Synthroid Uses, Dosage & Side Effects

So, getting the patients on the right dose, but maintaining them on the right dose, is also very important. 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. Lastly, it should be borne in mind that QoL was rarely the primary study outcome, and so many of the interventional trials were not powered to reveal a putative effect on this variable. By Mary ShomonMary Shomon is a writer and hormonal health and thyroid advocate. The problem, the AACE and ATA state, becomes even greater if a patient switches between generics or between a generic and Synthroid.

• The researchers concluded that “impairments … are also frequent in the long term”, i.e., during treatment of hypothyroidism.
• Healthcare providers should continue to emphasize patient education on the importance of timing and dosing of the medication.
• That’s enough, not to interfere in the body, but to interfere with the measurement of TSH, free T4, and some other hormones in the body.
• Often, as an endocrinologist, I need to work with their primary care provider because the care for that is going to fall outside the scope of practice for an endocrinologist or a thyroidologist.
• It may not even be the thyroid that is the problem because thyroid levels maybe haven’t been checked.

LEARN HOW YOUR SYNTHROID PATIENTS CAN PAY JUST $25 A MONTH FOR A 90-DAY PRESCRIPTION

However, the health questionnaires did not show a significant impact on the thyroid health or quality of life assessed by the patients themselves. With few exceptions, all-cause and hypothyroidism-related HCRU was comparable between the Synthroid and GL cohorts, most notably in terms of hospitalizations, outpatient services, and ED visits. Whereas no significant difference between the two groups in all-cause pharmacy fills was observed, the Synthroid cohort had significantly more hypothyroidism-related prescription fills per patient than the GL cohort.

Comparative Safety of Synthroid and Generics

There was no association between quality of life and thyroid hormone blood levels. The study showed that treatment with levothyroxine was not always optimal. This included whether patients were taking the medication as prescribed daily, at the correct time and without any interfering medications. However, it did not appear to affect the quality of life for most patients. Further studies to look at and understand the effect of thyroid hormone treatment on the outcomes of quality of life in patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy are needed. Healthcare providers should continue to emphasize patient education on the importance of timing and dosing of the medication.

Also, the patients in this subcohort may have multiple TSH values due to titration efforts, which our study did not further explore. As of 2023, the average retail price of Synthroid 50 mg hovers at around $150 for a 90-day (three-month) supply. In contrast, the average retail price of generic levothyroxine 50 mg is closer to $45 for a 90-day supply.

2.1. Randomized Studies

Data for this retrospective cohort study were obtained from claims contained in the HealthCore Integrated Research Database (HIRD®). The HIRD is a health insurance database that contains claims integrated across data sources and service types (i.e., professional claims, facility claims, outpatient pharmacy claims, outpatient laboratory results, and enrollment information) as well as across years. Data are derived from a large national commercial payer with membership in all 50 US states. Despite concerns that generic levothyroxine may not be as effective as the brand-name drug (Synthroid), a growing body of research has shown that both are equally effective when first starting treatment of mild hypothyroidism. The other thing these supplements tend to have is tyrosine, which is an amino acid. I don’t have data that tyrosine in and of itself is particularly harmful in moderate doses.

Having low thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy could harm both mother and baby. HypothyroidismSYNTHROID® (levothyroxine sodium) tablets, for oral use is indicated as a replacement therapy in primary (thyroidal), secondary (pituitary), and tertiary (hypothalamic) congenital or acquired hypothyroidism. This is important as 32% of patients who think they are on SYNTHROID are actually not given this because substitutions are made at the pharmacy. 54% of prescriptions for SYNTHROID were not protected with a DAW or state-specific language in one study.

Some key points that I discuss with the patients during appointments are, one, is that this is an open conversation. The FDA has determined that certain levothyroxine products are interchangeable. So, it’s not just treating a number and following the TSH, it’s also making sure that the patient’s symptoms have improved. A key part for the patients is to make sure that they’re getting the brand-name SYNTHROID that we have prescribed. One is that the peak therapeutic effect of levothyroxine at a given dose may not be obtained for 4-6 weeks after medication is ingested.

Yes, there are some people that may have a little bit of a reduction, but another thing that’s a little bit of a wife’s tale is there’s nobody out there who can’t convert T4 to T3. One of the concerns with those particular substances is there’s a ratio that is found physiologically in the human form of T4 to T3. There’s usually T4 molecules to one T3 molecule, and T3 is more active. In the animal-derived hormones, it tends to be four T4 molecules to one T3, so it’s a much higher ratio, and our bodies don’t necessarily need all that extra T3.

Our objective was to compare effectiveness (as measured by achievement synthroid 10mg of thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH levels) and economic outcomes of Synthroid vs. any one of multiple GLs in patients with hypothyroidism. The most frequently applied generic instrument was the well-known Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) 31. Although the ThyTSQ probes treatment satisfaction, the investigators of a recent study referred to it as a “dedicated QoL questionnaire”; hence, we included the ThyTSQ in our list of disease-specific instruments 44. A systematic review has recommended the ThyPRO for administration in benign thyroid diseases 45. It should be noted that QoL questionnaires often comprise “physical” items (which may overlap with symptoms, for example) and “mental” items (which may overlap with mood, for example).

However, the frequent patient preference for LT4 + LT3 (for as-yet unknown reasons) 51 reinforces Wiersinga’s suggestion that robust clinical trials in selected patient subpopulations are essential for making progress in this field 99. These authorities argued that FDA policy allows potency ranges of generical to vary by 5%, meaning that the potency can fall anywhere from 95% and 105% of the brand-name product. With levothyroxine, either extreme can be problematic—making it harder to stabilize thyroid function if patients are underdosed with one generic and overdosed with another. According to the American Thyroid Association, primary care providers are more likely to prescribe generic levothyroxine, while specialists like endocrinologists who treat diseases like hypothyroidism are more likely to prescribe Synthroid. While people with hypothyroidism are generally at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke, managing thyroid levels with levothyroxine can greatly reduce the risk. This article will tell you what you need to know about generic levothyroxine products, including their ingredients, safety, costs, and how they compare to Synthroid.