Synthetic T3 without gluten, lactose, maize starch, etc in the ingredients - available in London anywhere?

[Faith1]

Hi! I've recently been started on T3 Liothyronine 20mcg a day. I was surprised to find that there's lactose and corn starch in the ingredients. Another brand I found has gluten! Since I have hashimoto's I try to avoid things that make my immune system overact, which gluten and lactose definitely do.

If you know the names of other brands and where available in London or UK it would be very helpful as I can then research the ingredients. On the internet I can only seem to find the brands that are available in the USA.

Thanks for any help you can give. Faith

[Jow11]

I believe that The German brand Thybon doesn't contain gluten or lactose but it does contain maize starch.

[Faith1 in reply to Jow11]

Thank you very much Jow, I'll look into that one.

[helvella Administrator]

Details of all UK and several non-UK makes of both liothyronine and levothyroxine available here:

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

The only make that is licensed in the UK is Mercury Pharma liothyronine 20mcg.

Any other formulation will have to be obtained either on the so-called "named patient basis" where a doctor specifies the exact product to be supplied which could be a non-UK make, a "special" made up to order, or bought by yourself (with or without prescription). The first two options are very expensive and you are unlikely to get much joy asking a GP. The third varies in price, availability, time to deliver, etc. and you would have to research the makes yourself.

Makes other than USA (where they have Pfizer/King Cytomel, Paddock, Mylan and possibly some other makes) include Sanofi Cynomel from France, Henning Thybon from Germany, TiTre from Italy, Tiromel from Turkey (though often mentioned as if from Greece), Grossman Cynomel from Mexico, and there are bound to be many more around the world.

Rod

[Faith1 in reply to helvella]

Thanks very much Rod!

That's a lot of information and should keep me busy for a little while.

I've already looked into Cynomel from France as UCL hospital offers that (unlicensed) but it has gluten.

The rest I'll get onto.

[Everdean in reply to Faith1]

I had no idea that cynomel contained gluten. Is that the case with the ones I get from Mexico?

The writing is in Spanish so I can't read the ingredients

[Faith1 in reply to Everdean]

Hi Everdean,

I don't know about cynomel from Mexico as the one the UCL has is from France and that's where I was told it had gluten. I googled translate gluten and it seems that it's the same word, have a look at this link: spanishdict.com/translate/g.... You ought to be able to find it listed under "otro ingrediente" on the information leaflet in the pack.

If you seem to be ok on that med and it has gluten then that's brilliant!

[Mikiviki]

Liotir by IBSA is in liquid form and does not contain any of the contents you wish to avoid. It is available in Italy . I don't know if this is also available through the web

[Faith1 in reply to Mikiviki]

Hi Mikiviki,

Liquid form sounds interesting. I wonder if it's manipulatable - raising and lowering the dose depending on stress levels... it would mean the end to messy tablet cutting. I'll look into it.

Thank you very much!

[Mikiviki in reply to Faith1]

I also have hashimoto's and use levothyroxine in liquid form which comes in different sachets of varying doses. This is called Tirosint and has made an enormous difference to my well being. I was taking regular levothyroxine tablets since 15 years and feeling unwell mainly. For me this form of medication has made the change I was looking for. Maybe it's absorbed easily into the body, who knows? If only I had had this earlier...

[Gwendoline1612 in reply to Mikiviki]

Hi Mikiviki

I've only recently joined this forum and I am trying o get my head around all of it.

I know you posted this 2 years ago but I am hoping you will pick this message up?

Did you get Levothyroxine in liquid form from your Doctor and in he UK? I've been on thyroxine 10 years the last 2 years felt really ill but posted my blood results on here and had a lot of help, I intend to introduce T3 in a couple of weeks as I have just introduced B12 as my count is 286! And I don't want to overload on different meds, I've also increased my thyroxine from 100 mg to 125 mg only been doing this the past 4 days so no improvement as yet if no difference after two weeks will increase to 150 mg. I'm seeing a Endo in February not sure what to expect if anything that's why I want to self medicate and prove all these doctors wrong by feeling much better hopefully.

Thanks

👍

[QUE6T-33]

Hi Faith. Have just read your post from Year ago now. But you were then looking for

a T3 supplement which you could tolerate i.e. Re lactose & gluten. I am

currently looking for the same. I have spent days & getting nowhere fast !

