Vegan Levothyroxine

[Esselstyn]

At long last I have found a brand that is vegan, it has TEVN on the packet, my old brand I understood to be vegetarian, with lactose in it, but recently I re read the leaflet and gelatine had either been added or it had been in it all along. I was horrified, so got another prescription. The brand with the gelatine was Northstar, Mercurypharma were also dodgy, but I do not recall what was in them.

[sy28]

Do you mean Teva?

[Esselstyn in reply to sy28]

I am not sure of the name, its not clear, so probably yes, you would think a companies logo who scream loud and clear

[DandyThyro in reply to Esselstyn]

I don't know, the Teva I got was in a box very clearly labelled Teva. Unfortunately, it's the one Levothyroxine I am allergic to: nausea and an itchy rash. How interesting it's vegan and the others aren't! I wonder if it has soy in it, or tartrazine, a yellow food colouring which I definitely am allergic to.

[MaisieGray in reply to DandyThyro]

Teva has neither of those, according to the PIL: The other ingredients are maize starch, mannitol (E421), microcrystalline cellulose, sodium citrate, acacia and magnesium stearate.

[DandyThyro in reply to MaisieGray]

Thank you. Great. Another allergy! 😅

[Esselstyn in reply to MaisieGray]

I looked up mannitol and its used as a drug, I forget what for, but I was surprised. Still I am happy that apart from the initial testing no animals are hurt in making this medication. The pharmacist checked just in case, it is vegan.

[MaisieGray in reply to Esselstyn]

It's commonly used in foods as an artificial sweetener, and can also be given as a diuretic for say, reduction of eye pressure, or kidney problems, and is also used as an adjunct treatment for cyclic fibrosis. But the doses would presumably be far greater than the tiny amount used in combination with the other excipients and active ingredient in a Levo tablet. I use Teva as and when it's dispensed to me with other brands, and have no problem with it.

[RedApple Administrator]

Esselstyn "The brand with the gelatine was Northstar"

Northstar levothyroxine is actually made by Actavis. The ingredients list does NOT include gelatine.

Ingredients are: Anhydrous levothyroxine sodium, lactose, magnesium stearate, maize starch, stearic acid, pregelatinised maize starch.

Maybe you are confusing the term 'pregelatinised' to mean gelatine. If so, I think you'll find this is incorrect. For an explanation of the term pregelatinised, see wiki here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starc...

Both Actavis and MercuryPharma levothyroxine do contain lactose. Teva specifically formulated their levothyroxine to be lactose free. However, they substituted mannitol instead, which many people are intolerant to.

[Esselstyn in reply to RedApple]

I have been getting the northstar one for ages, it did have lactose on the ingredients list, but recently gelatine was also on the list, they may have changed the formula, they have a long shelf life, you could have an older packet.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Esselstyn]

The ingredients have not changed.

You can view the ingredients on the PIL (Patient Information Leaflet) here: medicines.org.uk/emc/files/... and details are also listed on the Thyroid UK website here: thyroiduk.org/tuk/treatment...

[Esselstyn in reply to RedApple]

I seem to remember gelatine, but I have just checked one of the leaflets and it is pregelatinised starch which is vegan, you are right. The good news is that getting a source with out lactose means I have a vegan brand now, which was what I wanted.

[bantam12 in reply to Esselstyn]

Just checked my new box of Actavis ( same as Northstar) and gelatine isn't on the ingredients list.

[MaisieGray in reply to Esselstyn]

Esselstyn I think you may be confused about this. The latest - August 2019 - PIL states the inactive ingredients to be lactose, magnesium stearate, maize starch, stearic acid and pregelatinised maize starch. Pre-gelatinised maize starch is a starch that's undergone the process of breaking down the intermolecular bonds of starch in the presence of water and heat; and has no connection to the animal product gelatin.

[Esselstyn in reply to MaisieGray]

do you know, even though I can see the pre gelatinised thing now, I have a clear memory of gelatine as an ingredient on one of the brands, so keep vigilant and keep an eye on the ingredients you never know what will turn up

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Esselstyn]

Perhaps you have been reading ingredient lists of non-UK brands of levothyroxine tablets. There are many different formulations of levothyroxine medicines around the world.

[jigsmoore]

I believe I was allergic to Acacia in Mercury. Have had reaction before with another tablet containing acacia.