How to Save Money on Your Thyroid Medication
high drug prices
When was the last time you thought about your thyroid gland?
The thyroid gland, a two-inch butterfly-shaped gland located in your neck, isn’t typically something you think about unless it’s causing a lot of problems.
While it might not get as much time in the limelight as your larger, more crucial organs, the thyroid gland is surprisingly important. It produces hormones that regulate your growth, development, and metabolism. These are body processes that permeate everything we do and feel, every second of every day.
Unfortunately, this tiny-yet-critical gland doesn’t always perform flawlessly.
The thyroid gland can produce too much or too little hormone, leading to significant issues with the way the body functions.
This type of over- or under-production is relatively common: The American Thyroid Association states that over 12% of the American population – some 20 million people – will suffer from a painful, frustrating, and potentially-permanent thyroid condition during their life.
The Costs Associated with Thyroid Conditions
Not only are thyroid conditions chronically painful – they’re chronically expensive. Those suffering from a thyroid condition tend to need ongoing medication in order to manage their health and their quality of life.
Fortunately, the most common modern thyroid medications – such as Cytomel, Synthroid, and Tapazole – can make a huge difference in the day-to-day life of those with thyroid problems.
Of course, there’s a catch.
When you consider the monthly ongoing cost of some of the most popular thyroid meds (some of which can retail for hundreds of dollars per month) the bills can be staggering. This can force patients with thyroid conditions to choose between financial security and having to deal with a laundry list of problems (like insomnia, temperature sensitivity, heart issues, weight issues, fatigue, constipation, and dry skin).
How to Save on the Most Common Thyroid Meds
When the body produces too little thyroid hormone, the resulting condition is called hypothyroidism. If the body produces too much thyroid, that causes hyperthyroidism. There are specific medications that can provide relief in either situation. We’ll start with hypothyroidism medications.
What are the Most Popular Hypothyroidism Medications?
If your thyroid gland is a little “slow” (or doesn’t quite produce enough thyroid hormone), you may need to take some kind of medication for the rest of your life. One of the most popular active ingredients in prescription drugs designed to supplement low levels of thyroid hormone is levothyroxine.
Levothyroxine is a man-made thyroid hormone equivalent that specifically replaces the hormone thyroxine (T4). In this way, it can help alleviate some of the symptoms, such as cold hands and feet or a sluggish metabolism, that often go hand in hand with low thyroid production. You’ll see levothyroxine in several common thyroid meds, such as the following:
Synthroid Cost & Savings via NorthWestPharmacy.com
Synthroid (levothyroxine) is one very popular type of hypothyroidism medication. Your thyroid gland normally produces two types of thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. T4 is easily converted to T3. If you’re able to supplement your body’s production of T4, you’ll be able to help maintain normal thyroid function in your body.
Taking Synthroid on a daily basis can provide what you need. Your doctor may want to start you off on a low dose and have you take several blood tests to help figure out what your ideal Synthroid dosage might be.
In America, you can buy a one-month supply of 200 mcg brand-name Synthroid for about $56.00 ($1.80/tablet).
Alternatively, at NorthWestPharmacy.com, we offer brand-name Synthroid with 78% savings – about $35.00 for a 90-day supply of 200 mcg tablets ($0.38/tablet). That’s a big savings on Synthroid!
Levoxyl Cost & Savings via NorthWestPharmacy.com
Levoxyl (levothyroxine) is, much like Synthroid, a medication that can help supplement low levels of T4 thyroid hormone. Patients in the United States can typically buy this prescription medication for about $50.00 per one month supply of the 200 mcg dose ($1.67 per tablet).
If you’re in the market for 20% savings, you could instead buy your medication at NorthWestPharmacy.com. We offer a 100-day supply of Levoxyl for about $135.00, or about $1.35 per tablet.
Tirosint Cost & Savings via NorthWestPharmacy.com
Tirosint (levothyroxine) is significantly more expensive than the other medications we’ve discussed. In America, you can buy a one-month supply of 150 mcg Tirosint for $172.00 (or about $5.75 per tablet).
Fortunately, at NorthWestPharmacy.com, we’re able to offer 10% savings on this hypothyroidism medication. Here, you can find a 28-pack of 150 mcg Tirosint for $144.00, or about $5.14/tablet.
Why Are There Three Different Types of Levothyroxine?
It may seem odd that there are three similar medications featuring the same active ingredient. Isn’t that redundant?
While it might seem like that’s the case, these medications provide specific populations of patients with the relief they need. Each of these prescription drugs has slightly different formulas, even though they’re all based on levothyroxine. One might have very different inactive or filler ingredients from the next.
People may have varying reactions to these different filler ingredients. For example, if a patient tries Levoxyl and realizes that they have an adverse reaction or undesired symptom, they may be able to work with their doctor to try Synthroid instead to work towards better results.
There are hypothyroidism drugs that don’t contain levothyroxine, as well. We’ll discuss those next.
Cytomel Cost & Savings via NorthWestPharmacy.com
Cytomel (liothyronine) is another type of medication that can help supplement slow thyroid production. However, instead of directly supplying T4 to the body, Cytomel supplies a synthetic version of T3, the other hormone the thyroid gland produces. Your doctor will be able to help you determine which form of thyroid supplementation is best for your specific needs.
Cytomel can be an expensive option. For one month of a 25 mcg daily dose of Cytomel, Americans will typically pay around $105.00, or about $3.50 per day of treatment.
