T3 EXP MARCH 2017: would it be ok to use? sealed... - Thyroid UK

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T3 EXP MARCH 2017

mandy72 profile image
34 Replies

would it be ok to use?

sealed bottle

i dont want to fork out for T3 if it dont help

im undermedicated and cannot increase eltroxin beyond 150mcg

dr wont give me anything else

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mandy72 profile image
mandy72
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34 Replies
MissFG profile image
MissFG

I was told by a pharmacist when I bought mine that they’re good for 6 months after exp as they don’t contain sugar

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toMissFG

MissFG, I find that quite bizarre! Sugar itself doesn't expire with age, you can keep it (in a dry place) for many, many years. So I wonder what it is about sugar in tablets that would make them expire. And of course, tablets that contain lactose could be said to contain sugar.

MissFG profile image
MissFG in reply toRedApple

That’s what I was told by a pharmacist and he’s seemed quite knowledgeable on the content of the brand I bought

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toMissFG

I'm afraid I rarely trust that sort of info from pharmacists these days as I've spoken with far too many who say ridiculous things in a way that sounds as if they know what they're talking about!

There was research that showed many medicines are absolutely fine for years beyond their expiry date. Expiry dates on medicines and foods have been massively exploited by manufacturers to make us throw away stuff and buy new.

MissFG profile image
MissFG in reply toRedApple

That’s why I also did some research so was fine about buying more as T3 doesn’t have a long shelf life.

This was from an American website but overall most info seems consistent with this that I found:

emedexpert.com/tips/expired...

The expiration date, required by law in the United States, beginning in 1979, indicated the date the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of the drug. At the time of the medication expiry date, the drug must be at least 90% of the original potency under proper storage conditions.

The expiration date does not indicate a point when a medication loses potency and is no longer effective or becomes harmful.

In general, drugs expiration date is 2-5 years from production date. FDA regulations do not require manufacturers to determine actual long-term drug potency and stability. For example, if a company chooses a three year expiration date, it does not have to test beyond that for prolonged effectiveness.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toMissFG

Levothyroxine in the USA must be at least 95% of claimed potency through to expiry.

FancyPants54 profile image
FancyPants54 in reply toRedApple

The pharmacist might have meant it the other way around. Sugar is a preservative (hence, jam, bottled fruit etc). So he might have meant that it only had a 6 month life outside of the use by date because it didn't have sugar in it to act as a preservative. The lactose would be in tiny amounts so wouldn't be enough to preserve anything.

Just a thought.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toFancyPants54

Good thought, which seems to make sense, and I hadn't thought of it that way round. Except I doubt many medicines (in tablet form) would have sufficient sugar of any type in them to act as a preservative in the way you've described. Syrup type medicines maybe, but not tablets. If a pharmacist said that to me today, I'd be asking them to explain exactly what they meant :D

MissFG profile image
MissFG in reply toFancyPants54

Aww well he was Turkish so could me my mistake understanding him 😂

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toMissFG

ahhhhhh now i dont know :(

i cant afford to pay stupid prices if they dont work

MissFG profile image
MissFG in reply tomandy72

I’d try them you’ve nothing to lose and I think you’ll know quite soon if they’re helping you

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

mandy72, I don't know of any reason not to use it, especially if it's been in the sealed bottle the whole time. I've used T3 that's beyond expiry and I couldn't tell any difference. I'm guessing the most likely thing to happen is for it to be a little less potent than the freshest tablets would be.

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toRedApple

i suppose i could try 5mcg if i can cut them well enough and increase weekly and just see what happens

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply tomandy72

Sounds reasonable. Don't suppose you have very recent FT4 and FT3 levels on your current levo dose?

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toRedApple

no i dont my drs dont check

but TSH is 8.32

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply tomandy72

That's way too high, as I'm sure you know.

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toRedApple

yes it is and im feeling it too :(

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toRedApple

would 10mcg be too much to start?

they are crumbling when i try and 1/4 them

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply tomandy72

I wouldn't recommend starting that high. You might feel ok for a day or two, but then the effects start to build up. I break mine in half with a pill cutter, then use my finger nails to break in half again so I have quarters. Some people do better with razor or scalpel blades, but I've not tried that myself.

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toRedApple

ive kind of got 1/4's some are better than others, only did a couple though

Peekay profile image
Peekay

My experience is that T3 can be used several years after expiry date with no noticeable difference at all.

MCP80 profile image
MCP80

I am on Eltroxin and have been on a higher dose than 150mcg what is the reason they can't increase your dose? I am also on T3 now and I started on 10mcg I was fine and had no adverse effects and started noticing decrease in symptoms after about 2 weeks. Some people have had issues depending on the brand of T3 so have started on much lower does. Just thought I would say that I have been fine on 10mcg and now waiting for an increase.

