There is no more Armour Thyroid Shortage
Forest Laboratories, Inc. has been producing and shipping a steady supply of the 1 grain (60 mg) and ½ grain (30 mg) dosage strengths of Armour Thyroid since February. As a result, these strengths are no longer on back-order. These two dosage strengths of Armour Thyroid can be used alone or in multiples to achieve common total daily dosage requirements.
Further, Forest Laboratories has begun producing additional dosage strengths. Since May we have shipped a limited supply of 1/4 grain (15 mg), 1.5 grain (90 mg), and 2 grain (120 mg) doses of Armour Thyroid. We continue to work diligently to provide additional supply in order to resolve the back-order of these and other Armour Thyroid dosage strengths.
If you have any questions about Armour Thyroid, please call the following toll-free hotline: 1-866-927-3260.
In the meantime, we encourage patients to speak with their physician regarding appropriate treatment for their condition.
Statement from Dr. Michael E. Doyle about Armour Thyroid:
Fact: Natural thyroid extracts such as Armour Thyroid are FDA approved prescription medications that contain all 4 human thyroid hormones (T1, T2, T3 and T4.) They are prepared in accordance with the U.S. Pharmacopeia.5 Synthetic thyroid extracts, such as levothyroxine contain only T4 and are also FDA approved.
Ironically, synthetic T4 preparations seem to have had many more problems with dose consistency than natural desiccated thyroid extracts. FDA records show repeated problems with potency and consistency for T4 products including Synthroid.6,7
My conclusion: There is no evidence that natural thyroid extracts such as Armour Thyroid are unsafe or any more dangerous than synthetic thyroid treatments. In fact, my experience is that natural thyroid extracts are much more effective at restoring normal metabolism and, therefore, very likely better for one’s health.