levothyroxine solution....anyone been on it?

[mandy72]

just off the phone with dr and hes agreed to put me on levothyroxine solution 100mcg 5ml

4ml daily

fingers crossed this works as tried everything else and after a while it makes me ill

[Glynisrose]

Have to say that I took it but got fed up of the shelf life being only 3 weeks!

[mandy72 in reply to Glynisrose]

3 weeks thats can be a bit of a pain in the backside but thats usueful as i can date it with a marker pen,

how did you find it?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to mandy72]

The Patient Information Leaflet says:

Dispose of any remaining medicine 8 weeks after opening.

[shaws Administrator]

I hope it works as well. They cannot leave you suffering with awful symptoms.

[mandy72 in reply to shaws]

i hope so too

it will be a shock to my system if it works as been unwell for so long its just part of everyday life now

[Glynisrose]

Personally I was better on the solution than the tablets (no fillers) but as I said got so fed up of the round every 3 weeks!

[mandy72 in reply to Glynisrose]

i can manage 3 weeks, i normally put in my repeats after a couple of weeks and collect when i need them (i have 5 on repeat at the moment)

may even set alarm on phone to remind me a week before the date so i can be sure not to get caught out

i never did well on levo and within a week of starting i was so unwell i honestly thought it was going to kill me and was at the drs 3 times a week complaining (thats how they got me as a hypochondriac)

[mandy72 in reply to Glynisrose]

mine has an 8 week life and tastes like concentrated sugar

[Glynisrose in reply to mandy72]

I was on sugar free.

[mandy72 in reply to Glynisrose]

my prescription states sugar free but it dont say sugar free on the box or bottle

[Glynisrose in reply to mandy72]

Then ask the pharmacist. Iff it isn't sugar free get it corrrected there and then.

[mandy72 in reply to Glynisrose]

they had to order it in, i order my prescriptions online and they go straight through to pharmacy, i guess next time i put it in i can call and ask them to make sure its sugar free

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to mandy72]

What does it say on the Patient Information Leaflet?

What is the precise name and Product Licence number (P/L)?

Then we will be sure we understand what product you have.

[mandy72 in reply to helvella]

its a red and white box with 100mcg in a blue circle

mercury pharma bottom corner

levothyroxine 100mcg per 5ml oral solution levothyroxine sodium

each 5 ml contains the equivalent to 100mcg

it also contains the following inactive ingredients

glycerol, citric acid monohydrate, sodium methyl parahydoxybenzoate (E219) sodium hydroxide and purified water

P/L127620462 31028984.02

nothing much in the leaflet except it says ' if you take more eltroxin oral solution than you should'

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to mandy72]

Current product documentation:

medicines.org.uk/emc/medici...

medicines.org.uk/emc/PIL.26...

That would likely be classified as sugar-free - it contains no sucrose, glucose, lactose, fructose, maltose, etc.

Glycerol is a sugar alcohol - not a sugar. Wiki says:

Glycerol /ˈɡlɪsərɒl/[4] (also called glycerine or glycerin; see spelling differences) is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol

Sugar alcohols (also called polyhydric alcohols, polyalcohols, alditols or glycitols) are organic compounds, typically derived from sugars, that comprise a class of polyols. Contrary to what the name may suggest, a sugar alcohol is neither a sugar nor an alcoholic beverage. They are white, water-soluble solids that can occur naturally or be produced industrially from sugars. They are used widely in the food industry as thickeners and sweeteners. In commercial foodstuffs, sugar alcohols are commonly used in place of table sugar (sucrose), often in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar...

[mandy72 in reply to helvella]

thanks for that

id hate to taste the sugar version

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to mandy72]

I don't think that there is a sugar version. At least, not in the UK that I know of.

[Glynisrose]

Rubbish they are supposed to give you whats on you prescription or ask you if you want an alternative. Your pharmacy is rubbish and you should go to another try Lloyds.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Glynisrose]

Why?

They have dispensed exactly what was prescribed, so far as I can see.

[Glynisrose]

No the prescription clearly states sugar free and the gave out sugared.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Glynisrose]

Glynisrose, as Helvella wrote above, Glycerol is a sugar alcohol - not a sugar. So the pharmacist did dispense the correct product.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to RedApple]

Glynisrose,

Why do you say it is "sugared"?

Which ingredient is sugar?

I have even quoted a description of sugar alcohols to make it clear that the distinction between a sugar alcohol and a sugar (whether a simple sugar or a compound sugar) is very well defined.

[Glynisrose]

I would still query it. Sugar free means NO sugar whatsoever. I had the sugar variety but soon wannted sugar free as it was over sweet. All I can say is keep trying!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Glynisrose]

There is NO SUGAR in the liquid levothyroxine products.

There is NO OTHER liquid levothyroxine in the UK that does not have glycerol.

Glycerol is NOT sugar. For what might now appear historical reasons, it and similar compounds were assigned the group name "sugar alcohol". Doesn't mean it is, nor that it contains, sugar.