Forest Pharmaceuticals: Armour Thyroid and Thyrolar are Still Back Ordered, and the Company Couldn't Care Less

Natural throid med. users must stay on full alert now more than ever. At the end of last year the thyroid patients in Britain had their natural dessicated thyroid(Armour)taken away from them by the powers that be. They can only be prescribed Synthroid, and the TSH numbers they must fall in to be considered hypo are astronomical. Why would they do this?? When people are so hypo, they have a huge amount of symptoms, and then can be prescribed many individual drugs to take care of these other “illnesses.” After my being on Synthroid for a year, and not feeling ANY better, I read about Armour and convinced my doc.(after my Endo. said no!and left me in tears)to let me try it. Wow! What a difference. I was a new person. I had small things troubling me(that I never realized were connected to my thyroid)as well as huge symptoms, go away!completely. The poor people in Britain are going crazy. We can’t let this happen here. We must read everything we can about what is happening with the health situ. in this country. There are people actively working to get natural thyroid off the market. When you see signs of this, CALL & WRITE your legislators. Keep a diary as to what your thyroid history has been like. We must stick together in this, and not wait for someone else to do it. The powers that be will steamroll us like they did in Britain. We must let peole know that WE come first, NOT the almighty dollar! And God help us, everyone!!!

The FDA did not approve Armour during the last review. Forrest Labs submitted a schedule to and the FDA and this is why certain dosages are not available right now. I suspect Thyrolar is on back order due to heavy demand and limited production capability. Or it may be going through reformulation as well.

I would suggest that people contact the FDA and let them know about these problems.

Isn’t this same thing happening with natural (animal) insulin? I read that there was not enough profits being made prescribing animal insulin for diabetics (because they couldn’t patent it). Around 2005, animal insulin disappeared from the drug market & makers said it wouldn’t be back. Instead big pharma is using so-called “human” insulin (genetically produced). Companies used to be able to produce animal insulin without purchasing expensive patent rights. No more. Competition was crushed. Hospitals and doctors were sold on the “new” insulin. Many diabetics preferred the animal sort, and many had serious reactions to the synthetic, but it is not about the patient anymore, it is about profits.

The comments made about britain are correct, with most people affected having not a clue what is wrong with them and being offered no help, many of them are diagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome and have been told there is nothing that can be done for them. I myself have been neglected for 20 years and ended up totally swollen up and having difficulty walking. Having brain fog is not helpful and hypothyroid patients are submissive and easy to fob off by the GP who does not want to spend his limited drug budget. Be aware that the situation in britain is that we pay our national insurance for health care but are then treated as charity cases when we require treatment and get very little say in what we are offered in the way of care. I can see the US might be going to the same situation in the mistaken belief that they will be better off, but all that will happen is you are giving your money and the power of decision to the authorities who will not necessarily have your interests in mind.

I had my yearly endo. appointment. He is not they type that would prescribe Armour but since I was on it when I started seeing him and doing well, he reluctantly continued to prescribe it. He felt I was slightly hypo and cut my dose by more than half, bad news.
I tried to fill my prescription but was told only one of the strengths were available and now they won’t fill the other strength even if it were to become available. I can tell I am already starting to feel hypo effects. I called and got an appointment with my original holistic MD to find another alternative.
For a pharmaceutical company to continually have these issues means their production control and forecasting needs are not being met. Maybe they should consider hiring someone who actually knows how to forecast a little better. I loved being on Armour, it helped like no combination of Synthroid and Cytomel.
I cannot support a company who fails to plan ahead for our hormonal needs.
If this is really all about money and pressure from Big Pharma to eliminate any competetion, there should be a criminal investigation. Would the whistle blower from Forrest please call Washington, you will be so happy you did!!
I wish I never needed to take ANY medication.

I just tried to refill my Rx for Armour Thyroid,no luck.
The pharmacist said they could not get in any strength and even said they talked with the doctor but no alternative was ordered.
Not sure what to do and not sure why this is allowed to happen.

Does it seem a little lame for a government to make its citizens exhausted and unproductive for a few dollars a month?

Here in the US we pay for our health care and insurance, still get treated like charity cases, and also have very little say.

Excellent and interesting! Thank you !

