[mariaboo]

#1059570

I received a newsletter today from GDATF that there is a Synthroid recall. I had RAI for Graves Disease in October and am supposed to start my first dose of Synthroid on Thursday. Wow! Now what? And what I’m reading about the recall is not making me happy. It sounds very risky to take. It has been recalled for it’s potency issues. If it’s too potent – you can go right into severe hyperthyroidism with terrible side effects; if it’s not potent enough you become hypothyroid with terrible side effects.

I never wanted to treat my Graves, just for this reason. Pharmeutical pills that always seem to have problems, even after 35 years that Synthroid has been used. Now it makes sense on why Endo’s can’t seem to get a patients dose correct. This is just wrong. What a joke.

Why would I want to take anything at this point? If you have your thyroid removed after RAI, do you still have to take meds?

[catstuart7]

#1175803

mariaboo wrote:

Why would I want to take anything at this point? If you have your thyroid removed after RAI, do you still have to take meds?

YES! You need thyroid hormone to live. You won’t die right away if you don’t take it but in time you would become increasingly ill. Do an internet search on people who’ve tried going without – their stories will convince you. I don’t know anything about this recall but hopefully your doc should.

[Kimberly]

#1175804

Hi all – I am running out the door, but this was the text of the GDATF newsletter.

Abbott Laboratories has recalled three batches of Synthroid tablets (50, 75, and 112 mcg), due to a defect in the packaging that could potentially compromise the “stability” of the tablets. Lot numbers are 18265A8, Exp. 09/20/2013; 18353A8, Exp. 08/31/2013; and 18355A8, Exp. 09/26/2013. Questions or concerns? Your pharmacist will be able to track whether he/she received any affected medications. The FDA has classified this situation as a Class II Recall where “the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

The article was not intended to scare anyone, but rather to alert patients that might have those specific expiration dates and those specific doses to speak to their pharmacist.

For patients who have low or no thyroid function, choosing to *not* take Synthroid (or another prescribed replacement hormone) can have very serious consequences!

[beach45]

#1175805

Well if the person is hypothyroid after RAI they need to take thyroid hormone;
for me I find there is no perfection with this;
there are many who do just fine on Synthroid alone after RAI and do not have many changes over the years afterwards; so it is questionable if there are that many inconsistencies;
of course in the beginning first few months or a year or so, that there could be some tweaking done.
NO perfection when it comes to prescriptions. I talk from knowing someone who has very reliable information from where they work. Yet we have to carry on and do the best we can. I see in the newsletter there were certain batches in specific doses and your pharmacist can track that. These things can happen. I know there were problems for instance in past with Tylenol and it is just getting back on the shelves slowly after recalls as per a pharmacist who I spoke to. Well just my opinion only; if I had my choice I never would have done RAI as I am having nothing except struggles with post treatment yet I hope people share who have had positive experiences with their T4 medication because they are out there! I personally though would be scared to not take my thyroid hormone unless I had been confirmed eurothyroid and not needing T4 after RAI. Good luck! beach

[mariaboo]

#1175806

I agree with you on your comment about “if I had a choice I would have never done RAI”. I totally agree. I agreed to the RAI and now I have these terrible concerns about the Synthroid. To me, the reason why people have to constantly have the Synthroid adjusted is because of the information I read in the recall. It’s recalled for potency problems. So if the Synthroid is too strong in potency – you go crazy hyper; if the Synthroid is too low in potency – you go into hypo. So is this the pill or YOU. Hmmmmm…..sounds like a pill problem to me.

[mariaboo]

#1175807

Really?

[mariaboo]

#1175808

Didn’t know that there would be serious consequences. Like what?

[beach45]

#1175809

I hear what you are saying! I have concerns too! I cannot go into things though. It is good though to talk with others who have had successful times post RAI with Synthroid like my husband’s cousin on it 20 years now post RAI and doing very well. I have not been having success myself. Every individual is different yet I do know because of going hypothyroid I have to take something to avoid crashing to a very bad hypo crash again and may need to go another route in time yet I know I have to take the Synthroid for now until I can try something else out. beach

[Ninajanet]

#1175810

i understand what you mean, and i did rai in july 2012 and personally im having struggles and wish i never done it. I had an incompetent doctor and therefore am facing the consequences. I wish that i had stayed on the pills instead because i felt so much better on them, and rai just made things worse for me despite what people say. Now knowing that pretty soon i will be on hormone replacement and to find out about this recall just made me see that what was the point in all this struggle if the pill is not working right? i am worry as i do not want to be hyper and people should know that going hper to hypo back to hyper can bring the heart some serious consequences!

[mariaboo]

#1175811

Beach sounds like you are having a time with all of this. And yes, I guess the Synthroid is the only option at this point. But what a roller coaster ride. Makes me sad. But this whole Graves Disease/Thyroid Disease is a not how I anticipated my life. Again, don’t get me wrong, we don’t have a terminal disease – thank God – but this is so confusing.

[mariaboo]

#1175812

Ninajanet – It’s not fun second guessing our decision, is it? I had my RAI in October 2012 and actually, I feel pretty good right now. I do suffer from terrible, terrible headaches though. Which the endo says is a result of the radiation. Great!!!!! Thanks Dr. – you told me there were no symptoms before I went in for the RAI. Anyway, I’m not on the Synthroid until Thursday, so this is all a concern to me, as it is to you. Now I’m thinking, would the surgery have been any different than the RAI.

What kind of problems are you having from the RAI?

[beach45]

#1175813

Well it can get better for people. Many do. I had RAI May 2012; I have a history of not doing well with any medications. I fought to stay on Methimazole approx. 24 months yet I was not going into remission and I was up and down too much even with the slightest increases or decreases. I was told I was staying hyper too long bad for my heart and up and down is not good either. For me I am not sure if I ever felt better either way (pre or post RAI) although reassurances from people that things would get better, well they have not. In fact I feel worse a lot of times; my numbers are almost in range; FT3 a bit too low for me though. Maybe I will add in some T3 at some point. I’m working with my doctors on this. Still working with doctors to get me to where I need to be and I have hope. We are all so different. Best to do is give it time being newer to post RAI as with many it does and I know of some where it took 2 years; some much less time and I have a friend here who 7 years now post RAI on Synthroid has never been the same; gets tested; levels normal and for other things too and yet she has never felt the same since RAI. A doctor here too who had RAI same thing. Yet I know people who did just fine so it seems to me it can be a mixed bag. Hang in there though. Just like I am. Yes it is not comforting to hear of a recall especially of a medication you know you are going to be dependent on the rest of your life! Many do fine on it though! Good luck to all! beach

[mariaboo]

#1175814

Thanks Beach. Here’s to all of us feeling better. You can only wish and hope. And totally agree with, nothing worse than having to take a med for the rest of your life that has recalls on it.

[vanillasky]

#1175815

Wow! I’ve read all these posts and I try to be optimistic because RAI is in my future, but there are different brands of replacement right? Levoxyl, and then there is generic.

At Cleveland Clinic, they don’t believe in the generic, but told me some people are allergic to the dye they use in Synthroid so maybe that could cause problems with absorption? Just guessing.

My father had thyroid cancer and had TT, then went on Synthroid and they only adjusted his dosage 2x. He never had weight gain, weight loss or anything. No problems, he lived on it for over 30 years before his passing away.

I guess he was lucky? I wish it were that easy. I hope it’s easy for all of us. I’m trying to be up about this all.

Karen

[catstuart7]

#1175816

The recall is only for Abbot labs products so you can check that too.

Big hugs to all of you guys!

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