Thyroid Drug Maker Forest Laboratories in Hot Water With Justice Department
According to an article in the New York Times, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is charging drug company Forest Laboratories -- which makes thyroid drugs Levothroid, Thyrolar and Armour Thyroid -- with defrauding the government. According to the DOJ, Forest has fraudulently obtained millions of dollars through the illegal marketing of popular antidepressants Celexa and Lexapro for unapproved uses in children and teenagers.Prosecutors are charging that Forest covered up studies showing negative results for Celexa and Lexapro in children, paid kickbacks to doctors who prescribed Forest's drugs, and ran studies that were in actuality marketing efforts to promote the use of these antidepressant drugs.
The DOJ charges do not relate to Forest's thyroid drugs, but you have to wonder WHAT is going on with Forest, don't you? They have been reformulating Armour Thyroid on and off for several years, including the most recent Armour formula changes that are causing major problems for patients, and have had shortages for years. Currently, many of their thyroid products are unavailable and on backorder, and Forest will provide no explanation.
Given the DOJ information about Forest, and what's been happening to thyroid patients at the hands of this company, it certainly makes you wonder what else Forest is covering up...and what other shenanigans they might be up to?
If you're a thyroid patient who is finding it difficult to get Armour Thyroid or Thyrolar because of the mysterious shortages and backorders, or your Armour's not working because of the unexplained changes to the formula, sad to say, but I think it's time to abandon Forest's thyroid products and switch to other thyroid medications.
Photos: clipart.com
Comments
I know that amour is a miracle drug for many people and that he big pharmacy promoters of synthroid get a bad rap, but the bottom line is that allll of these people are in the business to make money. Who do you think pays for all of the studies that show synthetic thyroid replacement doesn’t work? There is always a money trail even if it is a product that does what it says it will.
Jennifer is right. If there is one thing that is becoming more and more obvious after each day, it is that Forest is just as fallible as other pharmaceutical companies. There is a reason why Armour was reformulated and I think it can be traced back to money. Forest has been in a sticky situation with customers for awhile and now the government. I just wish another company besides RLC Labs would step up to plate and formulate a highly effective thyroid hormone treatment. It’s good to have choices.
I have abandoned ship. this week I asked my Dr. to switch me to NatureThroid. i was too unhappy with the new armour, and i just had a bad feeling about it. my pharmacy doesn’t stock it, so they had to order it in, and it should be here by tomorrow. we will see if NatureThroid will make me feel better!
While I respect the comments of Ms. Shomon, I am compelled to point out that she is reacting to an old New York Times article that dates back to February. In March, the FDA approved Lexapro for use in adolescents. http://www.frx.com/news/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1268211
It should also be noted that, anecdotally, anti-depressents tend to lead to increased thoughts of suicide. To put it as a health professional put it to me. “They start feeling better and may be brave enough to seriously consider suicide.” Unfortunately, depressed people may already be suicidal.
I empathize with the struggle of the author to find an effective Thyroid treatment. Best wishes in your quest.
Johnv
I thought I was OK until a week or so ago I started having heart palps, extreme fatigue and heaven help me, forgetting stuff. My boyfriend got very concerned, and I called my doc. Apparently Naturethroid is getting scarce, so I’m doing Westhroid. Good news: at Target Pharmacy, Westhroid is a $5 generic.
Thanks a lot, Forest. I bragged on Armour until now.
Amy, the reason you were getting the heart palpitations is because you were taking too much. My doctor told me a side effect of taking to much is heart palpitations, insomnia, and that’s how I would know to cut back on my thyroid.
about armour thyroid I for one had all types of reactions on synthroid,levothyroxin and what other kinds there are. I had thyroid cancer and it is my treatment for this.
So they had better quit messing with the people that make this or someone else had better start. Because I don’t want to die because some a hole has a problem
Getting back to the original article Ms. Shoman wrote, Celexa and citolapram, mirror drugs (identical), and many other antidepressant drugs have been implicated in adolescent and young adult suicide risk. I am not impressed if our highly “impressionable” FDA approved it anyway, like they did the other antid. My doctor yanked my older antid. away for no reason whatsoever to prescribe Lexapro. I am also aware of the “gifts” this doctor takes from drug manufacturers (kickbacks). If these drugs CAUSE what they Treat, depression, why do doctors rx it and big pharma produce it? Cold, Hard, Cash.- and at our expense. Do yourself a favor and try therapy instead. Studies show it is just as effective.
Well, we know “Big Drug” can’t be trusted. I have always wondered about Forest Labs after I became aware they also manufacture synthetic. In all comments I read I haven’t heard anyone mention the smell of Armour Thyroid. If you grew up in the country you will know what I mean. The smell had always been the odor of bacon frying cut from an old boar hog. I had noticed the odor becoming less strong. The last 6 months or so there has been very little odor. I had a recent battle with a CVS Pharmacy. They voided my last script. I went to pick it up, we had a heated discussion. They faxed my doctor, and then offered me the last 40 on the shelf as a refill. I got 30 with 1 refill ( I guess for the last ten). These had no odor at all, and did not look quite right. I didn’t take them. I have an appointment with my doctor to get a script for compounding. At this point I have not taken any of the pills, and I feel 500% better. I didn’t realize just how bad I was feeling. I had felt the way I did when I was first diagnosed, only worse. Actually with many of the symptoms I suffered on Synthroid. Now, I really have to wonder (since they have been proven to be dishonest with a total lack of moral fiber concerning the abuse of children for profit), have they been gradually replacing the natural with synthetic? Drug companies have done far worse. As for me if I cannot get a script for compounding the natural, I’m not taking anything. Good luck to all of you.