<p>I have no way to prove this, but my pharmacist told me that the Levothyroxine that I take only lasts about 20-22 hours in the body so first thing in the morning is the best time to take it. </p>
<p>I also agree that goiter is a very ugly word!</p>
<p>Just as a side note, with regard to synthetic thyroid hormone, the generic is one of those rare drugs that is not equivalent.</p>
<p>
Wrong. Mylan’s Levothyroxine is considered to be equivalent to all the brands: Synthroid and Levoxyl. The makers of Synthroid spout huge amounts of propaganda to make physicians think Levothyroxine is not equivalent. For a brand, Synthroid is not that expensive. They tell endocrinologists this and try to convince to stick with Synthroid.<br>
The different Thyroid hormone pills, Armour etc, are not equivalent to each other. Right now, there is a back-order of them. They are having trouble getting enough cow/pig thyroids.</p>
<p>I wanted the Synthroid, but NOOOOOOO my overly priced health care plan won’t cover it. (my mom mail orders her Synthroid through CVS Pharmacy and gets a great price - I’ll have to check it out) And yuck on the cow and pig thyroids. Eeeeeew!</p>
<p>My dr. mentioned the possibility of a thyroid problem in July when I told her that I had been exercising and faithfully dieting/recording and my weight was not budging. She suggested I try one more month and then get it tested. Life interfered (a lump that was not a problem but took 6 weeks of fighting with the insurance co to get the test done) and I still haven’t had the test. When I started to read this thread this a.m., I googled thyroid and have many of the symptoms–interrupted sleep, dry skin, puffy eyes, suddenly shredding fingernails and on and on. I guess that I should make that phone call to the dr. ASAP and stop blaming everything on menopause.</p>
<p>Gosh, I must have forgotten that this was to be taken on an empty stomach. I have eaten first thing every morning for the longest time, and then taken the synthroid. Haven’t been feeling the best lately, but who knows why. I’m going to try to break my eating habit and try to take it first thing in the morning to see if I might feel better.</p>
<p>Should I not be taking a calcium supplement with this medication?</p>
<p>I was told that nothing was “off limits” but not to eat when I took my synthroid. My doc said with “morning eaters” to just take it before bedtime. I’m not too anal about the “rules” but I don’t think it makes that much difference with me. I was also told that it is best not to mix brands…try to stick with one brand or generic. I get my TSH checked quarterly, but my Free T3/Free T4 only about once every 10 years. I’ve not worried too much now that it’s been decades, but I’m very late with menopause (mid 50s and nothing happening yet) and that may play havoc I assume. Maybe this lowering of the dose the last couple years means something is starting to happen finally. It would be a shame to have an oops child…it would mean I’d be committed to CC for another 18 years LOL.</p>
<p>300mcg yet I am cold and not skinny (and I was hyper for years before having a thyroidectomy, I know hyper, I liked it :D) and generally have hypo symptoms.</p>
<p>I am thinking about asking about the natural thyroid again, I have done synthroid or generic equivalents since age 18.</p>
<p>Any one ordered from the online sites to save money? I used to go to Mexico when I lived in SoCal</p>
<p>
That is abolutely, categorically, dangerously untrue.</p>
<p>Speak to your individual pharmacists, please, in the event of a change in prescription.</p>
<p>
Just abide by the one hour before and three hours after rule and nothing is off limits.</p>
<p>
Exactly. Because one is not better than the other, but the switch can and does cause problems for many people. I am one of them and almost lost my middle daughter as a result at 30 weeks of pregnancy. Because it is a very dangerous thing to switch in pregnancy.</p>
<p>Many people were forced to switch this last year when the “natural” armour thyroid went off the market for no apparent reason. It worked much better for me than synthroid, which I am now stuck taking. It was much easier to maintain a good energy level with a pill that combined long and short acting componants. Not sure why it worked so much better for me, but I definitely miss it.</p>
<p>So sorry about your loss, zooser.</p>
<p>
So as not to misrepresent, I said almost, but I appreciate how kind you are.</p>
<p>
'cause it’s not identcal. Why can’t you go back?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I am a pharmacist, and thus know what I am talking about. Unless your physician/prescriber checks the no substitution box when writing for Synthroid, you’ll get levothyroxine.
