hi lissame,

1. Synthroid is a brand name for levothyroxine, or synthetic T4 hormone. There are brands on the market in both Canada and the US which are MUCH less expensive. I take Eltroxin which costs me $18 Cdn for 3 months (that's about $12 US, or ½ the price of Synthroid). It's a simple matter to ask the dr. to prescribe something less expensive .. in the US there's Levoxyl or Levothroid.

2. Every 6 weeks for blood and check-up? That's excessive. It takes 10 - 12 weeks for the hormone level to peak, so it's meaningless to check before that time. In the beginning, you should be prescribed a very low amount, such as 25 mcg (0.025 mg) and then increase to 50 mcg (0.05 mg) after 1 to 2 weeks if there have been no symptoms such as flushing or heart palpitations. After 3 months, a blood test is in order - do it first, then revisit the dr to check and have the med increased as needed. Once the optimal level of hormone is reached, once yearly blood checks are all that's needed.

Don't put it off though. Hypothyroidism can cause serious harm inside your body that you can't see ... more than just feeling tired and gaining weight. Low thyroid affects your sex hormones and reproductive cycles, can cause increased blood sugar and insulin problems and increased cholesterol. Not to mention high blood pressure and fluid retention, and depression


Doreen