Liothyronine

[Denne]

Hi does anyone know where it states what brand of Lio a gp can prescribe now. Gps are adamant Morningside brand is all they can prescribe. They know I had stomach cramps and felt sick when I tried to take it,having said that I did try and take it on the same dose of Levo. I am super sensitive to a lot of medication unfortunately. I was on Sigma Pharm.

[Lalatoot]

On NHS prescription I can get Teva or Morningside. If the GP just writes on liothyronine and the dose on the prescription you can get whatever the chemist is prepared to supply.

[fuchsia-pink in reply to Lalatoot]

Likewise. More often Teva but I'm happy with either.

[Denne in reply to Lalatoot]

Gp wrote not morningside brand on script of lio,every chemist I tried said they could only supply morningside. Gp now saying he has been advised morningside is the only brand. Gp knows I’m struggling to take that brand. I was on 5mg lio twice a day and 100mg levo once a day

[Lalatoot in reply to Denne]

That is untrue. My local Boots and I live at the back of beyond in a small town can easily supply me with TEVA or Morningside - it is my choice.Don't be put off if you can get TEVA - it is the levo that can cause problems not the lio.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

You don't say what dosage tablets. If 20 micrograms, they should be able to dispense Mercury Pharma, Teva or Morningside. If 5 or 10 micrograms, since Morningside started to make them available, people who were on makes such as Sigma Pharm have been told they must change.

.

It might be worth suggesting Ace from Netherlands as I think it actually works out less expensive. Though whether it will be available next year is not yet clear. The pharmacy would have to get involved in order to obtain it.

.

UK Liothyronine Tablets

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Last updated 30/04/2020.

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

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🔹 Advanz – branded Mercury Pharma formerly branded Tertroxin (marketing authorisation holder)

🏭 manufacturer Custom Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

🥛 contains lactose

  20  PL 10972-0033

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🔹 Morningside – also branded Iraksin (marketing authorisation holder)

🏭 manufacturer Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

🥛 contains lactose

  5  PL 20117-0323

  10  PL 20117-0324

  20  PL 20117-0270

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🔹 Teva – (marketing authorisation holder)

  20  PL 00289/2116

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Some non-UK Liothyronine Tablets

🔹 Ace – branded Cytomel (marketing authorisation holder – Netherlands)

🏭 manufacturer Ace

  5

  12.5

  25

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🔹 Mayne Pharma – (marketing authorisation holder – USA)

🏭 manufactured in Germany

  5

  25

  50

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🔹 Pfizer – branded Cytomel (marketing authorisation holder – USA)

🏭 manufactured in Austria

  5

  25

  50

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🔹 Sanofi – branded Cynomel (marketing authorisation holders – France)

  25

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🔹 Sanofi Deutschland – branded Henning Thybon (marketing authorisation holders – Germany)

🏭 manufacturer Sanofi-Aventb, S.A. Josep Pla, 2, 08019 Barcelona, Spain

  20

  100

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🔹 SigmaPharm – (manufacturer – USA)

🏭 Sigmapharm Laboratories, LLC

  5

  25

  50

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🔹 – identifies marketing authorisation holders

🏭 – identifies manufacturers (where known)

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Numbers refer to tablet dosages in micrograms.

Only products which definitely contain lactose are identified (🥛 contains lactose). Please check other products.

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

healthunlocked.com/user/hel...

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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/xlibro9l9jbfb...

[Lalatoot]

My local Boots are very good. I live in the arse end of beyond so life is slow and you can still get service in some shops. The guy in Boots always tries to get what I want and as I have settled on 10mcg lio tabs Morningside they have them in waiting for my monthly prescription. Sending you positive vibes Scrumbler.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What size tablets?

Morningside is the ONLY brand for 5mcg or 10mcg tablets

Price is huge issue for any other brand on NHS (special prescriptions have no price regulation...so that is exploited )

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

[Denne in reply to SlowDragon]

I was on 5mg lio twice a day and 100 levo once a day.

[mandy-white]

I also had this problem. So I cut them up and had little and often throughout the day and gradually increased. Now I take it in 2 doses and am fine......this worked for me but doesn't mean it will for you though.

[Denne in reply to mandy-white]

What dose of lio were you trying to take.

[mandy-white in reply to Denne]

40mg. I cut the 2 tablets into quarters and then after about 3 weeks increased to half and then eventually one 20mg twice a day. Although it is better leaving them for a while before having food. I always eat about half hour after taking them. This is just how it works for me.

[JAmanda]

Best advice I had on here is to go up and down on dosage of both lio and levo extremely gradually. I previously spent 6 months trying and failing to tolerate t3. Much better now I'm finding the patience to do as I'm told (well almost!). Maybe could help you to split doses but also start very very small and gradually increase etc

[Denne in reply to JAmanda]

What was your side effects when you were trying and failing to tolerate t3

[JAmanda in reply to Denne]

Head ache, and pressure above and inside ear. And mood swings!

[blondpalomino]

Hi Denne,

I wish I could get Morningside! I had been on them quite a while, and had got used to them, even had my Doctor put the brand name on my prescription. Unfortunately since the pandemic hit us I have tried several Pharmacies, and no one seems able to get them.I also usually had Wockhardt levothyroxine, but no one can get them either.So now I have to have Mercury Pharma liothyronine, and North Star levothyroxine, which I think are stronger, as I seem to be feeling hyper, having diarrhoea and can't sleep. Also when I had my annual blood test my T3 level was over the top of the reference range - 5.3 (2.9 - 4.9) as opposed to the last one of 3.5 (2.9 - 4.9), so not sure whether to try and cut down the T3. Can't speak to the Doctor of course! The Pharmacist said that a lot of people on Thyroid medication were complaining of side effects with different brands, so it's not just you (and me!)

[humanbean]

This is what the BNF - the British National Formulary - has to say on the subject :

bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-f...

The products listed are, as far as I know, licensed for prescription in the UK.

But just because a product is listed in the BNF doesn't mean that all CCGs will allow the product to be prescribed by doctors in their area.