Helloooooo

[Guest guest]

I've been away quite a while, but I'm back now. I've managed to get

up to 2.25 grains of Armour, and though I am a long way off being

well, I am considerably better than I was.

I've been out of the loop, so can anyone tell me what's going on with

the stockists? All they seem to have in stock is quarter grains.

Where are you all getting yours from??

Rosiebint

[Guest guest]

WB Rosie

Nice to see you.

Seems that it will be at least October before the larger strengths are

available which of course means the weaker ones are going faster with

people having to pay more to get the strengths they need in smaller

potencys.

I was only on a low dose anyway I got my last packet of 1 grain quite

a while ago just before they ran out, but I think they keep getting

those back in.

Hope you are doing well on your Armour

lotsa luv

Dawnx

[Guest guest]

HI Rosie

....and welcome back.

I am pelased to hear you are doing better and hope you will get 'there' once you manage to get onto the right dose of Amrour. The stockists are as frustrated as we are about the higher grains of Amrour not beiong available. I sent out a newsletter (our first) a month back and in that newsletter I explained a little about what you can do if you cannot get the grain of Armour you need. I believe there are no 1 grains at the molment, but sitll some 1 1/2 grains available at www.internaitonalpharmacy.com but I am copying and pasting beloiw the info in the newsletter again for you, or for newbies and I hope this helps.

Armour Thyroid Shortage - BE PREPARED!

Many of you who are taking the thyroid hormone replacement Armour Thyroid, which is manufactured by Forest Laboratories will no doubt be aware that there is a serious supply problems at present and is likely to continue until end of September/early October 2008. This is worrying, because originally, we were told the supply problem would be sorted end of January/February, and then end of May/June and now end of September/October. We have no guarantee...

I heard from Afshin on 17th June at www.internationalpharmacy.com who assured me that Armour is definitely NOT going off the market. He told me that Forest is currently changing the manufacturing process of the product and they are calling it 'an enhancing procedure' (you may have noticed that the new batches no longer have a distinctive odour). He told me that 1 grain and lower is now available and that the 1.5 grains will be available after the 9th of July and the higher strengths are flagged for distribution end of September or early October. It is a little concerning that we are not being told what the "manufacturing process change" is, nor why it had been necessary to do this. He told me that he is at the mercy of the manufacturer on the above dates and that he is as frustrated as our members about this matte, and that it has greatly affected the service he can provide.

He tells me that RLC Labs is another company that markets Nature-Throid. Their product has the same active ingredients as Armour Thyroid and if you are unable to get the dosage of armour you need, you can purchase this. He assured me it is just a different brand. You will note there is also a generic version of Armour available from International Pharmacy that is marketed by Major Pharmaceuticals.

Whatever the true cause of the lack of production on the higher doses of Armour, we are now suffering from a worldwide shortage.

In the meantime, please do not become too concerned about this. If you get your Armour via NHS prescription (as I do) and your pharmacist is unable to supply your Armour, do NOT be persuaded by your GP to go back onto Levothyroxine. You went on to Armour because the synthetic thyroxine did not make you well, and you do not want to go back to the place you were in before Armour. You can continue to take natural thyroid extract, but it will mean you will have to switch to another brand name, or even use a generic.

First, please be assured that I have today spoken with a member of staff at IDIS World Medicines who source Armour Thyroid for your Pharmacist. They assure me that they do have supplies of Nature-Throid and all your doctor has to do, is to write 'Nature-Throid' (for the treatment of hypothyroidism) on your prescription form instead of 'Armour' and your prescription will be fulfilled in the usual way. Before you do this however, please contact your local pharmacy that supply your Armour thyroid and ask them if they have any left in stock that might cover your prescription for the next three months. All dosage sizes of Nature-Throid are fully stocked at the moment. The only difference between Nature-Throid and Armour Thyroid is that Nature-Throid is hypoallergenic, for those sensitive to some fillers or binders.

You may need to talk to your GP about this problem and ask him to write on your usual prescription form that if Armour is unavailable, to substitute with the Western Research products Nature-Throid is acceptable and IDIS is aware of this. You will get a straight 'swap' temporarily from Armour to Nature-Throid. If there is any difficulty with this – IDIS World Medicines should sort this out.

It is imperative that you get your future NHS prescriptions sorted with your doctor and pharmacist, because the shortages of Armour could get much worse before the end of September/’beginning October (if, indeed, these dates are met)

For those of you who purchase your own supply of Armour from an Internet Pharmacy, I would recommend that if you are unable to get the size of grain that you require, you be guided by www.internationalpharmacy.com in their recommendations to switch temporarily to Nature-Throid or to Major Thyroid.

Luv - Sheila

[Guest guest]

>

> I've been away quite a while, but I'm back now.

Hi Rosie

I often wondered where you were and how you were doing. Nice to see

you back and doing better.

x