My body responds differently to different brands of thyroid hormone.

[elusivemoment]

I know everyone says they're all the same but definitely the first brand I was put on 4 years ago gave me stomach cramps (as I see some other people have experienced) and I change then went back on them and the same thing happened. Now I've borrowed some pills from my friend in place of Eltroxin and I've swelled up (with water retention I presume)! I'm usually slim so it's v noticeable to me and nothing to do with my monthly cycle. What's going on? Is there some difference in the way the hormone is produced? It can't be that all companies make it in exactly the same way...? Something is different between the brands. Any ideas?

[Moggie]

There seems to be a big difference in how out bodies use different bands of levo. A lot of us have found ourselves in trouble since Eltroxin has become unavailable and are struggling on normal levo.

Also different brands of levo can have different fillers in them so again your body will be using this brand differently.

Linked below is a list of different brands and what they contain - you never know you might be able to pin point what is in a certain brand that you are reacting to.

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

Moggie x

[Lizzy1606]

Don't know if this is of any help but was reading yesterday that the one filler acacia powder ,that people who suffer from hay fever had problems with levo that contained this filler.

[elusivemoment]

Thank you for your responses! I'm going to check out the fillers. I picked up my Eltroxin thank God. It seems there are some manufacturing problems with 25mcg Eltroxin which is annoying. I have a pill cutter but they're such powdery pills (unlike Erfa which is more compressed) that the unused half just disintegrates sometimes.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to elusivemoment]

I picked up my Eltroxin

Hi elusivemoment,

As you may know, there has been a shortage of Eltroxin for several months now, so we are trying to get an idea of what's happening with this brand right now.

Can you please tell us what dose of Eltroxin tablets you have just picked up? And what is the expiry date on the box please? And what part of the UK are you in? Thanks

[Helenabc]

Hi elusivemomoent,

From lots, and lots of experience with digestive distress (!), I have observed that one of the factors has to do with muscle tone. When I am more hypothyroid, not only does the digestion slow down, but the gut loses tone -- or so it seems. It happens along with the rest of the body losing tone, causing aches and pains all around. This results in extra food lying around in the digestive tract. Then you take some effective thyroxine, and soon the gut tones up -- on its 'over-fullness' -- and it does not feel good.

If your digestion has been affected by the hypothyroidism, this process will likely happen some time early in treatment. It may also happen from time to time if pills vary, or your activity level and thyroxine need vary.