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Levothyroxine, a synthetic version of the thyroid hormone known as T4, is at or near the top of the list of most prescribed medications. Millions of Americans need to take this medication because their own thyroid glands don’t produce enough. While the majority of people on levothyroxine do pretty well on it, some people find they still have symptoms of an underactive thyroid. Among them, a number have reported that they feel better on desiccated thyroid gland such as Armour. It comes as a shock, though, to learn the FDA has not approved these old-fashioned medications.
Will the FDA Ban Armour and Other Natural Thyroid It Has Not Approved?
On August 7, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would be demanding the elimination of natural thyroid treatment, otherwise known as desiccated thyroid extract (DTE) or natural desiccated thyroid (NDT). Experts estimate that 1.5 million patients will be impacted by this ban.
The agency justifies this action on the grounds that the:
“FDA has concerns with the safety and effectiveness of the unapproved animal-derived thyroid medications, which have not been reviewed by FDA to ensure safety, purity and potency, and may have quality and dosing issues.”
Unless a manufacturer of natural thyroid medication can prove to the FDA’s satisfaction that its formulation works, the product will disappear from pharmacy shelves sometime during the summer of 2026.
Why a Ban of Natural Thyroid Products Worries Us:
We have some serious objections to the FDA’s action. Doctors have been treating patients with hypothyroidism for over 100 years. For much of that time they used natural thyroid supplements. Synthetic thyroid (levothyroxine) was not available until 1970.
Hypothyroidism makes people feel bad. Patients experience fatigue, brain fog, constipation, dry skin, brittle fingernails, clumsiness, difficulty losing weight, depression, high cholesterol and many other symptoms.
Many endocrinologists aim to normalize TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone. They believe that synthetic levothyroxine such as Synthroid is superior to desiccated thyroid extract for this purpose. But studies in recent years have shown that some patients feel better on natural products. There is now research to support their experience.
Why Do Some Patients Feel Better on Natural Thyroid?
An analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (June 20, 2025) showed that hypothyroid patients treated with levothyroxine alone are more susceptible to dementia and early mortality than people taking DTE.
This study will come as a shock to the FDA. That’s because it suggests that natural thyroid may be better for treating hypothyroidism than synthetic levothyroxine.
Dr. Bianco explains:
We spoke with the senior author on this study, Dr. Antonio Bianco. He explained that DTE contains two different thyroid hormones, T4 and T3 (liothyronine). Levothyroxine is only T4. Doctors expect the body to convert inactive T4 to the active form, T3. This research suggests that the conversion is not always as effective as anticipated.
As many as 20 percent of hypothyroid patients have an underactive deiodinase enzyme. Because it doesn’t convert T4 to T3 efficiently, these folks don’t thrive on T4 (levothyroxine) alone.
In the 20-year retrospective study Dr. Bianco and his colleagues conducted, DTE was safe and effective–more effective, in fact, than synthetic levothyroxine. He points out that one of the most common medicines prescribed for people who are also taking levothyroxine is a statin (Endocrine Practice, Aug.5, 2025).
Low Thyroid Linked to High Cholesterol:
It seems that even when TSH is normal, thyroid hormone levels (especially T3) in the liver may be a bit low. As a consequence, hypothyroid people tend to have elevated cholesterol. How do doctors respond? Usually, they write a prescription for a statin rather than switching the patient to a synthetic combination of T4 and T3 or natural thyroid hormone. People on DTE don’t seem to need statins as often. When will the FDA acknowledge these facts and change its plan? Why has the agency not approved the natural products to treat thyroid problems?
Trying Out Armour for Hypothyroidism:
Q. My doctor is cool with anything reasonable that I want to try. So when I asked for a scrip for Armour Thyroid instead of the levothyroxine (Levoxyl) I’ve been taking for years, he agreed. I have been on Levoxyl ever since my thyroid was removed to treat Graves’ disease.
I’m on Medicare and my insurance denied it because the FDA has not approved it. It’s inexpensive, so I paid cash for it, just $20.
My poor daughter, who has hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto’s, asked her endocrinologist and the reaction was swift. “NO! I don’t prescribe Armour to anyone I care about. Tell your mother not to take it.”
I’m taking it anyway, and in another six weeks I’ll be getting labs done. If it’s working, great. If not, I return to Levoxyl. I haven’t noticed any difference, but I’ll go with the bloodwork.
Are you aware the FDA has not approved this? Apparently, it’s some kind of control over how much of each hormone (T3 and T4) the pill contains.
Why the FDA Has Not Approved Desiccated Thyroid Extract:
A. Armour Thyroid and other brands of desiccated (dried) thyroid extract (DTE) are made from pig thyroid glands. Before there was synthetic thyroid (Synthroid or levothyroxine), doctors relied upon DTE to treat people with underactive or missing thyroid glands. These products were grandfathered into pharmacy practice.
According to the official prescribing information for Armour Thyroid,
“This drug has not been found by FDA to be safe and effective, and this labeling has not been approved by FDA.”
