If I were to ask my doctor to prescribe NDT on the NHS which is the best one to try first and would I have a choice?

Allergy symptoms became so severe that I did not take my thyroxine yesterday morning. Throat was closing up and could hardly breathe. Voice box was making involuntary sounds severe coughing fits hurting ribs and causing me to wet myself. Gradually as day wore on these symptoms eased but still have this morning streaming eyes and sneezing. Had attack of leg cramps this morning and have not taken thyroxine again. I am now afraid to put synthetic thyroxine in my body and view it as poison.

My question is as title, seriously considering asking doctor to prescribe NDT when I phone tomorrow morning.

[TupennyRush]

Try for an NHS prescription but my endo has told me that he cannot prescribe ndt when he works for the NHS and could only prescribe it for me because I was seeing him privately

If you GP won't do it as an NHS prescription ask if s/he will do it as a private prescription. S/he may want sign off from an endo but my NHS GP now gives me private prescriptions for ndt

Best brand? Looks like it's very much personal bio chemistry but I take naturethroid and I'd recommend it. However it's the first one I tried so u don't have comparison data

There is also hypo allergenic levo BTW as the probability is that you're reacting to the fillers in the pills and not the active constituent

Good luck

[Hidden in reply to TupennyRush]

Hi Tuppeny rush, thanks for you reply. No I didn't know there was a hypoallergenic Levo, is that the liquid form or is it also in tablets..?

[TupennyRush in reply to Hidden]

Not sure as don't take it just aware of the existence of it. I think it's tablets just without the allergenic fillers.

Good luck

[Jazzw in reply to TupennyRush]

Private prescriptions are expensive though, aren't they? How much do you pay?

It may work out a lot cheaper to buy your own NDT from abroad. Some GPs will agree to monitor you on self-sourced medication.

[TupennyRush in reply to Jazzw]

I pay about 100 quid for 200 1 grain naturethroid. I take 2 grains per day.

From some of the posts about alternative brands available without prescription they seem to be less strong than the prescription brands and you end up taking more pills but it's probably worth doing a comparison

[helvella in reply to TupennyRush]

In all my time reading about thyroid, I have NEVER come across a hypoallergenic levothyroxine tablet.

[TupennyRush in reply to helvella]

I only know about it because of the thyroid UK survey which asked if people were prescribed it.

The survey results are available on the thyroid UK website but I don't think that the name of the medication is mentioned.

From memory of the survey (on my phone not a pc so can't look it up at the mo) not many people were on this form of thyroxine and many doctors didn't know of it

Sorry I can't be of any more help

[TupennyRush in reply to TupennyRush]

Just had a look at the survey - I'd misremembered. The Levo is lactose free not hypo allergenic. Apologies for being misleading I'd thought that 'special order levo' was anti allergens rather than just being lactose free

[helvella in reply to TupennyRush]

The special order levothyroxine a few people get is not in tablet form but capsule. It usually has a single substance as a diluent/bulking agent. It might well be in reality a low allergenicity approach.

The product Tirosint, a gel cap, is possibly the least problematic ready-made levothyroxine product.

[Hidden]

I found some info on it on the web the article is headed 'compounded thyroxine and tetroxin for people unable to tolerate the fillers in Levothyroxine'. It refers to lactose intolerance but also describes it as hypoallergenic Levothyroxine. Sourced by Martindales Pharma and only two chemists issue, Tescos and Lloyds.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Saw my doctor this morning and showed him the article re the hypoallergenic Levo and he says he will look into it for me. In the meantime he gave me a script for a different brand but have been to three chemists this morning and all three only did mercury Pharma and Activis. He also let me have 125 mcg every day rather than just the extra 25 every other day. he said my bloods were 2.4 but I forgot to get the print off, so that was something. I am exhausted and breathless now home and will have to go further tomorrow to try and get different brand. Have restarted on the 25mcg Wockhardt for the time being taking three. I also got some omeprazole cos my heartburn has been pretty bad just lately. Can some one remind me how far apart I need to take omeprazole from thyroxine?

[RedApple in reply to Hidden]

HypoT2years, what 'different brand' of levothyroxine has your GP put on your prescription? Usual tablet brands stocked by UK pharmacies are Wockhardt (25mcg only), MercuryPharma and Actavis. There are no other UK brands of tablets, so anything else will either be liquid thyroxine, or special import.

[Hidden in reply to RedApple]

He didn't put special order just wrote another script for me to get a different brand in case I am reacting to Activis in the same way I did to mercury Pharma. I think you are right that Wockhardt is the only one left which I already have 25mcg in.

In the meantime he is looking into the hypoallergenic Levo and having spoke to the pharmacist today that will have to be a special order if he can source it and written in a specific way or they will not accept it.

[RedApple in reply to Hidden]

When I tried to find a brand of levo that I could tolerate, a local independent pharmacy (i.e. not a chain or supermarket one), used to take my standard levo prescription and fill it with the German brand Aliud for me. It only took a couple of days for the pharmacist to get it in for me, as they ordered it through their usual supplier.

It might be worth having a chat with an independent pharmacist if you can find one, and see if they can help.

Details of two European brands that can be obtained are on the main Thyroid UK website here. Look for European Lactose Free

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

[RedApple in reply to RedApple]

Alternatively, if you are able to tolerate Wockhardt, then that might be the best solution. Your GP just needs to write the prescription in multiples of 25mcg tablets for you (and it will be up to you to ensure that the pharmacy doesn't try to substitute MercuryPharma instead). We have had other members over the years that have only tolerated Wockhardt tablets.

[Hidden in reply to RedApple]

Hi Red apple, thanks for info and advice.