Sep 1 2003
by Mary ShomonIt appears that Public Citizen and its "Worst Pills," newsletter, a consumer watchdog group that is supposed to protect consumers, has departed greatly from its mission, at least where thyroid patients are concerned. The group is now actively involved in disseminating incorrect -- and potentially dangerous -- information to the public about thyroid drugs.
You may remember the article they published in May 2003, offering a shoddy, poorly researched and misguided opinion piece stating that the public should not use natural or desiccated thyroid (Armour Thyroid) for thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
Their arguments against Armour Thyroid were based on outdated or plainly erroneous information, and you can read about it in my detailed article on the topic.
I wrote them a detailed letter outlining the concerns, but received no response. Numerous physicians who prescribe thyroid medicine, and a great many patients, also wrote to help correct this issue.
Empowered thyroid patient Joy Richards wrote to register her concerns that Public Citizen and "Worst Pills" were disseminating incorrect information. She DID receive a response, and shared it with me. I am reprinting it here, to help publicize the fact that Public Citizen's lack of knowledge and information about thyroid drugs appears to be far more significant than even their original article revealed.
"Worst Pills" and Public Citizen are totally misinformed about Armour Thyroid products. The group has provided incorrect details on even the simplest information about Armour Thyroid. Most concerning of all for the thyroid patients and doctors who work with this product, Worst Pills and Public Citizen are basing their concerns on their incorrect belief that Armour Thyroid is an unregulated, over-the-counter dietary supplement. This is, of course, totally incorrect, as Armour is a prescription drug that is regulated by the FDA.
The following is Public Citizen's email response to Joy regarding the "Worst Pills" article that condemned Armour Thyroid.
Public Citizen's Full Response Re: the Worst Pills Article Against Armour Thyroid
From: public_citizen@citizen.org
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003
We have received your e mail disagreeing with our article on Armour Thyroid.It would seem that we must agree to disagree.
A big reason we say do not use is that the standards set for this product are based only on iodine content and not potency-there is no requirement for the potency of these products in regulating metabolism (the main function of thyroid hormone). There are many levels of treating people who do not have the ability to write prescriptions and recommend Armour Thyroid instead which does not require a prescription. If you watch the research carefully, you will also note that the levels of TSH requiring treatment have been dropping and many physicians and labs have not readjusted their numbers - often resulting in dosage levels being inadequate.
Our work is concentrated on those drugs that have undergone testing and clinical trials before being approved by the FDA - herbal products and food supplements have not undergone the same level of scrutiny or are they approved or regulated by the FDA.
