Armour Thyroid

Formulation change - After taking Armour Thyroid for several years and working the dosage with my doctor, I told my doctor that I had a sudden loss of memory in 2009. I could barely hold my job. She ran an MRI and other tests and I found out that I had lost bone density, but nothing else was determined. Since the doctor wanted to add a hormone medication, I stopped taking Armour and my memory has improved but other symptoms are coming back. I have continued to research online and am trying Iodine-2 and food supplements. The Armour Thyroid causes a depletion of calcium. I was not told this nor was I told about a reformulation.

I thought Armour was a lifesaver when I started using it in 2002. The Levathroid, etc. were not tolerable. I was able to stay on the same dosage of Armour without any problems and/or adjustments to speak of until they changed it. This drug has stolen my health, my work, you name it.

I'm so angry that these drug companies can get away with the things they do. I had no idea they changed it until I looked up my last labs and came across complaints from numerous sites. When they ran out of Armour, I had this little thought in the back of my mind that the company was going to bring it back with a different name and charge more, etc. Little did I know, the charge wasn't only higher pricing but also my life. I've had major panic attacks and moods that are nowhere close to my personality I've been battling. What a cost for someone to make more money! I hope this can be reversed after such a long ordeal. I will start a compounded thyroid supplement tomorrow and will never use Armour again. These people should have warned the public that it had been changed. There's no excuse for this!

I don't write on these things but felt I needed to. I was put on Synthroid several years ago (7 years) and I felt ok. Then about a year or so ago, I was switched to Armour for more of a "natural drug". The whole time I was taking this, I felt lethargic, foggy headed, and not in my right mind. I get irritated very easily and experienced weight gain, depression and many more things. I couldn't really afford to go to the doctor anymore with this economy. So when my prescription was out, I just stopped taking the meds all together. This was about a week and a half ago and I have felt amazing! My muscles are coming back, my mood is positive and I'm not so ** tired in the day anymore and can and want to walk or exercise when I get off work! I wake up rested in the morning, too! I'm not sure if I'm going to need to get on Synthroid again, but at this rate I don't want to take another thyroid pill! I'm not big into suing, but I would love to just get my money back for that year and a half! I will never take Armour again!

July 2010, I switched from 100 mcg Synthroid to Armour 60 mg. By mid September, my TSH was 61. I was unable to see my endocrinologist until November; he put me back on Synthroid. Then, January 1, 2012, I tried Armour one more time. I went from Synthroid 125 mcg to Armour 90 mg. By the end of February, my TSH was 88. It seems to me Armour does not have any thyroid hormone in it or the dose schedules are way off. I want to create a class action suit against Forest for this.

In 2009, I started using Armour. After a few months, I developed a gastric situation that I first thought was food poisoning. Severe "burping" that came from chest pressure that mimicked a heart attack, along with passing out, vomiting, etc. This led to trips to the ER, testing with a gastro-endocrinologist. Then a "shortage" of Armour led me to question whether the Armour could be the source of my problems, as all testing was showing that I was fine.

I discontinued Armour, and my gastro problems went away. All doctors said that there was no relationship, and that my problem was just one of those things that might never happen again. So, not feeling well on my generic Levothyroxine, I went back on Armour on 12/15/11. It is now 3/8/12, and I have suddenly developed the chest pressure that leads to severe burping episodes, and my blood pressure has gone from 130/78 to 160/96. My TSH went from 1.3 to 12.1.

Tomorrow is an appointment with my endocrinologist, and I am frustrated ahead of time, because I know I will be told that there is no connection, that I need higher dose of blood pressure pills, and that the problem is with me. I am so tired after 23 years of trying to treat a disease, that doctors think is no big deal, and say "we have a pill for that. Take this and you will be fine". That is not true.

Armour Thyro 60mg - I have been on these pills for 7 days now. I'm tired cranky. My body feels like I'm just going to fall down and die. My heart hurts. My blood pressure is so high. It had never been like this. I'm calling the allergy doctor who put me on this to take me off. My body can't handle this with all my medications.

