My GP recently agreed to start me on 25mg of Levothyroxine, i did try and insist on 50mg as ive had lots of symptoms but she said see how i go. Anyway i have neen taking a brand called mercury pharma for this 1st month (not much to report, everything still the same apart from extreme dry mouth and headache after taking). My next month they have given me the brand Northstar/Teva. I questioned the pharmacist and asked if i could stick to the same brand but he was adamant that they are all the same and the only difference is the "inert ingredients". I seem to remember seeing that Teva was not peoples preferred choice. Can anyone advise? Many thanks
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Teva is lactose-free and has mannitol as a filler instead. You will see (in "polls") that it is something of a Marmite brand: lots of people dislike it (I think that's the mannitol); some actively prefer it; others (like me) don't mind one way or another. You won't know which camp you're in until you try it - but if it doesn't suit you, please "yellow card" it and ask the GP to put "not Teva" on your prescriptions
Thanks i thought the same, maybe try it and see how i get on. I think because its such a low dose i might not see much difference at the moment anyway no matter what brand.
The may 'be all the same' to the pharmacist but they can have different affects on our body. So you are right to stick to the same make/brand so that if we have difficulties we can try a change to another make. It doesn't make sense not to have options as I doubt there are any 'brands' at present.
Thanks. I did say that to the pharmacist that people had reported that they better on some brands than others but he said the only ones that would have any different effects would be maybe ones with lactose in. He said they have no control over what brand gets sent from the supplier and there is every chance that the brand may be different from month to month.
I was diagnosed in 2007 and that's the first time I've heard a chemist make that statement. Unless of course a 'supplier' cannot source the one a patient prefers or it has been withdrawn altogehther. It is amazing what a difference in a pill can make to our wellbeing.
I know, its not a very good attitude from the pharmacist and they seem to think they know it all but you people on here talk from experience which us why ive tried to take advice from here. I'll have to try the teva and see how i go until i can speak to my gp i think.
I use Kamsons pharmacy and I asked if they have other brands. The reply was that they have whatever is sent in. Well, for a year that’s been Teva and nothing else. Fortunately I have no side effects from Teva. But if I did want to try something else, I suppose I would have to change pharmacy.
I’m assuming Boots and Lloyd’s will always have the brands I keep seeing mentioned on the forum that they rebrand with their own names. So I might try one of those.
Even with 'brands' sometimes it might be necessary to replace something within it. I hope that doesn't happen.
Even after someone takes a thyroid hormone replacement for years, occasionally there could be something substituted. Thankfully we might not be aware of this.
p.s. I take a betablocker at bedtime, and I have had difficulties if given another make so my chemist always ensures it is the same pack every time I need to re-order.
Are there any other pharmacies where you live? I'd be looking for someone else myself ... (my local Superdrug is great). It's not acceptable to be told you'll get what you are given if you don't respond well to what you get. Lots of people, particularly if sensitive, like to stick to one brand once they get one that suits ...
Yes there are but im in a predicament now as ive only got 2 tablets left and my next box i have here is a different brand and possibly too low of a dose. It is now the weekend and my docs will be closed.
Even if we frequently don’t start on full replacement dose, most people need to increase levothyroxine dose slowly upwards in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase) until eventually on, or near full replacement dose
Consider starting levothyroxine at a dosage of 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (rounded to the nearest 25 micrograms) for adults under 65 with primary hypothyroidism and no history of cardiovascular disease.
Traditionally we have tended to start patients on a low dose of levothyroxine and titrate it up over a period of months. RCT evidence suggests that for the majority of patients this is not necessary and may waste resources.
For patients aged >60y or with ischaemic heart disease, start levothyroxine at 25–50μg daily and titrate up every 3 to 6 weeks as tolerated.
For ALL other patients start at full replacement dose. For most this will equate to 1.6 μg/kg/day (approximately 100μg for a 60kg woman and 125μg for a 75kg man).
