Teva Thyroxine - Feeling unwell: Has anyone else... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

140,947 members166,079 posts

Teva Thyroxine - Feeling unwell

JENSANDS profile image
18 Replies

Has anyone else felt bad from taking teva?, I take 200mcg a day and after three weeks on Teva I have requested a new prescription and shopped around chemist's for a brand I have taken before.

Symptoms included a stonking headache within a couple of hours of taking the tablets

Cold, cold cold! (suffer from raynauds that seemed to be worse during these weeks)

Tired, lethargic

Weight gain

Puffy face

My joints feel weak like I would snap my wrist by gripping too tight

I am only in my 30's and have been on thyroxine for around 10 years after radio-Iodene treatment for graves disease. Pretty good at managing my own dose but defo something wrong with Teva tablets

Written by
JENSANDS profile image
JENSANDS
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
18 Replies
RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

JENSANDS, When you requested a new prescription, did your GP offer a thyroid blood test to check your levels?

It may be that the potency of the Teva tablets is different for some individuals. Before changing back to your preferred brand of tablets, a blood test could help to shed light on the situation.

JENSANDS profile image
JENSANDS in reply toRedApple

Hi

I am booked in next week for my regular test but I felt so bad that I could no longer take them, within a couple of weeks taking my regular brand I felt much better, my mood swings were horrific so I could't put my family through it any longer

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toJENSANDS

I completely understand you not taking them any more. Shame you couldn't get the blood test done sooner though, as by next week any effect of the Teva tablets on blood levels will have been masked by the change back to old brand.

Instead of only issuing a new script, your GP really should have also tested your levels to see what was happening whilst on Teva. The reality of course is that NHS surgeries are not set up for immediate testing in such circumstances.

If you haven't already done so, please submit a Yellow Card for the Teva brand. The more people do this, the more chance there is of getting the problem sorted. yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7 in reply toRedApple

Was just about to make the same. Omment as RedApple. Different brands can change considerably that is why I always say to stick to the same brand. The tablets are made withine 5% of the dose, at o e time it was as wide as 10%, so if you are taking one produced at the top end and drop to one at the bottom then that is a considerable change and would in a lot of us be noticeable. I also found that when taking MP then 1x 100 was not the same as 4x 25!

Clutter profile image
Clutter

JENSANDS,

Several members have complained of feeling unwell after being switched to Teva. Please report your symptoms via yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ It is a pity that Teva doesn't seem to be well tolerated as it is the only lactose-free make in the UK.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toClutter

It's difficult to know the reality of this though. We tend to see mostly the people who have problems. There could be many thousands 'out there' who are doing just fine on Teva.

JENSANDS profile image
JENSANDS

I understand people may tolerate the tablet much better than I did, but I am interested in the symptoms people experienced whilst taking it, the last time I felt so ill was way back when I was increasing the dose steadily after treatment

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Suggest you print this article out & give it to GP & Pharmacist

Read & highlight the last three paragraphs especially

endocrine.org/-/media/endos...

There seems to be a particular problem with Teva

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toSlowDragon

SlowDragon, Unfortunately, neither GPs nor pharmacists in the UK are likely to take much notice of an American based article.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toRedApple

Endocrine.org may be based in America, but it appears to be an international society with conferences all around the world including the UK.

This article would probably look official enough when shown to a GP to get your point across about the, not unreasonable, request to remain on an unchanging brand of Levo.

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toSlowDragon

I’m aware this post is a few years old but I’ve been trying, for a long time, to convince my gp to request the same brand of levothyroxine for me but he says one brand of levo is the same as another and my symptoms aren’t to do with medication. This article is very interesting and at last I have something to show him. Thank you very much for posting.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toMickeydooley

UK based article here (I post this one a lot! )

academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).

In relation to mannitol in Teva

This article

bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k71...

Lactose and mannitol provide different nutrients to gut flora.

And if you really want to bore GP this hefty article

academic.oup.com/edrv/artic...

Just below table 1

There is, however, general consensus that switching between different tablet T4 preparations should be avoided (2, 9).

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toSlowDragon

Wow! Amazing! Thank you for these!

teasel90 profile image
teasel90

Like you felt really lethargic, also run down, tight chest/palpitations and agitated. Cut my dosage down, alternating 100mcg one day and back up to 125 mcg the next for a fortnight, which helped me get accustomed to them. Am now on 125mcg daily and feeling o.k.

liz1946 profile image
liz1946

I feel so poorly at the moment, having a scan next week on my knee, feeling queasy most of the time and my appetite isn't as it should be, thought I had a bug. I have never felt as cold as I do right now, I'm 3 pills in to my second pack of teva please advise what to do. I'm 71 going on 90 at the moment 😩

julie1111 profile image
julie1111

I thought I was the only one that this has happened to! I too wasnt fussy about my brand and just took what the pharmacy put in the bag... Well, I am fussy now! I am slowly coming right from 2 months of being in hell... I had similar symptoms to guillain barre _ minus the paralysis - and just cried constantly. The pain in my arms and torso was unlike any type of pain I had ever had - almost like pins and needles. Teva should be shut down.. I had no T3 reading. Even the doctor asked me what it felt like :(

Tanwood profile image
Tanwood

What brand would you recommend, made in U.K. For preference. Having read this thread, I really don't want to take the TEVA new formulation - terrible joint pain, low mood, weight gain, cold, T3 low.

buddha1 profile image
buddha1

It's the mannitol

you will need to read the leaflet that comes with your tablets

rxlist.com/mannitol-iv-side...

drugs a-z list Mannitol IV(Mannitol Injection) side effects drug center

Mannitol IV Side Effects Center

Medical Editor: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

Last reviewed on RxList 5/22/2015

Mannitol I.V. (mannitol injection) is a diuretic used to increase urine production, and to treat or prevent medical conditions that are caused by an increase in body fluids/water (e.g., cerebral edema, glaucoma, kidney failure). Mannitol I.V. is available in generic form. Common side effects of Mannitol I.V. include headache, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dry mouth, thirst, dehydration, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, runny nose, arm pain, chills, dizziness, low blood pressure (hypotension), hives, irregular heart beat, electrolyte imbalance, and irritation/pain/swelling at the injection site.

The usual adult dosage of Mannitol ranges from 50 to 200 g in a 24-hour period, but in most instances an adequate response will be achieved at a dosage of approximately 100 g/24 hours. Mannitol may interact with other drugs. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. During pregnancy, Mannitol should be used only if prescribed. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Our Mannitol I.V. (mannitol injection) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Teva add it as a filler, an inert substance - which it isn't. Lloyds stock Teva because it's cheaper. Take it back and demand a replacement from your pharmacist and report it to Teva.

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Teva thyroxine

Hello TUK I haven't posted here for a while. I was getting on OK with Mercury Pharma levo, healthy...
Sausage_Dog profile image

Reactions to Teva thyroxine

I know a lot of people have posted about the difference in brands of thyroxine and side effects but...
JRosemaryW profile image

Teva issues

For a good few weeks I suffered from from pains in my joints, especially knees and hips. I had a...
carnation profile image

Teva 25mg levothyroxine

Last week, for the first time my chemist, Whitworths, gave me Teva 25mg, it was packaged as...
TVOReason profile image

Teva!!!

Hi All, So after being on a 'new' formulation of levothyroxine made by Teva UK Ltd for two weeks,...
JillOliver profile image

Moderation team

See all
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator
PurpleNails profile image
PurpleNailsAdministrator
RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.