Three years ago I allowed my then doctor to talk me into taking Synthroid. That began a three-year descent into debilitation with what was diagnosed as fibromyalgia. As I became aware recently through the "Stop The Thyroid Madness" website, my symptoms could be from taking T4 only medication. I switched myself back onto Armour and in about 9 weeks have seen 40+% improvement but I still have a significant ways to go to be cured. The website points out that you need to chew the reformulated Armour. I'm all for other naturals as alternatives but I am struggling to find a sympathetic doctor who will prescribe natural thyroid meds. Period.

I've taken Armour Thyroid for 5 years but the last year, I've experienced symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, hair loss, irritability, muscle and joint pain, low energy. Is there a problem with Armour or has it changed? Why have my symptoms changed?

After being on Armour Thyroid for nearly eight years, I was fine. I started taking the new reformulated, which I wasn't told by pharmacists or doctor that the medicine had been reformulated. I had to go to the hospital's E.R. three times for severe side effects. My life has not been the same since and I have not found another thyroid medication I can safely take. I've tried three others and had side effects.

I am doing very poorly since they reformulated Armour. All my hypo symptoms are back. I hope that something can be done. If I can help in any way, please let me know. After months of going downhill, I found I could order Efra, same as Armour. And since I started Efra, I am back to normal. Please, let's get back the old Armour. God bless.

My use of the reformulated Armour Thyroid medicine (90 mgs a day) caused heart palpitations, resulting in two trips to the ER and a number of visits to my cardiologist, extreme fatigue, tingling/numbness in my feet, and shaking of my hands. The fatigue causes my inability to stay awake during the day and I find myself falling asleep instantly if I lay down just for a short rest. My cardiologist and endocrinologist have corroborated the cause of these symptoms to be the use of Armour Thyroid medicine. Subsequently, my endocrinologist has taken me off the Armour medicine and has put me on a lower dosage of Synthroid. While the heart palpitations have subsided for the most part, I am still experiencing the other symptoms I described above.

When Armour Thyroid reformulated their product, I think they left out the active ingredient or most of it. My levels were so out of whack. Without digging out my results, all I can remember off the top of my head is my TSH was over 50. I got to the point where I could hardly walk, had muscle spasms in my stomach, upper & lower legs, weight gain, hair loss, sensitivity to light, etc. I found out about Erfa Thyroid from Canada & have been taking it for a couple of years. I think it's pretty much like the old Armour before they reformulated it only better IMO. I'm doing so much better. I will never go back to Armour products.

As a result of the change in my Armour Thyroid, my body temperature dropped. I started having chills that make me shake uncontrollably. I was and still am exhausted all the time. I started losing hair again, and we still do not have it regulated. What were you thinking! The change was not necessary! It is unconscionable that you would mess our health up like this! Also, Synthroid never worked well for me either. Now what? This is not responsible medicine!

I have taken Armour for years almost 25 years. It has always been the best for me. Three months ago, I started getting sick, tired all the time, what looks like scar tissue on my hands, arms, ankles, muscle and joint aches, numbness in my hands. And now I have some boney growths in one of my wrists. Severe depression with thoughts of not only harming myself but everyone in my family. Now that I think of all of this, it is like I was poisoned with steroids. I have a severe psychotic allergic reaction to steroids. I have went from a steady weight of about 160 to 199.

It just shot up fast. My face and tongue are swollen still. I reported to the company the problems. I am now off those pills and will never take them again. Had I finally not recognized that hey this has to be my thyroid related, I feel I would have either hurt myself or my family or both. I was very scared and still am. I do feel victimized and they should have to pay for the misery they have caused.

The Armour Thyroid drug was reformulated my pharmacy did not make me aware or notify me. This is not the same drug. As they are re-stocking pharmacies, people may be receiving the re-formulated and not realize it like me. My hypothyroidism is out of control in less than two months--high blood pressure, severe weight gain, and cholesterol and fertility issues. If I had not discovered the problem, it would have been life threatening. I have notified the pharmacy, the manufacture and the FDA. I hope they do something before any deaths occur.

I recently had a partial thyroidectomy in 2011 and had to start on thyroid medication to bring my labs back to normal. Synthroid did not work well for me so my doctor placed me on a low dose of Armour thyroid.

