treatment for hypo in Scotland

[amylee3]

salut!

i'm french and i'm going to live in Scotland, here in france it is a total mess concerning the treatment, it's very very hard to find some, some people even go in germany to find some, as we only have ONE treatment and this treatment cause a LOT of problems since they have changed the formula without testing it before.

So i would like to know what are the name of the treatments proposed here inScotland please?

kind regards!

[ITYFIALMCTT]

I'd hope some members from Scotland can chip in to let you know but by and large the treatment for hypothyroidism in the UK is levothyroxine (several brands with a number of members who find TEVA unsatisfactory) with monitoring blood tests for TSH and sometimes T4.

What is your current treatment and do you have results of your most recent blood tests?

[amylee3 in reply to ITYFIALMCTT]

thank you, at this moment it is a total mess for me, i used to take "levothyrox" for the last 12 years with no problems, and since they have changed the formula this year (only in france and note that in drugstores first they hide this information: they only said "ho they have only changed the packaging do'nt worry": LIE!!!!!!!!).... HORRIBLE a real nightmare: my TSH has four fold increased!!!! with all the problems you have when you are hypo: hair loss, extremly tired, always very cold, and brand new with this new formula: big big bones and muscles pains, and of course my TSH do'nt want to calm down...so now i'm testing a treatment which come from Germany called L thyroxin henning...

[ITYFIALMCTT]

You might find yourself on a different dosage to the medication available in France/Germany so you might need to use a pill splitter.

This is about private prescriptions for T3 but you might want to read about the method if you need to import your preferred brand: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

[helvella Administrator in reply to ITYFIALMCTT]

ITYFIALMCTT,

I think amylee3 is asking about levothyroxine.

[ITYFIALMCTT in reply to helvella]

I realised that - but I wondered if the same method could be used to obtain levo. Thyroxin Henning if it's not readily available in Scotland.

[helvella Administrator in reply to ITYFIALMCTT]

Yes - the same approach can be used - depends on the pharmacy cooperating - or the prescription being written appropriately.

I used to get mine directly from Germany with a UK prescription. Obviously, I had to pay for the tablets!

[amylee3]

yes absolutely! maybe the treatment proposed in Scotland will fit me like before, i hope! thank you ITYFIALMCTT i will have a look

[Hennerton]

That is odd, as I can buy Liothyronine (T3) from my village pharmacy. Have you tried the pharmacy near you? I am in Charente ( but only as a second home owner). You could stock up before you come.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Hennerton]

Hennerton,

I think amylee3 is asking about levothyroxine.

[Hennerton in reply to helvella]

Thanks. Yes, I realised that but thought she also meant T 3 as it seems to be used more in France than here. They seem to have a more relaxed attitude to thyroid mess.

[amylee3 in reply to Hennerton]

yes they are, they don't take it seriously at all, people with problems with that new formula are taking as idiot crazy women who just create themselves those problems in their head, it said that they imagine that,

for example at a drugstore one woman was very rude to me when she see on my prescription that i was asking for another treatment coming from germany, she tells me that i may not taken the treatment correctly in the morning, and without eating before..... Come on please!!! i'm taking treatment for my hashimoto since more than 12 years now! tssss...

[helvella Administrator]

amyless3,

There are four makes of levothyroxine in the UK. Actavis (also packaged as Almus and Northstar), Mercury Pharma (also packaged as Eltroxin), Teva and Wockhardt.

More detail here:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

You can find out more here:

medicines.org.uk/emc/search - type in levothyroxine. Does not include Teva.

I suspect that you might wish to avoid Teva as that contains mannitol - one of the questionable ingredients of French Merck levothyroxine.

I have taken L-Thyroxin Henning and found it absolutely fine - for me. However, am currently on mostly Actavis (Almus/Northstar).

UK prescriptions are almost always just for "levothyroxine sodium" and the pharmacy will supply whatever they have in stock. I urge you to make your own choice and go round as many pharmacies as needed to find one which will supply the one you want - and stick to it. Many pharmacies will write this into your notes.

[amylee3 in reply to helvella]

many thanks helvella for this very clear and complete answer,

and yes i think too i will avoid Teva!!!

[Ellie-Louise in reply to helvella]

I have found that if a pharmacy doesn’t have the brand I use (Actavis) and there have been two in the past, they will order it in for me. All you have to do is tell them which you want.

[amylee3 in reply to Ellie-Louise]

thank you Ellie-Louise for this tip

[Rebec]

First of all, bienvenue en Grande Bretagne! J'ai habitė en Ecosse il y a une trentaine d'années. The Scots are lovely people; which city are you going to move to? Keep in mind that the water is soft which is good for one thing but not so good for others. Also, enjoy the longer days in the summer!

Enjoy the change too!

[amylee3 in reply to Rebec]

thank you Rebec !!! i will be in Edin

[Rebec in reply to amylee3]

Just a short funny story not connected to any treatment! We lived in Belgium and we're looking for a removal company in Scotland to help us moving to Dundee (another beautiful city near the no-less beautiful Tay river); we phoned to three different companies but with one, my conversation was short lived! I made the poor man repeat twice what he was trying to convey to me but I only understood the names of cities!! But once in Scotland, I had no problem understanding everybody!