Hi, this is Soaplvr4evr answering Barb135. I have used Synthroid since 2006 (almost 19 years) due to my thyroids being removed for papillary thyroid cancer. Synthroid has only T4 in it, by the way. I need to stay hypothyroid all my life according to my doctor. I never had a problem with itchiness all over but mostly in my face, scalp, and ears. I do also have environmental allergies to some trees of which Acacia is high on the list. I never knew Acacia is in Synthroid. Now that I am older (65) I need to be careful not to take too high a dosage to prevent heart problems. I just recently started having itchiness just 22 minutes after Synthroid 137mcg (blue one), so my doctor switched me to compounded levothyroxine which has avicel in it (methylcellulose). I started the compounded one three days ago, but also am itchy on face, so I will call my doctor to switch the prescription to a compound pharmacy that's in-network with my insurance (only one such pharmacy is and it's in New Jersey), and they can use other fillers such as rice flour or tapioca starch for highly allergic people. If I get itchy from that too, then it probably is that I slowly developed an allergy to the levothyroxine. I will then try levoxyl which I understand is throxine (not levothyroxine??). Anyways, I will start off with the other compound pharmacy (with only T4 along with either tapioca powder, rice flour or potato starch which all three are natural fillers. Avicel and Loxoral are both synthetic fillers the compound pharmacy said they also put in levothyroxine capsules, according to whatever my doctor writes on the prescription. Thanks for your quickly replying to my post before!
We have had some members who have had reactions to dyes/fillers in medication. You can try the 50 mcg pills, which are white (no dye). If you're taking 100 mcg total dose, you could take 2-50 mcg tablets to make your dose, etc. Synthroid has acacia in it, which some people have had issues with. Changing to another brand, with something else might be helpful.
The brand that most people do well with is Levoxyl. I've been on that for years since neither generic Levothyroxine and Synthroid worked for me. Another good one is Tirosint, which is a gelcap and contains only glycerine, water, Levothyroxine and gelatin. Tirosint tends to be the most expensive, but the manufacturer has programs for those who qualify.
Is TSH the only thyroid related blood test that's being performed regularly? What about Free T4 and Free T3? Those are the actual thyroid hormones. TSH is merely an indicator of thyroid hormone status and should never be used, alone, to determine dosage or type of medication required.
All of that said, I don't recall anyone taking compounded Levothyroxine only. Compounded thyroid medication, typically, contains, both T4 (Levothyroxine) and T3, which is the actual hormone used by individual cells, whereas T4 (Levo) must be converted to T3 - the usable hormone.