Latest batches of T3. Anyone having problems?

[Muffy]

Could anyone tell me if they are having trouble with the new batches of T3? Mine is 81171.

I just appear to have gone downhill since the latest batch was introduced.

[Hidden]

Hi Muffy

Someone phone the office with possible problems with that batch the other day..

Have you done a Yellow Card...? yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

L

x

[RedApple Administrator]

I assume you are referring to MercuryPharma liothyronine. This is under investigation by the MHRA. See news item on main website here

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/news.h...

Not sure which batch numbers are being looked at, but if you feel you definitely are experiencing issues, then probably best to put in a yellow card, which you can do here:

yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

[lainey]

Hi muffy , I'm also having problems with the same batch of T3 but I've struggled with the T3 and the levothyroxine since it changed from gold shield to mercurypharma , I haven't been the same health wise and after nearly ten years of illness I had finally got my medication spot on and going back to college/work and now I'm back to square one , I've been for blood tests and my results show that I'm extremely hypo again but doc can't find me a solution as it was only the gold shield that was doing anything for me , I'm currently trying naturethroid so I will need to see how it goes but I'm paying for that myself so not ideal , I will fill out a yellow card and see how it goes , I hope we can find a solution to this soon as I've seen a few members on here feeling the same way with the new T3

Elaine x

[Muffy in reply to lainey]

Hi Ianey,

Sorry to hear that you too are struggling. I have never been totally well, but T3 is the nearest I get to it and now I have just got worse and worse over the past couple of months. My joints are very bad again and the chiropractor can't adjust my neck joints. I was thinking it was because my back was so bad, but then it dawned on me that it could easily be the thyroid medication. The trouble is, we don't get any choice, it's Mercury Pharma full stop. I remember reading an article by Dr. John C Lowe saying that the T3 obtained in the UK wasn't any good compared to Cynomel (I think it's called) in the USA.

I have just reported it to the MHRA, so hopefully we will hear the outcome sometime soon.

[lainey in reply to Muffy]

Hi muffy , I have been on all the different thyroid medication you could possibly get as I've been ill a long time and with the help of this forum and dr S and my gp at the time I got to know everything that's available out there , I tried everything until the gold shield thyroxine and gold shied t3 were spot on mind you I was diagnosed b12 def and have been on 3 monthly injections and I was also iron/folic acid deficient and when they were sorted out I was a lot better again , my dizziness went and also aches and pains and depression lifted , I felt like my old self again and now this year I've went right downhill as a result of it changing companies , my latest blood test was T4 8.6 lab range (9-21) so I've to go back to endo but I know it's the change in tablets , I'm too long in the tooth now to know what the change has been , I feel for you as the aches and pains are bad , it's kinda like having the flu , I ended up taking painkillers all the time just to get some relief but that's not good also , I have filled out a yellow card also so we can only wait and see what happens

Elaine x

[Muffy in reply to lainey]

Hi again, I too had years of ill health - over 30 years, so know exactly how you feel and yes the change of T3 a few years ago made things go downhill again, but this last batch has made things far worse. These tablets are costing the NHS a fortune and yet seems to be causing lots of problems. Let's hope they get it all sorted and soon.

Muffy

[shaws Administrator in reply to lainey]

If you find Naturethroid suits you maybe, just maybe, your GP would prescribe. Details hereunder:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

[Hennerton]

Strange, because I have just emailed a thyroid friend asking her if she has noticed any difference but I meant for the better. I have been feeling quite ill for the last two weeks or so and have just changed to the new batch, which seems more effective for me. I have only had one tablet so far but was about to give up on T3 only this morning, before taking first dose. Now aching less, which is always my worst symptom. Don't know what to think!

[beaton]

Hi, I started on a T3/T4 comb. three months ago. I have not felt any benefits from the inclusion of T3. I have just looked and all three tubs are the same batch. as above.. Mercurrypharma 81171( How can I complain if I don't know what a good batch is like.) ALSO I can't get ANY T3 at present.

[Stourie in reply to beaton]

You are maybe not on enough t3 to make a difference.

Jo xx

[Muffy]

Hi Louise, Thanks for that I'll notify the MHRA.

Muffy

[Muffy]

Hi Red Apple, The batch numbers are different from the ones I now have, but thanks for that.

[Zephyrbear]

I too have this particular batch now and I have had to increase my dose from 10mcg to 15mcg three times daily just to stay where I was before. They certainly do not appear to be of the same strength so I shall certainly submit a yellow card! I think I am also going to continue taking the Unipharm T3 my brother sourced for me in Greece during the shortage... of which I still have 10 boxes left!

