How is Armour working these days...?

According to the most recent info on the STTM, Armour is currently the only good brand of NDT available. That´s kind of surprising, given how the STTM kept saying a few years ago that reformulated Armour was no longer working...

So, is this more about Armour being less bad than other brands of NDT, or has it been reformulated again and now works better because of that...? A few years ago, there was a lot of talk about how the additional cellulose caused it to be absorbed less well. That´s when I decided to order Thai NDT which was also very cheap at the time.

I´m asking because I have been considering giving Armour a try. I have been on Thyroid-S for a few years and am happy with it, but it has been getting increasingly difficult to get. I heard rumours in late 2019 that the 1000 ct bottles would no longer be available, so decided to stock it right before the lockdown entered into force.

Also, I don´t like the fact that the price has been going up steadily, although Thyroid-S is still cheaper than prescription brands. Also, if the supply problems persist beyond the pandemic, I may need to look for alternatives. Several suppliers seem to have gone out of business without a word to customers. I don´t know if this is related to the disappearance of Thiroyd and TR, or if it´s just related to the current situation. But it´s worrying. Fewer brands mean less options for patients, and increased demand for the only remaining brand along with fewer sellers could lead to problems sourcing it.

So I have been looking into alternatives. If I decide to stay on NDT rather than switch to T4 + T3, Armour seems to be the only option. But since it´s horribly expensive, there is no way I would be willing to spend that much on something that may or may not be working...so, I am wondering if anyone here on Armour has noticed a difference in potency/efficacy? I was very surprised to see that the STTM now recommends it, after telling patients for years to boycott it.

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PS. I just found this article written by a compounding pharmacist (about cellulose as a filler in thyroid drugs):

thecompounder.com/2013/03/1...

I have avoided Armour because the STTM used to claim it no longer worked the same after the cellulose content was raised (and also due to cost).

But now I saw that my regular supplier of Thyroid-S has raised the price to 219 USD for 500 pills...whereas I used to pay around 70 USD for 1000 pills. Plus, the current shortage will most likely drive prices up even more.

I am getting more and more tempted to try Armour (for which I get can a prescription). But it´s difficult to know what is true...if I am to believe the pharmacist in the article above, cellulose as a filler is common and does not interfere with absorption. Or, could it possibly just be about taking a little more to get the same effect?

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PPS. In this context I wonder if anyone on Armour has used the larger pills (3, 4 and/or 5 grains)? One problem with Thyroid-S is that it´s only available as 60 mg pills, and if you have to take quite a high dose (as I do), it´s no longer as cost-effective since the price has gone up substantially. But if anyone has tried the larger pills of Armour and can compare them to the smaller pills (15, 30, 60 mg), can you tell me if there is a difference in potency/efficacy?