Prescription medication · Thyroid Hormone (Natural)
thyroid (desiccated)
Also sold as Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid. This medicine treats hypothyroidism, a condition where your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 39% less
- Generic vs brandReal savings
- $1.88
- Brand price (NADAC)
thyroid (desiccated) (Armour Thyroid) is a prescription Thyroid Hormone (Natural). This medicine treats hypothyroidism, a condition where your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone.
Armour Thyroid is a natural thyroid hormone medicine. It helps your body when it doesn't make enough thyroid hormone on its own.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$1.88/unit
Generic Price
$1.15/unit
Generic Savings
39%
Generic Available
Yes (0 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats hypothyroidism, a condition where your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone.
Common side effects
No common side effects listed.
Key warnings
Thyroid hormones should not be used for weight loss.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from thyroid (desiccated)'s FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Armour Thyroid provides thyroid hormones that your body needs to function properly. It contains both T4 (levothyroxine) and T3 (liothyronine). These hormones help regulate your metabolism, energy levels, and overall growth and development.
Serious Warnings
Thyroid hormones should not be used for weight loss. Using high doses of thyroid hormone, especially with other stimulants, can cause serious and life-threatening problems.
Common Questions
What should I tell my doctor before taking Armour Thyroid?
Can Armour Thyroid be used for weight loss?
How long does it take for Armour Thyroid to work?
What if I experience chest pain while taking this medicine?
Are there any foods or drinks I should avoid while taking Armour Thyroid?
Can I stop taking Armour Thyroid on my own?
Does Armour Thyroid have a strong smell?
What are the inactive ingredients in Armour Thyroid?
What should I do if I think I have taken too much Armour Thyroid?
Can biotin supplements affect my thyroid test results?
What drug class is thyroid (desiccated)?
Is there a generic version of thyroid (desiccated)?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for thyroid (desiccated)?
Related Medications in Thyroid Hormone (Natural)
Other drugs grouped near thyroid (desiccated) - same-class peers and common alternatives.
levothyroxine
Synthroid, Levoxyl
Levothyroxine is a medicine that replaces a hormone normally made by your thyroid gland.
Compare with thyroid (desiccated) →
liothyronine
Cytomel
Liothyronine (Cytomel) is a medicine that replaces a thyroid hormone called T3.
Compare with thyroid (desiccated) →
methimazole
Tapazole
Methimazole (Tapazole) is a medicine that lowers the amount of thyroid hormone your body makes.
Compare with thyroid (desiccated) →
propylthiouracil
PTU
Propylthiouracil (PTU) is a medicine that treats an overactive thyroid.
Compare with thyroid (desiccated) →
Compare thyroid (desiccated) vs levothyroxine side-by-side →
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for thyroid (desiccated)
The FDA label for thyroid (desiccated) (sold under brand names such as Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Thyroid Hormone (Natural) class. This medicine treats hypothyroidism, a condition where your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. Labeling covers dosing, contraindications, and monitoring requirements derived from clinical trials.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $1.15 versus $1.88 for the brand - a 39% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: January 9, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages