Thyroid desiccated and Brain Fog: What Users Say

• Ama...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2020

For Underactive Thyroid "DO NOT TAKE THIS. I was on Nature-Throid with no problems for about a year before being switched to this garbage due to recall. I took NP Thyroid for about a week and ended up in the back of an ambulance this morning because my husband thought I was having a heart attack. I am a 30-year-old female athlete with no underlying health conditions other than an underactive thyroid. The past week on it has been a blur. Brain fog, irritability, heart palpitations, achy body and joints, breathlessness, migraines, nausea, dizziness, extreme fatigue, and anxiety. I don't know what's in this stuff, but it needs to be pulled. There is something very wrong with NP Thyroid. Stay far away from this stuff."

• Eli...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 6, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "Do not take this medicine! Started in July. He gave me samples first. Those were good. Did blood work again, doubled dosage and got script in August. My hair dried out and started falling out. Then insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, crying for no reason, menstrual cycle irregular, throat burning, stomach hurt, headaches, very greasy, complete brain fog, itchy with bumps, could barely talk, bad back shoulder and neck pain. Barely functioning day to day, I felt empty inside, like I was losing it. I couldn't talk right. I was waking up at 12 am wide awake, couldn't relax, completely amped and exhausted at the same time. I didn't understand what was happening. I stopped taking it. Every day my brain got clearer and felt more like me, my personality came back. I have always been healthy and didn't look at the side effects. I feel stupid for not, lesson learned. This isn't ok! I'm so glad I found this site and it all makes sense now. Please report this! I am!"

• Che...
• July 9, 2013

For Underactive Thyroid "When I was diagnosed with thyroid problems around nine years ago. My TSH was a 6.7. I was placed on Synthroid. I developed terrible headaches right from the start. The doctor decided to switch over to Levoxyl brand. Let me tell you, it has been a whirlwind of problems from tiredness, to aches and pains coming out of nowhere. I gained 50 lbs in the last nine years. Constantly dieting, going to the gym, nothing worked. Swelling and cloudy thinking. The doctor said my TSH was normal. Okay, just started on Armour Thyroid 60mg. Unbelievable. My aches and pains are gone. Lost five pounds in these last two weeks. Swelling is gone and I am alert! Do your homework and take charge. I finally did! 'Armour changed my life'."

• mis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 21, 2019

For Hashimoto's disease "I have had Hashimoto's since 1998. Synthroid never worked for me, so the doctor switched me to Nature-Throid, which worked miracles after only 2 months. When there was a shortage of Nature-Throid, I switched to Armour. I have been on Armour for 5 years. At first, I felt great on Armour, but within the last 1 1/2 years, something has changed. All my symptoms returned in September 2018. I have gained 25 lbs, experienced hair and eyebrow loss, brain fog, and extreme fatigue, etc. I would bet money that Armour has changed the formula again but won't admit it. The pills do not smell or taste the same. Fess up, Armour!! Going to the doctor in 2 weeks to try a different NDT. Stay strong!"

• Den...
• February 12, 2020

For Underactive Thyroid "I’ve been on NP for 4 months. I haven’t been feeling well and have a splitting headache, so I googled side effects. I don’t know what made me think it could be thyroid medicine. For some reason, it just popped into my head. I have very bad headaches daily, bloated stomach, constipation, I’m very cold all the time, foggy, and just out of it. I’m so tired and have a 'I don’t care' attitude. I used to take levo and didn’t have any of these problems. My numbers aren’t changing, so the doctor keeps increasing the dosage. Now at 120 mg, I have such blurry vision, which is sometimes double vision. Heart palpitations. Chest pain. Joint pain. I can’t sleep. I'm glad I came here to read, I thought I must have a terrible disease. Seeing doctor in a few days."

• lot...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2013

For Underactive Thyroid "This medicine has changed my life. After 3 courses of Levaquin for MRSA after surgery last summer, I thought that the extreme fatigue, muscle pain, mental fog, and joint pain that I've had were just part of aging (I'm 61), or side effects of the antibiotic. My TSH levels were in normal range, but my Naturopath saw that the free T-3 and T-4 were very low. We started Nature-Throid in late July, and by August, I was starting to feel human again. It's GREAT."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 9, 2021

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "I am struggling with the new formulation of Armour Thyroid. It was always the best medication for me. Now experiencing sleeplessness, foggy brain, and vision changes. If Allergan does not figure this out, I will have to go to a different med. Synthroid was terrible for me. Cannot take it and function."

• Anonymous
• October 28, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "I have been taking NP Thyroid for about one year now since NatureThroid became unavailable in 0.5 grain. It's been okay but the last two months I have begun feeling horrible. I have no energy, feel very tired, digestive problems, bloated painful stomach, headaches, brain fog, leg cramps, anxiety/panic attacks, depressed, complete loss of libido, fat gain around the middle, and more. In early September, I noticed my NP Thyroid refill smelled horrible. I contacted my pharmacist and he told me batches vary - it's normal. So I continued to take it, feeling worse over time. I stopped taking it for 3 days as a trial this week and felt somewhat better. I since found a few websites and blogs that discuss the issues. I am not alone. Will contact Naturopath tomorrow to see what my options are. I too, like others, feel poisoned. It seems like my reaction is more than just hypothyroid symptoms. I did not feel this badly before starting thyroid hormones."

