Armour Thyroid Pill Recall 2005
To be completely fair, there was a recall of Armour thyroid in 2005,
Lots manufactured in 2003 were found to have lost potency 2 years later in 2005, so Forest Labs recalled all tablets made in 2003. Since it was 2 years later, very little product from these lots was still in distribution, so it was actually a small recall.
Change in Armour Formulation
Naturethroid Manufacturer Speaks Out: Natural vs Synthetic
The makers of Naturethroid say this : "In contrast to Naturally Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) containing T3 and T4, most synthetic medications contain T4 (or T3) only. In reality, many patients don't start to feel normal again until they switch from synthetic to NDT (Thyroid USP). Natural Desiccated Thyroid hormone replacement has been used since the late 1800s, and it is one of the safest drugs available. It contains a full spectrum of thyroid hormones, T4 and T3 and also T2 and T1 as well. The typical indication by the proponents of synthetic T4 is that NDT is unstable and inconsistent in its dosage. However, under the full USP monograph of both Thyroid USP as an ingredient and Thyroid USP Tablet as a finished product establishing full prescription status, this conventional argument could not be further from the truth. Unlike Nature-Throidà "ž and Westhroidà "ž , synthetic medications have often been recalled due to batch inconsistencies. Yet most doctors are led to believe that desiccated thyroid is unstable. To ensure that Nature-Throidà "ž and Westhroidà "ž Thyroid USP tablets are consistently potent from tablet to tablet and lot to lot, analytical tests are performed on the raw material (Thyroid USP powder) and on the actual tablets (finished product) to measure actual T4 and T3 activity."
By the way, contrary to the Medicine.net comment above, natural thyroid tablets are labeled in milligrams. One Grain tablets contain 65 mg .
Conversion of T4 to T3
A common problem for many patients who don't feel well on Synthroid is the inability to convert T4 to T3 . Synthroid contains T4 only which is inactive, and must be converted to T3 by the body for it to work. This conversion is done by the De-Iodinase Enzyme. Sometimes this enzyme isnot working, and many patients have an inability to convert T4 to T3. They feel much better on a natural thyroid medication which contains T3 and T4. In my experience, most patients feel much better, with more energy, and relief symptoms when switching from synthroid to a natural thyroid such as Naturethroid.
Mary Shomon on Natural Thyroid vs Synthetic
An article by Mary Shoman in the Townsend letter explains why natural thyroid treatment is the better choice, and that Synthroid and Levothyroxine are unstable, with dosage varying according to batch, and subjected to multiple recalls. Natural thyroid from RLC labs has never been recalled and is the preferred solution. Mary Shomon's blog is an excellent resource on natural thyroid.
Can I Get Mad Cow Disease from My Pig Thyroid Pill?
Millions of Americans have enjoyed ham sandwiches and pork products for decades without a single case of Mad Cow Disease ever reported. This essentially invalidates the fear of Mad Cow Disease from a pig product as an argument. However, Mary Shomon advises caution with over-the-counter glandular supplements, which may contain unregulated meat products from areas of Europe known to have mad cow infected livestock.
Stop the Thyroid Madness
Another excellent resource is the Stop Your Thyroid Madness Blog and Book by Janie Bowthorpe. Janie suffered for years with low thyroid symptoms even while on Synthroid, and had a dramatic recovery after converting from synthroid to natural thyroid. With her blog and book, she is one of the strongest advocates for natural thyroid medication.
For links and references, Click here for original aricle.
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