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell a pack of 100 25 mcg Cytomel tablets for $207.00, or about $2.07 per tablet. Not only is this significantly cheaper (40% savings!), but it reduces the number of times per year patients need to think about ordering their chronic medication.
Natural Thyroid Cost
So far, we’ve discussed synthetic (or man-made) medications to supplement thyroid hormone. There’s also a natural alternative available, one that some doctors do prefer to prescribe for some patients.
Natural thyroid hormone tends to come from pig thyroid glands. After harvesting porcine thyroid glands, technicians will dry the glands and create pills that humans can use to supplement their own low levels of this necessary hormone.
While this is clearly a much more natural alternative than a 100% man-made medication, it’s important to note that there are still filler ingredients added into this formula (among them, talc, sugar, and cornstarch).
In America, the most popular brand of natural thyroid is ARMOUR THYROID. A one-month supply of ARMOUR THYROID will cost about $33.00 for a 30mg dose, or a little over a dollar per tablet.
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we have access to a very similar natural thyroid hormone formula called, simply, Thyroid. You can buy a 100-day supply of 30mg Thyroid for about $44.00, or $0.44 per tablet. That’s 56% savings!
Hyperthyroid Medication Costs
We’ve discussed several prescription medications that can help with hypothyroidism or slow/low thyroid hormone production. Next, let’s shift focus a little bit to talk about how to save money on thyroid meds that help people who make too much thyroid hormone.
Propylthiouracil Cost
Propylthiouracil (propylthiouracil) is a medication more often referred to as an easier-to-say acronym, PTU. It’s a widely-available, eminently-affordable generic medication that you can probably find quite easily in the United States. You can purchase a 50 mg dose of PTU for just about $33.00 for a one-month supply, or just over a dollar per tablet.
Even though it’s affordable in America, turning to an international online pharmacy will still provide more savings. At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we sell a 100-day supply of 50 mg PTU for $33.00, or $0.33 per day of treatment. (That’s about 70% savings!)
Methimazole (Tapazole)
Tapazole (methimazole) is a brand-name medication that can help slow down the production of the thyroid gland – extremely helpful if your body has too much thyroid!
This medication has been around for a longer time. Now, there’s a widely-available generic equivalent, which can make methimazole more accessible and affordable. However, if you need the brand-name medication for any reason, it can be a lot more difficult to find in the United States.
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, it’s easy to find. We sell a 100-day supply of brand-name Tapazole for just $52.00 at the 5 mg dose, or about $0.50 per tablet.
Are There Other Reasons to Take Thyroid Medications?
We talked about hypo- and hyperthyroidism. As it turns out, there are a few more specific reasons why people might need to take thyroid medication. These include:
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, a disorder in which a person’s body routinely attacks the thyroid gland. People with this condition can’t make enough thyroid hormone, so their doctor often prescribes hypothyroid medication.
Graves’ disease, a condition where the thyroid gland suddenly starts to produce as much thyroid hormone as it can around the clock. This ends up giving the human body way too much thyroid hormone. In some cases, those with Graves’ disease undergo surgery or radiation to disable the thyroid gland entirely. After this operation, the patient would likely have to take some form of thyroid supplement to replace the lost thyroid production. Alternatively, a patient might just take high doses of hyperthyroid medication.
Thyroid nodules or goiters, where nodules grow on the thyroid (or the thyroid itself begins to swell). These situations are largely noncancerous, but they may cause hormone overproduction. This can result in similar treatment as that recommended for Graves’ disease.
Thyroid cancer, a condition where cancerous growths appear on the thyroid. In addition to being a concerning malady on its own merits, thyroid cancer can cause the thyroid gland to produce unhelpful amounts of thyroid hormone. If the thyroid gland needs to be removed, the patient may need to take hypothyroid medication to supplement their hormone levels post-operation.
Let’s Get You the Most Affordable Thyroid Medication
Thyroid diseases are very common, and many people may have undiagnosed thyroid conditions. While there are some risk factors for thyroid conditions (such as family history, other medical conditions, and age), anyone can develop a thyroid problem.
Although it can be tricky to track whether thyroid problems are actually on the rise due to improved diagnostics and increased life expectancies, more and more people are becoming aware of their thyroid issues.
It’s time to make sure that anyone who receives this type of overwhelming diagnosis has the tools they need to manage their health and their quality of life.
That’s where we come in.
NorthWestPharmacy.com is able to source medication from all over the world while maintaining high quality standards and trusted safety protocols.
As a international reliable online pharmacy, we’re proud to be able to provide a wide range of prescription medications for consistently low prices.
However, we also understand that purchasing medications online can seem like an odd choice, particularly if you’ve read anything about some online pharmacies that get involved in questionable activities.
We’re Dedicated to Helping You Save on Prescription Costs
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we don’t take your trust for granted. We follow all of the requirements established by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) and the International Pharmacy Association of British Columbia (IPABC), two extremely reputable pharmacy associations in Canada.
We also have a call center staffed by friendly representatives that is available all week long. If you ever have a question about a medication, wish to speak with a pharmacist about your prescription, or simply wish to place an order over the phone, we’re here to help.
Because we take our customer experience so seriously, we have an overall 4.8/5 star rating and over 400,000 independent reviews.
Interested in learning more about how you can save on thyroid medications? Give us a call at 1-866-539-5339, or contact us online for more information. We’re excited to help you save on your thyroid prescriptions!
