Change in meds

[birkie]

Hi everyone ❤️

My gp has changed my levoroxine because of gastric problems I have colitis and when I take the levo it flairs the condition up

I was on levoroxine 50mg Mercury Pharma

He has now put me on on Eltroxin 50gm Mercury Pharma.. Is their a difference in these tablets

Thanks in advance for any input

Merry Christmas all🎄🎄🎄

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

According to the list of thyroid hormone replacement brands and ingredients in this document on ThyroidUK's website (updated 2.10.19):

thyroiduk.org/tuk/treatment...

Eltroxin (Advanz) by Mercury Pharma contains:

Anhydrous levothyroxine sodium, sodium citrate, lactose, maize starch, acacia powder, magnesium stearate

and Levothyroxine (Advanz) by Mercury Pharma contains:

Anhydrous levothyroxine sodium, sodium citrate, lactose, maize starch, acacia powder, magnesium stearate.

So there doesn't seem to be any difference.

Do you have the Patient Information Leaflet from both so that you can compare, see if they say anything different?

[birkie in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi thanks for the reply ❤️ I don't have the leflet for the other levoroxine but I'm sure theirs no difference I will look on line at the levo ingredients to see.. So not sure why he has given me these 🙄

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to birkie]

They are both exactly the same

[birkie in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks slowdragon

Yes just looked on line at the ingredients of my levoroxine theirs no difference in them to Eltroxin so don't know why he has said his changing me to these said I will be better with my bowel and stomach problems... Won't hold my breath.. 🙄🙄🙄

[Jazzw in reply to birkie]

Equally, it could be that 50mcg Levo isn’t enough...

[Jazzw in reply to birkie]

Presumably the GP didn’t check. 🤦🏽‍♀️

It could be the lactose or the acacia powder. Some people are very sensitive to that.

[birkie in reply to Jazzw]

Thanks for the reply

I actually do think I'm lactose intolerant I could not stomach the anti thiyroid meds they had lactose in them as do some other meds that affected me.. 😭

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You previous post 7 days ago shows you are woefully under treated on just 50mcg after total thyroidectomy

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

FT4 and FT3 are both BELOW range

Are you now on increased dose of 75mcg ?

If you need lactose free Levothyroxine then you need Teva tablets

Or liquid Levothyroxine is another option but they don't like to offer it as its relatively expensive

[birkie in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi slowdragon

No still on 50mg still having bowel/stomach problems... What puzzles me is the day after my TT I was given 125mg levo for six weeks but was still hyper surgeon noted this and lowerd my dose to 100mg then again to 75mg as he noted hyper symptoms again had all hyper symptoms tremors, sweats, couldn't sleep, on the loo a lot.. Then he said I can't do much more for you shall I refer you to an endo I said yes but I've just found out he has not done this as I contacted his secretary 😠 he then handed me over to my gp who had reduced my dose even further by looking at my TSH.. I'm sure he put me down to 25mg but he denied this.. My TSH has gone from suppressed to 3.53 and my T3 is 2.3...T4 10.9..since going on levo my bowels/stomach have been bad..

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to birkie]

Most of those symptoms can be hypothyroid symptoms too and due to low FT3

Or poor conversion of Levothyroxine into FT3.

TSH frequently remains suppressed after Graves. Most important results are ALWAYS FT3 and FT4

You need to slowly increase dose Levothyroxine in 25mcg steps

Poor gut function is extremely common hypothyroid symptom.

Presumably you had Graves' disease

Are you on strictly gluten free diet? This helps thousands of Hashimoto's and Graves patients

Very important to have good vitamin levels.

Gut issues frequently cause poor absorption of nutrients

Ask/insist that GP tests vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin if not been done recently

What vitamin supplements do you currently take?

[birkie in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi

I take no vitamin supplements as gp said all vitamins are OK.. Although I pointed out my ferttine level was low he disagree with me then I said you've never checked my vitamin D he agreed to check it the next time I have my bloods done Jan 14 next year... I still had bowel/stomach problems when on all doses of levo.. My gp knows I'm not good on certain meds and even said I'm taking you off this levo and putting you on Eltroxin but it's the same 😠😠😠

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to birkie]

Eltroxin did use to be much better quality when it was made by Goldshield about 20 years ago. Then it was taken over by Mercury Pharma and discontinued. Reintroduced last year ......but it's just a different box ...i.e. A con

Suggest you start supplementing vitamin D

Better You vitamin D mouth spray is good as avoids poor gut function. Just 1000iu per day until get tested in Jan

Trying strictly gluten free diet is next step to help improve gut

To improve low ferritin

Eating iron rich foods plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich food like broccoli

Liver or liver pate once a week. Black pudding, prawns, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds are all rich in iron

[McPammy]

You could request liquid Levothyroxine. This may help. I believe it doesn’t have as many excipients in as tablet form.

I’m on liquid Levothyroxine.

[birkie in reply to McPammy]

Hi mcPammy

How are you feeling on the liquid levo? I just know my stupid gp will keep on at me to stay on the tablet form.. He did this with the anti thiyroid meds eventho he could see they were making me really ill they inflamed my stomach and bowels I've noticed I'm now starting to feel sick it's a bit like morning sickness and not nice😔 thinking of changing surgerys after the hols❤️

[McPammy in reply to birkie]

I’m fine on the liquid Levothyroxine. It may help you I’m not sure?

I do know it’s a lot more expensive than the tablet form so be mindful of that.

You could always mention PALS to your Dr this may make him/her sit up and listen.