• Anonymous
• January 31, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "Had taken Armour Thyroid for 20 years but starting 2 years ago I experienced brain fog, aches and pains which was thought to be fibromyalgia, no energy, severe headaches, insomnia and hard to get out of bed and always tired. I have taken many tests, scans and seen many doctors during that time and couldn't find an answer to my complaints. I felt like I was losing my mind and in desperation began searching the internet and came across information about Armour. I understand Forest Labs bought Armour in 2014 and Actavis bought them in 2015 - lo and behold! I saw complaints which were identical to mine and quit taking them on September 22, 2015. I felt better within 2 days and am angry that I lost 2 years of my life."

• Vdu...
• October 9, 2010

For Hashimoto's disease "After years of levothyroxine, I never felt any improvement. After a little research, I requested a trial of natural thyroid. I felt improvement quickly. When I was assigned a new doctor, she refused to continue the natural thyroid and put me back on the synthetic. Needless to say, I went back to feeling blah. A new doctor was willing to work with me and natural thyroid, and the mind fog is gone! I feel 'normal' once again!"

• Mam...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 26, 2019

For Hashimoto's disease "I have used Nature-Throid for 15+ years very successfully, that is until the 'Great Back Order of 2017'. I scrambled and panicked and found enough at other pharmacies until it came back in early 2018. My question is: WHAT DID THEY DO TO IT? Hypothyroid symptoms returned with a vengeance, I have gained 30 lbs since last January, have lost nearly all of my eyebrows, ache all over in my joints and muscles, can't think clearly half the time and on and on and on. It's so hard to have fallen into this hole, and the sad part is no one has any answers. Now Nature-Throid is on backorder again, but who cares, it doesn't work anyway. Run, don't walk in the other direction from this defective thyroid hormone (or whatever it is)."

• Lis...
• February 2, 2015

For Thyroid Cancer "Nature-Throid seriously changed my life! I did so terrible on Synthroid; I was gaining weight despite the fact that I was working out and eating well, losing my hair, major brain fog, headaches with aura, and joint pain. I feel awesome on Nature-Throid and am losing weight even."

• Gra...
• May 27, 2021

For Underactive Thyroid "I had benign thyroid nodules, 2 docs thought I had thyroid cancer, so I had a partial thyroidectomy. No doc did a biopsy, shame. Endo shamed me for asking for Armour. I suffered badly on Synthroid and all other synthetic meds. Finally, I convinced my PCP to try me on Armour 120, it was a miracle for me. I got well. I continued on Armour 120 mgs for 28+ years, same dose, no problems. Over the last approximately 2 years, the strength of Armour 120 mgs changed, the cost skyrocketed, and it is not covered by insurance. I gained weight, had hair loss, and puffiness on my old perfect dose of Armour 120. Gyn doc prescribed Armour 180. I am much better, brain fog gone. Hair loss gone. When thyroid dose is correct, you will feel well again! The endo doc told me Armour Thyroid was made from sick pigs and not good for humans. If that were true, why do heart specialists use pig parts for heart surgery and other surgeries?"

• Chr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 20, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "Definitely wasn't for me. I noticed a drastic change in my moods. Generally a very bubbly person, I became irritable during treatment. I had constant racing thoughts, jitters, and an overall depressed feeling. It impaired my thinking too, I felt distraught. I'm feeling much better since discontinuation of Armour."

• wha...
• February 26, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "I've been taking Armour for several years now. Somewhere along the line, all of my symptoms such as constipation, weight gain and trouble losing weight, hair loss, trouble falling asleep despite being extremely tired, low energy, headaches, brain fog, etc., came back with a vengeance. My endo sees nothing wrong with my labs and tells me it must be something I'm eating. I went along with this theory until one day I went online to find out why my prescription cost went up so much. Much to my surprise, I stumbled across many others like me complaining of symptoms coming back despite lab work being in range. Everyone noticed the changes came about when Forest sold! I'm switching doctors and hope to find another medication!"

• Why...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 19, 2016

For Underactive Thyroid "Why can't they go back to the old method of making Armour Thyroid? I've tried the synthetic meds before. I don't feel like myself and had many issues with side effects. Even a mix of two different ones trying to get my t3 right. TSH levels always good or played games of too high or too low until the T3 was studied. Yes, I've had more issues with sleeping, insomnia, irritability, focus, weight loss, hair loss, and for the first time in my life, I had a migraine over a year ago and now need to take daily meds for them. Does anyone know of another company, even out of the US, where we could buy the old formula from? Use of pig glands certainly can't be expensive. Just another company filling their pockets while giving a lesser product, we suffer."

• don...
• October 14, 2013

For Underactive Thyroid "Diagnosed with hypothyroidism over ten years ago with body aches, insomnia, brain fog, weight gain, etc. On Armour all my symptoms went away except for weight gain despite heavy exercise and dieting. I keep up my regimen but I'm desperate to lose the weight. I don't understand why the Armour has helped everything but the weight gain."

