Armour Thyroid Status with FDA & Manufacturer

I just talked to a pharmacist who compounds Armour (the same as the old Armour, not the reformulated Armour).  I asked her if she foresees any problem getting the supply she needs in the future like the shortages being seen elsewhere and she does not.  She said that she has been told that the supply problem is at the manufacturing level because the FDA is telling them to do things differently with paperwork and the FDA didn't like how they (manufacturer) were testing. 

Seems to me that if a medication has been in use for 50 years successfully (actually, I think it is more than that), then it stands on its own merits.  If that's not enough, all the complaints that the FDA is receiving over the shortage from people upset over not being able to get their natural thyroid medication should tell the story as well.  I tend to believe that it is Big Pharma's way of making sure synthetic Syncrap (Synthroid and its generics) are the only medications available to people who depend on thyroid hormone for their lives...it's all about money in the pocket in my opinion.

I called my pharmacist and asked because my new doctor prescribed 60mg of compounded Armour for me a day in addition to my 112mcg Synthroid.  He was concerned that if he switched me over completely to the compounded Armour, removing the synthetic Syncrap (Synthroid) completely, that I might have a hard time getting it in the future.  Based on the pharmacist's opinion, I am going to ask my new doc to switch me entirely over to compounded Thyroid (pork-derived, natural - like the old Armour).  If the pharmacist comes across a shortage six months down the road, then I'll deal with Synthroid then (if I can't get it from Canada or Thailand at that time).  I don't want to stay on Synthroid based on something that may not happen.  I don't feel good on it.  On natural thyroid, I feel better, I lose less hair, and I lose weight.  That doesn't happen on Synthroid.

I see my new doctor for a follow-up visit on February 12th. He told me that he thought we'd have to bump up my compounded Thyroid from 60mg to more.  I'll bet he doesn't realize just how much I am going to ask him to bump it up to fully replace Synthroid.