Side effects of Teva brand

[Happywalker]

I have read in some posts that some people do not get on with the Teva brand of Thyroxine. I take 75 micrograms of Thyroxine (Teva). For the past year I have been experiencing muscle and joint pain in the morning which is becomes much worse after taking the Thyroxine tablets. I was wondering if this has anything to do with the Teva fillers. Has anyone else experienced this?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Have you always taken Teva brand?

Obviously it could be the brand

But 75mcg is low dose Levothyroxine. Looking at previous posts you recently had annual review. Did you get FULL Thyroid and vitamin testing?

If not, you might need to consider testing privately

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

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).

Another consideration....

Have you tried taking Levothyroxine at bedtime instead of the morning?

verywell.com/should-i-take-...

Other medication at least 2 hours away, some like HRT, iron, calcium, vitamin D or magnesium at least four hours away from Levothyroxine

[Happywalker in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for your reply. I am not sure if I have always been given the Teva brand or not. I never looked at the brand until recently after reading that it has been a problem with some people. I started the aches and pains and muscle weakness about 6 months ago and was tested and found to be Vitamin D deficient. I was given a loaded dose of vitamin D and have taken 25 mg a day ever since. I am going to be tested again to see what my vitamin D level is now. I guess the doctor will only ask for a TSH test. I tested strongly positive for TPO originally. My ferratin level was OK but vitamin B12 and folate were a bit low so I have been taking a vitamin B complex supplement (Holland and Barrett) and also fish oil and magnesium. I eat 3 Brazil nuts daily to get selenium. So hopefully my vitamin levels are OK. I am having blood tests done for inflammation and antibodies. I hope they will shed some light on the problem.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Happywalker]

With Hashimoto's we often need high dose vitamin D.

Using vitamin D mouth spray by Better You gives much better absorption than vitamin D you swallow

Do you mean 25mcg or 25mg?

25mcg vitamin D is not a high dose, it's only 1000iu

[Happywalker in reply to SlowDragon]

I only take 1000iu of Vitamin D. I am about to be tested on the 4th July so will post the result and ask for advice. Thanks for the information you have given me.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Happywalker

Muscle and joint pains can also be low Vit D so it's worth testing that. If GP wont do it then you can do a home fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:

vitamindtest.org.uk/

(costs £29)

[Happywalker in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for replying. I am booked in for blood tests including Vitamin D.

[ShKh]

Yes yes oh my gosh yes, thank God for this site. My back pain has been horrible and insomnia too, and I be finally no put two and two together. It's a side effect. Doc just have me horrible antidepressants for the pain , but that's not addressing my symptoms is it just giving me a whole set of new ones