[Mickey65]

#1072247

Ski wrote:Synthroid is CHEAP, the generics even cheaper. I used to buy 100 Synthroid pills, without benefit of insurance, for less than $30. That’s more than 3 months’ worth.

I’m getting Synthroid 30/mo for $25. Where did you get 100 for less than $30? :” title=”Question” />

[Ski]

#1072248

I just bought them from my local Walgreens, but it was admittedly many years ago. My doctor found out I was paying a $10 deductible each month ~ and I was also complaining about my insurance company’s rules that I could never be prescribed more than a 30-day supply of anything at one time ~ and he looked up "rack rate" for 100 pills. He told me to visit my pharmacy with a prescription for 100 pills, tell them I am buying them WITHOUT insurance, and they would charge me regular rate (and not restrict me to 30 at a time). I went and did just that, and paid somewhere around $25 for all 100 pills. Personally, I was sick about the fact that my insurance company was not just asking me to "pitch in" when I was buying them the other way, they were MAKING MONEY on me! I’m sure the prices have gone up since, but you still may save money by doing the same thing. I tried to do a little websurfing to find the prices and had a hard time finding the current prices, but I did locate one page that definitely indicated you’d spend less than $75 on 100 pills buying them independently. Heck, go to your local Costco, they’re probably even cheaper, and they are not allowed to restrict access for lack of a membership.

[azroses2322]

#1072249

Hi, I also had RAI. It was the start of my recovery. I couldn’t wait to get started. For me the symptoms prior to RAI (hyperthryoidism) and my Graves diagnosis were far worse than after RAI. Once I had the RAI, I was put on the drug to rid my system of the excess, and gradually they tapered that off that med. Then I was taken of the beta-blocker. Then in a wait period to see how well the RAI did. I was told the goal of the RAI dose was to kill enough of the thryoid to make it normal function but that in most cases it killed it. Mine was killed. The doctor did a ultrasound and said it is in essence non-functioning — I actually felt — good ridance. Then I begin to go Hypo. I had studied the symptoms of hypo and couldn’t wait to get there after my hyper experiences. Once I was hypo enough, my endo started a dose of replacement hormone. It took a while of adjustments (checks were 3-6 months apart — not bad) to get the right dose for me but all of that adjusting was not bad at all. Now that I am regulated it is an annual check unless I feel I may need an interim — if I have any symptoms that make me insecure about my replacement level, I just tell my PCP that I have hypo or hyper symptoms and what they are, and he orders the lab and if there is an issue with my levels, he lets my endo know. I found that since I had been hyper and hypo, I can usually feel if I slip either direction. Being on replacement is not bad — once I got in the habit, it is the only pill (med) I am on that I do not forget to take. I have been told it is important that you take it as directed or you can have problems staying adjusted. For example, my Dad (85) is on replacement thryoid after thyroid removal due to cancer, and he was complaining all the time of some symptoms I knew were hypo, when I questioned him, I found that he was missing his pill quite often even days in a row, once I pointed out to him what the directions were and he went back to taking it regularly, he symptoms went away. Anyway, Good luck, and I hope you can research and make a decision that works for you and that you feel comfortable about. I only offer this since you asked for the experience of others.

[azroses2322]

#1072250

Regarding the price of generic synthroid, I just had the same experience, if I use my insurance, my generic copay is almost as much for 30 day supply, as if I go out side of insurance and get 100 pills. This is exactly what my endo recommended. I was able to get 100 pills of generic at WalMart of under $12 (outside of insurance). I am not sure if the price varies by dose, but it was surely the cheapest way to go.

[Mickey65]

#1072251

azroses2322 wrote:Regarding the price of generic synthroid, I just had the same experience, if I use my insurance, my generic copay is almost as much for 30 day supply, as if I go out side of insurance and get 100 pills. This is exactly what my endo recommended. I was able to get 100 pills of generic at WalMart of under $12 (outside of insurance). I am not sure if the price varies by dose, but it was surely the cheapest way to go.

I hope the generic version is working for you, since I was told by my endo and someone else I know with Graves that the generic versions don’t work as well and can cause more harm than good.

I was instructed to take ONLY the name brand of Synthroid – which I plan to continue to do. $25/mo isn’t too bad, but I will ask my doctor about the thing Ski mentioned here.

[azroses2322]

#1072252

Thank you Mickey for the info, I should be OK since I was regulated on generic. The brand of generic I got with the 100 quantity is different than the original generic I was regulated on (since I went to a different pharmacy), so I hope there are not variations with generics.

[Ski]

#1072253

There actually can be variations in the generics ~ it’s a function of the way our body processes the exact compound (including the fillers that make it into a pill), and it can be very different, pill to pill. If you find that you begin to be feeling "different," get your levels tested just to be sure that your levels are falling in the same range with the new generic. If not, go back to the other that you already "slogged through" to get to the right point. In a Reader’s Digest article this past year, pharmacists across the country recommended against changing thyroid hormone replacement pills from one brand to another, because we can react differently. Small differences can make a lot of trouble, over time. It’s not necessarily that Synthroid is SO much better (it’s the original), but sticking with one brand is always better. It’s hard enough to get regulated, and switching brands can start the whole process over again.

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