Access to Natural Desiccated Thyroid Treatments Threatened by FDA

by Ethan Huff, citizen journalist (NaturalNews) Throughout the past several months there has been a concerted effort by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eliminate natural, bio-identical thyroid treatments from the market. Three companies have recently been ordered by the FDA to cease production of all desiccated thyroid products, causing product shortages and delayed production within the two remaining companies that provide the treatment. Despite the fact that natural thyroid replacement therapy has existed for longer than the FDA itself and has practically a flawless track record of successfully treating hypothyroidism, the FDA has decided to forcefully eliminate three of the five options for obtaining desiccated thyroid medication. The increased demand for the natural medication from the remaining producers has led to a widespread shortage that many believe has been purposely caused by the FDA. Long before the days of synthetic drugs and medications, many natural remedies existed for which people obtained relief from their ailments. In the 1890s, it was discovered that certain animal thyroid glands could be extracted and prepared for therapeutic treatment in human beings. Commonly referred to as desiccated thyroid, the United States Pharmacopoeia describes the substance as purified, dried, powdered, and defatted thyroid gland obtained from animals and used for food by man. Utilized for over a century, this preparation has benefited millions of people who suffer from hypothyroidism by keeping their hormone levels in balance. Only in recent decades have synthetic thyroid medications been concocted and patented by pharmaceutical companies, who claim their versions are superior to the natural varieties in spite of a myriad of testimony and evidence to the contrary. Many people who have relied on natural desiccated thyroid preparations for years claim that the synthetic alternatives not only fail to properly treat hypothyroidism but cause a slew of negative side effects including chest pains, sleeping abnormalities, and mental clarity issues. Natural thyroid extracts are complete hormone preparations that contain all four iodothyronines - "T4", "T3", "T2", and "T1"; synthetics contain only "T4" and "T3". Because the natural extracts are whole and balanced, sharing the same hormonal profile as the human thyroid gland, they have a credible record of prolonged and consistent efficacy. Concerning the FDA's attack on the production of natural thyroid extract, the agency is once again trying to vanquish competition to patented pharmaceutical drugs by slowly eliminating natural thyroid producers and providers while curtailing the market. While not outright banning the substance at this time, the FDA has still placed the treatment in the category of "unapproved drug", indicating that it must undergo a formal drug application in order to be approved. Since natural thyroid extract cannot be patented, there is likely no company willing to fork over several million dollars to the FDA in order to propel it through the approval process. The American Association for Health Freedom and several groups dedicated to saving natural thyroid treatments have been watching the situation closely as it unfolds. For more information about the companies involved and the status of available natural thyroid extract, please contact these organizations or visit their websites. It also behooves the cause to contact one's Congressmen to make them aware of the situation and to get in touch with the FDA to express concern over the situation. Tyranny over freedom of choice in healthcare options continues to be a problem due to an out-of-control regulatory system that is designed to benefit pharmaceutical giants at the expense of everyone else. In this case, natural thyroid treatments are on the verge of extinction. Now is the time to step up and stop the state-sanctioned despotism.