Different brand of Levo each time

[HashisKate]

Hi there, I have always been on Teva & always got on okay with it (well nothing to compare it to anyway!)

I have just had my dose reduced from 100mcgs daily to 75 / 100 on alternative days. I asked my GP at the time of prescribing whether she could keep me on the same brand, her response was “I’m just going to prescribe it the same way as usual”.

As I anticipated, I was given 75mcgs Teva & 100mcgs accord, which really upset me. I didn’t realise until I was home and the covid rules at my pharmacy mean that they’re always queuing round the block. I still had a lot of Teva left so just carried on with that, but have had to take the accord twice. I’d about run out of my 75mcgs so went to the chemist today and this time it’s different again. 75mcgs Teva & 100mcgs mercury pharma. Unfortunately it was my husband collecting it for me so I didn’t get a chance to ask why I can’t just have Teva. Unfortunately I spent time in hospital last night due to an unexplained episode of tachycardia so couldn’t get to the pharmacy today.

Will all these different brands effect how I feel? Are pharmacists open to letting you choose a brand? I understood it can have a negative impact to swap brands so would appreciate advice.

Thanks 😊

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

HashisKate

Will all these different brands effect how I feel?

Nobody can tell you that, only you will know how you feel. Some people can take any brand, chop and change all the time, and feel no different, others can react to different fillers.

Are pharmacists open to letting you choose a brand?

Some pharmacies will tell you they have to accept what they are sent. Others are more helpful and will source your preferred brand if you ask them to note it on your records. Ask them to only dispense Teva, tell them you react badly to xxx and yyy brand and only Teva suits you.

Many years ago it was stipulated on prescription that I have Eltroxin, when this was discontinued the pharmacy asked me to try Actavis and see how I got on with it, it was fine so it went on record at the pharmacy only to dispense that brand, when it changed it's name to Accord they informed me and the record changed to show that name. I only ever get Accord dispensed but I have a feeling that's the brand that everyone gets at our pharmacy anyway.

[HashisKate in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you. I guess I shall wait and see how I feel then!

[KnackeredKaty in reply to HashisKate]

I don't take Levo, but I have heard from many people that you should stick with the same brand every time. Tell your pharmacist, they should know this.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

unexplained episode of tachycardia

Likely due to either

Reducing dose

Change in brand levothyroxine

What were results that caused dose reduction?

If lactose intolerant you MUST have lactose free levothyroxine

[HashisKate in reply to SlowDragon]

I’m not sure the tachycardia was related to my thyroid at all 🤷🏼‍♀️ I awoke having what I believed was rebound hypoglycaemia after a very large meal before bed. It’s happened before and I googled and had apple juice and a banana and heart rate settled so put it down to that. This time it woke me up racing but no amount of sugar could get it to go down. A&E ran ECGs and blood tests (main heart ones, not sure about others) and all was fine. Although it took the whole night heart rate did eventually come down so they let me go & said they’d suggest a 24 hour tape to my GP.

Results prior to reduction were TSH 0.11 & T4 21.8 (11-22 range) private testing told me T3 was 5 (top of range 6.8) so technically wasn’t over medicated. Last week I posted because my heart rate had been falling, so not only was this quite ironic but also a dramatic u turn.

I’m not lactose intolerant so will wait and see I guess

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to HashisKate]

Low Ft3 can result in high heart rate

Ft3 was already not very high, then you had dose reduction in levothyroxine

You perhaps need to consider addition of T3 prescribed alongside your reduced levothyroxine dose

Email Thyroid UK for list of recommend thyroid specialist endocrinologists who will prescribe T3

..NHS and Private

[e-mail]

[HashisKate in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes this is what I’m hoping for, thank you. Interesting as I thought only Ft3 that was high made heart rates high! My heart rate has settled to normal so I think they are guessing arrhythmia of some kind but I’ll have all this as evidence to ask for a referral. Unfortunately I’ve got another 4+ weeks until my GP will blood test me or speak with me regarding it!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to HashisKate]

Obviously going to be essential to include testing Ft3, and vitamins too

[Gingernut44 in reply to HashisKate]

Nice to see that GPs are as helpful as ever NOT. I have my preferred brand marked on my prescription so it can be done.