Hi lovely people. I’ve just had a medichevk thyroid check - results attached. I’ve been on 75 levothyroxine - but was given a different make for the 25mg tablets (Tevo instead of mercury- pharma.) these seemed to make me paranoid, very emotional and depressed so I stopped after about 10 days and am just on 50mg now. I stopped on 17march. I do t feel great - hence the medicheck tests.
I have an emergency appointment tonight with extended hours doctor. Can I ask for a specific make of drugs? Am I imagining it anyway? Your advice will be most gratefully received. Thank you. J
Written by
Scullngbunny
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
You are undermedicated. When on Levo only, the aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of their ranges if that is where you feel well.
You need to go back to 75mcg now and retest in 6-8 weeks time.
Teva upsets many people, refuse that brand in future. Check bag to see what you've been given before leaving the pharmacy counter, hand back if necessary and request your prescription back. If necessary take your prescription to a different pharmacy.
To achieve a 75mcg dose you can take 2 x 50mcg Mercury Pharma Levo one day, 1 x 50mcg the next. Or you can cut a 50mcg tablet in half with a pill cutter or sharp craft knife and take 1 and 1/2 50mcg tablets daily.
I asked for Mercury Pharma at the pharmacists and it is now specified on my prescription, I checked before I left the pharmacists and refused a mixture of two different brands (Teva and Wockhardt) I had been on Mercury Pharma since starting Levo.
The pharmacist was great and moved heaven and earth to get me the brand I had been on, I think it was the pharmacist who subsequently put the note on my prescription that I was to receive only Mercury Pharma.
Then you can try different pharmacies if not in stock at normal one
Independent pharmacies tend to be more helpful
My GP told me I can't treat the dispensary 'like a shop' and I'd have to take whatever they have in stock. I do very badly on Teva. Some doctors sound far more sympathetic. Now I phone the pharmacy ahead of time and if they've only got Teva I'll take my prescription elsewhere. Hope your GP is better than mine!
That’s awful - can you change your Dr? After the invaluable advice I got here - I’ve tried both talking to the pharmacist (sympathetic and said could put a note on for me but couldn’t guarantee each pharmacist would see it), and managed to speak to a locus Dr this afternoon. He suggested the best way was to put a note on the prescription saying “not Teva brand please”. So watch this space!
We live in a very small village in the Hebrides so it's a tiny practice. Two other GPs, neither are great to be honest. Hopefully one or two will go elsewhere and we'll get some new ones but I'm not holding my breath - it must be a much easier job here than in a busy surgery elsewhere! Fingers crossed all goes well for you. I'm a bit envious though. Amazing the disparity in the way doctors behave towards their patients...
The first brand I was given disagreed with me (mecurypharma, I think) and I mentioned it to the pharmacist so next time he said he’d try a different brand on me (almus) which has been fine. I get mine from the same pharmacist each time (prescription is set up electronically with them).
Perhaps talk to your pharmacist - that you don’t do well on Teva / you react badly to one of the ingredients – and he might arrange to keep another brand in stock for you.
Tell him what your GP said to you, and that he won’t specify your preferred brand on the prescription for you.
As a pharmacist he’ll be aware of how the same medication can affect different people differently, and hopefully he’ll be more sympathetic and helpful.
Mine is great. Pharmacists aren’t GPs, if you know what I mean.
That's good advice. Our pharmacy is based within the GP's surgery but there is a Boots in town (a 44 mile round trip but that's how things are up here!)
I'm actually scared of asking my doctor for my prescription as he usually just sends it straight through to the dispensary. I'd have to ask for it so I can take it with me elsewhere, although he actually suggested this when he accused me of treating the place like a shop.
All medicines come with a patient data sheet and clearly explain when not to take them and possible side effects etc. e.g. “Do NOT take Levothyroxine…if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients…” and will bullet point some of the reactions you may experience.
And tells you to tell your doctor or pharmacist if you do.
And to stop taking the medication if you have a serious side effect.
And to report any side effect, as well as ones not listed
“Reporting of side effects: If you get any side effects talk to your doctor or pharmacist, this includes any possible side effects not listed in the leaflet…via the Yellow Card Scheme yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/”
This is also how dodgy medications can get recalled.
…Doctors should probably come with some sort of health warning on them too.
I hope you talk to your pharmacist.
I think he may be more concerned and more willing to accommodate you.
Occasionally, I used to have trouble with my prescription when I used to email the surgery myself to renew my prescription. i.e. nobody would have picked up the email so no prescription waiting for me at the pharmacy to collect.
So the pharmacist suggested that they’d do that for me instead.
So I just phone my pharmacist when I need my prescription (and they contact the surgery and chase them if they have to) then a couple of days later I collect it from the pharmacy.
And do this 4 times a year as I get a prescription for 3 months worth at a time (as I’m on a stable dose) rather than monthly ones.
This is something you have to do and take for the rest of your life so you need a brand that you like and actually restores you to good health, and in way that’s most convenient to you.
It should be as easy for your pharmacist to order in your preferred brand as it is to order Teva.
Thank you for that. I did actually complete a yellow card form detailing my problems with Teva. I'm quite new to Levo so am still having my dose worked out. Unfortunately, this means I'm having to engage with my GP every time I get a new prescription. But I'll just have to check with the dispensary before my appointment and if they've only got Teva (they currently do have it but only for 25mcg doses/increments) then I'll have to get my prescription and go elsewhere.
It's extremely frustrating not to mention insulting to be treated like a demanding and hysterical hypochondriac.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Advice & Guidance please 
Chest pain advice please
Advice on T4 levels please.
New Results! Advice please?