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toMCP80

within a few day of increase i get a jittery shaky feeling inside and get very anxious, told dr and he said just stay at the dose im on but i know i need to lower my TSH

ill go with the 10mcg and see how i go if not ill try and figure a way of cutting without ending up with dust

MCP80 profile image
MCP80 in reply tomandy72

That is quite strange, how much do you try and put it up by? have you checked your Magnesium levels and that all other vitamins and minerals are optimal? You need Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin all in good numbers and you also need selenium for conversion. I found I had to take Magnesium because my palpataions were all over the place but I knew it wasn't the Eltroxin.

I use a stanly knife or try a craft knife to cut mine in half. They do normally cut into 1/3 and 2/3s though I can never quite get them in half :)

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toMCP80

increase was 25mcg dr did say 50mcg

drs wont do vits b12 is on the low side as on metformin so im supplementing that and ferritin is on the low side so taking meds for that

dr said i just may be one of those people who are on the highest dose their body can handle

i take magnesium daily

b complex

propranolol

aspirin

sertraline

metformin

b12

ferrouse fumerate

mefenamic acid when bleeding

thyroid meds taken 4 hours min away from everything else

expecting selenium in the post today (one of them things i kept meaning to get but always forgot)

MCP80 profile image
MCP80 in reply tomandy72

Yup you are prepared :D It is a shame that you can't up your dose. Have you tried increasing every other day until you body gets used to it or every 2 days? or increase by 12.5 to see if you can tolerate that? Have you tried a different brand of Levothyroxin? Sorry if you have tried all the above. I only ask as have been feeling crap for such a long time I have tried everything and I can only take Eltroxin or Wockhardt. I can't take Activis or Teva as I need over double dose that I normally take just to keep my TSH down. Our bodies are so sensitive x

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toMCP80

i was awful when on levothyroxine my heart was going so dam fast i was at the drs three times a week feeling like i was dying

then tried nature throid and did great for 8 months until my cortisol went high and so did my heart rate....150+ on 1/4 grain

switched to T3 did well the endo wanted me off T3 and back on levo so i asked dr for the liquid, did well on that (apart from the taste) then endo demanded i go back on levo although i told him how ill i was so i asked my dr for eltroxin, im not great on it but better than i was on normal levo

MCP80 profile image
MCP80 in reply tomandy72

It is terrible that they don't listen. Maybe try going to the Endo again but ask to see a different one and a Thyroid specialist. It has taken me a year under the Endo here to prove that my levels aren't stable so they are trialling me on T3 but they are diabetic specialists which my GP pointed out so if this doesn't work they are going to refer me to a Thyroid specialist in London, although apparently there is one at the hospital I am under but I don;t get an appointment with him. Keep persevering you deserve to feel well and normal (whatever that is like!)

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toMCP80

thats where im screwed

the endos at my hospital are USELESS first one said i didnt have a thyroid problem i was just an overweight anxious depressant (yes im overweight, depressed and anxious), ive seen 3 maybe 4 at the same hospital all as useless as each other

hubby is self employed so traveling could be difficult but if i got to see a decent one i would get there

i forget what normal actually feels like

i have double appointment with a dr end of next month to discuss all my concerns so will see what she suggests re thyroid but shes hypo and does really well on thyroxine and has never been ill but i might get a referral to se an endo and if they dont help thyroid ill mention the diabetes as thats screwed up too

MCP80 profile image
MCP80 in reply tomandy72

Huge hugs (((((()))))) its awful when we don't feel well and they don't listen. I hope your Dr at the end of the month is understanding. I know it is hard but keep going to see them then it is on your records. My GP thankfully tested me for lots of other things including depression to help prove that it was my thyroid. All my GPs test came back negative so the consultant had to do something as he had no reason not to :D some Drs can be really helpful. Good luck and keep us updated x

mandy72 profile image
mandy72 in reply toMCP80

thank you

i find with the dr im seeing is she listens more when you cry, im still always going mainly breathing trouble but i think thats thyroid and ferritin, had a spirometry test yesterday and it came back normal, chest x ray a few weeks ago and heart and lungs look good, i do have slight calcification on an artery so might ask for that to be re checked too

can they actually test for depression? thats why im on the sertraline.......silly reason really but it kind of uncorked all the bottled up depression and it just came flooding back even stuff from years ago

MCP80 profile image
MCP80 in reply tomandy72

They did an online quiz for me to test for depression and my score was very low so he was happy that it wasn't. I am also very tearful when I go, I think it is down to frustration that they don;t take me seriously especially when I was going to give up work because of the exhaustion. I sometimes wish there was something else that would come up in the tests just to explain what I am going through so I could get it sorted but all my other tests come back fine and nothing else wrong. More research definitely needs to be done on Hypothyroidism and that one medication does not fit all it is very personal.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply tomandy72

Propranolol slows uptake and conversion of FT4 to FT3. I

Are you on strictly gluten free diet? If not you might find you don't need propranolol once you go gluten free

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I think I spend more time taking expired T3 than I do T3 that is in date. I'd suggest trying it and see what happens. As long as it hasn't got damp it might be fine.

It is possible that it may have got a little bit less potent, but as long as you are prepared for that and are prepared to adjust dose when necessary then I don't see a problem. If you later switched to T3 which was in date you might have to adjust dose again.

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