Teva Liothyronine ingredients and side effects - Thyroid UK

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Teva Liothyronine ingredients and side effects

Mickeydooley profile image
29 Replies

I wondered have people noticed that the Teva T3 has the same side effects as their T4? I was recently given Teva t3 tablets by the pharmacy and have been having tummy problems for a while now and it seems to be getting worse. I’m trying to work out why. I’d read that the T3 didn’t have the same issues as the T4. Unfortunately I’ve thrown away the PIL and I can’t find anything online to indicate what the ingredients are. Can anyone help please? (I’d asked the gp if he could request that I wasn’t given Teva Levothyroxine but he wouldn’t do that. He wrote that I wasn’t to be given anything with mannitol in it instead.)

EDIT: can anyone tell me if my increased aches and pains could be a result of taking a different brand of t3? (Teva). They have been so much worse lately and getting me down. I do take vitamin d3 and k2 and also magnesium daily.

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Mickeydooley
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29 Replies
Hibs1 profile image
Hibs1

Look online for patients leaflet takes couple minutes

Rennixon profile image
Rennixon

Teva contains acacia which upsets tummy. Ask for yellow card to complete and try a different levo brand. I can’t take Teva either, upset my stomach and I felt sick ALL the time. I get prescription in hand (I know may not be possible at moment) and ask for my brand before giving it to pharmacy assistant. I take Actavis (100’s) and wockhardt(25’s)

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toRennixon

Thank you for the reply. That’s interesting. I wasn’t sure what was giving me the problems. I thought I’d read that the t3 wasn’t an issue as it didn’t contain mannitol. I’ll definitely ask the pharmacy next time. Unfortunately during this unusual time I was grateful to get any t3 so didn’t want to make a fuss. I wasn’t happy when I got home to discover that not only did I have teva t3 but that my Levo was already one month out of date! Not impressed at all!

in reply toMickeydooley

Don't stress yourself.Many of us are having problems with our medication at the moment and it is very difficult when you know how much pressure the NHS are under.

I also have to remember to check the contents of the bag before I leave the pharmacy.

You only make these mistakes once 😊

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply to

I realise that things are difficult at the moment which is why I started the teva and the levo. Under normal circumstances I would have gone back to pharmacy but everyone is under so much pressure. Unfortunately this is not the first time that this has happened to me at the same pharmacy. It’s the nearest pharmacy to me and obviously the most convenient but I may have to start going somewhere else in future.

in reply toMickeydooley

I am in the same situation.Not sure if you would have read before,but my GP has stopped prescribing my T3 and when I went to see him he raised his voice to me .

I only went because the receptionist said it was the first of these letters she had seen and thought I should have an appointment to see him.

I came away feeling very upset by his attitude.I have since seen my Endo who instantly doubled my dosage.However, I wrote to him asking if I should maybe continue with my original dose to make it last longer,as now that it has become a hospital prescription I will have to travel a 16 mile round trip to collect it,which isn't wise at the moment. I am waiting to hear from him.I'm 79 years old and I objected to my GP speaking to me as though I was some disagreeable teenager. I have happily been a patient at that surgery for around fifty years.

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply to

That’s a shame! I’m sure you were upset. I hope you get an answer very soon.

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toRennixon

Just completed a yellow card. Thank you.

fuchsia-pink profile image
fuchsia-pink in reply toMickeydooley

But that's the levo not the lio .... According to the link RedApple posted, there isn't ANY acacia in the lio - which contains:

Liothyronine sodium (each tablet contains 20 mcg of liothyronine

sodium), microcrystalline cellulose, maize starch, pregelatinised

starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate

I've not heard of people having problems with the Teva lio - just the levo ...

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply tofuchsia-pink

Yes that’s what I’d read on here but I just can’t understand why I’m having these issues. Nothing else has changed that I can think of.

Maybe you can ask your pharmacy to note on screen not to give you Teva.

State which brands you prefer.They should be able to put that on your records for you.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

Mickeydooley, This link is to the current Thyroid UK list of thyroid meds as a PDF. You should be able to find the product and it's ingredients on there. thyroiduk.org/tuk/treatment...

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toRedApple

Thank you! That’s very helpful.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

How long since you tested vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 levels?

Constant changes in brands of levothyroxine and brand of T3 is going to mean thyroid levels are never stable

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toSlowDragon

My last medichecks ultravit was done last July.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toMickeydooley

These ones?

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Vitamin D was too low

How much vitamin D are you taking?

Really Need to retest twice year

vitamindtest.org.uk

Are you on strictly gluten free diet as you have Hashimoto’s?

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toSlowDragon

Yes those are the results. I have been taking the better you spray with k2. (I had taken 10k vitamin D3 and separate k2 for about a week but stopped following advice here). I had been strictly gluten free for 18 months but hadn’t noticed any difference. I’m mostly gluten free now - I very occasionally have a piece of bread but rarely.

I wasn’t sure if it was advisable to be trying to do another medichecks test with things as they are at the moment.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toMickeydooley

Perhaps the occasional piece of bread is causing the joint pain....that’s a classic Gluten intolerance symptom

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toSlowDragon

I was tested a few years back for gluten intolerance and it came back as negative but it may well be that. I’ll cut it out again and see how I go. How long before I’d notice any changes? I can’t imagine that my tummy upset is due to gluten though. This is now daily and getting worse.

