Please can someone offer me some advice . I usually take Actavis Levothyroxine however I discovered that the address for my new ones are Actavis but the brand is Northstar . I have only been taking this new brand two days and I am feeling spaced out nauseous and have pins and needles in my arms and vertigo feeling . Please could someone tell me have they had any bad side effects with this brand?
I am also taking Cephalexin for ear infection though it is nearly finnished and I have only felt worse since taking this brand !
Many thanks I really appreciate all your advice and support .
Angela
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Soprano67
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Soprano67, What matters is the name on the tablets (see back of blister pack), not the name on the box. You have Actavis tablets, in a Northstar box. Northstar is the 'brand name' used by Llloyds pharmacy, but Llloyds do not produce the tablets. If you've been happy on Actavis before, you'll be fine with these
I would check out the side effects of Cephalexin on the PIL (patient information leaflet) inside the box. It may be that it's taken this long for the side effects of Cephalexin to kick in.
Thank you Red apple for your kind reply I really appreciate it . I checked the silver blister pack like you said and it is Actavis it must be the ear infection causing these side effects as I have swollen lymph nodes though I don’t think Cephalexin is a great antibiotic as I’m starting to feel worse . The vertigo sensation is awful and pins and needles.
Thank you Red Apple I think you are right as apparently that antibiotic can cause pins and needles I didn’t realise I thought it was the thyroxine as I’m just getting worse .
Common side effects of cephalexin include dizziness and feeling tired, which may equate with you feeling 'spaced out' depending on your use of that term; but more serious side effects include confusion and hallucinations and should be reported urgently to your Dr.
As has been said, Activis and Northstar are one and the same Levo.
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I am on the antibiotic about a week now I did not expect to feel worse instead of better . Yes my speech is a little slurred and dizzy and pins and needles in my arms . I have had this antibiotic before I did not expect to feel like this . I am low in folate though have been taking active iron and b complex for a month to help with this .
You're welcome. 🙂 I think having been fine on a drug one time, is not necessarily a guarantee that you will be fine taking it on another occasion. I was fine on co-codamol until it was prescribed for post-surgery pain relief, when I had the most awful reaction to it. A few weeks ago, and 5 years later, I thought I'd try taking it again, and I was perfectly fine. I think different factors come into play that can impact your response - in my case it was possibly the lingering effects of the anaesthetic, but who knows.
Gosh that’s awful , I hope you are feeling better now . Yes I guess you are right though there are so many antibiotics I cannot take the doctor will not be happy that this is another one and I never seem to be left the doctors this last three weeks .
Oh no! These things are so unquantifiable and variable. Someone posted the other day that they hadn't been able to tolerate a particular supplement but had recently taken a course at high dose, and been perfectly fine! I hope things improve very soon for you. 🙂 I know what you mean about being at the Drs; now I've acquired other issues with successive years, I sometimes feel my car drives itself to the surgery lol.
Thank you so much that’s terrible too for that other person hopefully they are better now ! Yes having under active thyroid as you know is so unpredictable how you are going to react to tablets . My Gp will hate to see me again I just hope she can help lol !
Thank you so much for your reply I really appreciate it . I have low folate not sure what it is but my b12 the doctor said was high . I don’t have pernicious anaemia though I do need b12 supplements. I am very tired and dizzy . I stopped my b complex yesterday .
I guess I better ask to get tested again if they agree . I was taking active iron and b complex for a month that I purchased from Holland and Barrett . Maybe my b12 has reduced or ferritin the only thing is I’m not off those tablets a week yet just a few days . My doc won’t test vitamind or t4 or t3 I will need to see my consultant .
I have forgotten to watch my own health as was so busy caring for my mum . I’m finding blurred vision too and very bad brain fog . I appreciate all your advice Slow Dragon so much thank you 😊
I wanted to let you know that I got a different antibiotic Erithromycin and my full blood count is low have to take ferrous fumurate but b12 and ferritin or folate weren’t tested though folate was low last month . I asked for result range but receptionist just said I had to take iron tablets .
I got my hormone profile done too it’s satisfactory 😊
The Holland and Barrett tablets have not improved my levels I don’t think as I got those a month ago to improve folate levels .
Thank you so much I appreciate all your advice and eveyone who has messaged me .
B vitamins best taken in the morning after breakfast
Recommended brands on here are Igennus Super B complex. (Often only need one tablet per day, not two. Certainly only start with one tablet per day after breakfast. Retesting levels in 6-8 weeks ).
Or Jarrow B-right is popular choice, but is large capsule
If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results
Don't take your iron supplements with any other vitamin supplements apart from vitamin C. Vitamin C with each iron tablet may help improve iron absorption
You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet
Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up.
Hi Slow Dragon , I got my results today as follows which are satisfactory though I do not agree as I’m so weak blurred vision swollen lymph nodes and terrible brain fog . Please can you offer me some advice ?
Vitamin B12
542 Range 197-777
Folate 2.5
Range 3.9-26.8
Iron percentage 19.1
Range 30-40
Iron profile 9.3
10-30
I have been given ferrous fumurate though that is it .
That’s what I thought Folate is very low yet it’s satisfactory and swollen lymph nodes im getting scan done for that though no date set yet . I was back teaching today and my head was spinning and legs very shaky feel very dizzy .
It’s one ferrous fumurate for 56 days . I cannot believe that going on those vitamins from Holland and Barrett dropped my B12 from 900- 542 .
Others with more experience of iron can comment (I am hopeless about iron)
Usually ferrous fumerate is 2 or 3 per day
Eating liver or liver pate once a week, plus other iron rich foods like black pudding, prawns, spinach, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily vitamin C can help improve iron absorption
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
If/when also on T3, make sure to take last dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test
do you have Hashimoto's?
Taking almost any dose of T3 suppresses TSH. FT4 and FT3 are most important results by far
Thank you Slow Dragon I will put up another post about my iron . I split my t3 twice a day and I don’t have Hashimoto. I prob need to see my consultant as doc doesn’t test T3 or T4 or vitamin d .
Yes, fully recovered, normal lifestyle.... can easily walk 3-5 miles. Been digging garden two hours this morning etc etc
Lost two stone over last 18 months....not easy....but at least now possible. Two more stone to go.
Always absolutely strictly gluten free. Good protein and fresh vegetables. Low carb. (But still plenty of (soya free) chocolate!) Regular vitamin supplements
Probably couldn't run a marathon.....but can do everything I want to
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