T3 out of stock in UK?: I have not been able to... - Thyroid UK

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T3 out of stock in UK?

I have not been able to find a chemist to fulfill my 5mg T3 prescription for the past 3 weeks. Each chemist I've tried is told by the supplier they are in stock, but then the chemist supplier later discovers they cannot get the special order. Apparently ALL brands are out of stock and no date for when they are back in stock. Has anyone else encountered this over the past few weeks? Widely varying prices too. £700 from Boots or between £170-£250 for 5mg Cytomel with other chemists.

I have scrolled through some old posts and note that some members buy from other countries. It seems like I will have to do the same. My GP does not approve of me buying 20mg and cutting them up as we are in the early stages of just T3 treatment and need acurate dosing. Is anyone currently buying 5mg T3 abroad and if possible would you be able to send me a message please, to share details of the company you purchase them from. Thank you and Merry Christmas

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Bryony5

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28 Replies

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Clutter7 years ago

Bryony5,

5mg Cytomel and Perrigo Liothyronine are imported from USA. If the specialist wholesalers are unable to get stock there is likely a shortage in the USA. Your doctor is being rather precious about you cutting down 20mcg tablets which are available in the UK and a lot cheaper @ £258+ for 20 x 28mcg. I, and many members taking T3, have been quartering and halving 20mcg tablets to achieve the doses we require.

Bryony5• in reply toClutter7 years ago

Thank you for the clarification on where the 5mg is sourced from. I will talk to my GP about the 20mg.

Clutter• in reply toBryony57 years ago

Bryony5,

It's 5mcg and 20mcg.

Bryony5• in reply toClutter7 years ago

ok thank you.

brewster017 years ago

Hi Bryony5. Ive just joined this forum as I have the same issue.

Been on 100mcg Levothyroxine and 12.5mcg cytomel for 6 years whilst being diagnosed and living overseas. Returned full time to UK in the summer and having a battle with the GP. Been waiting 5 months for an urgent appointment with the endocrinologist who had to write to the GP to state they had to continue presribing my cytomel until he saw me (appointments in February 2018). Now none of the pharmacies can get hold of it. GP has written to medical board requesting advice on an alternative. 2 days without cytomel now and still no alternative prescribed. Not going to be a very merry christmas for me!

Bryony5• in reply tobrewster017 years ago

Hi, yes, there are going to be many poorly people over Christmas. Fingers crossed the manufacturers will start making some more asap...however with it being only a few days before Christmas...I guess the holidays will delay things even more.

Clutter• in reply toBryony57 years ago

Bryony5,

There is NOT a lack of Liothyronine in the UK. There is a lack of the USA 5mcg tablets which have to be imported into the UK. Your doctor should prescribe 20mcg tablets which can be quartered until 5mcg tablets can be imported.

Clutter• in reply tobrewster017 years ago

Brewster,

There are 3 x brands of 20mcg Liothyronine in the UK, Mercury Pharma, Morningside Healthcare and Teva. If you are taking 5mcg or 10mcg buy a pillcutter from your pharmacy (about £3) and quarter or halve a 20mcg tablet.

jimh1117 years ago

It's easy to snap 20 mcg tablets between fingers and thumbs into two and then four pieces. Alternatively you can cut them with a knife using a rocking motion or use a pill cutter. Your dosing will be accurate as the small variation between quarters doesn't matter. If you have e.g. 6 mcg one day you will have 4 mcg the next day which works out at 5.5 and 4.75 when you factor in the fact that half of the previous days medication will still be in your sysmtem. (Actually the variation will be even smaller since you will have 1/4 of the dose from 2 days ago + 1/8 of dose from 3 days ago ....). Forget the maths, the variation will be small and not noticable.

Bryony5• in reply tojimh1117 years ago

Thank you for the reassurance

SlowDragonAdministrator7 years ago

Nearly everyone on T3 has to cut tablets.