I’m so tired of arguing with doctors that claim synthetic is just as effective as natural! After they kept wanting to LOWER my dosage of Synthroid, based SOLELY on the T.S.H. test, I finally found an expert “Endo” who understood there is a difference in the way an individual’s body may process the drug. She prescribed me Thyrolar, and I felt better than I had since I’d developed thyroid problems. My T.H.S. still reads a little low, but she judges on symtoms, which do not reflect an HYPERthyroidism. Now I fear the battle starts all over again, because she moved out of state and my THYROLAR is unavailable. I’m sick (pun intended) of greedy doctors and manufacturers taking the easy way out. I suspect that these natural drugs are being eliminated out of fear of a lawsuit concerning the origin of the animal souce, with the H1N1 virus, or pig flu, or whatever!

You changed the Armour and now I’m allergic to it so I have been taking Thyrolar and now I’m told you are not producing that. So what am I suppose to do? I do not have a working thyroid – my immune system destroyed it. None of the other treatments work – none that I can afford on unemployemnt. I know you don’t care – its all about how much money you can make. Without meds I’ll be dead in 6 months – I guess that’s good for you – one less human to breath you air. You could have at least told the doctors before you decided to stop making these meds.

My previous comment: I thought I was sending it to Forest Pharmaceuticals. But it is all the same – I will be dead in 6 months if my thyroid is not treated. No big deal I’ve out lived my mother by 10 years – but what about my daughter? She has the same problem, its not fair that she should have to die too, and so young.

I didn’t think Armour was helping all that much so when my prescription ran out I decided to take a break. Wow… Within 3 weeks I have basically become a crazy person with all of the old symptoms & more. Because of the difficulty getting Armour, my Dr. convinced me to try Synthroid (.075 mg) but I am really leary of a synthetic. Does anyone know where I can get credible info regarding the diff between synthetic & natural thyroid meds? I strongly prefer natural (esp. after experiencing the diff between natural & synthetic progesterone!) but I don’t have insurance & can’t afford to be messing around. (Physically or financially!)
Thanxabunch…

I think this just absolutly inhumane. I have been on Armour Thyroid for 9 years. The past 4 months I have been feeling very ill. I feel like I am drunk or drugged. Actually, I feel like you would imagine a herione addict would feel if he didn’t have his fix. I NEVER take drugs or drink alcohol. I don’t even take tylenol. I hate medications. The only reason I agreed to take Armour is because it is natural. I have been telling my husband the past month that I think its my medication making me sick, and today I find out that it is, because of a change in the way it was made. How can that possibly be legal? You take something for 9 years that you can only get if its perscribed by a doctor and your body adjusts to it and just out of the blue the manufacturer can change the way its made and the ingredients its made with and there is no warning to the consumer. That has lawsuit written all over it. Even more so, since it is a medication you have to take for the rest of your life, and the manufacturer runs out of it. You need food to survive, so it is the same difference as finding someone that is starving to death and feeding them until they get healthy and then telling them, gee I know all that food I gave you made you feel better and made you healthy again, and well I still know how to make the food for you, but I’ve decided not to, so from now I will give you this new food I’ve made, that will make you sick, or you can have no food at all. That’s the same difference. By being hypothyroid, I was very sick. At the doctors request, I tried all the synthetic thyroid medications on the market and can not take any of them. The side effects are way too severe for me. I went without anything to correct my hypothyroidism for about 1 1/2 years, even though I had a perscription for Armour Thyroid, I was affraid to take it out of fear I would have the same reactions that I had while trying the synthetic medications. Finally in 2001 I decided what the heck I’m going to die anyway, why not give it a shot. That was the best thing I could have done. Up until now, I have been just great. Now, I will have to go with nothing again. Thank you Forest Pharmaceuticals, you have just taken the “food” from my mouth. If, I live through this and can act before I go nuts from what you did to me by messing with my medication, I promise you, this will not be the last you here from me, I will see you in court.

I just spoke to a customer service rep at Forest Pharmaceuticals. He has assured me that they are NOT discontinuing the product. They are having trouble with their suppliers providing “quality” materials.

I have had this thyroid condition all my life. I was started on Armour thyroid and was fine. at around the age of 23, i was changed to synthyroid and it made me gain a lot of weight. I tried in vain to get doctors to change it but didn’t. I finally told my doctor to change it for 6 months and if I didn’t lose weight and feel better, she could put me back on it…..I am still on armour so there is my answer. Now that armour is not available, I am scared to know what I will take because I WILL NOT go back on synthyoid…because of it I have to take 300 mg. a day.

