Wockhardt (the devils spawn)

[JillOliver]

Hi,

I think there are a few older posts about this make of the 25mcg levo, but just wanted to know if anyone more recently has had problems with this brand of levo? I've tried this brand twice now, two seperate occasions and the first time, I felt achy, lethargic, unwell etc after about a week of being on it and I tend to respond reasonably well to levo in general, anyway at the time, about 3 to 4 months ago, I did a stock take of the supps I was taking, food I was eating, as I thought that migjht be the issue and then it dawned on me, the new brand of levo I had collected from chemist...I stopped taking them immediately, chopped a 50mcg pill in half to get my 25 mcg part of my dose, albeit a rough 25 mcg dose with the chopping and I felt ok'ish again after about a week and continued to feel rather good. Had a month or so, of a different brand again of of the 25's and again felt ok. Then 31st Jan collects my thyroid meds from the chemist and great! I have Wockhardt again... anyway, I thought I would give them the benefit of the doubt and try taking them again, having convinced myself that maybe I imagined all the achy pains etc before. Anyway, after a week, I started to get real bad aches and pains, felt absolutely shattered and all this culminated in me getting a severe pain in my right calf, it just slowly bult up over a week, so no sudden trauma etc, just started with gurgly calves and then the right one decided to go boom and now I can hardly walk! This came to a head on Sat morning and since, I've been in agony! So, back to my original question, who else, recently has had or has issues with this brand of levo...? Or is it just my imagination... O_O

[Joeyis7]

I was ill on Wockhardt. I can only take Actavis. To get 25 dose, I used to cut a 50 in half. Brands of levothyroxine really, really matter. Mercury Pharma nearly killed me. I now buy Hennings from Germany, but I am slowly going over to Nature Throid.

Poor you! It's not your imagination!

Joeyis7

[JillOliver in reply to Joeyis7]

Thanks Joey! Its a bloomin (can think of a much stronger word) lottery!!

We rely on the pharmacutical company's to get it right, what a joke!

[galathea in reply to JillOliver]

Fill in a yellow card if you have problems with a brand. Enough yellow cards will prompt an investigation. Though IMO one complaint should be enough for an investigation. yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

[nightingale-56 in reply to galathea]

Here we go again. Nothing got done over a year ago when many people complained about Mercury Pharma and Wockhardt and enough of us sent in yellow cards then.

[galathea in reply to nightingale-56]

Well, its the only system we have so we have to keep plugging away at it.

[helvella in reply to galathea]

I completely agree with you galathea.

We do not know what the impact has been of yellow card reports but if every member of this group who has had poor experiences filled one in, the MHRA would notice. In years to come, at some public inquiry, "And when you saw ten times as many yellow cards for levothyroxine as any other product, did you do anything?" could be a tough question for people to face.

Let us NOT forget that the Teva sub-potency issue was noticed because of yellow cards.

Not filling in yellow cards allows it all to be ignored in perpetuity.

[JillOliver]

Ah, thanks galathea! Will do!

[nightingale-56]

Just gone back to Hennings the past 2 days as could not tolerate the awful plastic taste from the liquid Levo (teva). Why does all the Levo in the UK have such terrible side-effects! Have to say that apart from what it is doing to my skin the Liquid Levo has been good for not having aches and pains as bad as Mercury or Wockhardt (both these are made by the same manufacturer). Tried to go on Thyroid-S but this put my BP up too much, so will have to have another think.

[Clutter]

Jill, Wockhardt has less fillers than Mercury Pharma and Actavis so suits some people better than others. However, people do react adversely to some brands and you've certainly given it the benefit of the doubt. You can tell your pharmacist that you won't accept Wockhardt and ask for an alternative 25mcg (I think MP may do one) to see whether that suits. If not, ask your GP to prescribe 50mcg doses which you can halve.

[donni in reply to Clutter]

I am now taking wockhardt doing ok on it. couldnt tolerate mercury pharma or henning became very ill on henning. how i wish eltroxin was back did fantastic on it

donni

[JillOliver in reply to donni]

Not sure I've ever had henning, deffo had pharma before though and I'm sure I've been ok. Well, I think.....

