What Brand of Levo ?

[Ladybex]

I have been on 2 brands of LEVOTHYROXINE that hadn’t agreed with me... now I have to try another brand... any ideas ...

[LyraBelasqua]

Which brands have you tried?

[Ladybex in reply to LyraBelasqua]

Wockhardt and Teva

[Ladybex in reply to LyraBelasqua]

Wockhardt and Teva

[Nico101 in reply to Ladybex]

Same here. Shame the NHS doesn't understand autoimmune conditions and purchase drugs that aren't full of toxins, carcinogens, and allergens!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

List of different brands and fillers in each one

thyroiduk.org/tuk/treatment...

Which brands have you tried?

Have you had dose increase in levothyroxine yet?

Some symptoms can be due to being under medicated and still hypothyroid

Obviously you need vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin tested too

Have you had coeliac blood test yet?

[Lulla in reply to SlowDragon]

thank you for this link. Do you know who compiled it? Just wanted to point out that one of the items Euthyrox is under the wrong heading. It's available in Europe - not UK, and other countries in Middle east etc, but not in the USA

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Lulla]

I will alert LouiseRoberts at Thyroid head office

[LouiseRoberts in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks

[Ladybex in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks Slow Dragon ... it’s all so confusing ... I’m told to try a different brand of 25mcg Levothyroxine...

have taken ferrous folate .. folic acid ... and continuing with magnesium citrate, Vitamin D, Fish Oil and waiting on a B12 blood test ...

Feel so tired but thank you so much for the info I need time to try and work another brand out... x

[Ladybex]

Tried Wockhardt and Teva

Just finished Ferris Folate and folic acid ... also GP told me to take Magnesium Citrate, Fish Oil, Vitamin D which atm is ongoing ...

thank you for replying ...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Ladybex]

Folate likely to drop if you stop supplementing

Many people find taking daily vitamin B complex is beneficial

one with folate in not folic acid

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

B vitamins best taken in the morning after breakfast

Igennus Super B complex are nice small tablets. Often only need one tablet per day, not two. Certainly only start with one tablet per day after breakfast. Retesting levels in 6-8 weeks

Or Thorne Basic B or jarrow B-right are other options that contain folate, but both are large capsules

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

[helvella Administrator]

This might help:

UK Levothyroxine Tablets

Last updated 05/02/2020.

This is a list of currently marketed levothyroxine tablets in the UK.

🔹 Accord – formerly Actavis (manufacturer)

50

100

🔸 Almus (brand owned by Walgreen Boots Alliance – Boots and Alliance distributor)

50 – This is repackaged Accord – formerly Actavis.

100 – This is repackaged Accord – formerly Actavis.

🔹 Mercury Pharma (manufacturer – part of Advanz) includes both “Levothyroxine” and “Eltroxin” which are identical.

25

50

100

🔹 Teva (manufacturer)

12.5

25

50

75

100

🔸 Northstar (brand owned by McKesson – Lloyds pharmacy and AAH distributor)

25 – This is repackaged Teva. ❗

50 – This is repackaged Accord - formerly Actavis. ❗

100 – This is repackaged Accord - formerly Actavis. ❗

🔹 Wockhardt (manufacturer)

25

🔹 – identifies manufacturers.

🔸 – identifies repackaged products.

❗ – Take particular note of the actual product which varies by dosage.

Numbers refer to tablet dosages in micrograms.

(Edited to update with latest manufacturer/brand information.)

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Suggest you try Activis next or Mercury Pharma

Getting paper prescription from GP’s enables you to take prescription around until you get the brand you need

[Ladybex in reply to SlowDragon]

Oh brilliant as really can’t decide which brand to choose... will go with Activis and keep Mercury Pharma in mind.. your a star SlowDragon as without your info I don’t know what I would do... will keep you updated

Cyber hugs 🤗

[Ladybex in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi there SlowDragon

I am about to start a different brand of levothyroxine ... I’m taking your advice and going to try Mercury Pharma 🤞🏻I’m hoping now this won’t cause me problems. My pharmacist says that we dont have Activis

I hope your keeping well and will let you know how I get on

Best wishes

Ann

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Ladybex]

See how you get on

How much levothyroxine are you now taking?

When was last dose increase ?

