Levothyroxine 100 mcg

[Biloxi]

Last month my Levo 100 mcg was a little round yellow tablet. I got a 90 day supply, and these are yellow oblong shaped tablets. Why are they shaped differently?

[MaisieGray]

A different brand from your previous tablets? As you are in the US it's unlikely many of the UK members here will be familiar with your tablets. However, Mylan Pharmaceuticals manufacture a yellow capsule shaped 100 mcg Levo drugs.com/imprints/m-l-8-72...

If you are at all concerned, it would be safest to check with the dispensing pharmacy.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to MaisieGray]

This official USA site lists all medicines - including labels, pictures of tablets, etc. I have selected "levothyroxine".

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

It is up to each company to design their products as they see fit. Most end up with simple round tablets, but there are other shapes. Levoxyl has a particular break-point which allows easy hand dividing.

The colour depends on dosage. Although many USA companies use similar colouring for some dosages, others vary by company.

[milkwoman]

I’m guessing your prescription is written for generic brand levothyroxine so your pharmacy dispenses whatever they have in stock at the time for 100mcg tablets. Every brand of Levo has different filler ingredients which may or may not be an issue for you. Also, many people find that different brands have different levels of absorption (or efficacy). Again, this may or may not be the case for you. Doctors will tell you that there’s no difference between brands but that just isn’t true.

Are you new to Levo? I would keep track of what kind you are taking and note how you are feeling (ie, specific symptoms such as GI issues or headaches, joint pain, fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, etc). This way you can determine if one brand is better suited for you over another (and if any one brand is causing undesirable side effects) and can get your doctor to write your script such that you always receive that brand (no substitutions) that works best for you. Personally, I wouldn’t want my pills changing all the time. It’s hard enough keeping up with the symptoms of being HypoT without throwing pill changes into the mix!

You can use an online pill identifier to determine what brand you are getting (it may also be included with the pamphlet you get with your filled prescription or it might be written on the pill bottle). That way you can see what the filler ingredients are and begin to learn if any are a concern for you.

[Biloxi]

Thanks you all for your helpful replies!

I've been on Levo just over 1 year now, at 100 mcg for the last 2 months. I told my Dr about some symptoms I was experiencing, maybe that's why my brands changed. I'll try this one and see how it goes. My bloods came back super normal, right where they should be.

Has anyone noticed spotting 2 days before and 2 days after menstruating? That was one unusual new thing I've experienced so far.