New dose of thyroxine

[evangeline123]

I have been feeling awful for the past few weeks so was due a blood test to check my thyroid levels and found it was significantly raised. My doc has started me on 75mg from 50 mg thyroxine.However i do feel worse than before with extreme fatigue muscle aches and pains and generally feel unwell. I work as a carer and really feel like i cannot cope with work at the moment. Should i call in sick until i feel better and how long does it usually take.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

evangeline123

Have you been given a different brand of Levo - so 50mcg is one brand and 25mcg a different brand?

If so what are the different brands and which is the new one.

[evangeline123 in reply to SeasideSusie]

My new brand is TEVA UK 75 mc. Not sure what my old brand was sorry just that it was 50mc

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to evangeline123]

Evangeline

My new brand is TEVA UK 75 mc

However i do feel worse than before with extreme fatigue muscle aches and pains and generally feel unwell.

If these symptoms have appeared since starting the Teva brand then this is likely to be your problem. Hundreds, if not thousands, of thyroid patients changed to this brand have experienced serious side effects.

Do you have any of the old 50mcg tablets left at all? If so then go back to your previous brand and either take 75mcg daily but cutting a tablet in half and taking 1 and a half tablets daily, or alternate 100/50mcg to average 75mcg daily.

As soon as possible, speak to your pharmacist or doctor and explain the serious side effects you've experienced since starting on Teva and you would like to go back to your original brand as you didn't have these side effects when on that.

Then put in a yellow card report about Teva. MHRA must have received thousands of reports by now but it doesn't seem to have made much difference, some people do well on Teva because it is lactose free and it does suit them.

yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/yell...

[evangeline123 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Unfortunately i dont have any of the old brand 50mc left. I will speak to my doc a asap to explain my symptoms and ask if i can go back to my old brand. Could it be just a reaction to taking a higher dose and its possible i may start to feel better the longer i am on the higher dose?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to evangeline123]

Could it be just a reaction to taking a higher dose and its possible i may start to feel better the longer i am on the higher dose?

From the experiences related here, if those symptoms started when you changed brand, I would put money on it being the Teva and not the higher dose.

[evangeline123 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ok thank you for all the information. If the symptoms persist will contact my doctor. Regarding my work i am unsure if i can focus to do my job feeling this bad. Would you say i need to call in sick until i feel better.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to evangeline123]

Are you going to get a sick note and benefits if you call in sick? If not can you manage with no money coming in? I don't know the rules about sick notes and benefits any more. It's not a question I can answer.

Please don't wait and see if the symptoms persist, as I said, I would put money on it being the Teva brand if your symptoms started after changing to that brand. If you want to try and get back to where you were, go back on your other brand.

Have a look at a few past posts about Teva

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Other things to look at are your actual thyroid test results and nutrient levels. If you post your results, with their reference ranges (they vary from lab to lab), we can interpret them for you. If you don't have your results, pop along to your surgery and ask at the reception desk for a print out, it's your legal right to have a copy and you don't have to give a reason as to why you want your results (don't ask the doctor, they don't like it).

Low nutrient levels can cause symptoms - fatigue can be low ferritin, muscle aches and pains can be low Vit D - so just in case it's not the Teva then ask your GP to test the following

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

[evangeline123 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes i get sick pay for being off work. Will contact doctor on monday about getting results of nutrient levels. (i didnt know about that) and also ask to go back to my old brand. Been reading a lot of other peoples symptoms on here and it does seem to be the brand that is the problem. Hope i feel better soon. Thanks again.

[evangeline123 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I have just found an old empty box from my old 50mc tablets. Brand is Actavis.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to evangeline123]

I take Actavis, have done for donkeys' years, with no problems. It is also rebranded as Almus for Boots and Northstar for Lloyds pharmacy, so if the Actavis brand is out of stock it can be substituted with one of the others and still be exactly the same.

If you were doing OK on Actavis, then I would either ask your GP to name the brand on the prescription, or ask your pharmacist to make a note that you are only to have that brand dispensed.

My surgery is very reluctant to name a brand on prescription unless there is a dire need, but it's on my record at the pharmacy and I always get Actavis.

[evangeline123 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Looks like i will be going back onto Actavis then. Will contact doctor on monday and ask to be put back onto that brand. Thank you.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to evangeline123]

Even if you try to go back too Actavis, you have a problem. They only make 50 and 100 microgram tablets.

You are either going to have to split tablets. Or accept Mercury Pharma or Wockhardt 25 microgram tablets.

[MaisieGray in reply to SeasideSusie]

In the whole of the 52 yrs period from 1967 to now, in total, for ALL brands of Levothyroxine, there have been 1,792 reports (this number includes all reports received from healthcare professionals, members of the public, and pharmaceutical companies).

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to MaisieGray]

I think that just goes to show that there are those who complain - here, other forums, or elsewhere - that a medication has caused them problems, then they don't bother sending in a yellow card report. Patient Information Leaflets have information about reporting of side effects.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Definitely get previous brand ASAP

You will need 50mcg and 25mcg tablets as no one else makes 75mcg tablet

Teva upsets many, many people

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

It's a Marmite brand in that most hate it, but a few (usually lactose intolerant) love it

Get a weekly pill dispenser so that you can fill it up once a week, makes it easier to remember to take it

[jgelliss]

Great advice from all the previous posts . After my TT I did not do well on the brand Synthroid . I had many symptoms . Palpitations , Insomnia , Weight issues , BP issues etc. Switching to another brand name in US to Levoxyl the 50mcg because the 50mcg has no dyes and the fillers are more suitable for me . It might be more expensive since I dose with higher doses than 50mcg but it's worth it all .

Wishing you fast resolutions .

[evangeline123]

Update: So just contacted my doctor to say that i am having side affects with my new dose of 75mc tablets and could i go back to my previous brand. Got a call back from surgery to say that i have to go back to taking previous 50mc that i have sitting waiting at the chemist to pick up and that my symptoms have nothing to do with the brand! In which case how does that help with my raised thyroid levels surely going back to 50mc will take me back to where i was before my blood test feeling exhausted all the time! Confused!