Is there a list somewhere of T4 and T3 brands with their fillers? Does anyone have one please?

[TaraJR]

I'm anxious to help a friend who cannot tolerate any brand of T4, and has been taken off NHS T3. Does anyone have a list of all the brands of T4 and T3 with their fillers? Maybe she can work out which fillers are affecting her so badly. Thank you.

[shaws Administrator]

I am very sorry for your friend as the doctors and specialists seem to have absolutely no idea how the patient feels if her/his prescription is changed from one that has been improving their health. Your friend could try and get a private prescription.

The following may be helpful:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/campai...

[TaraJR in reply to shaws]

Thanks shaws Yes I'm familiar with the campaign, as I'm part of it! The other TUK info I had seen ages ago but had forgotten about, and I hope it may help.

[humanbean]

A document from Thyroid UK :

thyroiduk.org/tuk/treatment...

Note that some medications are made by one company and then are packaged and named different things by the maker. It gets confusing! It is always worth checking the Patient Information Leaflet and the box to find out who made the tablets.

Also note that only the products mentioned in the first three pages are normally prescribed by the NHS. Some of the others listed may be prescribed but it would be a big fight to convince a doctor to do so. And some of the listed products are only available privately or by finding a supplier online.

Another useful site is this one :

emc - the electronic medicines compendium : medicines.org.uk/emc/

It is not 100% comprehensive, but many prescribed or pharmacy supplied medicines in the UK will have entries on the site. You can find out ingredients in many medical or pharmacy products from the info supplied.

For products you can't find in the emc it is worth looking up the manufacturer's website to see if you can find out the ingredients for a particular medicine or pharmacy product.

[TaraJR in reply to humanbean]

Thanks humanbean . The emc says a daily dose of up to 60mcg, as does the BNF. But Devon - where my friend is - will only allow a max of 10mcg, regardless of how much you actually need. The TUK list of Levo and T3 brands and ingredients is exactly what I need - brilliant!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to TaraJR]

Ironies abound. Technically, the documentation implies that even if the patient is prescribed to take only 10 micrograms a day, they have to be dispensed 20 micrograms a day in order to go through the dispersion in water, use an oral syringe, throw the rest away palaver.

As for Patient Information Leaflets, the site humanbean linked to is good and easy to use but misses quite a few products. The MHRA site actually has ALL PILs. mhra.gov.uk/spc-pil/ but is much more awkward to navigate.

[TaraJR in reply to helvella]

Thanks helvella . I guess that way you could take your T3 the 'normal' way (ie not dissolve it) and you'd be getting 20mcg a day! But still only a third of what some people need.

Yes it's all nuts. Drs wouldn't prescribe a third of the antibiotics or insulin a patient needs would they... ...

[humanbean in reply to helvella]

Thanks for highlighting that, helvella .

I didn't know that the MHRA site had all the PILs.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to humanbean]

Just tediously difficult to find and navigate.

EMC is far easier for the ones they have - not Teva, for example.