OK, all of you who take natural thyroid replacement, it is time to raise a real protest! The only problem is, to whom do we complain? How can they possibly leave us with no one who is currently able to supply our necessary medication? I am nearly out of my supply of Armour thyroid. My doctor ordered Nature-Throid 2 weeks ago, and the pharmacy cannot get that. Now what? We need to organize a protest.

I have been taking the Armour thyroid since l968 when I had my thyroid removed. Tried the synthroid but became awful my family couldn’t stand me. I have been searching all over the place to see why my mail-in pharma called me to say they couldn’t fill my prescription because they didn’t have any 60mg which I take two everyday, and I asked why. They could not give me an answer so I went on-line to this link. I am amazed to see what is going on. I also want to know what to do now. I’m tired of pharmas worrying about money instead of lives. they do the same thing with some of the cancer drugs because they cannot get enough money for them. Yes, we must protest. I will get in touch with my representative and senator in D.C. how about you?

Someone please help! I have had trouble getting my presciption of Armour thyroid filled the past several months. Have been to several pharmacies literally BEGGING for any pills that they may have in stock. Been taking less than is prescribed, having side effects, very dangerous. This is frightening and causing much stress. Pharmacists are telling me that the orders are backlogged and that the pharmaceutical company is to blame. I am ready to contact the FDA to see if I can get some advice. This is an outrage! Why isn’t someone doing something to help patients???

We can no longer get Thyrolar. Why is it that “these people” think they can play with people’s lives. My husband was unsuccessful treated from thyroid for 10 years with a dose of 300mgs of synthroid. We finally found something that “sort of works” and they want to take it away. I wonder how they would feel if it was them or their love one that couldn’t get the medicine.

This is just too odd to me.
We must be vigilant that the T3 T4 natural mixes remain available. With all the changes in government and forthcoming healthcare and FDA changes I perceive the unavailability of Armour, and now back orders of substitutions subs, to be a sign that natural thyroid will be discontinued. My gut instinct tells me that the last 6 months doses ( the new formulation )of Armour was not standardized as well ( judging by my labs and symptoms ). With IBS/malabsorbtion issues Ive found I do not have to take as much of the sublingual as the oral. I am concerned. Let us be proactive rather than reactive.

I’ve been on Armour Thyroid for the last 31 yrs due to the surgical removal of my thyroid. Graves Disease – had a goiter the size of a grapefruit removed. I too have tried the synthetics and the side effects were devistating and the 40 pounds I gained in that 6 months wasn’t fun either. My doctor put me back on the Armour Thyroid so the side effects are slowly going away. And I am not standing still for this lack of medication. I have logged a formal complaint to the FDA.

http://www.forestpharm.com/mic.aspx
800-678-1605 ext 66297
 
This comes directly from Forest Pharmaceuticals per my conversation with them on 09/11/2009
During last year(2008) Forest Pharmaceuticals was working on the reformulation and the newer product was first released and available around March or April of 2009 depending on the grain size. The reformulation was done because of the design decision to update some of the older technology involved in the creation of Armour.

I asked him what the changes were made in the new forumulation.
He stated that the there has been no changes to the active ingredient. The chemical changes that have been made are as follows to the inactive ingredients.
Decreased the amount of dextrose
Increased the amount of micro crystalline cellulose
I asked if there was any reason why people have been claiming that they have seen their symptoms returning?
He answered that no he was unaware of any reason why this would be occurring.
I requested if he had any suggestion for alternatives to the Armour?
He said that there isn’t really any available dessicated alternative currently for the following reason. There is lack of supply from the distributor of the dessicated Thyroid gland(American Laboratories) they cannot fulfill the current demands due to recent increases in demand on the available supply. Therefore as a result all manufactures of dessicated Thyroid products will have or do have shortages of the active ingredient (dessicated Thyroid gland powder) They are however in the process of trying to increase the available supply to meet the demands.

