Can I split Eltroxin?: Hi After being on T... - Thyroid UK

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Can I split Eltroxin?

Numberone1 profile image
8 Replies

Hi

After being on T3 only for about 6 months, and finding it very good, I have decided to add a small amount of T4. My reason for doing this is because I have started to get a bit achy again and I wondered if I should have some underlying T4 in the background between doses of T3...I take about 32.5mcg of T3 only.

I found a 25mcg Eltroxin tablet yesterday and took it. Interestingly alot of the aches and pains disappeared. I now only have 100mcg tablets left.

When I asked dr P what I should do, he said to just split them. However I also read that you shouldnt split them and I wonder if it is that alot of the dosage could be in just one part of the tablet and then you'/re taking too much.

Im not sure how else to do it? Could I take one 100mcg tablet ever 4 days? Or should I just split them as Dr P says

What has everyone else done.

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Numberone1
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8 Replies
marram profile image
marram

I happily split tablets all the time, because I have been slowly increasing my dose. I was supposed to increase to 125 from 100 but I wanted to do it slowly so I split the 25 and took 112.5 because O preferred doing it that way to alternating 100/125. I found it worked very well.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

I wonder if it is that alot of the dosage could be in just one part of the tablet

Yes, I think at least one of the levo manufacturers said this can very definitely happen. That said, I've done it many times myself with no obvious problem.

Could I take one 100mcg tablet ever 4 days?

You could. It might work very well for you. But it might be that you feel a bit over-medicated on the first day. You won't know until you try it though.

If it were me, I think I'd try splitting the 100mcg tab in two and taking each half on alternate days to give a daily average of 25mcg.

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply toRedApple

Well I never - you live and learn don't you. Can't say I had ever heard of that before and have been splitting doses happily for years. Suppose then that this can also happen with T3.

Moggie x

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toMoggie

I would imagine so, which is perhaps why some people are able to get prescribed the 5mcg tablets that are imported, rather than pfaffing about trying to split those rather small 20mcg tabs into quarters!

Moggie profile image
Moggie

I have never heard that you should never split them and if this is the case then why do they make them with a little line down the middle (or am I being thick).

I regularly split my Eltroxin tablets, as per endo's instruction, so I don't know where your information came from but if it were me I would be splitting tablets to suit. What is supposed to happen if you do split them?

Moggie x

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toMoggie

They say that the line down the middle is to help facilitate swallowing for those who have difficulty. i.e. split tablet and swallow each half separately.

In the US they have many more 'in between' dose sizes to try to overcome this, e.g. 88mcg, 137mcg etc. Our NHS system means this is not financially viable for UK manufacturers to produce them. We have in the past pushed very hard to try to get a lower dose tablet (i.e. 12.5mcg or 10 mcg), but so far it hasn't happened.

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply toRedApple

As I have just said - you live and learn.

Thanks RedApple.

Moggie x

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1

Thank you for all your responses. I think I might split it into 2 and take alternate days....at least to start with maybe even every 4 days and see how I get on.. Obviously the T4 will have a half life and it will be harder to deal with if Ive taken too much.

I would in normal circumstances just take a bit more T3 but I just cant do it. It doesnt agree with me to take more than 25mcg to be honest.

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