Hypothyroidism and armour thyroxine (forgive spelling)

[Birdlover]

My sister couldn't get on with synthetic thyroxine and began to get armor thyroxine from USA . I wondered if i may benefit too it is a natural substance taken from pig glands during slaughter it is expensive to produce unlike the cheap synthetic one in UK The powers that be have banned it's availability in England i think this is because it would cost the nhs too much money than they r willing to pay. I actually don't mind paying for it and does anyone out there know how to go about getting some here or elsewhere have lost contact with sister.

[PinkNinja]

It isn't banned in the UK, it just isn't licenced. The main reason it isn't licensed is because it is a old drug that was superceded by a new synthetic drug (thyroxine).

Your UK doctor can prescribe it on a named patient basis however many won't.

Many people find they benefit from it but not everyone. It is certainly worth a try. It is best to do this under guidance of a knowledgeable doctor if possible.

Carolyn x

[Birdlover in reply to PinkNinja]

My go doesn't even know what it is

[Hidden in reply to Birdlover]

He would probably recognise it as bovine or porcine thyroid.

[Hidden]

Many of us read up widely then buy our own online. I would recommend the book and website StopTheThyroidMadness - probably covers everything to help you make the decision about NDT

[shaws Administrator]

This is a link which may be helpful:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

NDT contains all the hormones our thyroid gland should produce, T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin and maybe other things we don't know. It is more synergistic with the human body but as Carolyn says above it doesn't suit some.

[helvella Administrator]

When it comes to costs/prices, be careful of what you believe. The glands are effectively just a by-product of meat production and cannot be allowed into the food chain - so I don't think they are actually very expensive in their raw state.

In the USA, at least sometimes, desiccated thyroid has been less expensive than their branded levothyroxine for a broadly similar dose. Mind, somehow or other, the cost of leading brand levothyroxine is incredibly high in the USA which helps with that sort of comparison.

There are actually three different formulations of levothyroxine in the UK:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

And there are several different brands of desiccated thyroid (also identified on that link).

If I were you, I would look around the site above, read up, carry on reading posts here for a while, before ordering anything. You need to understand quite a bit about levothyroxine and desiccated thyroid before you can really start self-medicating. Though it would be far better if you found a doctor who would be willing at least to help you - even if you have to buy your own.

Rod

[loopymoo]

I get NDT on the NHS...... for now, anyway! I know that Armour Thyroid and Nature-Throid are available, probably other brands too. The BIG hurdle is to find an endocrinologist with compassion and a healing nature rather than one who is just toeing the line until it's time to collect his/her pension. I was costing the NHS way more on levo with my constant need for antibiotics, GP appointments, Endo appointments, emergency referrals, 24 hour hospital stays, than I am on NDT. So refusing someone a different option to levo if they are sick on it just because NDT is more expensive, is false economy. The NHS use a purchasing group which really hikes the prices up. I told the pharmacist how much I could get the pills for buying them myself from a reputable international pharmacy and he said "The purchasing group are charging WAY more than that but we have to use them". The purchasing group and the bigwig directors on their fat salaries are loving the fact that the majority of the UK population think that the NHS is crumbling because of immigrants. No it's not, it's crumbling because of limited purchasing power and ringfenced salaries of people who have never stepped on a ward in 30 years.

[Glynisrose]

Superceded by a cheap untested drug? Levo has had NO clinical trials it was shoehorned in because its CHEAP, not because it works!! Doctors say it works for the majority of patients but I would not believe what any doctor said! They just want to keep getting their huge wages and not have to bother with nasty patients!! Levo does not work long term as the body does not recognise it as thyroid hormone and presses the adrenal gland to work harder. Armour is a good alternative but there are cheaper varieties such as Thiroyd - s.

I will just add that last year alone the drug company responsible for making levo made $400,000,000!!