Nature-Throid Natural Desiccated Thyroid Announces Back-Order, Anticipates Availability in 90 Days

This is getting ridiculous.I have 40 days left of my Naturethroid.An option would be to have my thryoid meds compounded,but if RLC is having trouble getting the USP thyroid that is the base for NT,it would stand to reason that compounders would have the same issue.Dessicated thyroid has given me a much better quality of life vs synthetic thyroid medication.

Sigh. I just had to go through the hoops of getting my prescription switched. I go to grad school away from my endo, and let me tell you that was not fun. What is going on! I just want my meds!

Mary maybe Medco knew something after all?
Certainly puts a new light on their recent “unavailabilty letter” doesn’t it?

I am on T3 only as are my Twin sons due to RT3 issues. Howver Hubby is on compounded NTH which is all that is available in Australia. As that is made using Thyoid USP I guess will have the same problem as Armour & NT??

Time to swap to T3 only or a T3/T4 mix if cant get NTH I suppose. Gee Bigpharma will have real big jump in their profits this year wont they!!!!

We should start a grassroots movement. This sure kind of smells like Big Pharma wants to force people to switch to synthetic. We MUST not allow this to happen. The chief pharmacist suggested in a letter that I would save so much money if I switched to Unithroid. Like, hello? Do you realize the difference?

Mary, is this every strength of Nature-Throid now on backorder? I recall they had said there would be a shortage of 1/4-grain and 3-grain tablets back in June. Do you have a press release or pharmacy bulletin that you could link to from this article? I can’t find any information readily accessible on rlclabs.com or nature-throid.com

I stocked up recently on Naturethroid after reading about the Armour shortages. I still have a bit of Armour left and was fortunate enough not to have problems with the reformulation.

This problem with Armour happens every year about this time. It makes sense for people who are still on Armour to get sufficient medication in their hands by June to last through December. The biggest problem is to get the insurance companies to pay for drugs that far ahead. Usually three months or so (i.e. 100 tablets) is about all they’ll cover.

Hello,

I have an appointment with my Dr on Thursday for the 6 moth blood work and check up. I have been on Armour (2 90 MG a day = 180 mg per day) I was unable to get 180 MG filled and that is why my script was written to take 2 @90MG. I have been getting it filled by MEDCO for nearly a year and am about to run out.

Here is the deal, with the shortages I am thinking of switching to “Major Thyroid” What info should I take with me on my appoitment. She is a regular GP that I found to prescribe Armour. I was luck to find her, but now I’m getting really scared.

I told her I was allergic to Synthroid, due the the horrible side effects I had while on it.

My thyroid was destroyed using radio active iodine due to multi-nodule goiters about 13 years ago.

Please help!

My doctor says he can’t sign a prescription for Naturethroid or Westhroid. I’m currently on the last of my reformulated Armour, and am not able to get the doctor to prescribe any other natural thyroid product. What can I do?

I am on Armour Thyroid, and apparently am one of many who experienced symptoms and issues with the reformulated batch. What is your view on the NatureThyroid, Westhroid, and Major Pharm. Thyroid Tabs? Is the efficacy the same or better than Armour? I have enough until Sept. however, I want to get a jump on it now before I run out. Thanks!

I checked with RLC Labs, as I too have been on Armour, & now only have enough medication to last 4 weeks. My pharmacist has called into a Walmart further away for more of what they have left in a smaller dosage, but that won’t last the 90 days that it will take for RLC to produce their products. I intend on switching over to Nature-throid for a number of reasons. Armour changed their formula, is backordered for an indefinite amount of time, & has fillers that may be contributing to allergies. Nature-throid, I am told, is also much less expensive than Armour. I don’t know what will happen in the time frame between when I run out of Armour & when the Nature-throid is back in stock. I will be having my blood tested next month, & will request the switch when the Nature-throid is back in stock. I am shocked that this was allowed to happen, when thyroid is a critical medication for so many around the world, & if not taken, can be life threatening. Synthroid does not work right for me at all, as I have tried that, long ago when I took much less than I need now, at my advanced age. I am concerned about my heart palpitations now as it is, & don’t know what the answers are, as I’m sure so many of you are just as concerned as I am.

