish it was true! As of May 8th, 2008, they are not at the wholesalers, and no definite date on when they might be. Sympathetic to patient frustrations, but we dont know when the product will be available. Nor does your internist. Corporate press releases are notoriously unreliable. We tend not to believe them until the product actually shows up when we order it. Until then, patients should contact their physician about using more tablets of the smaller strength, or switching to another product.
Thanks for letting me vent….
a Montana Pharmacist.

It’s June and I still can’t get the higher dose and the CVS pharmacist can only say it’s still on back-order with no known date for receiving it.
Good husband who supports his wife’s need for Armour Thyroid…it definitely works better for me so I’m sure if she says she needs that kind she really does.

Is there an update on this? I tried to refill my script today and the pharmacy said armour thyroid was not available.

FOR INFORMATION ON THE SUMMER/FALL 2008 ARMOUR SHORTAGE, please see the article titled “Thyroid Drug Shortage Affecting Patients: Patients Face Crisis in Getting Armour Thyroid”

I take nature-throid 1 grain because it comes in bottles of 1000 for only $100 dollars lasts a longtime!!!
I get best results putting it under my tongue

I WORK FOR A MEDICAL OFFICE AND HALF OF OUR PATIENTS ARE ON ARMOUR THYROID. WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE CALLING IN RX TO THE PHARMACYS BECAUSE THEY SAY THE MEDS ARE ON A 2 MONTH BACK ORDER. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM BECAUSE ONCE YOU TAKE THIS MED YOU SHOULD NOT STOP. I HOPE THEY GET ON THE BALL BEFORE IT BECAUSE A HEALTH PROBLEM

I have been having difficulty obtaining the 1 gr. tablets at walgreens. They are telling me that they are on back order for the second month in a row. I am getting nervous as this apparently has been going on since January???

I had trouble again this month getting mine filled. First it was they were having trouble getting the 2 grains so my doctor rewrote it for 2 1 grain pills. Now they’re out of that and the pharmacist just yesterday gave the excuse that they are stopping the manufacture of 1 grain and above doses. What’s the real reason? Are they once again falling behind?

Thanks,

Betty Bishop

Mary, I could use your help and influence on this one. I called Walmart mail order to ask if they stocked Westhroid and was told they did not because it was no longer being manufactured. According to Western Research Labs it is.

Wouldn’t it be logical for them to stock it as an alternative to the Armour shortage?

How do I go about getting them (or any pharmacy) to order it for me? Thanks,

Betty

Hi, I am in phx.az. and its 8/10/08 and the drug store is still not getting all the armour they need. However, they worked with me, and I was able to get enough meds, to fill my prescription. I tried cvs, and they too tried to say no more armour. But since I know from reading and learning from here, I knew that was a stupid answer. thanks,

I’ve been taking 1 grain of Armour thyroid for 28 years now and had no problems. When I went to get my refill a few weeks back, my pharmacy gave me the line that it was on backorder and there was no estimated date for the orders to be filled. They felt this meant it was not going to be coming in and advised me to call my doctor to get switched to something else. I asked for whatever they could give me and said I didn’t want to switch. After they faxed my doctor they suddenly agreed to give me 15 pills (my prescription was for 90) which was all they had. Since I had seen it suggested here, I got online and checked Drugstore.com. They indicated online, and in their email response to me, that they had the pills so I put in an order there. My doctor agreed with me that I should stick with the Armour since it worked for me.

Once my insurance had agreed to pay for it, I thought I was set. Not true. Drugstore.com then emailed me that my insurance would not let them fill the prescription for another week. I said ok after counting up the pills I had. Then, when the day came for the pills to be sent to me, Drugstore.com told me they were out of stock on them! What? They knew I had the order but they sold them all anyway? Or they didn’t really have them in the first place?

