Eltroxin vsLevothyroxine

[Flowerpot108]

I always take 150mcg Levothyroxine Mercury pharma brand and that works fine for me. My pharmacy could only get eltroxin last time, but said it is the exact same pill just different packaging. A few days later and I'm not feeling that great. Could be something else, but I wanted to check with you first that they are the same. I think I've seen on here before that they are, but just want to double check to be on the safe side.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Flowerpot108

Mercury Pharma and Eltroxin are the same, made by Advanz, exactly the same tablet.

[Flowerpot108 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for confirming!

[Sybilla14]

They are the same, only the paper box is different. I take MP exclusively and had Eltroxin a few times over the years and there’s never been any difference.

[Flowerpot108 in reply to Sybilla14]

Good stuff, thank you 😁

[Flowerpot108 in reply to Sybilla14]

Good stuff, thank you 😁

[thyroidnodules in reply to Flowerpot108]

I thought they had different fillers

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to thyroidnodules]

They are identical - see my reply on this thread.

[Shushione]

Hi, I’ve taken Mercury Pharma levothyroxine for years and years after lots of issues with other brands. Recently I’ve had terrible issues trying to get It and like you, it’s the only one that seems to work well for me. The company are saying there are no issues with supplies but the wholeseller who supply my pharmacy just can’t get it so as eltroxin is made by the same company I asked if I could have this instead as I figured they must use the same fillers etc etc. It has been a bit of a battle though as my pharmacy has insisted my doctor specifies eltroxin brand on my prescription …….because it costs a lot more that other brands! My doctors surgery don’t understand why I’m asking for a particular brand but reluctantly have agreed to specify it(everything is a battle these days). I’m on my third month now and absolutely no problems with it at all.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Shushione]

Not just does Advanz Pharma Eltroxin have the same ingredients, it is the same in every way.

It even has the same Product Licence number. And the Product Information Leaflet for Eltroxin also identifies it as Levothyroxine.

1. Name of the medicinal product

Eltroxin 100mcg tablets

Levothyroxine 100mcg tablets

medicines.org.uk/emc/produc...

I think that means it can be supplied for prescriptions written as "levothyroxine" or as "Eltroxin".

Which implies that a prescription written as:

Levothyroxine sodium 100micrograms (Advanz Pharma Ltd.)

... could be fulfilled with product in either Mercury Pharma Levothyroxine or Mercury Pharma Eltroxin packaging. Thus making it marginally easier for the pharmacies.

(I am not a trained prescription writer. This makes sense from what I have picked up.)

The British National Formulary has a page of products and prices. (Though it isn't always easy to work out which product is which or what the prices mean.)

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/levot...

[Sybilla14 in reply to Shushione]

This happens from time to time: Mercury Pharma genetic disappears and Eltroxin turns up for a few months. I only realised this when I struggled to get my prescription filled for MP but Eltroxin was available. I have both listed on my prescription as the pharmacists didn’t know they were the same.

[Flowerpot108 in reply to Sybilla14]

Ahhh classic - good to know thanks!

[Starfish123]

Yes definitely the same product but the licensed one eltroxin costs a lot more due to being the licensed product.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Starfish123]

I don't think Eltroxin is more expensive - at present. It appears that Eltroxin is less expensive.

Eltroxin 25microgram tablets Advanz Pharma

NHS indicative price: £2.54

Drug tariff price: £0.95

Levothyroxine sodium 25microgram tablets Advanz Pharma

NHS indicative price: £3.05

Drug tariff price: £0.95

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/levot...

[Flowerpot108 in reply to helvella]

Interesting, the pharmacist said to me Eltroxin was more expensive, they only got it in because they couldn't get the other. Perhaps that is outdated information.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Flowerpot108]

It might be more expensive to them than some other makes!

But payments for medicines seem more of a dark art than sensible.

[Xyloto]

Hi Flowerpot108, How did you get on in the end taking Eltroxin (Mercury Pharma). For the last 6 years I have been taking Levothyroxine (Mercury Pharma) with no problems but on my last prescription I was given Eltroxin (Mercury Pharma). I am slightly nervous as had problems with other brands but hope the Eltroxin (Mercury Pharma) and Levothyroxine (Mercury Pharma) are both the same, it appears they are from the above posts.