Actavis / Mercury Pharma

[JacquelineH]

Have to say a big thank you! Pharmacy just changed my Thyroxin from Actavis to Mercury Pharma. I took it for 3 days and every day I was having headaches, dizziness, itchy skin, generally feeling tired and yuk! I googled Mercury Pharma and your site came up with many fellow sufferers having similar side effects. So I rang my pharmacist and explained. He told me to call in and exchange them no quibble. If I hadn't googled it I might never had known! Thankyou!

[Clutter]

JacquelineH,

I'm fine on Actavis and Wockhardt but didn't do well on Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine.

Make sure you check your brand before you leave the pharmacy as some are unwilling to exchange once you've left the pharmacy with it.

[beanyjeany in reply to Clutter]

I cannot tolerate Actavis or Wockhardt, but feel fine on Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine. My local pharmacy now keeps a supply in stock for me. Strange that different brands have different effects on our bodies, when you would think they should be the same!!

[Clutter in reply to beanyjeany]

Beanyjeany,

Different brand have different fillers which affect how we absorb and metabolise the thyroxine.

[Amandasmyth20 in reply to Clutter]

I was about to post the same thing ...only started mercury pharma ( due to an increase of 25mcg ) with my actavis 6 weeks ago and within a week of taking the mercury pharma I have developed back bad asthma attacks which have been controlled for over 5 years with no attacks AT ALL!

As you can imagine initially I was wondering what had triggered this and hadn't even thought of the new medication or connected them and fortunately was reading Kenneth Blanchard book .. functional approach to hypothyroidism . There is a very important paragraph in it titled "allergies to thyroid pills " and in it he mentions the fillers and dyes that some people struggle with .

With that I looked at the two patients leaflets and the difference was sodium citrate and interestingly acacia in the mercury pharma. He said that some people have intermittent asthma and nasal congestion ( also had developed that too ! ) and this can be caused due to allergic reactions ....LIGHTBULB moment ! I then looked up acacia and the side effects are respiratory problems.

Immediately went to GP pharmacy, explained that I believed there was a connection and then was reissued a new prescription to take to boots , where I requested the wockhart , which I had looked up on your informative website thyroid Uk as having no acacia. Was told " oh yes have had another lady complain of similar side effects with mercury but the wockhart does have acacia.. , they are in different boxes but made the same by same manufacturer! " ...yet another battle .. and spent 5 minutes fighting my corner , explaining I had researched it and it definitely does not ...I even then rang wockhart to confirm , which they did with a call back later .

The assistant ( not even the pharmacist! ) who was very contrary because I insisted that the website was correct , finally agreed to order it in for me . They even told me to buy a pill cutter and cut my actavis 50 in half ! Seems ridiculous that I had to tell them what was in it , and they would not look it up or phone the manufacturer.

I also then filled out the yellow card form online as feel it's so important to let them know of my side effects .. both the GP pharmacy and Boots Pharmacist did not offer to do so on my behalf which apparently they should do if side effects are bought to their attention. Have stopped it now for a week , and attacks have lessened slightly thank goodness , but unfortunately I think it will take a while to get back to zero as my lungs have been aggravated for 5 weeks ,and as any asthma sufferer will tell you , its a big step backwards in your health , but I am convinced that was the trigger .

All I can say is , a big thank you to this forum , and to thyroid uk as amongst fabulous information..it has taught me that you need to fight your corner and question your treatment if you are not happy .

I feel privileged to be apart of this community

[Clutter in reply to Amandasmyth20]

Amandasmyth20,

I'm glad you've sorted it out and hope your breathing is back to normal soon.

[Gcart]

Can you pm me . Wher you live and Chemists name. Is it lloyds or boots. I only have those in my village but hoping that a trial of another brand will help with similar problems to yourself x