ATDs - potency, exp dates

[Guest guest]

Hi all -

Jody's reply about Armour potency problems, freshness (is that

a word?) after bottle has been opened, and the smell, got

me to thinking I should also give a warning about ATD

potency.

Armour is dried thyroid from animals. I would imagine

that if there is a smell, it might mean it has gone

bad. When a bottle of drugs is sealed, it *should*

be good until the expiration date, but if that bottle

is opened, the clock starts ticking.

I wondered about this freshness factor when buying my

Tapazole. Since I was the only person in 20 counties

who used this drug, seeveral years ago,

it crossed my mind that the original

bottle that the pharmacy uses to fill my script could

be sitting on the shelf after being opened for who knows

how long.

Since I have to pay cash for my scripts anyway, I started

ordering the 100-count bottle and insisted that they

leave it SEALED. That way I could be a month ahead

in my supply, and still have the drugs remain as fresh

as possible before the bottle was opened. I just set up

the script of 5 mg pills to read " take one pill 3 times a

day " and that comes out to 90+ each month. How I break these

pills to get the dose I need, is my business. I just leave it

on the record that I'm on 15 mg a day (3 pills a day X 30 days).

NOTE: I learned to have a spare " stash " of ATDs when there was

a problem getting them back in the mid-90's. Went to pick up

the script and was told it was no longer being manufactured.

Since PTU was out of the question, I was freaked. Called the

mfr and they said it was a temporary labor dispute, but it was

already resolved. That was when Lilly passed Tapazole off to

, who later passed it off to King Pharma, and now Monarch

seems to be in on it....... good grief!

Anyway, the potency factor seemed to explain my " ups and downs " on

the same dosage. The shelf life of Tap, and probably PTU as well, is

considered relatively short compared to other drugs.

A while back I had gotten down to

3 mg a day, and suddenly had to increase the dose, ending up right

back at 15 mg a day. Then after reading some posts here, I noticed

that the pharmacy label that had been plastered over the original

bottle label said I had several months of shelf life left, but when

peeled away, the orig date was EXPIRED. All this occurred about the

same time I started rebounding from almost being in remission--so I

was fit to be tied!

The best date I can get on Tap is one year from today. The best date

I can get on brand name Inderal is 4 years away....... Big

difference!

I know this post is too long, but if you DO pay cash for your scripts,

then find a way to order the original sealed bottle of 100, and look

at the expiration date.

If you have an insurance pharmacy situation, request that the TRUE

exp date AND which brand (if generic) is being dispensed to you EACH

TIME! That way, if you feel hyperish with A new batch of meds, you

can figure out if the pills might be the problem, instead of your

thyroid.

Best Wishes,

Chris