Feeling Brave!
I feel very brave now. After having some questions about my TSH levels and prescriptions and so on, which I wasn’t brave or well-organized enough to bring up at my last in-person appointment, I decided to do some more research, and write a letter. I figure, if I’m going to be dealing with this condition for the rest of my life (which is highly likely), and I want to actually feel good and get the best medication for my individual case, I’ve got to start somewhere, so I started here:
ATTN: Physicians Assistant, PA-C
Some Local Health ClinicRe: Normal TSH levels & prescription
Nurse-
I was doing some research online the other day, and I learned the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists released a new recommendation (in 2002) lowering the range of “normal” TSH levels (see highlighted paragraph, page 3 of attached paper [I attached a 4 page health report from AACE]).
I recall during my first appointment with you, when you increased my prescription to 0.15mg, you mentioned my TSH was between 7 and 8, and we were aiming “below 5.” Then, during my Dec. 30 appointment, you were reluctant to consider altering my prescription to try and further ameliorate my symptoms because my last TSH results were “within normal” range.
Since the 2002 recommendation was to change the range of “normal” TSH to 0.3-3.0, I am somewhat concerned that my last test might have been between 3.0 and 5.0? If so, I would like to request an increase in my prescription strength, so we can get my TSH level down solidly within the most recent “normal” range (especially in light of the fact that I am still feeling symptoms of low energy, mood swings and “foggy headedness”).
I have not yet filled the Dec. 30 prescription you wrote for a refill of the 0.15mg medication, as I still haven’t finished the last one. So, if my TSH was indeed between 3 and 5 on my last test, instead of keeping me at 0.15mg for another 30 days and then changing the prescription, could you write a new prescription sometime this week, so I could pick it up at the clinic and change to the higher dose now?
Also, I have read many sources saying brand name levothyroxine is more reliable in potency, and generally shows better results than generic, so I’d really appreciate if you could write the prescription specifically for Levoxyl (apparently the least expensive of the brand name medications). Thanks very much!
If, on the other hand, my last TSH test was below 3.0, I would still be very interested in trying Armour Thyroid to see if that would help me achieve further improvement in my remaining symptoms.
Please call me at your convenience! Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Teresa
Levothyroxin (Synthroid, Levoid, Levothroid, Levoxine, Levoxyl)
So, like most Americans today who find themselves lacking natural thyroid hormones, I was given a levothyroxin prescription. Levothyroxin is simply a synthetic version of T4 (thyroxine), which your body is then supposed to partially convert (via the liver) to the most ‘active’ of the thyroid hormones: T3. Synthroid is the most common brand-name levothyroxin available, but other brand names include Levoid, Levothroid, Levoxine and Levoxyl.
Many people report better symptom relief with a brand-name medication than with generic levothyroxin. According to the authors of Thyroid Power, the difference is so consistent, they don’t write prescriptions for generic medication any more (also, they say Levoxyl is almost as inexpensive as generic, but gives the benefits of brand-name quality control. Good tip!). Read more