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Thyroid medication ?
Ok so I've been reading up on the different thyroid meds because I'm pretty sure I'm hypo I go to the dr. To test in a month but after all my research I'm pretty curious maybe someone could help me. I've read that insurance companies don't wanna pay for synthroid Instead most people have to take levothyroxine or levothyroxin. Either way, I'm curious as to how much more expensive is this synthroid to levothyroxine. If anyone knows. I appreciate an estimate of what I'll need to put aside monthly for meds . Mom on a budget here.
Little bit of info on me.
I had radiation iodine at 18. An ultrasound showed my thyroid DID NOT DIE! I wanna make that clear blood test came back NORMAL. So amazingly I had a healthy normal thyroid. Suppose to be tested yearly or every 6 months well 2 years ago after I had my last baby it was normal I have not tested since. Life's been busy. But in the past few months I've noticed my jaw would have a shooting pain like lock jaw I guess, no energy whatsoever an if I do workout to try an lose weight I've recently put on I literally can barely move when I'm finished an im just barely doing a few exercises for maybe 15mins. So this is why I think I've gone hypo. For as young as I am I really can't figure out why I have no energy at all. I'm only 24.
Also what tests should I take, I want this new dr. To take me seriously I want the most accurate test there is. I'm tired of everyone saying oh your normal when I'm clearly not! Thanks for any feedback I really appreciate it!!
Little bit of info on me.
I had radiation iodine at 18. An ultrasound showed my thyroid DID NOT DIE! I wanna make that clear blood test came back NORMAL. So amazingly I had a healthy normal thyroid. Suppose to be tested yearly or every 6 months well 2 years ago after I had my last baby it was normal I have not tested since. Life's been busy. But in the past few months I've noticed my jaw would have a shooting pain like lock jaw I guess, no energy whatsoever an if I do workout to try an lose weight I've recently put on I literally can barely move when I'm finished an im just barely doing a few exercises for maybe 15mins. So this is why I think I've gone hypo. For as young as I am I really can't figure out why I have no energy at all. I'm only 24.
Also what tests should I take, I want this new dr. To take me seriously I want the most accurate test there is. I'm tired of everyone saying oh your normal when I'm clearly not! Thanks for any feedback I really appreciate it!!
COMMUNITY LEADER
hobojo... The thyroid tests you need to determine if you are hypo are Free T3, Free T4 and TSH. Don't let your doctor get by with only testing TSH; that's probably what they've been doing, which is the reason you've been "normal" all the time. Also, make sure you get a copy of the report after you have the test done, and keep it for your records... I have all of my blood test reports since 2000, so I can go back and check and compare...
Also, because of your fatigue, you should ask your doctor to test for vitamin B-12 and iron deficiency, both of which can cause horrible fatigue.
As far as Synthroid vs levothryoxine, it's controversial as to whether Synthroid is really all that much better. I, personally, did better on generic levothyroxine than I did on Synthroid, but it depends on the person.
The active ingredient in all the T4 medications is levothyroxine, then each manufacturer adds different ingredients. Some people have reaction fo some of the inactive ingredients, but this is rare.
When I was on Synthroid, my insurance company "did" pay for it, but they paid at lower rate than they paid for the generic. I can't tell you about Synthroid, right now, because I don't take it, but I do take a name brand, called Levoxyl, which in my opinion, is actually better than Synthroid. My insurance does not cover Levoxyl, but I do save, because I have insurance. It only costs me about $38 for a 90 day supply, so that's just over $10/month... I get mine at Walgreen's, so your pharmacy may charge more or less.
My recommendation would be to try the less expensive generic since you are a mom on a budget and see how that works. Many times if the med isn't working the problem is that dosage isn't high not because there's a problem with the med, itself, unless you have symptoms of an allergic reaction such as rash, etc.
Is there some reason you have to wait a month to go to the doctor to get your blood work done, when you're feeling so bad now? That's a long time to keep feeling bad...
Also, because of your fatigue, you should ask your doctor to test for vitamin B-12 and iron deficiency, both of which can cause horrible fatigue.
As far as Synthroid vs levothryoxine, it's controversial as to whether Synthroid is really all that much better. I, personally, did better on generic levothyroxine than I did on Synthroid, but it depends on the person.
The active ingredient in all the T4 medications is levothyroxine, then each manufacturer adds different ingredients. Some people have reaction fo some of the inactive ingredients, but this is rare.
When I was on Synthroid, my insurance company "did" pay for it, but they paid at lower rate than they paid for the generic. I can't tell you about Synthroid, right now, because I don't take it, but I do take a name brand, called Levoxyl, which in my opinion, is actually better than Synthroid. My insurance does not cover Levoxyl, but I do save, because I have insurance. It only costs me about $38 for a 90 day supply, so that's just over $10/month... I get mine at Walgreen's, so your pharmacy may charge more or less.
My recommendation would be to try the less expensive generic since you are a mom on a budget and see how that works. Many times if the med isn't working the problem is that dosage isn't high not because there's a problem with the med, itself, unless you have symptoms of an allergic reaction such as rash, etc.
Is there some reason you have to wait a month to go to the doctor to get your blood work done, when you're feeling so bad now? That's a long time to keep feeling bad...
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