Advice please on obtaining a specific Levo brand on prescription

[Lentil61]

Next week I am due to have a total thyroidectomy and will be on levo from this point on.

Would someone please let me know if I can request a specific brand of levo (Teva) from my GP/endo?

I have just visited my local chemist and was told that they can only provide what their suppliers offer at the time. This means that the brand may vary each month.

I don't have an allergy, however, I do want to avoid lactose.

I also understand that the different oral suspensions are lactose free but are more expensive. Will I be allowed any of these on prescription?

Failing this, is there an online pharmacy that will supply Teva with a nonspecific prescription for levo?

Thanks for reading this,

Pete

[cwill]

Your GP should be able to prescribe a certain brand and this is written on the prescription. My GP caved in when I waved the thyroid book by Dr Toft that advises this. But when prescriptions were renewed the doctor omitted this and pharmacist provided anything theY had in stock. Such short memories...

[cwill]

Sorry forgot to say hope all goes well next week and will be thinking of you and wishing you well.

[Lentil61 in reply to cwill]

Thanks for the info and your best wishes.

Pete

[Mardybee]

My GP wouldn't prescribe a named brand and two local pharmacies decided they couldn't stick to 1 brand but my local boots pharmacy has agreed to stick to a specific brand, and done it for 2 years now. I only wanted to stick with 1 brand wasn't worried about which brand as I get symptoms switching between brands.

[Clutter]

PeteRad,

There is only a trace of lactose in most Levothyroxine and if you aren't lactose-intolerant won't cause you any problem. Don't ask your GP to specify Teva on your prescription unless you are lactose-intolerant. You don't know which brand of Levothyroxine suits until you try it. If the brand is named on the prescription that is the only brand which can be dispensed and if Teva is unavailable you would have to go back to your GP for another prescription.

If the pharmacy you use can't/won't guarantee you the brand you want you should ask for your prescription form back and use another pharmacy. My small independent high street pharmacy is able to guarantee me the brand I want and will order it in for next day collection if it isn't in stock.

Liquid Levothyroxine is expensive so you won't be prescribed it unless you are intolerant to all 4 tablet makes.

[Lentil61 in reply to Clutter]

Thank you for responding, Clutter. As a vegan, I would like to make every effort to secure animal free options first. If none of these work I 'll consider the others.

Pete

[Clutter in reply to Lentil61]

PeteRad,

Okay, find a pharmacy which will dispense Teva but don't have it written onto your prescription in case it doesn't suit you. You won't know until you try it.

Good luck with the thyroidectomy next week.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Lentil61]

You do always have the (expensive) choice to use your ordinary NHS prescription to purchase levothyroxine from abroad - for example L-Thyroxin Henning or Aliud from Germany. Both of these are lactose-free.

Obviously, you become dependent on whatever supply line you use - and it is almost inevitably going to be simpler to stick with UK products. And certainly cheaper.

I strongly agree with Clutter that it is folly to get the make stated on the prescription. Even if you decide which make works well for you. New makes come to market, old makes disappear, there are shortages. So you might need to get new actual prescriptions from time to time.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Plus lots of people have recently had problems tolerating Teva which has only fairly recently been reintroduced after previous problems with manufacturer.

Sometimes so unwell they have had to put in a yellow card & ask for immediate change back to previous brand

yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk

[Lentil61]

Thanks everyone for your advice (and good wishes). I'll take it all on-board. I really think that it would be a struggle for most of us without the expertise and experience that the rest of you offer.

Pete

[jgelliss]

Would like to wish you an easy outcome from your TT . If I can give you a good advice if you don't mind go in with a great and positive attitude and you will come out of it the same way . Take slow deep breaths after surgery and let it out slowly to get Anastasia faster out of your system . Don't forget if Dr only gives you T4 to dose to please ask for NDT or T3 added to the mix . To replace what our own thyroids once did .

Best Wishes .

[Lentil61 in reply to jgelliss]

Thank you so much jgelliss. The op has now been fixed for next Tuesday morning. I am going for pre op tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

[jgelliss in reply to Lentil61]

BEST WISHES . YOU WILL BE JUST FINE . Let us know how your doing .

Prayers go out to you .