(Comment is tongue in cheek, which means I am very po’d.)After reading the comments because of going online to research the Armour issue and re-thing asking my doctor for Cytomel (sweats)-in spite of already being half-crazy and getting hot flashes from peri-menopause. I am in SE Michigan and never got regular periods until I was placed on Armour in my 30’s. It helped me feel warm instead of cold, I got less cold sores, I woke up easier and slept more fitfully, and generally didn’t feel half-dead anymore after telling doctors for six years I thought I had Wilson’s from stress. The one who finally diagnosed me has since retired, but the good doctor taught me how to gague my thyroid med need and every time I have needed an adjustment it has been ME telling the doctor and then the bloodwork confirming my request for the change of dose to the doctor! ARMOUR IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE DETROIT AREA AT: CVS, WALGREENS, COSTCO, SAV-MOR, OR K-MART Pharmacies. Yesterday I found the last 12 remaining pills in town and will dole them out by 3 per day for one week of work when I NEED FIVE. I will gebin to supplement Iodine and consider compounding. I used to be in Mannatech and they taught us that the FDA wants every drug to meet an LD 50-rating and since Armour probably doesn’t meet that standard, to kill at a certain dose (Lethal Dose 50%) then they will likely not continue to approve it basedupon other comments which I find SICK since back when my heart palpitations came about and the heart doctor found me with low T3 then gave me heart meds for it, letting all other symptoms go unchecked, to me is a form of MURDER. They, as a group, are obviously NOT in need of this drug. I expect that by week two my landlord might be contacted about a bad smell coming from my apartment and they will need to peel me off the floor. I worked at a butcher before and am wondering where I might poach a ferrell pig, or adopt a pot-belly and not name it after making sure it was well fed, watered, and rested for a week…

I was completely unaware of this shortage until I went to get my prescription refilled and my pharmacist told me that they did not have any 60mg in stock (I am prescribed two 60mg per day). He was able to give me a 90 day supply of 120mg with instructions to split the pill in half.

I talked with Medco (my prescription coverage provider), who also is out of everything but the higher 120mg (+) doses, and they were able to get my doctor to rewrite my prescription to the 120mg so they could refill my script now while they still have it in stock.

The result, I will now have a six month supply of Armour thyroid and I dearly hope that this issue will be resolved when I run out. I have no thyroid, I’m allergic to Synthroid and my options are clearly very limited. Scary!!!

I am furious! After having trouble the past 2 mos. getting my pres. of Armour Thyrroid filled, I went online to do research, and found this! I couldn’t believe it when I saw other people with the same symptoms and problems: horrible skin itching, hair loss, weight gain, heart palpitations-so much that I thought I was getting too much medicine and cut back several times!, extreme fatigue. I noticed the formulation change and wondered about it. I just had my labs run and see my doctor in a couple of days-first time since early March-can’t wait to see the labs. I will beg for Nature-throid and hope I can get it. Forest Labs needs to be held liable for this-we are talking quality of life. I have been to two specialists-one out of state thinking something bad was wrong with me. I couldn’t work-I thought my chronic fatigue was back. It only takes 2 for a class action suit.

I have resorted to a compounding pharmacy but the cost for the compounded armour substitute ( uses dessicated pig thyroid power) is 5X what I pay for my Armour . ( $22 vs $ 98 for 30 day supply)

Also RCL labs is a small family company with a very small staff (@ 2 dozen employees) and they been so adversely impacted by former Armour users clammering for for meds they too are out of stock.. ( fyi Rite Aid in San Diego CA said there was a block on their computer for ordering from RCL Labs for Wes-throid or Nature-throid)

the solution may be for our docs to rewrite our RX to include any possible dosage that can fill our needs and give the Pharmacists the ability to give 60 mg and instructions to halve or quarter ) The last info I was able to get fromt he Armour web site was that their supplier had delivered the raw materials and their shortage would soon ease.. shipping the 60 mg first . ( purchase a little pill splitter at te drug store )

Lastly can anyone give some competitive (lower cost) compound pricing from their RX provider.. I cannot afford 50 cents a pill till November /December when this current shortage is over .