A craft knife or scalpel is easy option

You will need a new prescription saying 20mcg Liothyronine

anjuliet7 years ago

A GP I saw over a year ago ordered the Perrigo T3 after my previous endo placed me on T4 and T3 combo (alternate 100/75mcg levo and 20mcg T3). Then, I've been getting liothyronine sodium in 5mcg tablets manufactured by this UK company as an unlicensed medicine ever since (the GP practice has its own pharmacy).

helvella• in reply toanjuliet7 years ago

anjuliet,

Which UK company?

And could you confirm you mean "tablets" - rather than the more usual "capsules" for specials?

Bryony5• in reply tohelvella7 years ago

Hi. I posted this a month ago so out of stock situation may hopefully be resolved now for UK chemists. Ive just managed to get 5mcg Perrigo from non UK pharmacy.

Yes the tablets not capsules.

mistygrey• in reply toBryony57 years ago

Hi Bryony do you still order the 5mg perrigo t3 tablets?

I get them but I want to get them myself Incase my stock runs out

helvella• in reply tomistygrey7 years ago

Perrigo sold the rights on to Mayne Pharma. It looked as if Mayne Pharma were simply changing product name - but it seems that they might no longer be producing the product at all. Still some uncertainty.

Remaining manufacturers of 5 microgram tablets (all in the USA) - Pfizer, SigmaPharm, Mylan.

Bryony5• in reply tomistygrey7 years ago

I will msg you

BBLYTH• in reply toBryony57 years ago

Please can you message me too. I've just started on the 5mcg one from Bristol but it's not very strong!!! Feeling exhausted!!! Aaaagh! Thanks Xxx

Bryony5• in reply toBBLYTH7 years ago

Will msg you

BBLYTH• in reply toBryony57 years ago

Thanks Bryony. I've received an email saying you've messaged me but when I click on it, it just brings me back to this page. And nothing in my Chat! Not sure what's going on. Please can you send it again. Thank you X

anjuliet• in reply tohelvella7 years ago

Manufactured by Rokshaw Laboratories and I confirm that they are small white tablets, smooth on one side and has the the number 5 on top and '220' on the bottom on the other side of the tablet.

helvella• in reply toanjuliet7 years ago

anjuliet,

Something is not quite right here!

Tablets that have 5 220 on them, and are around 7mm across, are manufactured by Perrigo in the USA. Am perfectly happy to believe that they are being supplied as if manufactured by Rokshaw.

Most products that are made to order are in capsules because that avoids the difficulties of making small runs of tablets.

anjuliet• in reply tohelvella7 years ago

I did think that at first.

I just had another look at the label. It says, "Produced and packaged by (said lab name). My bad for saying it's manufactured by them. Apologies for my mistake.

helvella• in reply toanjuliet7 years ago

anjuliet,

I think the word "produced" certainly implies made by. Not just "bought from another company in the USA and put into a different pack".

Please be assured, I am trying to understand and get to the bottom of what is happening - and am not criticising you at all.

anjuliet• in reply tohelvella7 years ago

No worries, I think I was having a confused.com moment hahaha!

From what I can vaguely remember, the price for a 28-day supply (when I saw their drug tariffs page back then) was about approx. £110. It is not listed now on their updated list.

Parbrook7 years ago

Boots do not seem to have a problem fulfilling my prescription for 5mcg Liothyronine.

I have received a bottle of 100 Cytomel only once.

The rest of the time, I have received bottles of 100 Perrigo and 100 Sigmapharm tablets.

All of the above come with moisture absorbers.

helvella7 years ago

Please don't just tag a response onto an old thread. It is likely to be entirely missed.

Despite being only a few months old, some of the information here is well out of date. For example, Perrigo no longer exists. Was transferred to Mayne Pharma who then rebranded it Libertas. There was a problem late last year with production.

Write a new post and hopefully it will get seen and you will get the information you need.

If you wish to make sure certain people see your post, follow this help topic:

support.healthunlocked.com/...

helvella7 years ago

As this thread is out-of-date, I shall now close it to replies.