Liothyronine make changed

[debs]

Hi all, I have been taking Liothyronine prescribed on NHS for a few months now and have been feeling well. My last prescription that I collected was a different make and within a couple of days I have been having severe headaches that I have had to stop taking them altogether. Any advice is very much appreciated.

[Clutter]

Debs,

What have you been supplied?

Mercury Pharma Liothyronine is the only generic licensed for use in the UK. Mine is usually supplied in white tubs but is occasionally supplied in a small brown bottle.

[debs in reply to Clutter]

Clutter,

Thanks for your reply.

It is in a plain brown bottle from the pharmacy will no information as to where it is from. My old supply was from Mercury Pharma and the tablets were smaller from there.

My pharmacist told me that they were from a different supplier.

Debs x

[Clutter in reply to debs]

Debs,

Ask your pharmacist who the manufacturer is, what the batch no. is, and what the expiry date is.

[debs]

Clutter,

Can I ask my pharmacist to change them?

Debs

[debs]

Clutter,

The manufacturer is Thame and my pharmacist says I shouldn't feel any different to taking the Mercury Pharma Liothyronine.

Debs x

[Clutter]

Debs,

I can't find anything which confirms Thame Labs produces or supplies Liothyronine. Ask your pharmacist for the batch no. and Product Information Leaflet of the Thame T3 so you can make a yellow card adverse reaction report. yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

Tell your pharmacist that patients do have adverse reactions to different brands and you DO feel different, ie very unwell, and ask for the Thame T3 to be replaced by Mercury Pharma Liothyronine.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Clutter]

Unless there is a specific reason, I am very surprised to see this. Thame Laboratories produce "Specials" and for the pharmacy to have supplied this instead of Mercury Pharma's product is odd.

I wonder of the cost of a special is sufficiently lower to make it worth their while doing this. However, I also wonder if any lower price will appear as a saving to the NHS.

debs,

Please fill in a Yellow Card report, if you are up to doing so:

yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

[debs in reply to helvella]

Helvella,

Thanks for your reply.

My pharmacist said that he couldn't get Mercury Pharma.

He also said that he is very surprised that I am experiencing headaches as the tablet is the same.

Debs

[helvella Administrator in reply to debs]

We have recently seen claims that all the issues with MercuryPharma liothyronine are over!! Ha, ha.

He can be as surprised as he likes. If you are, you are. He can only say that the name of the active ingredient is the same. He cannot say that it is exactly the same. It might have been produced in a different factory, with different impurities.

We have had numerous shortages of liothyronine - yet no-one else has recently reported any problems! Odd.

[helvella Administrator in reply to helvella]

Expiry dates on specials are often 28 days from manufacture. Given that the patient will not receive the product for a few days at best, it could be impossible to use them before they officially expire.

[debs]

Clutter,

Thanks for your help.

Debs