COMPLETE GUIDE TO LEVOTHYROXINE:
TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INTRODUCTION

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PART 1: YOUR LEVOTHYROXINE OPTIONS

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LEVOTHYROXINE OVERVIEW

• The Three Forms of Levothyroxine

• Levoxyl® Brand Levothyroxine Tablets

• Synthroid® Brand Levothyroxine Tablets

• Tirosint® Brand Levothyroxine Capsules

• Tirosint®-SOL Brand Levothyroxine Oral Solution

• Unithroid® Brand Levothyroxine Tablets

• Generic Levothyroxine Tablets

 

HOW TO TAKE LEVOTHYROXINE

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EXCIPIENTS AND DYES

• What's in Your Levothyroxine Tablets?

• What’s in Tirosint® and Tirosint®-SOL?

• How Can Excipients Affect You?

• Which Dyes Are Used in Levothyroxine?

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POTENCY ISSUES

• How Do Levothyroxine Potency Differences Affect Your Treatment?

• What Are the Challenges of Taking Generic Levothyroxine?

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FINDING THE RIGHT LEVOTHYROXINE FOR YOU

• Do You Need a Brand Name Levothyroxine?

• When Should You Consider Switching from One Brand of Levothyroxine to Another?

• When Should You Consider Switching from Levothyroxine Tablets to Tirosint® Capsules or Oral Solution?

 

PART 2:  THE COST OF LEVOTHYROXINE

 

DRUG DISTRIBUTION AND PRICING

• Health Plans and Pharmacy Benefit Managers

 

PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICING

• Insurance Copayments and Tiers

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HOW MANUFACTURER PROGRAMS CAN HELP YOU SAVE

• Copay Cards and Coupons

• Tirosint® Copay Coupons and Tirosint® Direct Program

• How Can Patient Assistance Programs Help You Afford Your Levothyroxine?

 

RETAILER DISCOUNT PROGRAMS

• The Walmart $4 Prescription Program

• Costco Member Prescription Program

• BlinkHealth

 

OUTSIDE COUPON AND DISCOUNT PROGRAMS

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MAIL ORDER PHARMACIES

• Mail My Prescriptions

• Honeybee Health

• Rx Outreach

 

PAYING RETAIL/CASH PRICES

• Clawbacks

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MULTI-MONTH REFILLS

 

SPLITTING TABLETS

 

SUMMARY: SAVING ON BRAND NAME AND GENERIC LEVOTHYROXINE

 

PART 3: SOLVING YOUR LEVOTHYROXINE CHALLENGES

 

SUMMARY OF CHALLENGES

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• The Biggest Challenges with Levothyroxine

• Common Challenges with Levothyroxine Tablets 

• Food, Supplement, and Medication Issues with Levothyroxine Tablets

• Cost and Affordability Issues with Levothyroxine

• Pharmacy Problems with Levothyroxine

• Nothing is Working!

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SPECIFIC CHALLENGES

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• CHALLENGE: You are taking any form of levothyroxine -- Levoxyl®, Synthroid®, Tirosint®, Tirosint®-SOL, Unithroid®, or generic levothyroxine -- and you still don't feel well.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking levothyroxine, and your thyroid levels keep fluctuating.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking levothyroxine tablets and you still don’t feel well.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking levothyroxine tablets consistently and correctly, but your thyroid levels are not lowering, even with increasing doses.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking levothyroxine tablets and you still don't feel well...and you may also be lactose intolerant, have seasonal allergies/hay fever, gluten sensitivity, or you’re sensitive to iodine.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking levothyroxine tablets and you still don't feel well...and you also have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, ulcers, celiac disease, or another digestive or gastrointestinal condition.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking levothyroxine tablets and still don't feel well...and you have a high intake of soy foods and/or supplements.

• CHALLENGE: You eat breakfast, or drink coffee or milk around the same time as you take your levothyroxine tablets.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking levothyroxine tablets -- and you also take a proton pump inhibitor drug or antacid, and you're not at optimal levels, and still don’t feel well.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking levothyroxine tablets and also take calcium supplements and/or drink calcium-fortified juice, and you're not at optimal levels and still aren’t feeling well.

• CHALLENGE: You’re taking levothyroxine tablets, and you also take iron supplements – or prenatal or multi-vitamins with iron – and you still don’t feel well.

• CHALLENGE: You feel best when taking brand name Synthroid® or Tirosint®/Tirosint®-SOL, but your copay is so high that you can’t afford your brand-name medication.

• CHALLENGE: You feel best on a higher-priced brand name levothyroxine like Synthroid® or Tirosint®/ Tirosint®-SOL, but you are uninsured and can't afford the cost of the brand name medication.

• CHALLENGE: You are taking generic levothyroxine (or Unithroid® brand), and you are paying more than $10 to $15 a month for your medication.

• CHALLENGE: Your pharmacy is substituting generic levothyroxine tablets – or lower-cost brands like Unithroid® or Levoxyl® -- for more expensive brand name levothyroxine like Synthroid®, Tirosint®, or Tirosint®-SOL.

• CHALLENGE: Your pharmacy says they "don't have Tirosint® or Tirosint®-SOL in stock,” and they try to substitute generic or brand-name levothyroxine tablets.
• CHALLENGE: You have totally optimized every aspect of your levothyroxine treatment, and you still have hypothyroidism symptoms and don’t feel well.