Different Brands of Levo

[Aslangal]

Good evening all 👋

Thanks to the excellent advice I have had from the group before, I always check my Levo boxes when I pick up my prescription.

To date, over the past 10 years minimum, it’s always been Teva. This last prescription was 100mcg - Eltroxin and the 50 and 25 mcg - Northstar. (I’m on 175mcg daily)

Any problems with these two brands? Has Brexit affected Teva supply??

Many thanks

😀

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Lynn193

Northstar 25mcg is made by Teva, you can check this by looking on the long edge of the box and the foil back of the blister pack, it should show the manufacturer there.

Eltroxin is the same as Mercury Pharma and is made by Advanz and seems to be generally well tolerated by members.

I doubt if Brexit as had any effect on the supply of Teva but I can't guarantee it. One of my other regular meds is made by Teva and there is no problem with that.

[Aslangal in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry the other brand was Aristo - so three different. Thanks for the info Susie 👍🏻

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Are you lactose intolerant? On lactose free diet?

Common to develop intolerances on levothyroxine

Lactose intolerance often causes persistent cough/post nasal drip and sinus

Teva is lactose free

If you find Teva the best brand request GP add note to all future prescriptions saying

“Teva brand only “

Are you on levothyroxine only, or T3 prescribed as well?

[Aslangal in reply to SlowDragon]

Levo only. No not lactose intolerant.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Ask the organ grinder?

When someone reports that a particular medicine cannot be obtained by their pharmacy, I always suggest contacting the pharmaceutical company/manufacturer directly.

We have had many occasions when the information given by the pharmacy to the member has not been accurate.

Examples with good outcomes have included:

• There were issues, but they are now, or will very shortly be, resolved;

• There is no issue and it is not clear why the pharmacy said there was;

• The product has a new branding - and is now only available under the new name;

• Give the pharmacist some information and they will be able to get the product.

And examples with bad outcomes:

• The product is no longer available;

• There is an issue that will not be resolved in the time required;

• The product has been recalled.

Quite often, members have found that the pharmaceutical company/manufacturer can and will advise how a pharmacy can obtain stock. At the worst, you can find out from an authoritative source that there really is an issue that will not be resolved. With pharmacies, you will almost always have at least one extra company - the distributor - between the pharmaceutical company/manufacturer and the pharmacy, allowing confusion to enter.

Some pharmaceutical companies/manufacturers have been extremely helpful to members who have contacted them.

The company name is not always the same as the brand name. You can find the company name on the packaging (though in smaller letters and possibly on the back or bottom) and at the bottom of the Patient Information Leaflet. For example, Mercury Pharma is a brand name but the company is Advanz.

Contact details for most, possibly all, UK pharmaceutical companies/manufacturers can be found here:

medicines.org.uk/emc/browse...

Company image

Address

Field House, Station Approach, Harlow, Essex, CM20 2FB

Telephone

[phone]

Medical Information e-mail

[e-mail]

Stock Availability

0800 590 502

WWW

tevauk.com

Medical Information Direct Line

[phone]

[MariaStrawCinar]

Hi Lynn, Sorry not about your question directly but did you take time to raise to 175mgs or just took it straight away at that dose. I’m supposed to be on 175mgs but have to raise slowly so I’m splitting a 75 pill and I’m on 138mgs for the last week. Thanks

[Aslangal in reply to MariaStrawCinar]

Raised slowly due to symptoms and blood tests 👍🏻

[MariaStrawCinar in reply to Aslangal]

Thanks I messaged you - hope that’s ok

[Aslangal in reply to MariaStrawCinar]

No problem

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Looking at your other posts re coughing

Your Ft3 is too low

Have you retested vitamins, after low results 6 months ago

Low Ft3 and low vitamin levels suggests poor gut function, EXTREMELY common on just levothyroxine

Suggest you

A) consider trialing strictly dairy free diet

B) are you already on strictly gluten free diet….if not consider trial that too

C) consider that acid reflux is due to LOW stomach acid

Low stomach acid can be a very very common hypothyroid issue on levothyroxine

Thousands of posts on here about low stomach acid

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

Web links re low stomach acid and reflux and hypothyroidism

nutritionjersey.com/high-or...

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/s...

How to test stomach acid levels

healthygut.com/articles/3-t...

naturalendocrinesolutions.c...

meraki-nutrition.co.uk/indi...

huffingtonpost.co.uk/laura-...

lispine.com/blog/10-telling...

Protect your teeth if using ACV with mother

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Lactose intolerance is also very common with Hashimoto's

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/240...

Lactose intolerance was diagnosed in 75.9 % of the patients with HT

read.qxmd.com/read/24796930...

These findings show that lactose intolerance significantly increased the need for oral T4 in hypothyroid patients.

[Santolina]

decades ago the UK's pharmacists association identified a problem with generics; that not all were created equal. The body that is supposed to monitor pharmaceuticals is still not doing an effective job as far too often, tablets can be off a fraction and over time, this builds up a new set of blood tests which confuse the doctors. Eltroxin has been the most consistent but I have my tests done every three months.