Hopeful you will see the post & be in position to offer some advice please, as

you will have already tread the path with research before me. Did you find

a T3 med that you could tolerate & , if so, could you let me know what it is.

And maybe, a few others that were on your short list of possibles. Trying

to find details of the inactive ingredients is proving difficult. Please PM me

if preferred. Hope things going well for you. My best & thanks

[Faith1 in reply to QUE6T-33]

Hi QUE6T-33,

Thanks for your message. Unfortunately, I was very ill at the time of writing and felt overwhelmed by the responses I received and have only just recently been able to pick up again.

However, since that time I realise I don't have a problem with those ingredients as my diet has changed many times for various reasons and all of the above have been excluded at one time or another for extended periods but my tummy has not recovered. However, my tummy problems worsened when I started T3 and I am aware that Liothyronine has industrial methylated spirit in it. Albeit the manufacturer states it is only used in the processing and there is nothing left in the end product. However, they do admit that sensitive individuals may have a problem.

Since I am very sensitive I'm looking for another brand that the women here have had experience with. I have heard that a lot of people have problems with the nhs product but have felt better on the Mexican brand. Hence now looking for that rather than gluten free etc.

If I do not have any success with other brands, it may be because it is the T3 itself possibly having an effect on the amount of histamine my intestines are producing, and at the same time reducing the amount of the enzyme that clears away histamine - DAO.

I believe I am harbouring some nasty histamine producing bacteria that worsened after a lot of antibiotics and NSAIDS, which I was given after a tonsillectomy. I found I had strong allergy symptoms and had to remove all histamine foods from my diet and suffered terrible hayfever. Later in the year I was given T3 and the whole thing got a lot worse with excruciating tummy pain.

I originally thought that if I changed my pills I would need to be sure that there was no sensitising ingredients as I had not eaten those for a long time. However, I have added things back and the tummy remains the same regardless of diet.

Now it appears that underneath most allergy symptoms there may be a gut dysbiosis, and so I have been working to reestablish my good microbes and so on. I think I've had chronic candida etc. So I think that if I can clear that up things will be ok, however, I want to see if I react better with another brand of T3 because whenever I lower the amount of T3 I have less symptoms and when I put it up I have more symptoms.

I manage the symptoms with antihistamines, in that I crush the antihistamine pill and take a quarter every time I take the T3. It's helping massively. I also use a lot of vitamin C (between 1500 - 3000mg divided throughout the day) to remove the histamine from my system. (I use it well away from food to ensure I do not increase my iron levels.) On top of that I use quercetin (1500mg divided just before meals, and I mix it with fish oil to aid digestion) to stop the mast cells from producing so much histamine, and I use an antiinflammatory diet.

Doing this I am virtually symptom free and my intestines are no longer bloated, which means my food is digesting and not passing straight through me. My energy has gone up and my face is no longer flushed. Now I'm in a position to get onto finding a new brand of T3.

I plan to get another T3, but without methylated spirit and hope for the best. If I don't have any joy then it's possible that I simply have a body that doesn't produce enough DAO enzyme to manage the extra histamine that the T3 is causing to be released. I'm not saying everyone has this reaction but it is something I think maybe an issue for me, mainly because I believe I have a lot of histamine producing bacteria and the extra load is just too much for my DAO.

I've written a lot here, but couldn't work out how to answer your question simply.

If I do manage to find a good brand that is also free of the above ingredients then I will let you know.

I hope you will feel better soon.

[QUE6T-33 in reply to Faith1]

Faith - thank you so much for taking the time for such an

informative response. Which is very interesting & I fully

follow. Your train of thinking is logical to me & how your

dealing with your system is obviously working ! Great news.

I'm troubled in the exact same way - gut reaction - with or

without meds. I'd heard that once treated with thyroid meds.,

then gut issue would resolve. I've not found that to be the

case. Bloating especially. By the way, the Mexican Cynomel

would seem to be very popular & I take myself. Out of

production at the moment, so needing to find alternative.

