Synthroid to tirosint

[Gzsimo]

I have been on synthroid for 13 years. I was slightly hypo after having my daughter. I am also on cytomel. I exercise and eat right.  I switched to tirosint about 4 months ago because i thought it was more pure. I was ok on synthroid no big side effects. In June I started getting strange side effects. Hair thinning and breakage and a terrible aches in my joints to the point that I have stop running. My tsh is .33 and my ft3 and t4 are in range but  leaning toward hypo.  I am really concerned. I am worried about switching back to synthroid and feeling worse now. Anyone have this experience. Is my dose too high or is this just a period of adjustment. Any advice is appreciated!

[Martini78]

I have had a parathyroid gland removed because it was enlarged seven years ago.  I was on synthroid 100 mg and cytomel 5 mg for the past seven years.  We went through financial difficulties and I switched to the generic Levothyroine because it was $4 a month and the generic cytomel.  

That was six months ago. I have gained 15 lbs, feel achey, tired, muscle spasms, hair loss and holding water.  Went to the doctor, he put me on Tirosint because he found out I have digestive issues.  I quit cytomel due to panic attacks that I was having.

I am a very active healthy person.  I am feeling like over the past six months I have been restless, anxiety, swollen, and just plain not feeling good.  Could it really make that much of a difference to go off the synthroid?  

[Barb135]

Walgreen's should not have any trouble getting Levoxyl.  I don't use them, here, but I've talked to them, because I'm thinking about switching to them and they tell me they can get it without any trouble at all.  I think the employees at your branch, simply didn't want to take time to deal with it.

No, when I switched to Levoxyl from Tirosint, I did not have any side effects, nor did I feel worse, though it's not usual for symptoms to worsen or for new ones to appear when changing dosages or meds.  I did both... I went from 88 mcg Tirosint to 100 mcg Levoxyl and it worked great, but that's not to say it will do the same for everyone.

[whynot13]

Thanks Barb,
It's just good to know that switching to something other than Tirosint still works out. I am in Illinois and I use Walgreens. I'll check a couple other places around here and see what they say.

When you switched to Levoxyl from Tirosint, did you have any side effects or bouts of feeling worse before better? I just feel so normal now I don't want to chance it. I lost hair and got hives on Synthroid (I am really really allergic to grass and then found that the filler is acacia, a type of grass).

[Barb135]

I can't tell what to do; that's between you and your doctor.  Tirosint was not covered at all, by my insurance, so if you're getting it for only $70, you're doing good... it was costing me almost $150/mo, which is why I went off it.

I don't know where you're located, but I've never heard of a pharmacy that can't get Levoxyl, which is what I switched to, from Tirosint and I've done very well on it - maybe even better than on Tirosint, but then I'm on a higher dosage. Levoxyl is not "quick release"; it's a T4 med, just like the others, but it seems that everyone who takes it, does well on it.  If your pharmacy says they can't it or can't guarantee they can give it to you, you need to go to a different pharmacy.  Make sure your doctor specifies on the script that you want name brand Levoxyl and not generic.

[whynot13]

Oh, by the way, I tried having the dr and pharmacy give me Levoxyl because it sounds like it is also a quick release, and no matter what I said, I still just got a generic levo, I believe from Mylan, and they told me that they can't get Levoxyl or guarantee that they can give it to me.

[whynot13]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to decide what to do with my medication and I think you guys can help. I had a TT in Jan 2013, Synthroid was awful so I switched to Tirosint. Better, but not great until the last 2 months (after a year) I am finally doing good with good labs. However, my ins just changed and I have to now pay $70 for tirosint! Synthroid is a no for me, but should I try generic? Should I stick with tirosint even with the cost? If I try generic will my hair fall out and for how long? The more I think about it the more scared I am to try generic, but it is so expensive! And the pharmacy won't take coupons with insurance, I tried.