LIQUID THYROID HORMONE

[posthinking01]

Hi everyone,

I have always used Mercury Pharma liquid thyroid hormone for lactose intolerance issues. For the last year I end up so stressed as the chemists tell me they cannot get it and offer me Teva - I was down to my last spoonful last year and was so frantic I wrote to Jeremy Hunt - telling him I had been onto the manufacturer and the distributor who said there was no problem - I was suspicious this was the Health Authorities advising not to supply as too expensive now (which I agree with but I thought I had no choice).

Same thing again - 6 weeks before I finally got it - but in the meantime I said 'for goodness sake' give me one bottle of Teva to keep going as I was so worried I was going to run out altogether. I took the same dose as I do with the MP and had dreadful side effects. Eyes feeling full - headache - hands stiff - rushing behind my nose (this is the pituitary either under strain or actually working better I am not quite sure why it is doing that - i.e. for what reason) anyway my other half said - what if this product is stronger - have you thought of that - I said but it can't be I checked the ingredients they are exactly the same - even the additives. He said 'let's try it - he reduced the dose to 85mcg and low and behold it worked - no side effects - it would appear that even though it should be the same - it can be different - if you get my drift.

I had written to Teva the first day of use asking why it was happening and they virtually confirmed that the product 'as a whole' could be different.

Anyway the product - suits me - I am losing weight for the first time - I feel more energetic and a lot of thyroid symptoms that never went away either on Armour - Erfa or Levo tablets or indeed MP liquid now appear to be subsiding slowly.

So the point of my post is that Teva has a bad name which made me reluctant to use it - but I wonder if the side effects are because - dare I say it - it's a more efficient product I know they have had production issues in the past but I daresay now and from the e mail reply I received - they are being monitored closely - they were very concerned by my e mail and I have received a further e mail - entitled 'Safety Issue' from them asking me how I am now.

Just thought I would post for interest.

Keep safe and well

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Different brands of levothyroxine are not bio equivalent. This means 100mcg of one brand will not give exactly same effect as 100mcg of a different brand, even if they appear to have exactly same ingredients

One patient might find one is stronger than the other, another patient might find the reverse

academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).

List of different brands available in UK

thyroiduk.org/tuk/treatment...

[posthinking01 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi - exactly what I have observed - to my surprise - I am grateful I have found a product that is suiting me far better than the equivalents.

My post was actually to point out that when people tell us they are suffering side effects e.g. with Teva products that it might be just that they need to drop the dose down slightly - which is of course a lot easier with a liquid product than with tablets - although in saying that I have tweaked my dose on tablets on many an occasion to compensate for antibiotics that reduce thyroid hormone. Thanks for the link.