Brand name thyroid med suggestions...

Laura Nesbitt · 01-04-2008, 10:17 PM

I was diagnosed with Hashimtoto's Thyroiditis years ago, just started getting treatment 2 years ago and am STILL NOT REGULATED. Am thinking that it could be a result of generic thyroid manufacturers. My doctor prescribed Unithroid because we thought that a brand name might work better or at least be more consistent.

Has anyone else switched from generic to brand name levothyroxine and done better (i.e., more stable)? Which brand have you used? How much is it per month?

I was trying to do the generic for cost reasons (I don't have a prescription benefit with my insurance) but will gladly switch to brand name if it is more consistent.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

Laura

MissChrystal · 01-05-2008, 01:18 AM

I've always used the generic, I pay $6-10 with insurance...are you sure that the problems isn't with the disease and not the medication itself?

Thyroid disease is one which you constantly need to be checked because your levels go up and down, medications need to be adjusted up and down also.

I've had it for years, and just NOW finally found a doctor who said "hey this isn't working, lets increase the dosage"

vicandla · 01-05-2008, 02:01 AM

Have you thought about maybe a combo med of T3/T4 if you are still feeling yucky on your T4 only meds? I was on T4 only meds from 1999 until Oct 2006 then I went on Armour(combo T3/T4 med) and Levoxyl (T4 only med) and since that time I actually feel human before that I still suffered with all kinds of hypo symtoms that I no longer suffer with. Just a thought.

second, I do know alot of people who switch to generic, all I have to say is have your dr check your levels in 6 weeks once starting the new meds to see where your levels are then if you need your meds raised they can be raised then you need checked again in 6 weeks. Good luck to you.

calmwaters · 01-05-2008, 03:00 PM

There are lots of meds and some foods that interact with levothyroxine... (calcium, antacids, fiber, many more). Have you checked to make sure maybe there isn't something in your daily habits, supplements, or diet interfering with absorbtion?

sandstar · 01-05-2008, 09:46 PM

My new Endocrinologist (well actually my first sicne my OB referred me to one) said that brand name thyroid medicines are more consistent and that the thyroid condiditons are one of the disorders that can actually be affected due to a slight difference in medicines. He said that most disroders react the same to brand and generic, but that the sensitivity of the thyroid can cause some differences in levels due to slight variances in the actual levels in generics. I hope I didn't make that more confusing, I'm still trying to understand it myself. He asked me to research the brand name Synthroid and try to find the place where it would be cheapest to determine if I could afford it. He said if there was anyway I could affrod it that he would prefer for me to take brand name, but if I couldn't afford it, he would be ok with generic that we would just have to try to test more often and adjust if necessary to make sure my levels stay consistent.

Laura Nesbitt · 01-06-2008, 01:53 PM

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Have you thought about maybe a combo med of T3/T4 if you are still feeling yucky on your T4 only meds? [/font]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Vicandla - [/font]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Thanks for the input - actually I started my whole thyroid medication venture with a T3/T4 combo but was taken off T3 by Mayo doctors ("you're not depressed - you don't need T3 unless you're severely depressed..." WHATEVER).[/font]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']My issue with the generic T4 is that when the generic manufacturer changes - even though I get it at walmart all the time, they use different generic manufacturers - my TSH starts bouncing around. I went from 2.8 to .84 with just a small increase in dosage, but a change in manufacturer. [/font]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']I think I will switch to a brand name T4 - then at least I should, IN THEORY (Synthroid recall notwithstanding!) be getting the same dosage every time. I'll try adjusting from there and then add in T3 later.[/font]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Overall, I am feeling better on thyroid meds and Met. I just can't seem to get my TSH between 1.0 and 2.0 which is recommended for optimal thyroid function.[/font]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Thank you so much for all your input. I am continually amazed by the support I get from the women on this website - you ladies are fantastic![/font]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Laura[/font]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']DX: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis 1998, began treament 2005[/font]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']DX: PCOS??? April 2007, began treatment June 2006[/font]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Meds: Metformin 1, 500 mg/day[/font]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']generic T4 75 mcg/day[/font]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Vitamins: B complex, 1 a day multi, baby aspirin[/font]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Probiotics and EFAs intermittently[/font]

Laura Nesbitt · 01-06-2008, 01:54 PM

Sorry about that last post, ladies - don't know what happened with the formatting - it didn't look like that until after I posted it!

vicandla · 01-06-2008, 09:38 PM

OMG I am totally in shock that your dr said you have to be depressed to be on T3, what a jerk, that is the biggest load of BullSh!t I have ever heard!!! IF dr's only had to walk in our shoes for 1 day.

