Tyrosint vs levothyroxine

[smartygirl]

I read various posts around the internet that some people who switched from one of the synthetics to tirosint had a hard time, and some seemed to attribute it to tirosint being stronger. Can you speak to that at all?

Thanks,
D

[Barb135]

Tirosint isn't "stronger" than other meds; in other words 100 mcg Tirosint is equal to 100 mcg of Synthroid (or other med).  Because it's a gelcap, it's fully dissolved in the first part of the stomach, so is much easier to absorb than pill type meds.

I've been on Tirosint since it came out in 2009 and I've done better on it than I did either on Synthroid or generic levo. I did not have any issues with the fillers/binders in the pills, but I do have absorption issues, which makes it the best choice for me.

I do have to mention the one drawback with Tirosint and could be the driving force that would make me stop using it and that's the price.  It's not a preferred medication, so I've yet to hear of an insurance company that will pay for it.  The price doubled last fall and recently took another jump; if it goes much higher, I won't be willing to continue paying out of pocket for it.

[smartygirl]

I inadvertently clicked on the best answer button and couldn't find a way to uncheck it. Both responses are very helpful and I wasn't choosing favorites! :-)

[flyingfool]

People have seemed to report that due to the liquid nature of Tirosint that it is indeed better absorbed. Which can mean that someone who was on the threshold of being hyper on poweder based pills with lower absorption, will get increased thyroid into their blood stream with Tirosint which could send them over the cliff and into Hyper.

Typically people end up on Tirosint because they have ad adverse reactions to the fillers and binders in powedered based T4 medications.  Tirosint has none of these binders and fillers and thus are often times the only thing certain highly sensitive people can take. So it is a Godsend to them!

So in my mind it seems about 6 one way and half dozen the other.

People often times argue one way or the other of which medicines are "best" and which are "worse".  The real bottom line is that there are several ways to skin the Hypo cat. And what works or what combination works for one person won't work for another.  To truly the "best" medication or combination that works FOR YOU is the best.  It is all relative!