TEVA

[stut001]

My thyroid was removed in 2011. Since then I am on thyroxin 125 microgram, 100 ug from Actavis and 25 ug from Wockhardt. Have always been stable as a rock with right blood levels of T3 and T4. 2 weeks ago I received TEVA 25 ug instead of the usual brand and after 2 days I started to feel sick as a dog. Sweating, hot flashes, abnormally anxious, hyper, headache. Immediately stopped the TEVA, luckily I still had some of the old prescription. Now I have a very hard time to obtain Actavis and Wockhardt pills again through the NHS. Even with a prescription it is impossible to find these brands at several pharmacies around. What is going on in that industry? If so many people are on thyroxin, should there not be a relatively good and secured availability of brands? Certainly, if stability of T3/T4 levels in your blood are so important, why playing around with different brands all the time? Despite the medical tests I do not buy the message that all the brands are giving identical results for everybody. (Un)fortunately human beings are very complex and they come with a lot of variation between individuals. Hence, it would be advisable that once someone is stable, every change in medication should be avoided whenever possible. That is what is required to optimise patients well being and maximise his or her potentials.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Have you done a Yellow Card Report about the Teva?

yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/down...

They should be getting a lot of reports considering the number of members who have had trouble with Teva.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Actavis is also supplied under Almus and (more recently) Northstar branding.

Almus is owned by Walgreen Boots Alliance. Boots claimed they only supply Almus now. (Not true for 25 microgram tablets, of course, as Actavis do not make them. )

Northstar is owned by AAH (and, in turn, Celesio). Celesio own Lloyds. I would be surprised if you cannot get Actavis or Northstar from Lloyds - including former Sainsbury pharmacies.

If it is not possible locally, try an internet pharmacy:

nhs.uk/Service-Search/pharm...

[silverfox7]

Agree with you and have written along similar lines before that yes stick to what you are good with as you are happy with those fillers but also different brands can be slightly different in potency. I first. And across this being mentioned in America and my pharmacist said it will be the same in the uk and suggested my GP to name my brand so she would have to get it regardless of any cost issue or what the warehouse have in copious supple. Take the 100 mcg tablet as it's easier to talk about. The manufacturers aren't told or even aren't able to supple a 100 mcg tablet with exactly 100 mcg present so they were allowed to be plus or minus 10% so the potency in one brand, looking at extremes could actually be 110 or 90 so a difference of almost an increase or decreasease in medication (20).This must have been realised as too wide a range so in 2009 this was changed to 5% so only 10 so particularly if you are on a higher dose the difference could be noticeable. I even felt a difference between 1x 100 and 4x 25 of the the same brand. Consistency is important to our health so stick to the same brand.