• gwe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2019

For Underactive Thyroid "I was taking the old batch of WP Thyroid, and it worked beautifully for years! Switched to the new batch, you know how they have since started reproducing it. Now, I'm having severe side effects from the new WP Thyroid: severe joint pain, stiffness, fogginess, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, fatigue, and night sweating. I tried contacting RLC and no response. I think they are not responding because they know there is a problem. There is definitely a change in the new formulation... and terrible side effects. BEWARE!!"

• aka...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 20, 2021

For Underactive Thyroid "Last week, my pharmacy gave me NP Thyroid instead of regularly prescribed Armour Thyroid. At first, I noticed the strong smell and taste of mildew/cat wee. I checked the label on my prescription and noticed it wasn’t Armour. A week into taking this, I noticed my body aching and heart palpitations. Then my heart started pounding, and I got all jittery. My hands and knees were shaking, and I felt weak with a headache and brain fog. I called my pharmacist, and after talking to them, they exchanged that medication for my regular Armour. After looking into this medication, I found out it has been recalled multiple times, and my symptoms were identical to other multiple people's reviews. Please do not take this medicine. It is terrible."

• Jus...
• September 21, 2020

For Hashimoto's disease "Been on Armour Thyroid for 2 plus years. I have never felt this miserable in all my life. Except NP thyroid. Synthroid and levothyroxine helped with numbers. Didn't fight the brain fog, lethargy, and annoying side effects. I have been living in a nightmare for over 2 years being on this medicine. I've been suicidal, continued, if not worse, brain fog, hair, skin, and nails. My whole body is not functioning anymore. Functional medicine people push this like drug pushers. Tried compounded thyroid as well. What a joke. These drugs seem to be a joke. Haven't been able to work full time in 8 years. Dr. took me off estrogen, and this is what happened to me. Hypothyroid, functional medicine doctors didn't pay enough attention to the numbers, I kept telling them over and over again. Now I have Hashimoto's and feel like rubbish. Functional medicine is a joke. But Armour and NP are the biggest joke. Have no clue where I will be going next on this nightmare journey. Good for you all that feel better on this medication."

• cso...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2012

For Hypothyroidism, After Thyroid Removal "I had Graves' disease 20 years ago, and my thyroid was burned out with irradiated iodide. I was put on Synthroid daily and gained almost 80 pounds over the years. I had all the bad headaches, fatigue, water retention, brain fog, etc. Finally, I started working for a functional medicine doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormone treatment. I signed up, and we switched me over to Armour. I have only been taking it for about a week, and I am already starting to feel better. I will report back in another week to say how I am feeling."

• myj...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 7, 2017

For Underactive Thyroid "Naturopath put me on AT in August 2014. My TSH was 4.0, but she said I would feel better if we could get it under 2.0. I gained 32 pounds before Christmas. I thought it was stress because I had gone back to work full-time in August after our youngest started college. I went into menopause and had a period every other month for 4 months, and my cycle stopped in February 2015. I also attributed the weight gain to this. I also got insomnia, night sweats, and severe brain fog, which I also attributed to the menopause. (age 46) I began having acid reflux/heartburn, trying PPIs and eating TUMS. My AT prescription ran out over Christmas 2016, so I took 1 every other day to get by and instantly lost 5 lbs. My heartburn and PM sweats stopped. My period came back! I'm still losing weight, and the fog is gone."

• Mpc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2020

For Underactive Thyroid "I had a total thyroidectomy 13 years ago. I was put on Synthroid, or generic versions. I only noticed some paranoia/anxiousness with those over the years. About a year ago, I started feeling like I was taking the meds for nothing, as I was tired, foggy, etc. I went to see a new doctor who prescribed Armour Thyroid and suggested '2 grains,' which is two pills. I took one to start, and it made me totally anxious. I started taking half and made myself stick with it for a week. I had been having headaches to begin with. I decided to up to one pill and have done that for about 5 days. I am totally foggy, my body aches, I’m extremely anxious. I’m not taking this anymore. I feel disconnected, like I’m not even myself. I hope to go back to my previous doctor and start back on Synthroid. I’m happy Armour helps so many people, but unfortunately, I am not one of them. ;("

• Bow...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 26, 2019

For Thyroid Cancer "When I found NP Thyroid 11 months ago, I got my life back. I struggled for a year on different medications after a total thyroidectomy for cancer, but now Acella changed all that. That's over now. They changed the supplier for the active ingredient, claiming it worked exactly the same. It does not. I am having memory problems, brain fog, heart palpitations, headache, and a burning throat. There is something wrong with these pills. No more NP Thyroid for me."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2021

For Hashimoto's disease "Progressively got sicker on Armour Thyroid. Abdominal pain and bloating, back pain, brain fog, headache in the morning, dizzy, blurry vision, extreme fatigue, pale skin, weight gain (10 lbs - thin my entire life - never had weight issues), high cholesterol. I've never felt so ill. I finally put 2 and 2 together, stopped taking the meds, and within two days, I started feeling better. I lost 5 lbs in one week and feel like my old self again. Today was the first day in 5 months that my stomach didn't hurt."