Which is better synthroid or levothyroxine

However, once you find which one works best for you, stay with the same brand or manufacturer. If you change brands, switch to generic, or switch from one generic to another, you may need to get thyroid stimulating hormone TSH blood tests checked after six weeks to ensure that your new hormone therapy is effective.

Then, follow up with your provider. You may need a dose adjustment if your TSH levels are suboptimal Benvenga, Because the active chemicals in both brand name and generic levothyroxine are the same, they share the same side effect profile.

Most of the side effects of both medications come from getting too much of the synthetic hormone, leading to hyperthyroid too much thyroid hormone symptoms. The U. Food and Drug Administration FDA has issued a black box warning regarding thyroid replacement hormones: Do not use thyroid hormones, like levothyroxine or Synthroid, for weight loss or to treat obesity.

Large doses can lead to serious and life-threatening effects DailyMed, Common side effects include DailyMed, :. If your thyroid hormone replacement dose is too high, you may experience more severe side effects , including DailyMed, :.

The dosing for both brand name and generic forms of thyroid hormone replacement is the same. Most people use the tablet or capsule form of the medications. Generic and brand name pills are available in a variety of doses , including 25 mcg, 50 mcg, 75 mcg, 88 mcg, mcg, mcg, mcg, mcg, mcg, mcg, mcg, and mcg UpToDate, n. You should take thyroid hormones on an empty stomach, at least 30—60 minutes before eating any food. Certain antacids , like those with calcium carbonate or proton-pump inhibitors PPIs , can interfere with hormone absorption, so avoid taking levothyroxine or Synthroid with these drugs DailyMed, Seek medical advice from your healthcare provider or pharmacist regarding other possible drug interactions.

After starting Synthroid or levothyroxine, your healthcare provider will likely check your thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH blood tests to see if you are getting enough hormone replacement.

A high TSH level means that you are not getting enough thyroxine and vice versa. If your dose changes or you change manufacturers, the TSH will need to be repeated. Most insurance plans cover thyroid hormone replacement. However, you should check your coverage plan carefully and speak with your pharmacist before starting on a specific formulation to make sure. Neither formulation outperformed the other in the maintenance of normalized thyrotropin levels, either between 0.

Among patients who achieved normal values within 3 months of starting levothyroxine, They explained that one reason why healthcare providers may still be opting for brand-name levothyroxine could stem from their skepticism about how effective the generic options are. However in response to this, the FDA took extra measures to tighten potency specifications in in attempts to ameliorate concerns over the effectiveness of generics.

There was no difference in the psychometric testing or in any symptoms. Both types of thyroid hormone were able to normalize the abnormal thyroid blood tests.

Although desiccated thyroid extract is not widely used, this study showed that many patients preferred this option as compared with levothyroxine. This result was observed despite there being no differences in thyroid function blood test and psychometric test results, although use of desiccated thyroid extract was associated with some weight loss. These results suggest that there may be a certain number of patients in who desiccated thyroid extract might be a reasonable treatment option.

Further research is needed on this topic to confirm which patients this might benefit the most form desiccated thyroid extract therapy.