Changed to Teva

[SovietSong]

So when collecting my meds at the pharmacy yest I discovered that the packaging was diff and that brand name Teva is on them.Prob sounds crazy but after taking the first one 2hours ago I feel somewhat brighter.On looking up the ingredients I noticed that these don't contain lactose, stearic acid or pregelatinised maize starch, all of which were in the other meds.

[shaws Administrator]

If Teva continues to help you to feel better and when you're coming towards the end of the packet and you still feel improvements, request your GP to put Teva on the prescription and tell your pharmacist. that you now wish to continue with Teva.

[SovietSong in reply to shaws]

Thanks for reply shaws.I had 2 or 3 really bad bouts with my last meds. All over joint/muscle pain, headaches lasting days, ear ache, diarrhoea/constipation, trouble sleeping.I just assumed it was a dosage issue. Fingers crossed the Teva does the trick.

[shaws Administrator in reply to SovietSong]

It's awful when we take a medication and hopeful that our clinical symptoms will resolve but despondent when we find we are having additional problems with it,

It is trial and error when first diagnosed and many GPs don't seem to have been trained sufficiently on how to treat patients with dysfunctional thyroid glands.

After a period on a particular thyroid hormone replacement and not improving or having extra symptoms speak to the pharmacist and ask to trial another make but you will also have to notify GP to put the 'name' on the prescription .

[helvella Administrator]

This might be useful:

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/wfhrlmb5983co...

From Google Drive:

drive.google.com/file/d/11z...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Teva is a Marmite brand

Some people love it and won’t have anything else ….Others can’t tolerate it at all

Teva contains mannitol as a filler, which seems to be possible cause of problems.

Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet.

For some people (usually if lactose intolerant, Teva is by far the best option)

Glenmark or Aristo (100mcg only) are lactose free and mannitol free. May be difficult to track down Glenmark, not been available very long

Most easily available (and often most easily tolerated) are Mercury Pharma or Accord

Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets

Accord only make 50mcg and 100mcg tablets

Accord is also boxed as Almus via Boots, and Northstar 50mcg and 100mcg via Lloyds ....but Accord doesn’t make 25mcg tablets

25mcg Northstar is Teva

List of different brands available in U.K.

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...

Posts that mention Teva

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

Teva poll

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.

Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.

New guidelines for GP if you find it difficult/impossible to change brands

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

If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient. If symptoms or poor control of thyroid function persist (despite adhering to a specific product), consider prescribing levothyroxine in an oral solution formulation.

academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).