... that Eltroxin seems to be available again as a branded product. Has anyone tried it, and is it the same as the old Eltroxin, (circa 2012) or is it merely the same as the Amco/Mercury Pharma generic Levothyroxine Sodium? Is it the same price?
Eltroxin suited me and I took it for years, but I have had loads of problems with the Amco/Mercury Pharma generic that is supposed to be the same.
Dare I get my hopes up that proper Eltroxin is back and I might get my life back?
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sassicat
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Sassycat I was told by local CCG that Eltroxin was coming back on the market, but have thrown questions back at them regarding the symptoms that it caused. Like you, I wonder if it is the same as the old Goldshield Eltroxin, or is the same as Mercury Pharma Generic Levothyroxine that also caused me awful symptoms. Although I stopped taking this in 2013 after having been talked into having MP Levo since 2010 (more fool me) by the Chief Pharmacist, I and my son are still having side effects of this and I am now wondering if they are permanent. We were both fine on the Goldshield Eltroxin. However,both types are made by Custom Pharmaceuticals and only marketed by AMCo, or originally by Goldshield. My son and I were both on Goldshield Eltroxin for at least 5 years prior to them being (supposedly) taken over by AMCo.
Looking through news archives, Goldshield was sold/bought out in 2009, and I started having issues with Eltroxin 25mcg in 2012 - that would have been manufactured in 2010. The following year the 50mcg strength changed. Strangely the 100 mcg strength was fine until Eltroxin was discontinued. Before these changes/problems I had taken Eltroxin (25 & 50 mcg) for 14 years with no problems.
Until recently I found the 100 mcg MP levo was much better than the 25/50 mcg MP levo. I have just started a new batch of 100 mcg MP levo and am having awful allergy problems with it, which is what was I experienced with the 25/50 mcg MP levo. My suspicion has always been that changes have been gradually made to reduce costs, and they are now using an inferior form of thyroxine. There have been further changes to the management/ownership of MP/Amco since 2009 I understand.
The people who own(ed) MP have been implicated in the price fixing of generics this summer, which gives an idea how much they care about patients. It would appear to be all about profit.
E.g. The price of liothyronine (also made by MP/Amco) has gone from 67p per tablet to £9.22 per tablet (it is now costing me £200.00 a month for T3 on a private script).
Another thing to consider is that the is tolerances within the specification of the product licence are quite wide. I contacted the MHRA about this. Apparently the tolerance for the active ingredient in levothyroxine sodium, can vary by up to 25% (between 85% to 110%) and still be within the tolerances of what is acceptable.
Hi sassicat my son and I were changed from Goldshield Eltroxin to Mercury Pharma Generic Levothyroxine in May 2010 by a new Doctor at my previous surgery. As I am in talks presently with our local CCG regarding my Thyroid medication I shall be sending all this information, so thank you for telling me all this. I had seen all the media articles regarding AMCo, who have now been bought out by Concordia. I have also been in touch with Concordia as well as AMCo originally, but of course, they do not want to know.
I have also considered that they are using an inferior form of Thyroxine and this has been discussed before in about 2012, when,it seemed a lot of people began suffering. By then,my son and I have been suffering for 2 years and only stuck it out for another year. We then tried Wockhardt and Actavis (which I had tried before and suffered stomach pains with) which were both much weaker and did not solve the problem. I have to say I do not think that 25% tolerance is acceptable.
I will PM you re T3.
I think it is MHRA that need to find a solution for us as Thyroid medication seems to be going backwards and ruining lives at the moment.
Before I forget, I am taking Aliud, as it is the best I have found, but is not as good as the old Goldshield Eltroxin.
Edit: I see from another post of yours that you seem to have trodden about the same path as me regarding medication for Thyroid. Saving pennies for NHS has certainly cost some of us with quality of life (possibly quantity as well).
It would be wonderful to have the original Goldshield Eltroxin formulation available again!! I'm on the MP brand which most definitely ISN'T the same!!
Amongst other autoimmune disease's I have, I also have Hashi's & *really* struggle with taking Levo. The only one I've ever got on with is Eltroxin.
As I understand it, liquid Eltroxin has always remained available but only on private prescription due to its high cost. I've tried the normal MP liquid levo but it's worse than the tablets including having MORE fillers in it due to its short shelf life.
It's a shame that Dr's don't have the time to give/listen to their patients or that they continue to refuse to prescribe Armour as I'm sure that there are many other patients like myself who ultimately end up costing the NHS several times more!?!
I know how you feel - I only ever got on with Goldshield Eltroxin too, and sadly I'm really allergic to NDT :'-(
I now see a private GP in London who specialises in thyroid issues and he has lots of patients who were fine on Eltroxin but not not the MP/Amco generic. Most of them are doing well on natural thyroid, but sadly it's not an option for me.
I've checked and the new Eltroxin product licence is the same as the MP generic levothyroxine (yuk), but then that's also the same product licence as the original Goldshield Eltroxin. Somebody somewhere must know what they've done with it, but I doubt we will ever know.
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Mercury Pharma Eltroxin
AMCo
Eltroxin weight gain and pain in ligaments 
Mercury Phama not making Eltroxin and cannot say when they will.