[Janinit]

I am so glad that I came on today as I have just finished a month of that batch 81171 of t3 after being on cynomel for a couple of months. I was beginning to think I was going crazy. I have a froggy throat with a feeling of something in it and bone pain in my knees and shins headache and just not feeling as well mentally... down and foggy..... I was feeling great on the cynomel (my bloods were spot on) but had got a new prescription and decided to try the mercury pharma as I thought they had it sorted... I am very disappointed to be going through this rigmarole again..... will yellow card this batch....

[vajra]

It'd really be helpful if we could get a handle on what's going on with T3 supply - there's depending on brand been significant issues with potency and/or supply in recent years. Not to mention suggestions that there's a lot of re-structuring of the industry going on - with some of the problems possibly the result of new owners getting it wrong.

The other issue is the bland assumption by the system that the different brands of T3 are entirely interchangeable - when they clearly are not for many of us.

More worryingly there's signs that at least a faction in the system is trying to phase T3 out, and is supporting this by hyping some of the old scare stories. T3 has (fairly clearly to save cost) been de-listed here in ireland, and our local hospital lab has started refusing T3 blood tests to GPs.

It seems to me that we very badly need some sort of project or task force to get underneath the issues - and to form some sort of a view on whether the stuff will be available ongoing. Also to lobby the system.

This is all extremely serious for those of us that are dependent not just on supply of T3 to live a reasonably normal life - but in some cases on getting the brand that works for us.

The latter can be complex. It's difficult for example to separate issues like variations in potency, additives that cause problems for some, variable rates of absorbtion and so on. Variable potency is a nightmare (and there's recently it seems been questions raised as to the efficacy of the potency testing methods used by some makers) - it likely throws one back into the hands of an often haphazard and happenstance dependent process of sorting out new dose levels with GPs.

If the potency is variable the entire (already questionable) system of blood testing is fatally undermined, and it's back to being led by symptoms.

I ran into major problems in Ireland with apparently below potency Goldshield T3 which lost me more than a year's well being/ability to work in 2011/2012. It seemed like it was about 25% below strength.

The system here denied all possibility that this was the case, but the problems magically disappeared upon my being switched to TiTre T3 when supply problems arose with the Goldshield - a new pharmacy in late 2012 was able to source Teofarma TiTre T3 which sorted the below strength problem out instantly.

I was just last week advised by my pharmacy that the TiTre is no longer available, with the suggestion that the factory had stopped producing it - but as usual no hard information. Only the usual vague and misleading mutterings.

This isn't good news as the TiTre was 100% consistent for me right through 2013. I've been switched to Henning Thybon T3 as a result. My impression is that it could be very marginally less potent than the TiTre, but it's not far off judging by how it feels after 5 days.

The Teofarma factory website has meanwhile changed to 'health professionals only', while phoning a number obtained elsewhere led to a totally uncoperative admin type who was adamant that TiTre T3 was not made in Italy, but seemed to be suggesting that it was available elsewhere in their organisation. There was a suggestion about about a few years that TiTre was possibly license made or just re-badged US Cytomel, but this may not be true. She point blank refused to provide a phone number.

It's all in all an extremely worrying and far from satisfactory situation. Never mind that we have been paying about x10 the European price for T3...

ian

[jeans]

I am having trouble with the same batch and am about to yellow card it! I yellow carded 2 bad batches earlier in the year but still not heard what was wrong with them!! J x

[sewfossy]

I've found this batch ok, I had problems with 80928 which made my heart flutter all over the place. Batch 81171 has been much better, however I don't think it's ever been as good as when it was Goldshield. Over the last year I have slowly regained the weight I lost on the Goldshield T3 even though my TSH is lower and my FT3 is higher.

I went so downhill in May and ended up on antibiotics. Looking back batch 80928 was making me very ill.

[penny]

I seem to be having problems with 81377 batch. I've upped my intake but not quite as good as before all this started.

[Muffy in reply to penny]

Mercury Pharma need to get this sorted out and soon. Can you believe yet another batch doesn't seem to be working?!

[TheCatsWhiskers]

Are people still having problems with this batch number???? I've been rough the last 6 weeks and it suddenly dawned on me it could be the Liothyronine - looked at my batch numbers, looked here, and lo and behold .... 81171.

This is getting ridiculous with these dodgy batches I suffered for 4 months with the dodgy batches back in June!

[Muffy in reply to TheCatsWhiskers]

I'm on a new batch, can't remember the number off hand, but yesterday and today I feel so much better and have been wondering over the past two weeks if the low pressure (weather) has been adding to how I feel. Usually causes quite bad headaches when the pressure is low.

Out of interest, do you feel any better today?

[TheCatsWhiskers in reply to Muffy]

Hi Muffy,

Sorry for the late reply - I'm having a few probls viewing the forum posts on my mobile device ...... !

Anyway .....! Unfortunately I don't feel any better yet - have been 'off 'the last 6 weeks or so - last time I felt like this was when I was on one of the dodgy batches in the summer.

[Muffy in reply to TheCatsWhiskers]

What a nuisance.