I just switched doctors and thyroid medication. My endo did not want to prescribe Armour for me so I switched to a GP and I printed out the literature on Nature-Throid and told him I have been having trouble with the reformulation of Armour so he had no issues writing me a prescription for the NT. The pharmacy did not have the 3 gr so had to get the 1 gr to take 3xday…BUT..they gave me the last 30 day supply they had so dont know if I will be able to get it next month.

Oh good grief, just had my prescription refused at Costco…RLC can’t supply. Hope the shortage is alleviated soon. This product has really improved my quality of life.

I like the idea of the grassroots movement. We have a voice and need to be listened to. This is ridiculous. I am sick and tired of everything being all about the buck. What ever happened to anything being sacred! Like our meds!!!!!

I went through hell trying to get diagnosed and have been healthy on natural thyroid for 10 years. This is absolutely ridiculous. I have just contacted Amy Klobuchar, my senator, to see what she says, but I am somewhat panicked about this. Do we start a petition? I don’t really know how to do that…

I am furious, this has been going on for a while. It started with not being able to get armour thyroid first. Now I have switched to nt due to armour reformulation made me severly hypo again. Nature thyroid works so well for me I will not give it up. How do we start to fight this? We must do something immediately. Anyone out there a lawyer or knows someone in Washington D.C. that can help us. This is very serious, this is surely something big drug co.’s want removed from our choices of thyroid med.

I saw my doctor last week and tried to get him to give me a natural thyroid medication because the Synthroid is not working for me, also the generic Levox gave me severe chest pains. I am having severe Hypo symtoms even though my levels are within “normal” range on the synthroid.

Anyways, his response was they are not even available anymore because of a shortage of the main ingredient. Basically, the pig thyroid is in short supply. What he said was so much corn has been used for bio-fuel production that there is a shortage of corn which has reduced the amount of livestock (pigs) which in turn has reduced the amount of available pig thyroid.

The thing that irked me the most was my doctor was actually happy that these meds were in short supply and soon to be eradicated. I am no longer going to see him.

Has anyone tried the natural thyroid that is on the website healthychoicenaturals.com?? Would it be ok to go from armour to a natural thyroid? I hate synthroid and this nature throid is o n backorder also.

I have been having horrible hypo (I have Hashimotos disease) symptoms for the last couple of years and my endo flatly refused to give me anything else besides synthroid (can we say kickbacks?). He treated me like a complete moron even though I have done my research and contridicted everying he said. I took control and went to another doctor that has a more natural approach to health. When I got the the pharmacy, they said all meds were on backorder. How frustrating! I was SO looking forward to feeling like a real human being again instead of a big slug. Message to everyone: Take control or your own health!

This is SO FRUSTRATING. I’ve been on Naturthroid for years now and my pharmacy didn’t even bother to mention when I had my last refill that this was happening. I’ve now been without Naturethroid for over two weeks and feeling crappy, despite trying to use an herbal “thryoid support” supplement. There are others that probably are in more life-threatening situations. What the hell were people thinking?

This is craziness. I

I am one frustrated slug right now. Been without my meds for 5 days now and I am waiting for my delivery from a compounding pharmacy. From what my father (former compliance officer for FDA) advised – there has been a problem with natural dessicated thyroid for years due to variations in batches and potency issues. Id rather have a few bum pills than NOTHING.
I am contacting the FDA today and will post what I find out! If anything. I refuse to take synthroid – we know our bodies better than anyone else. I have told so many people with constant syntrhoid issues to try Armour – and their doctors REFUSE. Perhaps this has something to do with it b/c from what i am learning this happens ALOT! Its all I ever used, worked immediately with NO side effects and has my levels perfect. A frustrated slug from NJ.

