Mercury pharma is anyone having problems gettin... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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Mercury pharma is anyone having problems getting hold of it. My pharmacist has told me she thinks thre is a problem. Maybe it's just my area

rubyred profile image
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rubyred
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Katkin1 profile image
Katkin1

Not so far, but due to get a prescription in a couple of weeks. Can I ask, what area are you in please?

rubyred profile image
rubyred in reply to Katkin1

Hi I am in the Norfolk area

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

Which Mercury Pharma product do you mean?

If there is indeed a problem, I suspect that it is more likely to vary by distributor than by geographical location. Even if it is a production problem, some distributors may have recently had a shipment were others are due one.

Rod

rubyred profile image
rubyred in reply to helvella

Hi sorry it is thyroxin just can't believe it. My pharmacist is going to phone mercury on Monday I also know in addition to my pharmacist not having any neither has boots. If I have to change brands I get the most awful restless leg it will go on for weeks for some reason my body is really sensitive to any changes. Sorry didn't mean to ramble.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to rubyred

Thanks rubyred - that clarifies that!

In case it is only some sizes - which dosages do you get? 25, 50 or 100 micrograms - or all three?

Rod

rubyred profile image
rubyred in reply to helvella

Hi I get the 100 and the 25's currently all I have until I see gp on Tuesday are 25's so by then will have used them all it can't miss even 1 day I am a Graves' disease and have no natural thyroid function left. Bit odd over the past couple of months I have had to reduce from 150 for two day and 1 day at 125 to 125 for two days and 150 for one day. Gp has done bloods and called me in I suspect may want to reduce further can't understand why I have suddenly gone over. Very odd

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply to rubyred

Having no working thyroid doesn't mean anything drastic will happen if you miss a day of medication. Thyroxine has a half life of around 7 days so it would take a while for your body to run out, no need to worry about missing the odd day here and there.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to bantam12

I couldn't disagree more.

Certainly you won't entirely run out in 24 hours.But many people would be noticing a difference within hours of their missed dose. Some would be deteriorating severely if they missed the odd day here and there. (Of course, others wouldn't)

Rod

rubyred profile image
rubyred in reply to bantam12

Hi yes I know it takes a few days to show. Over the past 3 years I have only ever missed 3 doses completely accidental and believe me I paid the price in each case about a week later the fatigue is that extreme my eys look red rimmed and sunken I can't walk up a flight of stairs I fall asleep by 8pm and I get the most severe restless leg which all lasts for about a week.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to rubyred

Thanks for clarifying.

A thyroid can regenerate in some circumstances after a total thyroidectomy - most often in those with Graves.

Maybe you had no thyroid function - but does not mean that will always be the case forever.

There are, though, other reasons for dose reductions being required.

Rod

rubyred profile image
rubyred in reply to helvella

Now that's an interesting thought must say it did cross my mind that it might have kick started up but then I dismissed it as after the RAI the endo apologised and told me it had done too much too quickly I was super under within 5 weeks it took a few months for the goiter to disappear when that happened I developed a Speach problem still have it. Will see what gp says Tuesday he only did standard thyroid bloods.

Ansteynomad profile image
Ansteynomad

When I tried to fill a prescription last Saturday Lloyds offered me their own brand, but couldn't tell me who makes it and Boots offered something called Almus, which is all they ever stock apparently. Luckily when my regular pharmacy opened again on Monday, they did have Mercury.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Ansteynomad

The excellent medicines page on the main Thyroid UK site explains a lot:

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

To the best of my knowledge, Lloyds and Almus have always, so far, been specially packaged Actavis.

The idea that a pharmacist was unable to provide that information is, as we have seen so many times, severely disappointing. That this is about their OWN product is doubly disappointing.

Rod

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