By then I was down to 2 pills so before I got on the phone to call other pharmacies I decided to check with my original pharmacy one more time. After all, I had been getting my thyroid pills from them for a long time with no problems. When I called they seemed to recognize me and looked up my prescription. They then said they could give me whatever they had in stock but it might not be the full amount. They would not indicate what the status was for the Armour. I picked up my pills yesterday and they had given me the full prescription amount. So they either got more in or they were trying to get me to switch and realized it wasn’t going to work. Oh, by the way, when I talked to my doctor about this originally- he said his message to the pharmacist had been “ask the patient if she can get them somewhere else”. I didn’t get that message of course! Oh, and the price I paid was $12 for 90, after my BC/BS insurance payment.

In the midst of all this I did call Forrest, and once you made it through the menus they did have a message about the back orders. They indicated that there had been a problem with back orders on the smaller pills like mine but that the pharmacy orders would be filled starting the week of August 18th.

It is now november and I am still unable to get my armour medication. I am still told by the pharmacies that my dosage is not available at this time. FOrest still says they are on backorder with no date given.
Any help??

This is crazy–I take 4 rains a day ad it is sooo expensive to order the 1 rain, the only thing I can get. Do the natural products really work (Nature aid?) or are they too weak as many say…I have to something!

Ok, now I am freaking out! This is the first I have heard of it going off the market today when I called the pharmacy to get a refill. They’re telling me, sorry, can’t get it! Now what?!!?! This is insane. So, what’s the scoop? What’s happening?? Can they really do this to us?!

I am on Armour 60 mg but having some type of skin reaction. Doc doesn’t believe it is the meds but stopped taking and skin reaction went away. Anyone else had this problem before? Other than that Armour seems to cure my symptoms.

Anybody having a problem with Armour thyroid extract feeling – tasting – smelling different? I just started using a refill of one grain Armour 5/25/05 – have been taking one grain for quite a few years – and they feel, taste and smell totally different from the prior ones. The new prescription feels more like plaster dust – the pills don’t actually dissolve in my mouth (I put the pill under my tongue per doctor’s orders)they swell up (rather than sort of dissolve like before) and I have to mush them up – they feel like they have gelatin in them – and I don’t get nearly as much ‘thyroidy’ smell or taste I got from the prior ones. I went back back to the pharmacy (Rite-Aid) and he said the formula – even the filler cannot have changed – the FDA would need to approve it. I don’t think that’s true if the change involved something commonly used as filler in other drug formulations. I am concerned they are manufacturing it in China now and we are getting gelatin, plaster dust and a little tiny bit of extract.

I just refilled my Armour 60 and the taste, smell and texture is NOT the same as before- The sweet taste is gone, and it seems powdery and does not smell like the previous prescription. I got it at Walgreen Drugs. I will be taking it back to the store today to question the pharmacist as to the manufacturer and origin of this new pill that is NOT the same as before- Anyone else with this problem? I have taken it for three days now- haven’t noticed much of a difference, but I swallow it now rather than let it dissolve under my tongue like I used to- the new one tastes bad- like grit.

Hello I’m on Armour 60mg and I can’t imagine life without it.
Is the rumor back again? Or is it going off the market. I’m having some trouble finding my dosage and am worried how it will effect my life when I don’t have any. Please tell me they will figure out what ever manufacturing problem they have right now. Can you tell me how to get in touch with a manufacturer?

Please do NOT stress. Armour Thyroid is not being permanently discontinued. It is however currently back-logged. Read about everything listen to everyone but do NOT believe anything until YOU can prove it with your own research. Contact the Forrest Product Information Hotline at 1-866-927-3260

I live in Stamford, CT and have had the same problem as everyone else in trying to local a pharmacy who has Armour thyroid in stock.

I’m happy to say that I have found a small pharmacy in Byram, CT, which is a suburb of Greenwich, CT. It is called:

Greenview Pharmacy, LLC
Telephone # – 203-531-3323
Fax – 203-531-3325

They have 60 mg in stock. I was able to fill my prescription with no problem. They asked that I notify anyone who is looking for Armour, and I’m going about it this way. Do not hesitate to contact them.

Lynn