Thyroid UK

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I just copied this from my facebook page called 'Life after TT' wow all discussions and comments welcomed...Any similar experiences?

I met a fantastic nurse today! She had a TT sometime ago and has managed to stay fit! I asked her how she stayed so thin and her response was Synthroid. I asked her why that mattered and she said that she used to take Levothyroxine and had problems with her weight, she said her TSH fluctuated all the time and her hair kept falling out. Being a nurse she she decided to investigate and she found out that generic meds like Levo are not guaranteed to have the exact amount of thyroid hormone as prescribed in each pill but that the brand name medication does. Because of that your TSH will fluctuate! Shocked I asked her how can they do this, she said it has to do with the fillers the generic brands use.

I'm going to investigate this new data further, I will interview some pharmacists and my Endo on the 28th and will get back to you on this new discovery!

9 hours ago

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14 Replies

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As I am on Levo as so many of us are... so is there really much better 'brands' and can it really make the difference? After all we are all chasing the feel good factor ...its not much to ask really when you think about it :o( and to think there is better quality / poorer quality medications is just wrong!

Synthroid is still a synthetic levothyroxine and still contains fillers so no difference to other levos.

Are you in the US? I ask because Synthroid is a US brand of levothyroxine and would not be prescribed here in the UK.

There are at least as many people for whom Synthroid does *not* work well, as there are for whom it does work well. The fact that one manufacturer's levothyroxine medication suits some but not others, is a never ending topic of discussion on this and every other thyroid support forum, regardless of country. It's very often the case that you need to try different ones until you find the one that suits you best, and then you stick with that make. No matter whether it has a 'big brand' name or is a generic!

generic meds like Levo are not guaranteed to have the exact amount of thyroid hormone as prescribed in each pill

The above is out of date and incorrect information. There are strict rules in both the US and the UK about the thyroid hormone content. This is a typical reason why a particular manufacturer's levothyroxine (both brand and generic) might be withdrawn from the market. For example, the big US brand name 'Levoxyl' was withdrawn from the US market last year. And the UK we had problems with the 'Teva' levothyroxine (see info about the MHRA report on this here thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/news.h...)

For information on UK levothyroxine medications, you can go to the main website

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

Thank for the reply RedApple , ( I am in UK ) and for a moment I thought they have this wonder drug, what makes you slim and feeling wonderful which is kept secret from us ordinary people and only selected few are allowed to have it ;o).

Thats ok then, I'll stick to my normal levo and plod on like a little donkey on a dusty road in my quest for the holy grail.

Marja x

When I was on levo, Eltroxin made me feel so much better than generic levo. Eltroxin is/was a brand name.

It is recommended to try to keep to the same levo each time and if you aren't doing so well, to ask for another manufacturer. Mind you they are now getting less and less so choice is diminished.

Hi Shaws, now Eltroxin is made by MP or "Amco" and has the same ingredients as Levo, does that mean that Eltroxin has now become a generic medication. Although MP told our Pharmacy that they had stopped making Eltroxin at the moment and couldn't say when they would start again. I just get confused as all T4 meds appear to be geneic now. Thanks Kathy

It has always been possible for a pharmacy to supply Eltroxin when fulfilling a prescription for "Levothyroxine". However, for reasons that are not absolutely clear but very likely are historic, it has been acceptable for doctors to write "Eltroxin".

The declared ingredients of Eltroxin had not changed.

All current UK levothyroxine tablet products are, as you say, generics in the sense they are supplied to generic prescriptions. Although we are told that AMCO intend to bring back Eltroxin, we do not know when that might be, nor even why it has been off the market. If ever it comes back, it is likely to be in the same state as before it disappeared. Though actually getting doctors to write "Eltroxin" might have become much more difficult, especially if it still has a price premium (not much more expensive, but a little).

If you wish to remain on one product, I urge you to develop a relationship with a pharmacy and get your preferred product on your records with them.

Rod

I have actually managed to stay on Elroxin 100 until last week and had on alternate days Levo 25's. As I have said before I think Eltroxin changed a while back, as I felt different and when take Levo I don't feel good at all. I am going to trial Activis for two months and see how I get on with that, if it suits me I can stay on that because supply is good. The worst thing is to keep changing, I would rather take a constant. Many thanks Kathy

As far as I know, all levothyroxine in the UK at present is generic.

When a pharmaceutical company makes a new drug (someone will correct if I am wrong) it has a Brand name which cannot be copied by another company. It is given a licence for maybe 10 years and when it runs out other pharmaceutical companies can copy it and usually use the main ingredient as a name, i.e. levo and paracetamol come to mind as they haven't done the research on it they can make it much more cheaply. Glaxosmithkline originally made Eltroxin and that name is/was protected.

There have since been some adverse reports about Eltroxin in other countries, see links below.

medsafe.govt.nz/hot/alerts/...

jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/...

I had taken levothyroxine when first diagnosed and was quite ill. I didn't know at that time about different makes. When I took 25mcg Eltroxine (75mcg) it did make a big difference.

I think it is strange that Mercury Pharma who were obviously given a licence to produce Eltroxin now cannot provide it. They say their generic is identical but I dispute this as do others who used to take Eltroxin.

Thanks I totally agree. I will post how I get on with Activis when I get back from our trip in February, just for your interest. x

Just for your information:-

chriskresser.com/the-most-i...

Brilliant, really interesting. Thanks.

I cannot put my finger on the name, but the first UK company to manufacture levothyroxine was not Glaxo (with or without Smith and Kline!). I suspect the company was simply absorbed into the GSK giant at some point a few years later. So this is only of historic/academic interest.