Synthroid Uses, Dosage & Side Effects

Even so, ongoing concerns about the safety and efficacy of generic levothyroxine have altered the prescribing practices of some healthcare providers. As such, if the early findings were correct, it would suggest that generic levothyroxine works “less well” in managing thyroid disease. I have patients tell me that because they’ve been told about having problems with conversion.

Consider the following when switching from SYNTHROID

Do not share this medicine with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you have. AbbVie is not responsible for the privacy policy, the content, or the accuracy of any websites accessed through a link on the SynthroidPro.com site. A link to other websites does not constitute an endorsement of AbbVie or the linked site, its products, or services. Biochemical assessment incorporated measurement of serum TSH, T3, and T4. TSH lower limit of quantification was 0.2 mIU/L and upper limit of normal was 5.6 mIU/L, as indicated by the shaded area.

The great majority of studies of patients newly treated with LT4 following a diagnosis of overt hypothyroidism had observational designs (Table 3). Two studies found that QoL was normal (i.e., not impaired, relative to general population samples). Other nonrandomized studies found small but statistically significant impairments in QoL (using SF-36 and/or the ThyPRO) among LT4-treated patients with overt hypothyroidism, relative to general population samples 68,92.

Cost Difference With Generic Levothyroxine

It’s very important to remind the patients, in addition to these factors, that they need to check their pills on a consistent basis. Look to see if the tablets have Synthroid embossed on them to ensure they’re getting the right product. The FDA has determined that drugs that are classified as therapeutically equivalent can be substituted with the full expectation that the substituted product will produce the same clinical effect and safety profile as the reference product.

Family history is very important when talking to these patients because there is a strong predisposition amongst family members in the primary setting to have another family member with hypothyroidism. One of the difficulties of the diagnosis of hypothyroidism is that the signs and symptoms are non-specific to the disease. So, in order to diagnose the disease accurately, given the non-specific symptoms, you must use the TSH level as a screening tool to assist in the family history and signs and symptoms that you have come across.

• However, many patients with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism report a decreased quality of life compared to people without hypothyroidism.
• This age group does not correspond to the middle-aged adults with SCH who tend to complain of poor QoL–raising the question of whether studies of other patient groups could provide more information on QoL in SCH.
• I talk about the fact that it’s important to take the medication in the same timing and pattern each day, take it on an empty stomach minutes before they eat.
• Either they had the bottle then or they brought it later, and I looked at it.
• That’s because substitutions can be made at the pharmacy if the prescription is not properly protected with the Dispense as Written (DAW) state-specific language.

Researchers only accessed data in the format of a limited data set for which a data use agreement was in place with the covered entities in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. An Institutional Review Board did not review the study since only this limited data set was accessed.

It should be noted that we did not seek to determine independently whether the QoL reported for a given study group was truly “good” or “normal”; we relied on the study investigators’ statements and the results of their statistical analyses. Well-being and QoL do not simply equate to adequate material living standards or the absence of disease. QoL has been defined as how an individual’s well-being is affected over time by a disease, disability, or disorder 13,14,15 but can also be viewed as the difference between an individual’s hopes and his/her actual status 16. Hence, QoL is a subjective variable that covers affective, cognitive, and behavioral domains 17,18. This subjectiveness means that inter-individual and inter-group comparisons of QoL (e.g., between actively treated and placebo-treated patients or with general population samples) are problematic 19.

Links to NCBI Databases

It also helps your patient pay the lowest possible price for the product you write if it is billed through insurance. SYNTHROID is not indicated for suppression of benign thyroid nodules and nontoxic diffuse goiter in iodine-sufficient patients, as there are no clinical benefits and overtreatment with SYNTHROID may induce hyperthyroidism. The importance of writing “Dispense as Written,” or using the state-specific language for SYNTHROID, is something I discuss with my staff as well. Particularly when SYNTHROID is written in a non-protective manner for the state language. Most, but not all, levothyroxine products have been determined to be therapeutically equivalent by the FDA.

• Please see the additional Important Safety Information at the end of this video, including the BOXED WARNING regarding inappropriate treatment for obesity or for weight loss.
• I would say that you can’t really give tyrosine or iodine and expect the thyroid’s going to make more thyroid hormone if you already have enough thyroid.
• These medications are those where small changes in the dose or blood concentration may lead to serious therapeutic failures and/or adverse drug reactions.
• These considerations illustrate the complexity of measuring (and distinguishing between) specific symptoms, nonspecific symptoms, QoL, treatment satisfaction, and patient preference.

Associated Data

Data from Asia, Africa, and South America (with the notable exception of Brazil) were lacking or scarce (see below). We noted a wide range of cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs, with a relatively low proportion of double-blind, placebo-controlled RCTs synthroid reduction (accounting for around a quarter of the studies reviewed). Many of the randomized studies were prompted by the advent of LT4 + LT3 combination treatment in the early 2000s. One of the largest studies was based on a network of 150 general practitioners 71. All-cause and hypothyroidism-related HCRU and costs were also separately compared between patients who were persistent and who achieved target TSH levels during follow-up vs. those who did not achieve target TSH levels (achievers vs. non-achievers).

However, there is debate as to whether generic levothyroxine is equally effective as the brand name version, Synthroid, in treating hypothyroidism. Instructions would be to take anywhere from one to maybe three or four pills. Either they had the bottle then or they brought it later, and I looked at it. I was able to arrange to get, in two instances, the pills tested, and I found out they actually had active thyroid hormones in them, which is really a prescription substance. The randomized studies of LT4 + LT3 combination treatment failed to identify marked differences in QoL after a switch from LT4 alone. During combination treatment (with two types of pill to be taken, etc.), most of the investigators felt that the potential benefits for QoL did not provide a clear clinical rationale in favor of LT4 + LT3.