Esmeralda0328 · 01-06-2008, 11:11 PM

Hi everybody!

I've always used name brand synthroid. My doctor refuses to give me the generic brand because she says that although they have improved how well it works and made it more consistent there are still variations.

With some people that synthroid fails I've heard of them being prescribed Armour which is a more natural type of medicine. It smells nasty though because it comes from dry pig thyroids. Nasty I know but it works very well for some people and it is a combo T4 and T3 drug.

Hey worse comes to worse put on a show and tell him you are at the end of your rope depressed because you can't get your health under control and give him the water works if that's what it takes. I mean it's your health that we are talking about here....and that's very serious.

ETA: You might be able to get cheaper price on brand at Costco or Sams....and you should be able to use the pharmacy whether you have a membership or not. Walgreens is the most expensive place you can go....I will tell you that.

turiya · 01-07-2008, 04:25 PM

I was diagnosed hypo many years ago and I've tried several different thyroid meds. There was definitely a difference in the Synthroid generic, and the levothyroxine just didn't make me feel any different. The Armour Thyroid generic had the same issues as the Synthroid generic, but the name brand of Armour is great, and CHEAP-without insurance its about $16 for my 120mg/30 day supply. I've been on it for 5 years now, and I feel great and have much more energy than when I tried the others for 2 year spans.

Laura Nesbitt · 01-08-2008, 11:57 AM

Turiya -
Thanks for your input. Do you order your Armour or get it somewhere locally? If you order it, where do you get it from? My concern with using Armour has to do with the safety of the porcine thyroid - I really don't trust the food supply in this country and since toxins tend to become concentrated in certain glands and tissues, I don't want to be introducing any more problems into the mix.

That being said, I think I can live with $16/month if it keeps me stable!

Overall I would say that my energy level has certainly increased with the treatment, the issue I'm having is getting between 1.0 and 2.0 TSH. Most of the doctors I've seen say that a TSH of 2.3 - 2.8 is fine, but I became symptomatic when my TSH level was 2.8 (my thyroid antibody levels were through the roof). Last test was 2.3. My hair is still falling out and thinning, although that may be due tothe Met.

I'll look into the Armour and Unithroid brand and see what I come up with. I really just want to get stable on something and stick with it. Ugh!

Thanks again!

Tirjasdyn · 01-08-2008, 12:32 PM

actually yes. I have to demand it from the pharmacy as they will switch it out to the generic if I let them. But brand name makes a big difference for me. I switched to generic once and I tanked. Never again.

My doctor is the one who put me on the brand name rather than generic.

em112000 · 01-08-2008, 02:03 PM

My endo always puts brand necessary on my thyroid medicines. One time the pharmacy filled it incorrectly and I called and they said definitely don't take the generic! I'm also on a combo of T3/T4 medicines.

Turtlegirl68 · 01-09-2008, 11:55 AM

Good morning ladies! I don't Hashimoto's, am just Hypothyroid and my doctor insists that I be on brand name, she said she doesn't trust the generics. We are still trying to even out my thyroid so I guess we'll see how well it works. Good luck!

Victoria070505 · 01-25-2008, 06:44 PM

I was just DXed with Hashimotos and my endo put me on Synthroid as well. She didn't give me the option of generic or brand. I would have tried the generic first because then my insurance would pay for the brand name they require you to try the generics first and then have a medical reason not to use it in order to use the brand name. Really stupid. I pay 20 dollars for 30 pills a month. I just started 3 days ago so I don't know if it is working or not. We will see....