Since I have been taking the Armour thyroid, my body aches all over. So bad I feel like I have the flu. I am exhausted, continue to gain weight and have ongoing hair loss. When I researched the information provided from the manufacturer, none of these symptoms were listed. I understand the company has changed the formula and has not updated the information for the public. That is false advertisement and should be illegal. I am truly miserable now and feel worse than ever.

Until recently I had not realized that it was my medication causing all these effects. I was feeling wonderful on my Armour Thyroid up until the reformation of the formula. This is when everything went down hill. The reformation of Armour has caused devastating effects on me and apparently numerous others. The side effects are too numerous to even go into. My trust in pharmaceuticals was and is now even more non-existent. To think even after knowing how badly this reformation of Armour has affected so many individuals and the company is doing absolutely nothing about it is beyond comprehension.

After the reformulation of Armour Thyroid, I continued to become more lethargic. By midday, I could not even stay awake despite sleeping regular hours. Though not depressed or sleepy, I just flat did not want out of bed. Then I accidentally left town without my medicine and suddenly I felt better than I had in 2 years. The change in AT was making me feel drugged. My doctor advised the boosted healthy feeling would crater without some thyroid medication and it did soon after, but I no longer feel drugged and as lethargic off the AT. I couldn't believe the medicine I thought was helping me was making things so much worse.

I have been on Armour for three years and up until the reformulation it was a miracle drug. Since the reformulation, I have gained 25 pounds and am miserable. And of course my doctor tells me to eat less and that it's my fault. I have lost about half my hair in the last 12 months as well. Last but not least, my blood sugar levels are elevated now. Yep, you guessed it since the last 12 months. So now, I'm being told I am pre-diabetic. I am not-- or maybe the 25 pounds have something to do with it. I just don't know what to switch to that is comparable.

I don't have a complaint yet I've been on Synthroid for a year. Not working, have bad hypo symptoms was looking into taking Armour because I've heard good things but now I'm not so sure I have to depend on thyroid meds as I have no thyroid due to surgery. It's scary to have to depend on drugs to function. I can't believe you would change a thyroid med that worked for so many people. I'm rethinking. Just stay on Synthroid. Now, I'm scared to try Armour.

I share the dismay at Armour Thyroid being unavailable then reformulated, and I want to share my solution. My doctor wrote a prescription for the dosage of T4 and T3 I need, and I now have it filled at Madison Pharmacy in Madison, Wisconsin. It is a compounding pharmacy with excellent customer service, and I feel as well as with the former Armour Thyroid. Good luck!

I didn't know Armour Thyroid had been formulated until I read this site, but that explains a lot. It absolutely does not work as it used to for me either, not even close. Please bring back the original!

Original Armour thyroid was the only thyroid medication I have been able to tolerate. I feel awful on the reformulated version. I can't tolerate any thyroid medications. The best and the only one I could tolerate was the original Armour Thyroid (before reformulation). I feel generally awful and cannot find a medication to get enough thyroid support without side effects - different side effects for different medications. Please bring back the original medication!

I took my first dose of 90mg Armour this morning and just chewed it according to personal research. Two and a half years ago, after being diagnosed of Graves' Disease, I was given changes in dosages of Levothyroxine and Liothyronine per off the chart lab tests. It was changed to Nature-Throid but it was still not good. I was thinking every day, every hour, am I going to make it? Should I just drive to the E.R. and tell them to admit me or should I get back into my doctor's office and try something else while I'm barely still walking and talking?

I am taking lots of vitamins--monitored by my doctor--to modify my diet. I was told to stay with clean foods in original state--no processed fast foods--only in small, frequent amounts. And if I am really feeling Hypo, I would have to stick to liquids, as much as possible, in an effort to be kind to my sluggish gastrointestinal tract. I don't know what's worse--being Hyper or being Hypo. I am praying that the Armour works. I found it from the Canadian Rx site and decided to try it. I picked it up from my local Rx. I told myself that I will try it for one month. If it doesn't work, I'll look into getting the medication from Canada. Beyond that, I feel as if my medical options will be exhausted. If anyone has any other information or advice, I am definitely open.

I found out I had hypothyroidism after the birth of my son in 2007. I did not want to take synthetic hormones as it is a proven fact they cause cancer, but needed to do something as I was depressed, irritable, fatigued, had major anxiety and my marriage was failing because of it.

