How do i request mercury pharma levo???

[sezzy]

Currently having 50mg from activias(cant remember spelling) and 25mg wood-something.

Id like to swap to just mercury pharma tablets see if it helps.

Does anyone know how ? I have my prescription on repeat so ring rowlands for it.

[helvella Administrator]

Best way, in my view, is to go into your pharmacist and ask that they give you Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine when next you get a prescription or need to get one fulfilled.

If you wish the change to be permanent, then ask the pharmacy to make a note on your record.

I cannot say whether your pharmacist will be helpful - but many are very willing to do what they can.

(I think you mean Actavis and Wockhardt. )

Rod

[sezzy in reply to helvella]

Thanks alot rod ill try next week.

Yes them two i dont have the packets to hand.

I can spell,just.

Sarah

[HarmonyAngel]

I used to be on Eltroxin as I didn't get on with the others so when it was sold off to Mercury Pharma I needed my prescription changing. To begin with while I was waiting to see my GP (which seemed ages because of the school hols) my usual Pharmacist got my prescription changed & then gave me Mercury Pharma. When I finally saw my GP I explained there was no more Eltroxin left so could she please change my prescription which she happily did & it now says "Levothyroxine - Mercury Pharma brand only".

The good thing with MP is it comes in 25mcg, 50mcg, 100mcg & it doesn't have some of the rubbish fillers in it that the others have.

Hope that helps :o)

[sezzy in reply to HarmonyAngel]

Yeah i dont like having two different brands be nice to see if there is any difference. Thanks alot.

[helvella Administrator in reply to HarmonyAngel]

HarmonyAngel,

I wonder if you care to share with the rest of us what those "rubbish fillers" are? That is, which excipients you count as "rubbish" and which are not.

There is only one other formulation of levothyroxine at each dosage in the UK. So you are clearly suggesting that there is something very wrong about the "fillers" used by Actavis and Wockhardt.

Bear in mind that with a medicine such as levothyroxine, the absolutely incredibly tiny amount in each tablets means there absolutely HAVE to be "fillers" in order to be able to pick the things up!

Rod

[HarmonyAngel in reply to helvella]

Oh my!! I'm saying everything wrong on here today aren't I!! Yes of course I know these tiny little tablets (let alone other meds, vitamins etc.) need fillers/binders to hold them together but in the different brands of Levo they're *not* the same (or at least they weren't)!! I no longer have my old patient information leaflets from all the other different brands I was given before Eltroxin so I can't tell you the exact names. I do though remember comparing them all when I was switched over to Eltroxin which I was told by my GP & other patients was more tolerable by a lot of patients especially those with certain chemical sensitivities.

I was NOT suggesting that there is something very wrong with Actavis & Wockhardt!! However I went through the full range of doseage's with both & suffered with more problems, i.e., severe headaches, nausea, itching ....., problems that either went away or settled down when I was switched to Eltroxin.

For what it's worth I don't like rubbish fillers/binders in *anything* & do all that I can to stick with products as natural as possible but with meds in particular that's really difficult to do.

I apologise for saying anything at all on this forum. I've never meant to do anything other than try to help those asking by passing on what I've learnt so far but it's become apparent extremely quickly that I should have sat on my hands & stayed in lurk mode!!

[RedApple Administrator in reply to HarmonyAngel]

HarmonyAngel wrote:

The good thing with MP is it comes in 25mcg, 50mcg, 100mcg & it doesn't have some of the rubbish fillers in it that the others have.

On the other hand, MPharma levo and their branded levo product Eltroxin both contain Acacia powder which can cause allergy type symptoms for some people. See article on Mary Shomon's website:

thyroid.about.com/od/synthr...

The only other two available UK licensed levo products (Actavis and Wockhardt) do not contain Acacia powder.

For easy reference and comparison, ingredients in all current UK levothyroxines are listed on the main Thyroid UK website here:

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

[Moggie in reply to HarmonyAngel]

As far as I know MP levo has almost the same fillers in as most and please be aware (and I speak through personal experience) the MP brand of levo has been causing a lot of people problems.

Have a look at this recent question and in particular read the answers carefully from people who are having problems. I have also linked another two questions from other's regarding the MP own brand and what side effects it is having.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Moggie x

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Moggie]

Good point Moggie. It all boils down to the same thing 'What works for one patient doesn't necessarily work for another'.

[HarmonyAngel in reply to Moggie]

Well they've obviously changed then because when I compared them a few months ago there were definite differences.

I've not yet read that post but I too can personally believe it as although my dose has been increased again my symptoms have gotten worse & it all ties in with how long I've been on MP only levo but I never thought that that could be the reason until the last few days.

I'm going to at least sit on my hands from now on with this forum as it's been made quite clear that I know too little to comment or try to help others. I will read the thread you mention though in case other patients or the experts on here have posted something that may help with the problems I'm having with MP.

Thanks

[Moggie in reply to HarmonyAngel]

Please dont do that - I felt like that once, if felt like every comment I was making someone else was coming back and saying something different, but every person has a valid point to make and when it boils down to it we are all only giving an opinion.

Its only through commenting and hearing others peoples views that we learn so please dont think your efforts are wasted because they are not.

Moggie x

[helvella Administrator in reply to Moggie]

Agreed.

And if I write something that inadvertently misleads, is not clear, or is plain wrong, I hope anyone here would tell me.