Thyroid problems

[Sweets203]

I have been taking synthroid for years.  I take an 88 for the first two days then on the third day I take a 100.  This is the only way that this has worked for me.  Back in June the doctor called in a prescription for me and express scripts sent me out the generic brand instead of the name brand synthroid.  I called my doctor and asked if it would be ok to take it and he said yes.  Since then I have been on a journey through hell.  I lost 17 pound and haven't been able to sleep.  I feel like I am on a constant high.  I go for days without sleeping and the most sleep I have had in one night is 3 hours if I am lucky and that seems to only happen when I have been up for 6 days straight.  Then I get about 3 hours of sleep.  My doctor tells me my levels are fine and that I am just having anxiety.  So I call the drug company and they tell me that this  is what happens with this type of drug if you change from one brand to another and there is nothing I can do until that medication is completely out of my body which can take about 6 weeks from when you stop taking it.  So my question is... Has anyone else experienced this?  and what did you do to get through it?

[Barb135]

Ahh, that makes more sense.  Thank you for clarifying.

Because T4 med has such a long 1/2 life, it does take time to clear your system.

I'm glad you're beginning to feel somewhat better.  It's a good idea to have your levels checked, before you go back on the 100's.  

You could suggest to your doctor that you alternate the 88 with 100 mcg for an average of 94 mcg/day.  I've had to alternate different dosages, in order to get something in between.  It works quite well, but you do have to pay particular attention to which pill you take every day.  I wrote it down, so I didn't forget.

[Sweets203]

Sorry for the confusion .  I take 88 for 2 day then a 100 then I go back to the 88 for 2 days and 100 again.  I have been taking it like this for years and never had a problem until the dr called in the generic on the 100.  That is what through me into hyper thyroid.   It has been almost 6 weeks since I stopped taking the 100.  and now I am beginning to come down from the high I have been on.  I got my first 8 hours of sleep last night and I am feeling really tired now.  So the pharmacist was correct . It took almost 6 weeks to get out of my system.  Now I am just taking 88 for right now and I am going back to the dr to have my levels check and see if I can go back on the 100s again. (name brand)  See if I just take 88 it makes me tired but if I just take 100 it makes me to high. That is why the dr had me taking the 100 every 3rd day cause that is what works for my system

[Barb135]

I'm confused, too -- you said "I take an 88 for the first two days then on the third day I take a 100."  That's 3 days of the week; what do you take the other 4 days?

What are your actual test results, with reference ranges?

[flyingfool]

I'm confused. Were you at the 100 mcg level with Synthroid and had no problem?  And only when switched to the generic the problem occurred several weeks later?

It seems to me from your symptoms that you simply appear over medicated.

Some folks need to be way up into the ranges to feel well, others don't need to be that high. You may be a person who doesn't need a real high level to feel well.

As Gimel pointed out it could be sensitivity to the binders of the generic but as he points out if you had an allergy or something it would have shown up quuickly and not take weeks.

Ask you Dr to cut your pills in half or take them every other day for awhile and see if a reduced dosage helps. The worst that will happen is that you will go hypo again.  But Hypo is better than Hyper.  It is not healthy to not get sleep and that alone will have a series of negative consequences if you continue to get so little sleep.

I'd also 2nd the idea of demanding to go back onto name brand synthroid since you think that worked without any problems and get off the generic.

Just my opinions

[gimel]

If it is the binders/fillers as I suspect then it shouldn't take too long to notice a difference if you switch back to Synthroid.  I'm talking days, not weeks, as you might be thinking based on what you were told.  Think of it this way, what is there to lose by making the switch to Synthroid again?

[Sweets203]

Mylan  is  the generic that messed me up. It took a few weeks before I started having problems sleeping.  My levels kept coming back normal and that is why the doctor says its not the medication.  The pharmacist and the drug company tell me that it is the medication.  I don't know who to believe anymore.  All I know is I feel terrible and cant sleep.

[gimel]

I intended to add this later, but I am going to be out for a while, so didn't want to leave you hanging.  

It is amazing how often doctors use anxiety as an excuse.  I wouldn't accept the excuse, I would call the doctor and ask for him to call in a prescription for you locally, for Synthroid specifically, so you can get back on it right now.  Since all the T4 meds use different binders/fillers, it may be that you are reacting to those, not to thyroid levels.  If Synthroid worked, why not get back on it as soon as possible?

[gimel]

Don't have to have experienced it to know that what you are going through is unusual and an extreme reaction.  What is the generic that you were given?

It is true that it takes 6 weeks for a T4 med to build up to full effect on blood levels,  and similarly that long to fully dissipate.  However, I cannot imagine that you are getting that reaction from the T4.  You would have to have much greater absorption and thus higher levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones due to the change to generic.  That just doesn't compute for me.  

How quickly did you notice the effect, after switching brands?