This was quite a blow again. I was on Armour and then I switched to Nature Throid when they changed the formula. I am fed up with the shortage of natural thryoid medications and the recklessness of the pharmaceutical companies. I do very well on the natural and I would rather take nothing than take the synthetic. And I do know someone in Washington D.C. – my husband. He has some contacts in some high places – he met the vice president just a few weeks ago. I am going to see what my husband can do.

my TSH was 81 (yes 81) when they started me on synthroid and had never felt like myself. doctor told me i never will. my family doctor was good about listening to when I still felt hypo even when labs were in normal ranges. when he retired i tried to find a new physician to help and was yelled at and refused combination of thyroid meds and would only prescribe synthroid. i researched and finally found a physician that would try the combination and we found that Armour thyroid was much better option for my body. I have never tried NT but i am about to since we cannot get anymore of the Armour. was told that the supply should be ready in mid november for the NT.
this has been so frustrating. my current armour thyroid med are not working as well and my brain isn’t either. i hope someone out there can find out why they are making so many people suffer or be forced to take synthroid. good luck to all of you.

This is beyond ridiculous! What’s a person to do? I had allergic reactions to the synthetic medication and armor thyroid was the answer – then they were backordered! I switched to nature thyroid and things were really leveling out. I am seriously considering dealing with the allergic reactions to the synthetic versions and moving on. It shouldn’t be a fight EVERY TIME I try to refill a prescription! SHAME on the manufacturers for letting their customers down!

I just got through a month of Nature Throid and did so much better on it than with the reformulated Armour. I took a month of the reformulated Armour and all my old symptoms returned. (I have had a total thyroidectomy). I went to Walgreens today and they told me Nature Throid was no longer being made to which I told them “hogwash”, so I went to a different pharmacy and they said they should have it in November. She loaned me a few Armour since I had a previous prescription for it but looks like I will have no choice but to either renew my Armour prescription or go back to Synthroid. I really have to wonder why Armour reformulated unless someone in the big drug companies got to them and they did it to drive themselves out of business! Anyway I am so frustrated!

P.S. We need our own lobby!

I work at a compounding pharmacy and we are compounding dessicated thyroid for the time being so our patients don’t have to stop their prescriptions. Check your local compounding pharmacy…you may find that solves the problem untll the market corrects. If not, call our pharmacy at 614-847-0109.

I started ordering from a compounding pharmacy because I could not get Armour anywhere locally or by mail from RiteAid, Walgreens or any other pharmacy. It is, unfortunately, 8 times the price. Anyway, my doctor okayed the switch to NatureThroid and after taking it for a week or so I suddenly noticed I was feeling much, much better than I have been, energetic, good mood. I told this to one of the pharmacists at the compounding place and he said many people have said the same. I’m very happy that circumstances caused me to make the switch.

It is January 1, 2010. I have just enough Armour to last for a couple more days. I called my pharmacy and they said they can’t get Armour, Naturethroid or Westhroid. My doctor is on vacation for two weeks and his office is closed. I have no idea what to do. If I don’t take thyroid medication I’m bedridden. I’m allergic to Synthroid. I asked a compounding pharmacy for help and they keep giving me the run around saying it will be available “tomorrow” and when tomorrow comes, they say it still isn’t ready. This has been going on for over a week now. Does anyone have any idea what I can do? Help!

I have been out of my armour for over 30 days now. I ordered NatureThroid to see if it would work for me from a pharmacy in AZ, even though I live in GA. Waited almost 2 wks & no meds. Got a letter from the USPS saying that the delivery truck had been “vandalized” and my package was found a few yards away, but the contents were missing. REALLY? I swear this stinks of conspiracy!

I refuse to take anything but natural thyroid meds. Will absolutely not go on Synthroid. This is an outrage that we can’t get the Armour Thyroid that we have been taking for many years.

Can someone tell me where they purchased Naturethroid? Kroger pharmacy has been holding my presciption since August ‘09 and still cannot obtain. Thanks!

I switched from Armour to Nature-throid after the reformulation. My doctor was glad to write a presciption for Nature-throid to be compounded and I had no trouble getting it. It cost a little more and was not paid for by my insurance, but the cost was even lower than my copay.