If you are starting treatment for subclinical hypothyroidism, this article advises starting at a dose close to the full treatment dose on the basis that it is difficult to assess symptom response unless a therapeutic dose has been trialled.
Hi slowdragon, sorry i will try and answer in one attempt lol.Started on 25mg just after new year, doc insisted the 25 instead of 50 as i tried to suggest. No vitamin as it seems they hadnt tested for it, been taking my own 1000/25 as had them in the cupboard.
Got a blood test next tuesday as this was the earliest they could get me in. My tablets run out on sunday so i requested another prescription which is what i now have (Teva not mercury). 25mg again as bloods haven't been done yet. I am already fed up of battling with the gp and system in general and am now wondering if i shouldve tried other things first such as gluten free, dairy free, allergy tests etc.. to try and lower my levels before taking the tablets.
Ok, i thought so which is why im giving it a go. The earliest appointment i could get was 11.24 as there were no others for weeks and was initially given 3.45pm. I dont have online access to records, was hoping to do it once covid was over as it is easier to setup in person at the doctors (i will look into it)
Thank you for all the info. I know 1000 is too low but i thought better taking something instead of nothing until i get my vit d results from the doctors (they forgot to do it last time). I have been looking into alternative therapies and there are some people that have reversed hashimotos without taking levothyroxine, maybe they were just lucky. I bought a book by izabella wendz which looks quite good with lots of info.
Whenever ‘TEVA’ is mentioned I cringe - I personally had an awful experience on this brand (detail on my profile); therefore I would recommend you stick on the same brand - actually shocked at the pharmacist comments the inert ingredients do not suit everyone, I believe TEVA was actually removed from the market some years ago, I don’t know the full detail but it’s back now! I suspect the ingredient manitol may not have suited me but I don’t honestly know!
Oh dear, i really dont want to take the teva having heard so many bad stories of it. It seems mercury is the hardest to get hold of on a regular basis. Thanks
Small independent pharmacies are often the most helpful
Once you work out which brand suits you best ...get that added to all future prescriptions....but you still ALWAYS need to check the bag before leaving the counter in pharmacy
Hi, try not to worry about taking teva. My son was diagnosed about 2 years ago and was given teva to start and he’s been on it since and is absolutely fine. Jo. Xx
I recall there was a problem a few years ago with I think it was the 100mcg Teva tablets. They were withdrawn, after some reformulation by Teva all sizes have been on the market for a few years now and many find them perfect. Unfortunately not suited to you. I have been lucky enough to have had great advice from several pharmacists. Not least when I had a problem with a batch of levo.
The "New Formulation" Teva was an entirely different formulation to the old product.
(The recall was in 2012.)
I was affected by the sub-potency of the old Teva product. And found the new formulation Teva affected my stomach. However, as you say, some find them the best product on the UK market!
Thanks helvella . I was seriously vague about the details. I hoped someone with accurate info would come along. 🙂
Sorry, just skipping going through all posts so sorry if I miss something: are you over 65/70 and have cardiac disease? Because, in younger patients without cardiac disease, the starting dose is 50 mcg...or was, as I have read that the official advice now is to start patients under 65 without cardiac disease on 1.6 mcg per body weight straight away...25 mcg is a tiny dose, more suitable for a person with cardiac disease, but even in such a person levo would eventually need to be raised...
Well, your TSH is out of range even by UK standards (>10) and your TpoAB result shows you have Hashimoto´s, aka autoimmune hypothyroidism. So you need levothyroxine. 11.5 stone = 73 kg x 1.6 so 116.8 mcg...the closest would be either 112.5 or 125 mcg daily depending on your doctor. The general recommendation as far as I know is to start young, healthy patients on a full replacement dose, and not slowly titrate their dose up from 25/50 mcg as they once did...
25mcg is usually an incremental dose with 50mcg unless you have a heart condition. We usually start at 50mcg with a blood test every six weeks with 25mcg increases until we feel well and have no symptoms. Ensure B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate are optimal - deficiencies can also cause symptoms.
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