[JillOliver in reply to Clutter]

Thanks clutter, I am deffo not going to accept these any longer and will tell my pharmacist that too. The bag is always sealed so I shall have to just open it and politely ask for more 50's or an alternative for the 25's

[Clutter in reply to JillOliver]

Jill, pharmacist may have to order in alternative 25mcg and won't be able to swap half the quantity of 50mcg for 25mcg so sort it out ahead.

[Zephyrbear]

I'm afraid I am completely on the other side of the fence... I can ONLY take the Wockhardt brand as all the others make me itch so much I end up scratching myself raw! But you can refuse certain brands if you know they are likely to cause you problems. I get my medicines from the pharmacy at my GPs surgery and they have made a note on my prescription now to supply only Wockhardt. Have a word with your pharmacist, they are pretty accommodating people most of the time, especially when there's a good reason for your request.

[Sara_Jane]

I am doing some research in 2017 and saw this thread. I take 125mcg everyday after having my thyroid removed. I have been on Mercury Pharma since 2013. But 7 months ago my pharmacist stopped stocking 25mcg in MP and gave me Wockhardt. I didn't think much of it and took it for 6 months. After 6 weeks I went to my endocrinologist complaining of feeling completely off balance and super itchy all over. My levels were all over the place. He told me I was the 4th patient of his complaining of feeling like this. In addition to this, my hair was dropping out! I had never experienced this on MP. I traced back my symptoms to when I adjusted to Wockhardt. I informed my doctors. So now they write on my perscription (ONLY Mercury Pharma brand). I also found a local pharmacist who stocks MP in 100mcg & 25mcg - I literally got the phone book out and called around 20 local pharmacists to see if they stocked it. The pharmacist I now go to knows I can only take MP, so I give him my prescription a couple weeks before my supply is about to run out so he can call his supplier and ensure he has MP in stock. I hope they NEVER stop making MP levothyroxine. My life literally depends on it :(. I have learnt that I have to manage my own health. It seems pharmacists don't generally care/are not aware about how brand changes can affect the patient unless we call it out to them. It is very frustrating, but I am so glad I have found a solution. I am hoping my body settles now I am back on MP 125mcg

[helvella in reply to Sara_Jane]

You may not be aware that Teva also produce a 25 microgram tablet. Has been available since about October 2016 as "New formulation".

[Sara_Jane in reply to helvella]

New Formulation - is it easier to adjust too?? I am too scared to change brands again..... :/

[helvella in reply to Sara_Jane]

That is impossible to answer!

Everyone is different. Makes it very difficult to make even a guess unless you can identify a specific issue (for example, Teva and Mercury Pharma both contain acacia, Teva is lactose-free, so if you knew you were sensitive to acacia or lactose, you might choose to avoid one or both).

I just wanted to let you know that even if you couldn't get Mercury Pharma's product, you'd still have a possibility.

Maybe ask for ONE pack of Teva sometime and see how it goes - with the option to immediately revert if anything doesn't seem right?

[JillOliver]

Hi all,

My pharmacist was happy to record against my records to not give me Wockhardt and she was more than accommodating in getting me a source of levo I knew I got on with.

Now, onto the 'new formula ' Teva branded levo... I had an even worse reaction to Teva than I did on the Wockhardt! Horrific aches and pains in places I didn't even know existed, headaches, aching around my back by kidneys. I kept thinking I had the flu coming, but nothing. Then last Sat I had a lightbulb moment and did a bit of research and told my pharmacist I wanted to swap what I had left of the Teva for another brand and again she was very obliging and did so there and then and sure enough, after only a few days on Activis/MP combo I am back to me again! She has made a note against my name to not give me the Teva brand levo now too.

Jill

[Ellishq in reply to JillOliver]

Exact same thing happened to me !

[Crazydave]

I had the same trouble with both Teva and Wockhardt.. Stiffness and pain mostly in calves and feet it was debilitating. I now only have Mercury and are better on those.. I asked my doctor to put Mercury only on your prescription because Pharmacies would tell me they were unable to get Mercury and that Teva or Wockhardt were just as good but they lie.. They are cheaper to buy but not as good for the user.. Always check your prescription before you leave chemist as they won't take them back once you leave with them.

[JillOliver in reply to Crazydave]

Hi Crazydave, my pharmacist is actually very good and will take them back, however they advised me to ask my doc to specify a brand of levo that I know I get on with and now when I do a repeat prescription I know what I am picking up 👍🏼