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toSlowDragon

I’ve just read the link you posted and I’m a bit shocked! Thank you. Gluten free from now on! 😩. (Didn’t realise that the effects can be felt for up to 6 months!)

Mrsamb profile image
Mrsamb

I just wanted to say that I have been taking Teva for almost a year and have only just realised it is probably the cause of why I've felt so unwell!! I've had itchiness, weakness, tiredness & stomach aches & pains which have been awful, feeling sick too. I had to have colonoscopy & endoscopy which were normal, I've been off Teva for a week now and the stomach aches & pains are getting less..

Mickeydooley profile image
Mickeydooley in reply toMrsamb

Oh wow! Are you taking teva T4 or teva T3? I’ve been so sore recently and I just don’t understand it. Very upset tummy too. However I was advised that it’s unlikely to be the teva t3 but gluten intolerance. I’ve not been aware of an issue with gluten before and I’m a bit gutted because my husband and I are retired now and our treat is to visit a nice restaurant from time to time (not that that is a problem now!) and it’s so difficult to ensure everything is gluten free. I’m so sick of this disease. I don’t think people understand how tough it is. I’ve been called ‘picky’ so many times recently! It’s getting me down.

Mrsamb profile image
Mrsamb in reply toMickeydooley

Why would it not be Teva t3? I'm not sure which one I've been taking it just says levothyroxine sodium 100, do they not have same fillers in another Teva tablets? I just find it strange if you haven't been intolerant before and just since you've been taking the medication. I thought it was intolerance for me but the more I'm finding out about Teva the more I'm sure its them and it only started last year when I switched. I didn't even know there were other brands I just thought it was thyroxine in a different box didn't know about different fillers that go in etc my folate and vitamin D was low in my last blood test I don't know if that's got anything to do with taking them either. I also suffered a miscarriage a few weeks ago and I genuinely believe it's due to being on them tablets.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toMrsamb

do they not have same fillers in another Teva tablets?

No - they do not have the same ingredients. Each product is formulated, tested, approved individually.

As for levothyroxine products, these are what are available in the UK:

UK Levothyroxine Tablets

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

Last updated 23/04/2020.

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

Please note that re-branding (whether by a manufacturer or as an ‘own label supplier’ - which has happened with several products) does not mean any change to formulation.

—————————————————————

🔹 Accord – formerly Actavis (manufacturer) – 🥛 contains lactose

  50

  100

—————————————————————

🔹 Advanz – branded both “Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine” and “Mercury Pharma Eltroxin” which are identical (manufacturer) – 🥛 contains lactose

  25

  50

  100

—————————————————————

🔸 Almus – (an ‘own label supplier’ brand owned by Walgreen Boots Alliance – Boots pharmacies and Alliance distributor)

  50 – This is repackaged Accord – formerly Actavis.

  100 – This is repackaged Accord – formerly Actavis.

—————————————————————

🔹 Aristo – (manufacturer)

  100

—————————————————————

🔸 Northstar – (an ‘own label supplier’ brand owned by McKesson – Lloyds pharmacies and AAH distributor)

  25 – This is repackaged Teva. ❗

  50 – This is repackaged Accord – formerly Actavis. ❗

  100 – This is repackaged Accord – formerly Actavis. ❗

—————————————————————

🔹 Teva – (manufacturer)

  12.5

  25

  50

  75

  100

—————————————————————

🔹 Wockhardt – (manufacturer) – 🥛 contains lactose

  25

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

🔹 – identifies manufacturers.

🔸 – identifies ‘own label supplier’ products.

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

—————————————————————

Numbers refer to tablet dosages in micrograms.

Only products which definitely contain lactose are identified (🥛 contains lactose). Please check other products. Where products are ‘own label supplier’, check the manufacturer.

If there is anything inaccurate in this information, please let me know by Private Message:

healthunlocked.com/user/hel...

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

This document is available as a PDF here:

dropbox.com/s/6h3h0qi4eqwi6...

Mrsamb profile image
Mrsamb in reply tohelvella

Thanks so do they have other fillers in other Teva tablets?

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toMrsamb

Every single product is formulated separately.

They cannot just take a levothyroxine product and put liothyronine in instead.

You can look at the excipients (ingredients other than the active pharmaceutical ingredient) in all Teva UK products here:

tevauk.com/

You can see many other products from other companies documented here:

medicines.org.uk/emc

Mrsamb profile image
Mrsamb in reply tohelvella

Thank you

Mrsamb profile image
Mrsamb

I've just read a few of your posts again I would honestly just try a different brand if you can and see how you feel instead of just putting it down to gluten

WelshDragon39 profile image
WelshDragon39

I too had bad side effects with Teva T3. My joints ached and I was tired all the time. When I looked into the ingredients, due to the tablet being Lactose free, it includes microcrystalline cellulose instead. A google search for this and joint pain shows some people are sensitive to it and thus should avoid it.

Luckily, I have sourced Mercury Pharma instead.

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