T3 tablet size

[Chrys]

Hooray, just had our latest T3 prescription, and it now comes in 5Mcg size, my wife is only on 10mcg per day, so splitting the previous 20mcg tabs was ridiculous with considerable wastage.

[shaws Administrator]

I split my T3 into halves and quarters and I use a tablet cutter which does a perfect job and have had no waste. I am glad you have been given 5mcg.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Is this in UK? I didn't know you could get 5mcg tablets of T3 on NHS.

Are they as expensive

5mcg Would be brilliant as I take 3 x 5mcg per day so it's difficult to cut exactly into equal 1/4's

[Shelley1954 in reply to SlowDragon]

My friend gets 5mcg on NHS, I think they are from USA & much more expensive.

[Theminx in reply to SlowDragon]

I have 5mcg T3 on the NHS 😊

[Chrys in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes from NHS,. They are made by SigmaPharm from PA USA.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

What make have you received?

If the make was not clear, have a close look at the actual tablets and let us know all markings.

[Lolota]

Hello Chris, very good news. What brand are you using and how are you feeling?

[Chrys in reply to Lolota]

Sigmapharm, USA. They are for SWMBO, and she has only just started yesterday.

[saritadelmar]

I'm in the U.S. and just got a prescription for 30 Liothyronine SOD 5 mcg tablets (small white tablet with 5 - 220 stamped on it). It cost $14, because they are generic for Cytomel. My question is: Is generic acceptable in the opinion of those on the forum?

[Chrys in reply to saritadelmar]

I'm not qualified to comment, but I would assume that they would have to pass the relevant U.S. standard to be licensed.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to saritadelmar]

I believe they are the product that was made by Paddock, then acquired by Perrigo, and now bought by Mayne pharma. The imprint is the same regardless of company.

dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailym...

"Generic" isn't an automatic criticism. There are cases where some of the so-called generic products are regarded by some as superior to the branded product. For example, some people prefer Lannett (Unithroid) or Sandoz levothyroxine to Synthroid.

It is often far more important to stick to one make, whether generic or a brand, so as to avoid the inevitable changes from one to another.

[Chrys]

I hope that these SigmaPharm tablets from the U.S. indicate that the NHS is at last shopping around for better value. I will ask my GP what these cost.

[Raventhorpe]

I also have been prescribed t3 in 5 mcg tablets. They don't have a brand name just came in little plastic bottles of 56. They are from Thame laboratories unit 4 Bradfield Rd, Ruislip, Middlesex.they say specials on them and was told they are unlicenced which doesn't make sense to me as I thought every medication in the UK had to have a licence.The pharmacist ordered them as specials on the phone and got them next day they are white tablets with 5- 220 on one side of them and they are bigger than my levo tablets. I have only been on them five weeks and it's my first time of trying liothyronine.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Raventhorpe]

Medicines do not have to have licences.

Having a licence means that it is approved for use within the terms of that licence. But many medicines are either unlicensed or used outside the terms of the licence. (One area where this is common is paediatric medicine. Many medicines are licenced only for adults.) Doctors much prefer prescribing licensed products as there is less of an issue of personal responsibility.

One form of special is when a product is simply not available. These are made up (compounded) to individual requirements. The companies that do this are themselves licensed to do so. But you couldn't impose licence requirements on every prescription ever made.

However, if they are marked 5 220, then they are not "specials" in the sense of manufactured for you. They are simply imported from the USA. A few responses earlier on this thread, I have already explained what they are and linked to the official FDA site which describes them in detail.

[Raventhorpe in reply to helvella]

Thanks for clarifying that for me