Ive been taking the brand Activist now for 6 years and have now been given Accord apparently they have taken over from Activist, they come in the same packaging but since taking them for 2 weeks ive had headaches, feel sick, pain in the top of my back and aches in hands.
Im always being offered an alternative when the chemist dont have my normal Activist which i refuse waiting until they can get them. I am ultra sensitive to thyroxine its taken me 6 years to feel ok, not great, just ok so its so important to not change to different brands. Im so worried my chemist say theres no difference all brands have the same ingredients, but i know that is not true, now they have changed my 25 mg brand. Where can i go to get help and advice about thyroxine medication, i have yearly checkups at the hospital as i had thyroid cancer, but they are looking at my blood test results, i thought i would be able to discuss it with them but they dont seem interested.
I really want to get a private blood test done after reading comments on here that they check far more things then an NHS blood test i didnt know that. Where can i go to see someone one to one, firstly for blood test and secondly to get some real honest medication advice.
Thank you
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Odinil
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As for your levo, your pharmacist is fobbing you off. Yes, the main, active ingredient is always the same - obviously - it's the thyroid hormone T4. BUT what changes from brand to brand is the fillers and excipients. And that's what makes the difference as to whether a brand suits you or not. And, as pharmacists, they should understand that.
Who prescribes your levo? Your GP? Or the hospital? If it's the GP ask him to specify the brand on the prescription. That way, you should get the one you want.
Do the private blood tests cover everything as comments on here have said that the NHS ones dont.
I have a thyroid blood test form from my gp also ive asked for a vitamin test but ive since read messages that they are not as thorough as a private one.
I will call the pharmacist today but i do feel im not getting the truth, i would love to know what the best brand is with regards to the fillers and excipients. Its the only medication im on, so its not as if my smyptoms can be blamed on something else, if ive got to take thyroxine i want to make sure im taking the best ingredients/brand i can.
My prescription states it must be Actavist 50mg and Wolfhart 25mg, ive also been given Mercury 25mg instead of Wolfhart im at my wits end. Reading the box it says each tablet contains anhydrous whatever that is and contains lactose is that good, i dont know.
Im not even sure if Actavist has good ingredients its the brand that the hosital put me on, it took me years to feel ok, not great just ok so i stuck with it too worried to change.
I have a thyroid blood test form from my gp also ive asked for a vitamin test but ive since read messages that they are not as thorough as a private one.
Not quite sure what you're referring to - a blood test is a blood test. I don't see how it can be more thorough. Unless you mean the B12 test. The NHS do a serum test, but the private ones are usually 'active' tests. The difference is like the difference between FT4 and TT4. But, I wouldn't have called that 'more thorough'.
i would love to know what the best brand is with regards to the fillers and excipients.
The best brand is the one that suits you. That's all. Not all brands suit all people. We're all different.
Reading the box it says each tablet contains anhydrous whatever that is and contains lactose is that good, i dont know.
It's good if it suits you. But some people react badly to lactose.
This is what i read regarding NHS blood tests and private blood tests
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
Ask GP to test vitamin levels
You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative
Yes, that is correct. You do need all those tests done, but the NHS refuses to do a lot of them. It's a money-saving thing. And, they can't see that it's a false economy. But, what you said above was rather ambiguous. I thought you were talking about the individual tests being more thorough, not the over-all testing.
Both tests include the full thyroid and vitamin panel with minor differences:
Blue Horizon requires 1 x microtainer of blood (0.8ml) for the fingerprick test, or you can arrange venous blood draw at extra cost.,
Medichecks is venous blood draw only for the test that includes folate.
Blue Horizon includes Total T4 (can be useful but not essential). Medichecks doesn't include this test.
B12 - Blue Horizon does Total B12 which measures bound and unbound (active) B12 but doesn't give a separate result for each. Medichecks does Active B12.
Total B12 shows the total B12 in the blood. Active B12 shows what's available to be taken up by the cells. You can have a reasonable level of Total B12 but a poor level of Active B12. (Personally, I would go for the Active B12 test.)
Blue Horizon include magnesium but this is an unreliable test so don't let this sway your decision, it also tests cortisol but that's a random cortisol test and to make any sense of it you'd need to do it fasting before 9am I believe.
Thank you for info. I have an NHS blood test booked so i'll go ahead with that and when i get the results i can have a consultation with the in house pharmacist at my doctors surgery to discuss my results. This im really happy about because i can ask all the questions thats been bothering me its the information ive been wanting, i need to educate myself much more to have a better understanding as im not happy about being given different brands everytime i collect my prescription not knowing if they are going to affect me being ultra sensitive to thyroxine.
You are absolutely right that Actavis (now Accord) have never had a 25 microgram product.
Just to note that Northstar 25 microgram tablets are actually Teva (but the Northstar 50 and 100 microgram tablets are still Accord).
Accord have owned that part of Actavis that supplied medicines such as Actavis levothyroxine in the UK for a few years. They have only recently changed branding from Actavis to Accord. There should be no other difference whatsoever.
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.
🔹 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:
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:
Im female, i take 50 Actavist now packaged Accord and 25 Wockhart, i started new box of Accord two weeks ago and have since had headaches which i dont suffer from, upset stomach, anxiety achey joints.
So i wondered if my usual Actavist was any different now its Accord, i know they are both T4 but are the fillers and ingredients the same.
Others who have had Accord-branded product have not noticed any difference.
Of course, there could be a difference between one batch and another but I suspect any such issue does not align to the change of packaging. That is, there could be an issue with a batch. But not because Accord intended to change it at all. And the next batch might be fine.
I had been having problems getting my brand of Actavis now Accord Levothyroxine. I was told by the prescription office at my Surgery to always ring the Pharmacy before I collect my prescription to check they have got the brands for me. I have told them if they haven't I am going to get my prescription elsewhere. Up to now they miraculously have been managing to get the brands for me. I know it's frustrating and you shouldn't have to do it
I was having the same issue Rocky - haveing found that Northstar (Actavis for 50 & 100 micrograms) has connections to Lloyds Pharmacy and Almus (Actiavis) is similarly connected to Boots, they are possibly more likely to be in stock at those places respectively?
I have found the Pharmacies now that do have them if I need to, but up to now my Pharmacy have been getting the brands. I was like you sick of being fobbed off with other brands when I too have reactions
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Change of Brand - Feel rubbish again! 
Brands changes of levo
medicheck & change of medication brand 
Difference in Brands 
Changing brand/make of levothyroxin!
