Brand Name vs. Generic... and other Q's.

[kaylaxmarie]

I've been taking a generic synthroid (levothroxin) and it doesn't seem to be doing much of anything for me..  the only thing I've noticed is a difference in my energy levels and the brain fogging has pretty well gone away.  I've been taking the medicine for a couple months now.  I started out with 25 MCG and took that for a month, it didn't seem to be doing a whole lot, but was better than nothing.  So I decided to up it a 1/2 a pill, i've tried doing a pill and 3/4 but i got heart palpatations.  My body seems to be kind of sensitive to this medicine, b.c I get heart palpatations very easily, I've been told that it's my body telling me I have too much.  Well I've taken a pill and 3/4 for I'd say a couple weeks at one point, I kept having heart palpatations regularly, but I was gaining weight like crazy, constipated all that time, and having depression.  When I kept having the heart palpatations I tried to go down to a pill and a 1/2 again and I noticed a drop in my energy levels and I got tired much earlier than I usually would and felt like I had a bit of brain fog.  

I went to the doctor yesterday, she gave me a sample for 50 MCG of Synthroid for 7 days.  I've taken the pill today, haven't had any heart palpatations, I know it takes a while for the medicine to work, but I've tried taking 50 MCG of my generic Synthroid and I had heart palpatations that night.  I haven't had any so far today.  

I was wondering if any of you have taken generic Synthroid and if you've had any problems or noticed a difference.  I know my doctor acted kinda like she wanted to put me on Synthroid b.c she said that it's hard to regulate the generic kind.  But my mom doesn't have health insurance so she wanted the generic kind...  My mom can get the brand name if she wants, b.c she's paid for brand name without health insurance before, and I know she will if she has too..  I really would like to try the brand name Synthroid, b.c I honestly don't feel like the generic kind is doing much of anything for me.  

I've taken it for 2 months and already gained over 20 lbs.  I use to be 150 lbs (i was at the weight for over a year).  I went to the doctor a couple months ago for depression/anxiety and she had me take a blood test.  At that time I had already put on some weight, I was around. A week later the doctor called and told me about my thyroid and made me out a perscription.  So I started taking the medicine by the next day.  I've been taking it for 2 months like i said and I am no 177 lbs.  My sugar is higher than what it usually is and the doctor is having me go on a diabetic diet b.c of it.  My sugar is usually 60-70 but when I took the blood test for when I found out about my thyroid it was 99.  I was also wondering if my thyroid could have caused my sugar to be high?  I know that a underactive thyroid messes up your metabolism, so I was wondering if it was causing me to deposit a lot of the sugar I have been consuming into my body?  

I've always been a sugar craver, it's hard for me to go a few days without sugar.  Often times if there isn't anything sweet in the house I'll try to make something sweet.  I lost 50 lbs 2 years ago and after I lost the weight I gradually stopped dieting my metabolism seemed to be able to handle it.  I could eat pretty much anything I wanted and I always stayed at 150, I also lost weight really easily too.  Just over the past summer I checked my sugar a few times and it was very good.  So when I found out about my sugar it was a shock to me.  I've also tried dieting and didn't lose any weight from it.  It seemed almost impossible for me to lose any weight.   I was excercising and eating healthy and i ended up gaining weight instead.  So I gave up on the dieting, but now I've gotta go back on it b.c of my sugar.

I would just like to have somebodies opinion and advice on all of this. =]

[kitty9309]

Go to :

https://www.synthroid.com/PatientResources/SynthroidCoupon.cfm?CFID=115361&CFTOKEN=11546230

You can save $3 on a 30 day supply and $10 on 90 days.

Also tell the doctor your situation and ask for more samples. The drug reps give the doctor's office tons of samples, so it should be no problem to get more. I do this b/c I have no prescription plan and most doctors are very willing to help.

I agree about using the brand name. Also, I've heard that Levoxy may be cheaper. You can go to drugstore.com to get an idea of the price.

Hope this helps.
Kitty

[katekos]

If your Dr. prescribes a specific thyroid med. and writes "DAW" (dispense as written) then your pharmacy can give a good argument to your moms insurance company as to why you need the specific one.  My insurance just tried to change me to the generic at the beginning of the new year b/c it was available but the pharmacist wouldn't allow it and got the Levoxyl (I've been on it for years) covered for the regular co-pay.  
Like the others, I have also heard the generics can be inconsistent.

[ifupleze]

Good luck.  Keep posted.

[kaylaxmarie]

Yeah, I found out about my thyroid by taking a blood test.  But when I take thyroid medicine i notice a big difference in my energy levels when i take the medicine, without it i don't know what i'd do.  Yeah I haven't had any problems with heart palpatations so far, so I'm gonna keep seeing how things go.  Normally if I took 50 MCG on the generic brand I would end up having heart palpatations the following night.  So I'm really hoping this Synthroid doesn't start causing me to get them, b.c I really would much rather be on it then the generic like I said.

But yeah, next time I go to the doctor I'll ask her about the full panel blood test.

Thanks =]

[ifupleze]

I have been on both.  I would recommend the real synthroid.  I had problems with the generic and when I wen to synthroid, I began to feel a lot better.  I am still trying to level my TSH but it has been easier on the Synthroid.  The generics can be inconsistent.  You might also  need to have your adrenals checked.  You could have adrenal fatigue which causes same symptoms as low thyroid.  Get a full panel blood test including DHEA and cortisol, B12 and Vit.D.  You  might be deficient in these areas, also.