Oh hon you have got to get that medicine. Is there a low income clinic in your area? You can get lowcost or no pay healthcare if you qualify based on your income.

You will have a really hard time losing weight. Also you can develop high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and no telling what else if left untreated.

Many of the people I see on thyroid boards on the Internet are having to take matters in their own hands to be their own health advocate and order labs from places like healthcheckusa.com and privatemdlabs.com (for here in the states). Then they order meds from companies overseas that do not require prescriptions in order to feel better. They have learned how to read their own labs and do medicine adjustments to feel better.

Some people also see a holistic doctor on the side paying full cost as these doctors do not use the insurances or not dictated by insurance companies telling them what to do and they can get the RXs from the doctors to go to compounding pharmacies at reasonable prices.

Good luck with what you do and as bm55 says, hopefully the low income clinics may still be available in this economy and if state budgets allows this during the economy.

My insurance is not that great and we are having to do things without using our insurance now since the deductibles are so high.

{{{hugs}}}

I know exactly what you mean about looking in the mirror and feeling helpless, but I think you really need to get the meds and focus on your health first because I've read that there can be serious consequences to leaving this untreated. Also, I once needed a medication that wasn't covered by my insurance and when I was picking it up at the pharmacy I was shocked at the price and told them I couldn't pay and the pharmacist somehow gave me a discount...I'm not sure how that worked but it's worth asking them!

My appointments are covered it is the medication that is not. I was on synthroid and cytomel. I am also aware of the health issues it can cause if left untreated. I bought some in bulk when I was working overseas but it didn't seem to work the same.

I know the feeling. I"m 23 and the past year i've been paying my own doctor visits, labs, and prescriptions, along with student loans, rent, utilities...I had a 10 dollar an hour job at the mall!! It's tough, but you have to make sure you stay on synthroid.

I finally have insurance and it only pays for doctor visits and labs, and only generic prescriptions. I do not like generic! So i dish out the 30 dollars a month for synthroid. It's tough, but what I have learned about this disease is that it makes you stronger...keep your head up.

Overseas medicines are just as good as the US ones.

When you bought it overseas, did you buy generic? I am taking Levothyrox made by Merck and both my generalist and endocrinologist told me specifically that the generic version of this is less effective so I had to make sure to get the brand...

Sorry I should have specified, this is in France

I live in Mexico and have lost interest in anything doctors and lawyers have to say as they are often misinformed. I can buy my meds at the pharmacy without a prescription. I empathsize with your weight gain. When I was younger and first diagnosed I was dating and the weight gain horrified me. As I lost interest in romance I was fine being a size 16. Now Im as thin as when a teenager and it still makes no difference. Hope you do well. Hugs to you.

I believe what i bought overseas was a different brand of cytomel so that may be why it didn't work as well. I was on cytomel and synthroid prior to my insurance stopping coverage.

I was also told my my thyroid specialist NOT to take the generic of synthroid and to only take the name brand because the generics do not work the same.

I trust the T4 and T4,T3 combo from other countries but not the cytomel.

First, there are low income clinics out there you can go to. I go to a clinic partially audited by the government, so they have something called ' sliding scale' fees. They make you pay according to your income . i only have to pay 15 dollars a visit! Also, if you're in america, then there are some thyroid meds really cheap. Armour is only 10 dollars at the pharmacy. Levothyroxine is also cheap. Ignore your doctor if she said not to get on it, if you can't get anything else, it'll have to do. But first, http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx
go there and look for a clinic you can afford in your area! Do not ignore your thyroid, it'll be far worse if you do. Good luck

thanks so much everyone.