I thought I was winning with purified thyroxine, but...

[Tiredofthis77]

Hi all,

I spent a good few years fighting for Martindale's purified thyroxine because I couldn't tolerate normal thyroxine. Before I got the Martindale's product I was on the liquid from of thyroxine - Evotrox - and it worked brilliantly for me - until it was recalled and no alternative (even Eltroxin) worked for me after that.

After a long, hard fight I was lucky (or so I thought I was) to get an NHS prescription for the compounded product (with calcium phosphate). I didn't feel entirely well on it but it beat the side effects I was used to (sore, windy and bloated stomach, dodgy bowels, sweating, palpitations, dry skin etc).

So i felt a bit better for a year, until last November when the dodgy side effects returned. And since then I've been taking them on/off to try to cope. This has been pretty unsuccessful so last month I grew a pair (I haven't had very good experiences with the doctor) and made an appointment.

She couldn't have been nicer and got in touch with the Endo and, within two weeks, I was on another Martindale product with a different filler (microcrystalline cellulose). Low and behold, the same thing has happened again so I'm completely off it.

A few years ago I was checked out because I was having bad side effects whereby I was diagnosed with diverticulitis - an unusual illness for a 35 year old I was told.

Now I'm beginning to think, with the severe side effects, the medication (or fillers) is aggravating my diverticulitis or making it worse.

So, now, I'm with no medication awaiting a doctor's appointment and have no idea where to go from here.... Has anyone had any luck with the TEVA liquid?

Thanks,

Tired.

[shaws Administrator]

I would ask if you can have a trial of T3 only. This might be more helpful to you as you've already gone the full gamut of levothyroxine.

Some people have a faulty gene which means that the person cannot convert T4 into T3 and this is the link which is self-explanatory:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

I haven't had the test myself but am now on T3 only as I was so unwell on levo and am very fortunate that it suits me and feel fine.

Lots of doctors and endos seems to believe scare stories about liothyronine (T3) but I wonder if it is promulgated by the pharmaceutical companies so that levo keeps rolling in the profits for them.

I do know however that if patients are doing well on levothyroxine, they wont be on sites like this, they will be getting on with their life and feel fine.

[Tiredofthis77 in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws,

I tried T3 a few years ago when Dr S was around and it just gave me hellish palpitations so I backed off. Perhaps it is worth going trying again

Tired

[shaws Administrator in reply to Tiredofthis77]

Just begin with a low dose. It was levo that gave me palps and T3 calmed everything down. Sometimes it is the fillers/binders which affect us so it might well be worth trying again. The only other thing which they could prescribe on a 'named patient' basis is either Nature-throid or WP thyroid both hypoallergenic NDTs.

[Tiredofthis77 in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws.

Have you heard of anyone being ill on Martindale's products? I was convinced I had found the answer....

[shaws Administrator in reply to Tiredofthis77]

I haven't personally but I have heard that thousands are o.k. on levo and that, for me, is another mystery.

[Tiredofthis77 in reply to shaws]

I was also considering Tirosint, but not sure if I want to go down the route of spending £100 a month...

[shaws Administrator]

Two links for info:-

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[shaws Administrator]

I have just 'searched' and found this past post..... interesting.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.......

[Tiredofthis77 in reply to shaws]

Thank you

[nightingale-56]

The Teva Liquid was awful for me and the Mercury Pharma Liquid even worse. The best Levo for me so far has been Aliud (self-funded) and I have recently added T3 (also self-funded) as NHS would not supply. I have not been well on any NHS Levo since Goldshield Eltroxin went off the market about 5 years ago.