I found Armour from a compounding pharmacy in 2008 and it immediately changed my life. Those symptoms deteriorated and I felt normal again. I spread the word to everyone I know. Then they took it off the market. I did the compounded versions and it worked OK, but not as great, then it just recently came back.

I began taking it and almost immediately started losing my hair at alarming rate. I have memory loss and horrible mental confusion, my anxiety and depression started to surface again and my eyes feel like they're burning off, with no help from OTC eye drops. I feel panicky and irritable again.

What the hell is wrong with the FDA? So many women are suffering. I guess Armour was just too good to be true--they don't want that for the American population. Hopefully, with so many women's statements and realizations, it will get through to them to allow Armour to change the formula back. Please!

After years of being on synthetic thyroid medication and hearing the benefits of Armour being a natural thyroid hormone replacement, I switched. My labs showed me to be therapeutic, but I am very symptomatic: Fatigue, hair loss, dry itchy skin, heal fissures, moody, weight gain and moody. I was not aware of the reformulation of the medication or the current issues.

I have been researching the side effects of Armour Thyroid and came across your website. I have used it for many years and felt fine. I have been very sick for over a year with a multitude of symptoms... Pain in joints, particularly in feet and shoulder joints as well as breathing discomfort for a few months. I also have psoraisis on arms, legs and scalp for about a year. My blood pressure which has always been normal, suddenly went sky high about 8 or 9 months ago and I now take medication. I have never previously had blood pressure problems.

My hair has been steadily falling for many months and getting worse. Stomach upset with nausea has become a daily problem. About a month ago my hands started hurting and has become worse. I now realize all of this started after the re-formulation. I cannot understand why Armour is not doing anything about this situation when so many lives have been so negatively affected.

Forest Pharmaceutical changed the formulation for Armour Thyroid in 09 with devastating effects for hundreds of thousands if not millions of people who depended on it for their hypothyroidism.

What is the damage? My life is the damage. Time spent being tired, hurting in places I didn't know existed, fatigue so bad that I fall asleep at work or in the car or at the computer or watching TV. But, when it comes time to go to bed, I can't fall asleep or sleep short periods of time. I wake up only to feel so exhausted to face another day of the same thing. My hair falls out and feels like straw no matter how many moisture treatments I put on it and my skin is dry and itchy. My whole body itches all the time.

And, I have this stuff on my hands/fingers, ankles, lower legs that the doctors calls eczema that I never had before and it never gets better no matter what I treat it with. And now I get hives from the sun/heat that I never had before. When I first started on Armour in 2008 I lost 70 pounds, I looked good, now my face is round and bloated and so is my stomach and I have put back on 45 pounds. I force myself to walk between 10-15 miles a week. If I didn't I would weigh 30 pounds more but I pay for exercising. I have cramps in my legs and feet and they ache like a bone is broken. I had none of this before Armour was changed. I have palpitations & heaviness in my chest but my heart checks out okay. I barely get by now. I wonder if I will have to live like this for the rest of my life? I am really starting to wonder if this is all there is going to be for me. It's hard to face the rest of my life feeling like this. We all are mere peons in the world of big business and we have to be satisfied with complaining on a website about how bad we feel. And all anyone can say is it sucks to be you and they're right it does!

I was on the computer trying to find an answer to my heart problems that I have been having for the last 3 years, but have recently gotten so much worse. I am a healthy 39 year old woman that chases after 5 children all day. I currently take 90mg of Armour in the morning and 60mg in the afternoon. By the time the afternoon hits I feel terrible, tired wanting to do nothing more than go to bed for the night. My joints ache, my back and I just all around feel terrible. I have been suffering from a lot of insomnia but not until now do I understand why.

Why isn't someone doing something to help all the helpless people out there who have to have thyroid meds? This is terrible. What is wrong with this screwed up world? I thought the drug companies were supposed to be helping people, not hurting them.

I do not know who makes Armour Thyroid medication, but my husband just had to drive 20 miles to get the last 30 pills. This drug has worked wonders for me. Whenever there is a shortage, I'm changed back to Synthroid and I immediately (2 days) start feeling awful. Why is there a shortage again? I've missed work yesterday, came home early today and most likely will not be able to go tomorrow. I just took my pill. Please work fast. What can be done?