Levothyroxine

[Foxylady11]

Is teva taking over thyroid medications.

Im struggling to get MP. Got accord from boots, suffered dizziness. They would not get me MP. Have to keep changing chemists. Thought this chemist stocked MP but got northstar and wockhardt as no MP in. It did say not teva on my script. Did a quick search and they are now both owned by Teva, see copied text below from google.

Northstar/Teva

ManufacturerNorthstar/Teva

Product NameLevothyroxine (Northstar/Teva) – 25mcg Tablets

[e-mail]

IngredientsLevothyroxine sodium, maize starch, mannitol (E421), microcrystalline cellulose, sodium citrate, acacia, magnesium stearate

CommentsExactly same product as Teva 25mcg

Its all so confusing.

Also quick googled

Does Teva own Actavis?

A. Yes, Teva Pharmaceuticals acquired Actavis Generics. The acquisition has allowed us to offer you even more generic drug options!

tevagenerics.com › freq...

Frequently Asked Questions - Teva Generics

It seems our market is getting smaller and smaller by the day. Very worrying.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Foxylady11

Teva make Northstar 25mcg tablets.

Northstar 50mcg and 100mcg tablets are made by Accord.

Accord also make Almus.

Almus is Accord rebranded for Boots.

Northstar is Accord rebranded for Lloyds Pharmacy in the 50mcg and 100mcg doses but Teva rebranded for the 25mcg dose tablets.

Unless helvella knows anything different, he keeps a document of all brands of thyroid meds.

[helvella in reply to SeasideSusie]

Correct!

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

I have created, and try to maintain, a document containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

From Dropbox:

dropbox.com/s/shcwdwpedzr93...

From Google Drive:

drive.google.com/file/d/12N...

[Foxylady11 in reply to helvella]

Hi

I have been to GP today to ask if i could try the oral medication. Refused point blank as it costs 89.00.

I thought i had read somewhere we couls ask for it now.

Said she could not refer to an endo, as my leveks are ok.

I could go private.

She said she will ask practice manager to phone me to discuss.

Also said in her 20 years had never heard that patients could not tolerate levo.

Said it csn be lots of other things. I said i have been checked for other thing and found nothing. Its my life and me that is suffering.

Also told her I had found a forum that others are suffering also, so glad that I have as you putting it down to anxiety or depression when we know its not, is a godsend and I am not going mad.

[helvella in reply to Foxylady11]

There are something like 54,000 GPs in the UK (slightly old figure - but just to make a point so strict accuracy doesn't seem vital).

Try to think through how many cases of anything (sensitivity or disease or anything else) would have to exist before it was even more than 50% likely that a GP had come across the issue?

I know someone who has a disorder usually discussed as being around one in a quarter million. However, even within that disorder, there are several forms, and some - including the one I am thinking about - are far rarer than that.

According to your GP's logic, no-one can suffer it because she has never come across it! Neither have something like 98% of GPs in the UK.

Nothing stops you asking. But your GP obviously is preventing it going further than asking!

I think, if I were you, I'd see what other makes you could get dispensed from pharmacies. And try some of the other formulations of tablet.

If your GP is unhappy at £89 a bottle, they might feel a touch less antagonistic to providing a few prescriptions as you go round what is available.

[Foxylady11 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thyroid uk are reviewing medication again in march, so will keep an eye out for that. Also seems people are having problems with mannitol, so will google that also.

[helvella in reply to Foxylady11]

My medicines document has little tables showing which UK products contain acacia, lactose or mannitol.

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

I have created, and try to maintain, a document containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

From Dropbox:

dropbox.com/s/shcwdwpedzr93...

From Google Drive:

drive.google.com/file/d/12N...

[helvella]

Does Teva own Actavis?

A. Yes, Teva Pharmaceuticals acquired Actavis Generics. The acquisition has allowed us to offer you even more generic drug options!

This is misleading because it applies to Actavis in the USA.

For a short period of time, Teva did own the British Actavis generics company. However, their original acquisition of that company required that they dispose of it within months to avoid a monopoly situation.

Actavis in the UK was acquired by Intas. And Actavis in the UK renamed as Accord.

But some products were not re-branded for a few years.

And Northstar UK is owned by McKesson who have been acquired by Aurelius - and they own Lloyds chemists and AAH distributors.

Almus is owned by Walgreen Boots Alliance.

SeasideSusie

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If you can only tolerate Mercury Pharma brand GP should add note to all future prescriptions to that effect

Small independent pharmacies are often more helpful

Print out Government guidelines and be prepared to go to different pharmacies to get it

gov.uk/drug-safety-update/l...

[Foxylady11 in reply to SlowDragon]

Done all that, even the independent here was unable to get it.

Just totally fed up off having to do all the run around. My neice is now having to do the same. Its ridiculous.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Foxylady11]

Ask an independent pharmacy if they will get them in for you a year at a time

That’s what my pharmacy does

At my annual review my GP signs off a year’s prescriptions for (Mercury Pharma ) levothyroxine and (Morningside healthcare) T3 ….brands specified on prescription

That’s sent electronically to pharmacy of my choice ….in this case a small independent pharmacy that’s 10 miles from where I live.

They then know they have your custom for a year and order required medication in

I just go over once every 2 months to collect medication. No need to order …..it’s just there …..until next annual review

I have two pharmacies within walking distance from me but both large chains and completely unwilling to supply brand necessary.

[Foxylady11 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you, i will ask my pharmacy if they will do this for me, if not will try the independant. But theu have got bigger so will see. Thanks.

[SarahJane1471]

Yes my script states clearly MP. They have no problems getting it (so far). It’s Day Lewis. I don’t know if that’s a big chain or not 🤷‍♀️

[Foxylady11 in reply to SarahJane1471]

Nit heard of them, quick google search and one 4 miles away. So if no joy here will def give them a ring. Thank you.

[Foxylady11]

HiWas this only 4 months ago, since i posted.

Now on 75mg MP but last few days have experienced chest burning and burning down both arms. Its got quite bad that it is waking me up.

I had it mildly when on 50 and 25 wockhardt, so put it down to wockhardt.

But now on 75 for both and burning is quite bad. Think stomach issues as if i prop my self up gets better after a while.

I did read that we can ask for it orally if suffering.

Have any of the fillers changed. Should I yellow card it? Does anyone else have these symptoms.

Thanks.