Liothyronine

[Denne]

Does anyone know please what the difference between liothyronine Sigma Pharm brand and Liothyronine Morning Siide brand is. I’ve been on Sigma Pharm for 6 and a half years doing great until it was stopped by gp probably,I’m fighting like a terror to get it back,I’ve head no liothyronine since lock down, they seem to be backing down a bit coz they offered me liothyronine Morning Side brand only thing is it makes me ill after 2days,chronic stomach pains diarrhoea,feeling sick,can’t eat splitting headaches. I’m super sensitive to most medications,can’t even take Trammodol pain killer,I vomit after 20mins of taking it. I’m sensitive to most foods so I live off chicken,veg,lactose free stuff like that,feel better for it,done it for years. Gp now saying Morning Side brand is all nhs supply. Just as I thought l turned a corner,4and a half months without the liothyronine and no warning is taking its toll. Also nhs have acknowledged my complaint about my abrupt discontinuation of liothyronine and need any additional information for my case by 15th of this month or case is cancelled. They go on to say if the medication is reinstated I must let them know because then the case would be closed. Gp is basically saying if I don’t accept the Morning Side brand there nothing they can do. I’ve spoke to my endocrinologist who wrote to gp stating I needed my medication. Not sure what to do now. Also please what’s the difference in price coz gps are saying it’s to expensive and nhs wouldn’t pay for lio Sigma Pharm and pharmacy’s can’t get it. I’ll take any lio that I can stomach,gps are aware I’m sensitive to a lot of meds.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Sigma Pharma liothyronine is lactose free

See ingredients here dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailym...

There are 3 uk licensed 20mcg T3 options

Morningside

Mercury Pharma

Teva

Teva T3 is lactose free

Morningside are the only brand licensed for 5mcg and 10mcg and more expensive than 20mcg

But nowhere near as expensive as unregulated price of “special prescription “ for sigma Pharma.

Most people get prescribed 20mcg and cut into 5mcg or 10mcg dose if required

Post I wrote few months ago about prices of different options

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Sigma Pharma 5mcg on private prescription is £126 for 90 tablets. That's only £1.40 per table. £39.20 per 28 tablets

But Sigma Pharma is only available as "special prescription" on NHS and supplied to NHS at much higher price - typically £382-£425 (depending on which pharmacy) for 90 tablets. £118-£132 per 28 tablets

[fuchsia-pink in reply to SlowDragon]

It's insane isn't it just how much the NHS pays for certain things. It's treated as a religion by the politicians that can do no wrong, but its buying power is pretty primitive despite the quantities involved.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to fuchsia-pink]

NHS aren’t even “allowed“ to ask the price...supplier just thinks up a number

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to fuchsia-pink]

It often appears that while they have got a reasonable deal for the large volume of levothyroxine they buy, they almost pay back suppliers for that by over-paying for liothyronine.

To some extent, that makes sense. If they were paying a ludicrously high price for the millions of levothyroxine tablets, go for that before the thousands of liothyronine tablets because the savings would be much greater.

But, when the price affects who can even be prescribed liothyronine, it stops making any sense. Especially to those who need liothyronine.

[shaws Administrator in reply to helvella]

Surely the NHS could control the costs in some way rather than allowing itself to be ripped off by some Pharma Companies for their products.

It makes one wonder when the 'new' T3s were ready for prescribing, that the costs were prohibitive for the NHS and practically identical.

Mind you, it was a perfect excuse to withdraw T3 from being prescribed whilst leaving patients high and dry with no alternatives except to try to source their own which is ridiculous and many have been unsuccessful in doing so.

Another factor is that we'd have no idea whether it was going to suit the person who's swallowing it.

Also, the House of Lords seem to have had no authority either in persuading the renewal of prescriptions for T3.