However, the description of the drug specifies exactly how much T3 (liothyronine) and T4 (levothyroxine) each grain of thyroid extract contains. We suspect that the reason FDA has not approved these drugs may be linked to the cost of applying for New Drug Approval. Quality control in the mid-20th century was lax, and the drug got a bad reputation among endocrinologists for that reason. We understand that has improved, but some experts are still leery of prescribing it. Nonetheless, endocrinologists should be personalizing thyroid treatment (Frontiers in Endocrinology, July 9, 2019).
Learn More:
Most people do well on medications such as Levoxyl or Synthroid with levothyroxine alone. Some, however, report that they feel much better on Armour or another desiccated thyroid extract, presumably because it contains T3 as well as T4. You can learn more about this and why it’s important in our eGuide to Thyroid Hormones. You may also wish to listen to our interview with Dr. David Cooper, Director of the Thyroid Clinic at Johns Hopkins. It is Show 1162: How to Treat Common Thyroid Problems. In it, we discuss Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism as well as Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism. We also discussed how genetic variations might explain who feels better on desiccated thyroid extract in Show 1096: What You Need to Know About Treating Thyroid Disease.
Sally
I wrote a letter to the FDA when you first suggested it back in August. Of course I haven’t gotten a response. I was on Synthroid for two years and Levoxyl for five, and had raging hypothyroid symptoms but a normal TSH. Now I have been on Armour for sixteen years and have lost weight, have more energy, and am generally in much better health. Dropping Armour would be catastrophic for me!
Lynne
I am allergic to synthroid! I cannot take it! What does the FDA expect those of us who are allergic to do? We’ll die without Armour thyroid medicine. Maybe we need to replace the people who are not properly doing their jobs!
Elaine
Why don’t drug companies make a drug for low thyroid with the T3 and T4 so when they discontinue the Armour Thyroid, we can still get the same results with that.
Marsha
I am a physician and have been hypothyroid for 35 years. In that time I have been on several natural thyroid preparations–including NP Thyroid, NatureThroid. The natural porcine thyroid replacement has worked well as long as we monitored my Free T4 and Free T3, keeping those in the normal range, and NOT TSH. My TSH has been extremely low to undetectable, so TSH is not useful to determine my dosage. My Board Certified Internal Medicine, and very intelligent, doctor says that the higher T3 in the natural thyroid suppresses the TSH. So we ignore the TSH and adjust per my actual thyroid hormone levels.
I have had to pay out of pocket for most of these years, and especially now that I am on Medicare.
RIVKA
I had no idea that Armour Thyroid was not approved by the FDA! I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 9 years old, and Armour was all that was available at that time. I am now 77, and except for a couple of times, that’s all I’ve ever taken. I bottomed out on Synthroid, to the point that my tests didnt register anything. I am now very worried that Armour Thyroid will be taken off the market. Just one more reason not to trust the FDA!!
Elizabeth
I tried synthetic thyroid medicine for my hypothyroidism, and they made me very sick with severe side effects !!! Since Armour Thyroid changed their formula to include gluten it made me severely ill!! I am allergic to gluten! I was tried on Triosent but found out I am one of the rare 20% of people whose body doesn’t convert T4 into T3!
I have been on NP thyroid for a while now and finally my hypothyroidism is under control!!!
I will become very ill if denied the NP Thyroid!!!
I can’t tolerate any other thyroid medication!!!
I don’t want to get all the horrible Hypothyroidism symptoms I had before!!!
I don’t know how I am going to function without my NP Thyroid????
Jeanne
This news always makes me hyperventilate because I too was prescribed Synthroid 40 or so years ago. It was like taking a sugar pill, and when I requested Armour Thyroid (learned about it in nursing school), I had to quit my doctor and hunt for one who would prescribe it. Over the years doctors have tried to add Synthroid to my Armour and I just refuse to do that. Why are they so hung up on Synthroid? They can see I do well on Armour. So I am very anxious about this news. Does anyone have information about possible substitution for Armour?
Kathleen
I had so many of the low thyroid symptoms, so I went to an Endocrinologist for help. He said my labs, taken a month before showed I was “normal” and had no thyroid deficiency. He offered to send me to a Chiropractor who practiced herbal medicine. Reading your information on the subject over the years and knowing I was just over the “normal” level for TSH, I found a company and ordered Thyroid Glandular Powder. It has vastly changed my life for the better. I’m a retired nurse. I came away yet again, having to treat myself and can say, successfully.
Ms B
I’m in the UK I’ve been taking 175 thyroxine forw0 urs and I’ve never felt well sometimes I’m vomiting 🤢 I’m pretty sure it’s that making me ill because I try not taking it and feel better but I’m warned by my Dr that it’s dangerous for me not to take it. There’s no offer of anything else here I’m worried that my fibromyalgia isn’t fibro at all but a heavy symptoms of my thyroid treatment .
Shasha
NT hurt me….was like hell due to not being preserved right may be. Amour thyroid was like heaven. T4 only needs Zn/Se/enough iron/probiotic to convert it to T3, the active thyroid hormone. I was on T4 only which did not work for 10 years when I first got on thyroid medicine. Amour thyroid medicine saved my life/health.