As stated Armour does this every year — not an ooops but poor planning ( production ) In this economy certainly they can up their staffing to hire more technicians to make the product

ps I wonder if this years shortage will exact a higher price for the product?

pps thanks for the woman who explained the 50percent fatal rule of the FDA regs . and its implications on production
of Armour/ natural meds which may not meet that requirement albeit erroneous for its medicinal purpose
–it helped me understand the issue better

Ditto—I spent two years trying to figure out what was wrong with me, over $15,000 dollars on every specialist (9 in less than 2 years and after insurance coverage) to address my symptoms, so many pharms, herbs, trips, food modification programs, exercise regimens, etc when finally my practitioner put me on Thyrolar. OMG—after just a few months, I was feeling better. Not great, not 100% but certainly better. So with feeling better, I starting walking everyday…little by little I was getting there. I was so ill until Thyrolar. Still even after a year of Thyrolar and numerous food modifications to see if food intake, types, and occurrences affected my overall health or weight—it did not. Went to an allergist and found out that I also had a little asthma, severely allergies to dust mites and sulfites as well as a deviated septum that was rooted from an accident when I was five. So, inhalers and nasal sprays I started…doing better each day. However, after almost 6.5 months of steady walking, yoga and strength training, not even a pound lost—seriously. In less than two years, I had gone from 132pds to 192pds but in the third year after I had done the 6.5 months of rigorous exercise so faithfully that my doctor said we have tried everything and that I had worked so hard (kept a journal of everything) that she finally put me on a Pharm Grade appetite suppressant since we had tried blood type diets, vegetarian, Adkins, multi-mini meals, organic and raw will not avail. For almost two years, I was eating nothing but health and fresh and though the Thyrolar and things were helping, I knew that there was a winning combination of regimen to reach feeling good again. After taking a long deep look at my past three years, I decided that we had tried everything and though I was finally feeling better, it wasn’t enough. I put myself on an 800 per day calorie intake with daily walking each morning, strength training, yoga and spiritual/hypnotic audio books on my IPod while working out, sleeping, and started to talk to my Lord Jesus harder for faith and support. This was also in combination of my Thyrolar and Pharm Grade Suppressant. !!!!!!!OMG!!!!!!!!!!! I am me again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I drank two Boosts during the day and maybe a cup of fresh fruit at lunch and then a 250 to 300 calories dinner. I felt something renewed in me. Each week I was losing at least 5 pounds, feeling more energy than I had in years. Okay so I started this 800 cal regimen in early August of 2009—to date 10/01/09 I have lost almost 30 pounds. Did you hear that? Almost 30 pounds. My mental state, though not as strong in short term memory yet, is bar-none. Combinations are the key and one strong factor is faith in God. Just talk to him because it brings out spirit and hope.

PLEASE KEEP TRYING EVERY COMBINATION YOU CAN—LOG EVERYTHING ESPECIALLY DATES, WEIGHTS AND DIETS AS A PATTERN WILL EMERGE. DOCTORS HEAR YOUR SYMPTOMS, BUT WE FEEL THEM. YOU/WE OUR ARE OWN BEST ANALYIST.

Anyway, the main reason for my correspondence to this bog was that as of this last week, I was told that my strength of Thyrolar was unavailable. So I called all over and found a pharm that had full strength so I called my practitioner to change my RX to full strength and then I would cut in quarters. I have about a three-week supply but am scared. Cytromel and others haven’t helped and if I can’t get it, I just can’t go back. My psyche and body can’t take it. I deserve to feel like a human being and not ill like I can’t live a normal life. I lost almost three years and put my family through financial strains or start over again after all our work.

Anyway, best of health to all of us and God Bless!

I love armour thyroid it is the only thyroid medication that I can use without the leg cramps and it keeps my thyroid level in nice levels..PLEASE make it for us that rely on it.

Armour Thyroid is the only thing that has worked for my underactive thyroid. I have tried synthroid, thyrolar, etc..etc…Please all of those who want this product back we must be active in contacting FDA, Forest Pharm and TPTB to get this available again. The quality of life has been so improved for many patients that it is an outrage this important supplement is being manipulated by either greed, BIG PHARMA, or BIG GOV…Stay focused…..
BFrench

I was put on Armour years ago – no problems – my major pharmacy started having a problem getting it so I switched to another chain – I called in the rx a week ago – went to pick it up – they said they returned it to stock – they would have to refill – so waited the time they requested – went back thru line and pharmacist told me they no longer carried any mg’s – “why didn’t I take Synthroid” – isn’t there a class action suit out against them?? – - which Doctor also does not want me to take – -

Has FDA addressed this issue?? – Just wondering – -