Teva 75 mcg.

[Pepekins]

I have no thyroid due to thyroidectomy because of Pap cancer, removed 18 years ago. My endo is trying to reduce thyroxine from 100mcg daily to 75mcgs. The only brand of 75's I can find is Teva and I know nothing about this brand - anyone have experience with Teva?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Pepekins

Many members have experienced adverse reactions to Teva brand.

Some members get on with it very well.

It is the only lactose free UK Levo and the only one to contain Mannitol - it's possible the Mannitol is the cause of some people reacting to it, but all brands have fillers so it's possible to react to any fillers.

You can achieve 75mcg in other ways if you don't want to take Teva. Your 100mcg tablets can be cut in half and take 100mcg one day, and 50mcg the next, average = 75mcg.

Mercury Pharma do 25, 50 and 100mcg dose tablets.

Eltroxin (Advanz) do 25, 50 and 100mcg dose tablets.

Activis (also branded as Northstar and Almus) do 50 and 100mcg dose tablets.

Wockhardt to 25mcg only tablets.

So you have a wide choice but you could always try Teva, it may suit you.

[MaisieGray in reply to SeasideSusie]

Two things to add to that comprehensive answer: You might be like me and able to happily combine any make/dose of levo with another, (but if know yourself to be more sensitive, please discount that); and secondly, why is he "trying to reduce" your Levo? Do you feel or have symptoms of being over-medicated? Is your FT3 or FT4 result elevated, or is he wrongly wanting to medicate you according to your TSH level? If so, is he considering that your TT was due to cancer and you may therefore be better advised to maintain a suppressed TSH? If you wish to post your latest results and their reference ranges, folks can comment.

[Pepekins in reply to SeasideSusie]

I think I posted incorrectly. Endo wants me to cut down to 75mcg once a week to start with, not every day. I am awaiting my latest results and will post them when I receive them. Thank you everyone who took the time to reply.

[MissGrace]

I agree with MG. You should be asking why he is reducing you and thinking about your symptoms. It may make you unwell. You really need to investigate further and explore your blood results.

I take 75mcg of Actavis. They also don’t make a 25mcg so I use a tablet cutter to cut a 50mcg in half. That might offer a solution if it is your usual brand. Mercury Pharma also do a 25mcg - they have them at Boots, whereas at Boots their 50s and 100s are Almus (Actavis.) Well - at my branch anyway!

🤸🏿‍♀️🥛

[humanbean]

75mcg Levo per day sounds like a remarkably small dose for someone without a thyroid. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't trust this endo. I'd ask for a second opinion from someone at a different hospital. Have you got a complete set of TSH, Free T4 and Free T3 results taken first thing in the morning while fasting, and 24 hours after your previous dose of Levo?

Don't just agree to see a different endo at the same hospital. Doctors in the same place of work often sing from the same hymn sheet, which was written by the guy in charge. If the guy in charge is stupid and/or a sadist, the rest of them are likely to be too, even if they don't realise.

[Hennerton]

I have no thyroid and absolutely agree with other members that you are unlikely to be well on 75 Levo only, so do please post blood tests for members to see and comment. Definitely do not reduce until you are sure. My guess is you are not converting well, your T4 is probably a bit high, T3 low in range and TSH also low, the latter triggering his action. I may well be wrong but this is exactly what happened to me. I now take T4 and T3 combined.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Your previous posts from several years ago shows that you were previously on 150mcg for Many years

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Seems unlikely that you now only need 75mcg

(Teva is only brand that makes 75mcg and best avoided)

But before considering reducing dose you need FULL Thyroid and vitamin testing

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

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if under treated

Can see you have low ferritin and this needs to be optimal

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).

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.

Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctort

 please email Dionne at

[e-mail]

Professor Toft recent article saying, T3 may be necessary for many. Note his comments on current inadequate treatment following thyroidectomy

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

Research shows 20% Patients with no thyroid can not regain full health on just Levothyroxine

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[foxglove]

Bit off topic, I don't get along with Teva levo, but does anyone know if Teva Codeine is likely to have same effect? Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to foxglove]

foxglove

What effect?

With Levo made by Teva they have made it lactose free which all the other makes include. It does include mannitol which other brads don't include and which might be what some people have an adverse reaction to.

I currently take an antibiotic 3 times a week regularly (common for people with my lung condition) and last time my prescription was filled I was given Teva brand rather than my regular brand. It has been fine.

[foxglove in reply to SeasideSusie]

It has been a while since I tried Teva but if i remember it made me feel sort of hyped up. Perhaps would be ok now. Teva codeine has a bitter after taste no matter how I swallow it You have my sympathy re anti-biotic regular, i have just finished one week course for toe infection and not even sure it helped!

[pennyannie]

Hello Pepekins

Just as a matter of reference a fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you daily with approximately 100 T4 + 10 T3.

T3 is considered to be about 3 - 4 times stronger than T4 so this works out at about 130- 140 T4 daily.

I think before you drop your dose any further it would be wise to know where your T4 and T3 levels are within the ranges. Most people feel better when both hormones are in balance and in the upper quadrants of the ranges.

Many people without a thyroid, myself included, feel much better when they add some T3 to their T4 or take Natural Desiccated Thyroid which contains all the same known hormones as those identified as in a human thyroid.

How are you feeling, do you feel over medicated ?