Switching from Syntroid to L-Thyrox in Germany

[adina11]

I had Graves in 1995 and RAI. Following this I took Syntroid for many years up until 3 weeks ago when I felt the hyper symptoms and my TSH was 0.5. I moved to Berlin last year and here there is no Syntroid so the doctor dropped the dosage from 100 Syntroid to 75 L-Thyrox. For the last 2 weeks I feel miserable, anxiety, nervousness, lost of appetite...Does anybody knows have any similar experience in similar circumstances? Many thanks in advance

[Clutter]

Adina-11,

I suspect the doctor didn't care for suppressed TSH and reduced dose to make TSH rise. There is no other reason to alter dose when switching from one brand of Levothyroxine to another.

Suppressed TSH doesn't mean you are overmedicated as long as FT3 remains within range. Perhaps you could ask your doctor to check TSH, FT4 and FT3 and as long as FT3 is within range to increase dose to 100mcg.

[adina11 in reply to Clutter]

Yes, she did check them and told me to stay on the same dosage ...however I lost some weight and started feeling hyper, could not sleep at night until i felt tremor and i went to ER...there they did the blood test (but not FT3 and ft4) and the TSH was 0.5...so in 3 weeks dropped from 2.39 to 0.5....then she changed the dosage and brand (from Syntroid)....and my mistake that I asked her if we can drop it one more to 75....what a stupid I was???

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Why didn't you just get switched from 100 Synthroid to 100 L-Thyrox? Although we all go on about different makes affecting people differently, we'd always expect the starting point to assume equivalence. Then adjust as required.

Or is there some misbegotten idea that L-Thyrox is super-quality so you don't need as much?

[adina11 in reply to helvella]

The TSH went from 2.39 to 0.5 and I started feeling hyper...and I went to ER here in Berlin and the TSH was 0.5 in just 3 weeks. I have to mention that I took the hormon early in the morning and ate after 4 hours and reduced my food intake to loose the extra weight and indeed I lost a few kilos. So I think that 100 syntroid I was taking for the last 3 years was too much ....so that's the reason the doc went down in dosage...maybe it should have been 88 but I suggested one level lower thinking that my weight will go down anyway....i made a big mistake, probably

[adina11 in reply to helvella]

Helvella, is there a difference between the manufacturer like L-Thyrox Hexal and Henning?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to adina11]

We keep seeing people feeling that one make is better for them than another. In the UK we have four makes and people who are happy on one feel awful on another. All sorts of theories and ideas but little has been proved. I have no idea of what difference there might be between L-Thyrox and Henning. I did take Henning for a while and liked them.

Remember that you could adjust you dose by tiny amounts. For example, take 100 for six days, 75 for one day; 100 for five days, 75 for two days; any other pattern.

I'd prefer to take exactly the same every day, but it is not always possible.

[adina11 in reply to helvella]

In Germany, Hexal and Henning are the manufactures for L-tyrox....here what i see on internet....L THYROX HEXAL 75

Präparat: L THYROX HEXAL 75

PZN: 811715

Packungsgröße: 50 Stück (N2)

Abgabeform: Rezeptpflichtig

Darreichungsform (Teilbarkeit): Tabletten (halbierbar)

Aktiver Wirkstoff:

Levothyroxin, Natriumsalz (75 µg pro Stück)

= Levothyroxin (73 µg pro Stück)

Sonstige Bestandteile:

Carboxymethylstärke, Natriumsalz Typ A

Cellulose, mikrokristallin

Magnesium oxid, schwer

Magnesium stearat (Ph. Eur.) [pflanzlich]

Mannitol

L THYROXIN 75 HENNING

Präparat: L THYROXIN 75 HENNING

PZN: 2532735

Packungsgröße: 50 Stück (N2)

Abgabeform: Rezeptpflichtig

Darreichungsform (Teilbarkeit): Tabletten (halbierbar)

Aktiver Wirkstoff:

Levothyroxin, Natriumsalz (75 µg pro Stück)

= Levothyroxin (73 µg pro Stück)

Sonstige Bestandteile:

Cellulose, mikrokristallin

Dinatrium thiosulfat 5-Wasser

Maisstärke

Maisstärke, vorverkleistert

Natrium carbonat

Weitere Bestandteile