The French Cynomel seems loaded with inactive ingredients

that would have me climbing the walls ! So many others

do to. I'm hoping someone, somewhere knows of

one they can suggest. If by chance you find one, yes,

I'd be grateful if you could let me know. I will do the same.

For now. thanks again. Think there will be few readers

interested in your post.

[Faith1]

Thank you very much QUE6T-33. I appreciate what you've said and hope we can all help each other for find the solution.

[sarahstevenson]

hi folk

a very late addition to this thread, prompted by my having been summoned by my GP for a medicine review. I am currently taking named patient basis sanofi aventis liothyronine on split does of 12.5 mcg @ 4:30am 11:30 am and 15:30 pm and am feeling as well as I have since 1998! However part of this is due to changing to a Coeliac style diet after the diagnosis of my son with Coeliac disease in May 2014.

As you can see below yikes my lio contains wheat starch. I am intolerant of Levo or is it the Lauryl Sulphate which I can't tolerate even in toothpaste or as endo thinks I am a poor converter or convert to reverse T3 ? I was poorly taking Amdipharm Mercury Lio seemingly due to batch issues but could be the industrial meths or other packing agents. I thought I would check out any other brands but am stumped at finding ingredients. I was fine on Mexican T3 ( told NHS it was American) which, along with meticulous records of symptoms and blood tests persuaded the NHS to finally agree to named patient basis Sanofi.

Hmmm I'm not finding a lio replacement without any contras still on a quest but probably will sit tight on the Sanofi due to best health so far by miles

Sanofi Aventis Cynomel

liothyronine sodium;

calcium sulfate dihydrate ,

gelatin ,

saccharise ,

wheat starch,

stearic acid CH3(CH2)16CO2H

talc

Sodium liothyronine Amdipharm Mercury

liothyronine sodium;

Lactose,

Maize starch,

Powdered acacia,

Sodium chloride,

Magnesium stearate Mg(C18H35O2)2,

Industrial methylated spirit,

Purified water

Eltroxin – (levothyroxine)

Levothyroxine;

Sodium Citrate BP

Lactose BP

Maize starch BP

Powdered acacia BP

Magnesium Stearate BP

Levothyroxine

Levothyroxine;

butylated hydroxyanisole,

colloidal silicon dioxide,

crospovidone,

magnesium stearate,

mannitol,

microcrystalline cellulose,

povidone,

sodium lauryl sulfate

sucrose.

[jodyel]

I am looking for the same and I need it for the USA and have not found any. Please let me know what you've found for the USA.

Thanks,

jodyel

[Clutter in reply to jodyel]

Jodyel,

Product Name

Liothyronine Sodium Tablets, USP – 5mcg, 25mcg, 50mcg

Manufacturer

Paddock Laboratories Inc. 3940 Quebec Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55427, United States

Ingredients

Each round, white Liothyronine Sodium Tablet, USP contains:

liothyronine sodium equivalent to liothyronine as follows:

5mcg debossed 5 and 220;

25mcg scored and debossed 25 and 222;

50mcg scored and debossed 50 and223.

Inactive ingredients consist of:

calcium sulfate, microcrystalline cellulose, hypromellose, talc and colloidal silicon dioxide.

[jodyel in reply to Clutter]

Thank you Clutter!

Do you happen to know if one can purchase without a prescription anywhere?

[Nomorerlspain]

I am so incredibly late to this discussion, but Armour is a T3 in the US that has shown to be effective. Have you done any research on this med?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Nomorerlspain]

Armour Thyroid is NOT T3. It is a desiccated thyroid product (made from porcine thyroid glands). As such, it does contain both T4 and T3.

[coneflower]

Any joy with this please share...i did well on perrigo formular its gone and im struggling...need t3 fast acting no gluten/starch/alcohol,/lactose due to coeliacs and cross reactions. Interesting to see if the wheat starch in sanofi aventis is better than cornstarch if push comes to shove???

[helvella Administrator]

Perrigo liothyronine was sold to Mayne Pharma who have now rebranded it Libertas liothyronine.

Since then, it appears, there has been a recall - on 28/11/2017. See here (links are actually PDFs but do not open directly as PDFs):

clsnetlink.com/RecallInfo/t...

[helvella Administrator in reply to helvella]

See this link for details:

s3.amazonaws.com/prod-mdmem...