Tracy
I am so pissed! I need the Armour. My whole family does way better on it. I never knew, that. Asked my dad and found out, after 20 years that no body aches, etc., for him too. I suffered for so long. 3 months in with Armour I feel so much better: nails, hair, bowels so much more better. I am allergic to a lot. Seems this medicine is a miracle for me. I am on disability and have to pay for it. I go without to buy the Armour. Now food banks here I come. Such bull shit. FDA wake up! HELP!
Alice
When I was diagnosed as hypothyroid in 2003 my physician advised that he would not treat me if I used synthroid due to morbidity numbers. I agreed. In 2 weeks on Armour my TSH dropped from 57 to 4, and my clinical depression of 10 years disappeared. No debate about effectiveness is possible with me. I have fought physicians and insurance companies successfully because I refuse to switch from Armour.
Cari
When I took the generic Synthroid, I gained 50 Lbs. I went to an integrative doctor, and she put me on Armour. The 50 Lbs. came off without changing my eating habits. It seems that I could not convert T4 to T3. T4 is said to be a storage hormone. Natural dessicated thyroid contains T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin which are all the hormones in a healthy thyroid. Unfortunately, the NDTs have changed for the worse, in recent years, according to Stop The Thyroid Madness. The one that was favored, in recent years, was NP Thyroid but, they changed their manufacturing and now smells like fish or worse. So, it has been advised to return to levothyroxine and add T3 for those of us who cannot convert. This has been advised by Janie Bowthorpe who manages the Stop The Thyroid Madness website and has written three books on the subject. I feel better when my TSH is low. Also, I like to know what my entire thyroid profile looks like so I don’t just get the gold standard, doctor worshiped TSH test.
Ruth
I have been on Armour Thyroid for over 40 years and have never had to change the dose. My blood work every six months is perfect.
Brigid
I take 130 mg of Armour. Because I’m on Medicare, and it’s not covered, I have to pay $150 for a 3-month supply. Nature Throid is cheaper but unavailable for months on backorder.
Darlene
I sure know it made a BIG difference for me!!! My doctor did a bit of an eyeroll when I first told him that is what I took but he wrote the rx, and that’s all I care about!
LaRae
My endocrinologist refused to prescribe Armour Thyroid or Nature Throid so I went to a Naturopath and have been on desiccated thyroid extract ever since. I feel so much better!
Paul
My late wife, a Type 1 diabetic (40+ years), was on the synthetic or the Armour at one time or other. She frequently said she felt better when she was on the Armour.
Bird
Sorry, FDA, Synthroid and other synthetics just don’t work for me. My body can’t use them, and my tests show I’m deficient when I’m on the synthetics. The endocrinologist I saw at a university medical clinic refused to prescribe DTH and never acknowledged that synthetics might not work. Everyone is different. There are many drugs it’s not safe for me to take.
Sara
I’m one that Synthroid did nothing for and feel “much” better on Armour. Labs are good
Barbara
Synthroid never worked for me. I was put back on Armor Thyroid 18 months ago because of my own request and I had to be firm with the doctor about it and my blood work has been very good. I was surprised that it is not FDA approved. Some of us need that little extra from it.
Elaine
Cytomel is T3. I take with Synthroid. It is short-acting but has helped with foggy thinking and depression. People who can’t convert T4 easily find it helps a lot. I suggest it as alternative to just T4 medication. My suggestion to all those with hypothyroid disease – don’t let the doctor tell you how you feel based on labs. I’ve been at this for 20 years. Bless the doc who introduced me to cytomel.
Sherry
I personally do not do well with any thyroid meds including Armour which I am on now, and my levels are usually “fine”.
I never knew it wasn’t approved by the FDA but then again some drugs approved by the FDA are dangerous!
I think many doctors are afraid of drugs like Armour because they don’t know how to figure out the amount to they should prescribe, as it is different than the synthetic drugs.
My insurance company pays for it but my portion is $45.00 a month for 60 pills of 30 mg. I would like to know where that woman got hers for $20 and no insurance!
CJB
I currently take Nature Throid, I’ve been on it since my thyroid was ablated 7 years ago, and I’ve been fine. I’m very grateful that my endocrinologist listened to me when I said I wanted to try the dessicated pig thyroid medicine instead of Synthroid because I’d heard so many bad things about it. I, too, was unaware it wasn’t regulated by the FDA. That explains why my dr wasn’t thrilled with this choice at the beginning but went ahead and prescribed it. I’m very thankful it seems to work for me, although, in general, my life has not been the same since my thyroid was killed.
Crystal
I was happy to see this article. I have been hypothyroid for about 30 years & was given generic levothyroxine. Never have felt good on it. Prior to being Dx’d with hypo, I was hyperthyroid. No reason for conversion by docs back then. Finally went to an endocrinologist because my daughter was dx’d with Hashimoto’s. Well, guess who she got it from! Long hx by doc, and my own knowledge as RN, told us that it came from my father. I was switched to Armour thyroid and have felt great ever since. Had the energy to care for my terminal husband for over a year.