Standard starter dose of levothyroxine is 50mcg

Levothyroxine should be increased slowly in 25mcg steps up, after each test result

Most people eventually settle on somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg daily

If still only on 25mcg this will be causing symptoms

[Ladybex in reply to SlowDragon]

I keep saying this to GP and he says 25mcg and another blood test 6 weeks ... blood tests on here that have just been done ...

[silverfox7]

As thyroid patients we lose vits etc quite quickly so you need to keep checking levels and find a maintenance dose to keep them where they should be.

[Miffie in reply to silverfox7]

I am inclined to think the vitamin problems that hypothyroid patients suffer is cause by Hashimotos/ autoimmune thyroiditis. As 90% of those worth hypothyroidism have developed the condition because of Hashi I think there are often outcomes which are attributed to hypothyroidism when actually they are far less prevalent in the 20% who have no autoimmune issues. I never had any vitamin deficiency until less than a year ago when I had to supplement VitD. I am now sixty eight.

[silverfox7 in reply to Miffie]

Well I have vitamin etc issues and I don’t have Hashimoto’s

[Ladybex in reply to Miffie]

I have been told to take VitD .. do you take this all the time Miffie.. I’m 66 and taking that with Magnesium and fish oil ... also taken a course of ferritin and folic acid ?

Was told I’m borderline under active thyroid and should take 25mcg of levothyroxine but after two different brands have come off as it made me quite ill..

[Miffie in reply to Ladybex]

Yes I take D now for ever following. DEXA scan. My bones are a bit rubbish so that and calcium are permanent features in my life. aPI use Better You as my current D source. I have a 27 tablet a day going on at present. Good luck going forward.

[Nico101 in reply to Miffie]

You really need to be taking vitamin K -full spectrum, not just MK7. That's in addition to D3 and calcium - although the calcium is not as important as the D3 and Ks.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Nico101]

vitamin K -full spectrum

What do you actually mean by that expression? Please. And do you have any references?

[Nico101 in reply to helvella]

It means all the K vitamins, not just K2 and not just K2 MK 7. Some studies are showing MK 4 to be helpful in bone formation and keeping calcium from arteries, and no one yet knows the role other K vitamins play, so it would be a safe bet that they are useful.

I have been following a protocol from a book called: Lies My Doctor Told Me: Osteoporosis by Harmony Clearwater Grace. Great book, short and to the point and not full of medical jargon.

Basically, taking calcium without K2 is very dangerous and can cause heart problems, as the calcium floats around the blood stream and blocks arteries. K2 directs calcium to the bones and keeps the arteries clear of it. Apparently, in Japan they prescribe K2 for osteoporosis over drugs.

Try reading that book. It's scary how they treat osteoporosis in the West - and bloody dangerous!

[helvella Administrator in reply to Nico101]

I read "vitamin K -full spectrum" as including K1. And I think many others would do the same.

[Nico101 in reply to helvella]

Yes, I did mean that. All of them.

[Miffie in reply to Nico101]

I do follow the protocol.

[whispers]

I see northstar 25 has been repackaged to Teva, does that mean it is just the outer package or has the tablet itself been changed? I have been trying to avoid teva but am on northstar at the minute ( white inner) but have just cleared my meds cupboard and found an old inner that is gold/orange so wondering if I was given teva on that occasion.

[fuchsia-pink in reply to whispers]

I've been given 25 Tevas - and they're pretty easy to spot - the foil says Teva on the underside. don't know if all Teva 25 are the same though ...

[helvella Administrator in reply to whispers]

The other way around, Teva is repackaged as Northstar - in 25 microgram dosage ONLY.

I think the blister pack will have the PL number for reference.

Previously, the blister packages inside repackaged products have been unchanged - only the card outer.

[whispers in reply to helvella]

Sorry I'm been a bit thick today, does that mean we might be getting teva instead of northstar, but in a northstar box?

[helvella Administrator in reply to whispers]

There is NO Northstar product. It is just a brand.

All Northstar packaged levothyroxine is another make - but with a card outer that says "Northstar".

For 25 microgram tablets, they are from Teva.

For 50 and 100 microgram tablets, they are from Accord (formerly Actavis).

[whispers in reply to helvella]

Thank you, just realised my northstar is 100, my wokhardt is 25, sorry to have been such a pain 😊

[Algic]

Mercury pharma contains same fillers as teva

[helvella Administrator in reply to Algic]

No it does not. Some ingredients are in common; others are not.

[Ladybex]

Thank you all so much for all the replies - I am overwhelmed but will need some time to read them all and get back to you all..