The FDA gives AB equivalency to levothyroxine when comparing it to Synthroid and Levoxyl.
I dispense way more levothyroxine than Synthroid.</p>
<p>With regards to Armour, like I said before, there is a shortage of it. They literally can’t find enough pig/cow thyroids, according to Armour. Armour is made from ground up animal thyroids. It is still being made, but the shipments are spotty. Sometimes, I can get it in and other times I cannot get it.</p>
<p>Relieved that I misread!!!</p>
<p>I can’t go back because the company that made armour thyroid is not currently making it. Not clear why – I keep wondering if it’s not that popular a drug and if maybe it has a small profit margin…but that’s the cynic in me speaking. And it’s not clear if and when they’ll start making it again. I went so far as to try to get it from Canada when it became unavailable in the US, but apparently no one could get it.</p>
<p>I had tried several different thyroid replacement medications at the point when I found armour thyroid. I think it had been out of favor in the US, but if I remember correctly, British studies had come out supporting its use. As I understand it, the drug is unique in that it combines the stability of a long acting thyroid replacement like synthroid with the punch of a short acting medication like cytomel (sp?), and has an impact more similar to having a functioning thyroid. When I use it, I feel that I have a more normal energy level and feel more balanced.</p>
<p>Actually, I haven’t checked for the last month or so. Maybe it’s coming back. (Clap if you believe in Tinkerbelle…)</p>
<p>
Mine does as do many others. The two medications are not identical for many, if not most, patients. I’m surprised that’s even a point of discussion. It makes me really wonder.</p>
<p>Hypothyroidism is rampant in my family, showing up in both women and men…we even have one relative whose case was so perplexing it ended up in JAMA many years ago. Mom, sibling, many first cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmother, great aunts - all have it.</p>
<p>So, when my (then) ten year old daughter’s hair started thinning terribly, and she was not growing/developing, had pitted peeling fingernails, problems regulating body temp, mood - I suspected hypothryroidism. Knowing how tricky this can be to diagnose, and explaining family history to her as well, I asked the pediatrician to order a full thyroid panel, not the one where you just get the basic levels, but the detailed panel. I was very specific. Called back for the results…heard all was OK. Trusted pediatrician had ordered proper test.</p>
<p>Took her to a psychologist (because if your hair is falling out to the extent hers was and you are a pre-teen, you’re gonna need one regardless of the medical reason for the hair loss!), who then sent her to a psychiatrist because the psychologist sensed my D was anxious and might need meds. </p>
<p>The very intuitive psychiatrist then ordered the proper thyroid panel (after I insisted my D already had one, but agreed to it anyway)…and lo and behold…hypothyroid. The pediatrician must not have been listening or didn’t care - because she had not ordered the proper test.</p>
<p>For some reason, I have not been ‘blessed’ with the condition that nearly everyone in my family has, but I am aware that it needs to be checked properly, and I am aware of many of the symptoms.</p>
<p>Not to hijack a good thread, but do any of you with hypothyroid have psoriasis? We are struggling with unbelievable scalp psoriasis with my now 12 year old D. Taking her to a great derm, but nothing is working. Her hair is completely grown back now.</p>
<p>All these things seem auto-immune related…she has minor allergies and mild asthma as well.</p>
<p>I’ve heard to take it on an empty stomach but I can’t seem to pull it off since mornings just work way better for me. On the bright side, I feel the same whether I take it with or without food in the morning and it hasn’t ever changed my test results. So what is it about food?</p>
<p>I don’t know starbright I often end up eating and taking my Thyroid close together, try not to, but the pills are next to the bananas I eat for breakfast and sometimes I just gotta have that banana but I have never noticed any difference. But the docs do tell you to avoid food for a couple hours.</p>