Does anyone know if you can get Tirosint in the... - Thyroid UK

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Does anyone know if you can get Tirosint in the u.k?

MidnightBlue profile image
20 Replies

My quest for gluten and lactose free thyroxine continues. I saw Tirosint mentioned in a post on this forum. I have never heard of it, but have just googled it and is says it is gluten and lactose free, but seems to be American. Does anyone know if you can get it here in the U.K? Thanks

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MidnightBlue profile image
MidnightBlue
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20 Replies

An additional point, it also seems to be made in Switzerland drugs.com/pro/tirosint.html

(See photographs of packaging 3/4 down page -as appears on my phone).

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

It is not licensed in the UK so no-one can ordinarily sell it. However, it could be supplied just like many other medicines (e.g. German lactose-free levothyroxine) if you can find a doctor to write a prescription. Cost could be very high.

It is possible to purchase it over the internet.

It can be awkward adjusting dose because it cannot be split. And, due to cost, anyone would be trying to get to the point of taking a single gel cap a day.

Rod

MidnightBlue profile image
MidnightBlue in reply to helvella

Thank you for the link in your message too, I am new to this and couldn't see how to reply to your message directly. Looks quite expensive, but a possibility. Will look into it more.

MidnightBlue profile image
MidnightBlue

Thank you everyone. If it needs to be a special order then it will be really expensive I think, as even the German lactose free tablets would have cost me £160 a month ( I enquired). My quest continues...!

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to MidnightBlue

They don't cost me anything like that! I take Aliud or Henning levothyroxine.

You did notice that a lot of them are in quantities of 100 (rather than 28 as usual here)? For example:

L-thyroxin henning 100 mcg 100 tablets £ 18.81

They also sell other doses such as 25, 50, 75, 125, 150, 175 and 200 at not much different prices so even if you are on a huge dose you couldn't get to £160!

Post and packing costs need to be added but they are not that high.

You can reply to a private message simply by typing into the box at the bottom of the thread and clicking on the button.

Rod

MidnightBlue profile image
MidnightBlue in reply to helvella

That is a massive price difference! I was quoted around £160 for a month's supply. I was even considering it, but the manufacturer couldn't say whether they were gluten free. Thanks again.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to MidnightBlue

I suspect that they simply cannot make that claim without thorough checking of ingredients and facilities. It would be good if someone who is very sensitive had tried them and reported back.

I know Henning cannot claim gluten-free, but have you or anyone else actually asked Aliud? (Or any of the other products which could be suitable.)

Rod

MidnightBlue profile image
MidnightBlue in reply to helvella

Think I have asked Aliud, but not totally sure, so will check. I have asked a lot of companies! Thanks for your help.

Ansteynomad profile image
Ansteynomad in reply to helvella

Rod - could you PM me please if you know of a means of buying Henning thyroxine? Thank you.

Wednesday01 profile image
Wednesday01 in reply to helvella

Hi Rod, I am in the UK. How would I purchase 'Hemming' and where from and also do I need a prescription. I have always used eltroxin, but Goldshield have stopped producing and have been givn an alternative by Mercury Pharmacy, Levothyroixine. I feel terrible!!!!

Kerrycat7 profile image
Kerrycat7 in reply to helvella

Hi Rod, I am also looking to get Tirosint, can you message me with any info on this for UK?

Thank you :)

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Kerrycat7

The only way of getting Tirosint within the UK would be for one of the handful of specials importers to supply a standard pharmacy with it. I suspect that the cost would be enormous.

Even where it is regularly available, it is expensive.

foxonthetrot1 profile image
foxonthetrot1 in reply to helvella

Hi please can you tell me where I can buy these lactose free Levo? I am struggling on Teva and was previously doing well on Henning. thankyou

in reply to foxonthetrot1

This is an old thread, you'd be better off starting a new one.

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac

I thought someone on here (Shaws maybe?) had posted that all medicine in UK was gluten free?

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to infomaniac

They are. But Henning and Aliud are German products so might not be.

MidnightBlue profile image
MidnightBlue

Even in England, It may not contain gluten in the ingredients, but could be contaminated.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to MidnightBlue

That could of course happen, but as it seems to be UK policy that all medicines should be gluten free, and detected gluten should be treated as a breach of licence terms with recalls, etc., as appropriate.

Rod

MidnightBlue profile image
MidnightBlue in reply to helvella

I am really interested to know more about this policy. Where did you find out about it Rod? I have questioned GPs, pharmacists and drug companies about if certain medicines are gluten free, and none of them have ever said all medicine has to be gluten free. They go away and look in to the specific medicine I am asking about ( or they read the ingredients list, looking for the word 'gluten' until I say it won't be listed as gluten, but starch etc). When you say 'detected gluten' do you mean that medicine in the uk is tested to see if it is gluten free?

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to MidnightBlue

I do not know where the ultimate responsibility lies for any such policy - but my first clear link is this:

coeliac.org.uk/coeliac-dise...

If Coeliac UK are confident to have that on their website, and it has been there for quite some time, I feel pretty confident it is true.

If you are interested in going further, the relationship to Product Licence rather indicates the MHRA as being involved - you could ask them. If it is part of the PL requirements then they would seem to be the organisation which would investigate any gluten suspicions - including testing. But the pharmaceutical companies obviously have a duty to abide by PL terms so I would expect them to test or at least have an audit trail of ingredients.

I have given up expecting pharmacists and doctors to know much about medicines. Of course lots do know a lot, but it has been proved time and again that too many do not know enough.

Rod

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