Questions & Answers for August 2015

I was switched from SYNTHROID to generic and wonder if this is related to my thyroid symptoms.

SYNTHROID is a brand-name synthetic form of T4 or levothyroxine — a thyroid replacement hormone that treats hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland).[1]

In the early to mid-2000s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) became aware of concerns that marketed levothyroxine drugs — both brand-name and generic versions — could lose potency over time. To address these concerns, the agency announced in 2007 that it had tightened requirements for all levothyroxine products to ensure that they are stable and retain their potency over their entire shelf lives.[2] The agency also has concluded that approved generic thyroid medications are just as effective as brand-name ones.

Our recommendation is to talk with your health care provider to make medication choices based on your symptoms and clinical situation. If you have concerns about the adequacy of your thyroid hormone treatment after being switched from one version of levothyroxine to another (either generic to SYNTHROID or the reverse), ask your health care provider to check both your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and levels of T4 (which is the active form of the thyroid hormone in your body) to determine how you are responding to treatment.

References

[1] Abbvie. SYNTHROID (levothyroxine sodium tablets, USP) drug label. September 2012. http://www.rxabbvie.com/pdf/synthroid.pdf. Accessed May 26, 2015.

[2] Food and Drug Administration. Thyroid Medications: Q & A with Mary Parks, M.D. January 2, 2008. http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm107377.htm. Accessed May 26, 2015.