Does this bloood test show my TPO antibody reading? 🙏

[ChristmasDov]

My GP said my Thyroid antibodies were high but I can’t make head and tale of blood test and can’t find where it gives me my TPO antibody result. Please can those in the know enlighten me. Thanks so much!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

ChristmasDov

No, there is no TPO antibody test result on that print out.

Is your GP going to increase your dose of Levo? You are undermedicated to have a TSH level of 3.37 and I can't work out how far through the range your FT4 is because the reference ranges aren't showing.

The aim of a treated hypo patient on Levo, generally, is for TSH to be 1 or below with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well.

[ChristmasDov in reply to SeasideSusie]

GP did order thyroid scan though after these blood results. Is that to do with the low lymphocyte levels I wonder?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to ChristmasDov]

Lymphocytes are white blood cells, usually an indicator of infection, beyond that I can't say.

Thyroid scan can confirm Hashi's, nodules, etc.

You need an increase in your dose of Levo, regardless of whatever else is being investigated.

[ChristmasDov in reply to SeasideSusie]

Felt so awful since taken Levo though...anxiety and sleepless nights!

[Wetsuiter in reply to ChristmasDov]

that may well because you re not taking enough. It doesnt 'top up', it completely replaces, and as you are undermedicated, it isnt replacing eenough

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to ChristmasDov]

ChristmasDov

Besides being undermedicated, maybe the brand of Levo doesn't suit you.

Your first post on the forum says you started to feel anxious/jittery when your brand was changed to Almus. SlowDragon what brand you were on before but you didn't reply:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

and your next post also discusses different brands:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

You said you'd been back on your original brand for 2 days but SlowDragon explained how long it will take for any issues caused by a particular brand to resolve, this is because Levo has a half life of 7 days and it can take weeks for all traces of it to leave your system completely. It may very well be a case of being patient and waiting until all traces of the old brand are completely eliminated from your system.

[ChristmasDov in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you Seaside Susie. It’s reassuring to have good advice

[ChristmasDov in reply to SeasideSusie]

I’m now on NorthStar. Any experience with this brand?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to ChristmasDov]

Which brand of levothyroxine did you start on?

50mcg Northstar is Accord(Alumus)

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Included this list in reply previous posts

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to ChristmasDov]

I’m now on NorthStar. Any experience with this brand?

Northstar is the same as Almus, is the same as Accord (who used to be Actavis), they are all the same tablets, just rebranded for the different pharmacies.

What was your first prescribed brand of Levo and did you do well on it? If so then you need to ask for that brand.

If your problems started when you were changed to Almus then you need to avoid Almus, Northstar, Actavis and Accord as they're all the same tablet made by Accord.

[Mickeydooley in reply to SeasideSusie]

My last packet of 25mcg Northstar were actually Teva in the northstar packaging.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Mickeydooley]

A source of endless confusion. Northstar 50 and 100 are Accord (Actavis) but their 25 is Teva.

(As Accord do not manufacture a 25 tablet, they could not simply add a 25 from Accord. In my view, it should not have been allowed.)

UK Levothyroxine Tablets

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

Last updated 30/04/2020.

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 (marketing authorisation holder)

🏭 Accord-UK (manufacturer)

🥛 contains lactose

  50  PL 0142/0104

  100  PL 0142/0105

White

6mm diameter

—————————————————————

🔹 Advanz – branded both “Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine” and “Mercury Pharma Eltroxin” which are identical (marketing authorisation holder)

🏭 Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (manufacturer)

🥛 contains lactose

  25  PL 12762/0016 5.5mm diameter

  50  PL 10972/0031

  100  PL 10972/0032

—————————————————————

🔸 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 – (marketing authorisation holder)

🏭 Aristo Pharma GmbH (manufacturer)

  100  PL 40546-0159

—————————————————————

🔸 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 – (marketing authorisation holder)

🏭 PLIVA Croatia Ltd (manufacturer)

  12.5  PL 00289/1971

  25  PL 00289/1972

  50  PL 00289/0038

  75  PL 00289/1973

  100  PL 00289/0039

—————————————————————

🔹 Wockhardt – (marketing authorisation holder)

🏭 CP Pharmaceuticals Ltd (manufacturer)

🥛 contains lactose

  25  PL 29831/0130

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

🔹 – identifies marketing authorisation holder.

🔸 – identifies ‘own label supplier’ products.

🏭 – identifies manufacturers (where known).

❗ – 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 marketing authorisation holder.

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

healthunlocked.com/user/hel...

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

This document is updated whenever I am aware of any changes or enhancements are needed. Please check the Last updated date. The current version is available as a PDF here:

dropbox.com/s/6h3h0qi4eqwi6...

[Mickeydooley in reply to helvella]

Thank you. I was looking for this link but hadn’t got there yet. I was disgusted to find, half way through the packet, that I was actually taking teva. Couldn’t understand why I was having issues again.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Mickeydooley]

Mickeydooley

My last packet of 25mcg Northstar were actually Teva in the northstar packaging.

Yes, that's correct, something we are always reminding members of when 25mcg Levo tablets are mentioned. However, this member is talking about 50mcg Northstar so it wasn't relevant in this instance.

[ChristmasDov in reply to SeasideSusie]

Unfortunately do not know what I was first prescribed! It was in February and I didn’t notice! Pharmacy said they can’t tell me as frequently change brands. It’s so annoying!

All I know is anxiety etc came on since I’ve take levo. I wish I could establish whether it’s because levels aren’t right yet- though was felt fine before I was diagnosed with thyroid difficulties, went for test as weight was not shifting. Or whether anxiety and restlessness is down to the Levo itself. The idea of increasing dosage frankly scares me.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

At same time as requesting 25mcg dose increase in levothyroxine

Ask GP to test folate, ferritin, B12 and vitamin D

Plus coeliac blood test if not been done yet

[ChristmasDov in reply to SlowDragon]

I read low lymphocyte levels are associated with Graves’ disease??

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to ChristmasDov]

Your results confirm you have Hashimoto’s

Diagnosed with high TSH

[ChristmasDov in reply to SlowDragon]

I did home test did coeliac and it was negative. B12 and ferritin and folate, I don’t know. Are these v important SlowDragon?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to ChristmasDov]

Yes very important to test vitamin levels

Frequently they are very low and improving by supplementing can significantly reduce symptoms

Either test them all alongside thyroid

Or get just vitamin D tested now

NHS postal kit

vitamindtest.org.uk

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/286...

Vitamin D deficiency is frequent in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and treatment of patients with this condition with Vitamin D may slow down the course of development of hypothyroidism and also decrease cardiovascular risks in these patients. Vitamin D measurement and replacement may be critical in these patients.

endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/...

Evidence of a link between increased level of antithyroid antibodies in hypothyroid patients with HT and 25OHD3 deficiency may suggest that this group is particularly prone to the vitamin D deficiency and can benefit from its alignment.

Then look at getting B12, folate and ferritin tested alongside thyroid levels 6-8 weeks after dose increase in levothyroxine

Levothyroxine doesn’t top up our thyroid output, it replaces it. Hence the reason it’s important to be taking enough. Dose is increased slowly upwards retesting 6-8 weeks after each dose increase

Other brands you might have had

Mercury Pharma

Photo

primepharmacy.co.uk/online-...

Teva

chemistanddruggist.co.uk/ne...

[Angel_of_the_North]

No, it doesn't even show FT3 or ferritin or folate or B12 or vit D and there are no ranges. If you are on levo, you need an increase as TSH is too high and FT4 a bit low (probably - but no ranges so impossible to tell). If you are not on meds, you won't get treatment, even if you have symptoms, until TSH is over 10.