Is anyone else having trouble getting liquid levo. I am absolutely worn out trying to find any pharmacy that can get it. Not one brand is available. I spoke to a boots pharmacist today, he informed me that the problem is going to get worse.
Because of this i was without my levo for a week.
i have had to go back on tablets since 23rd September, i feel so ill, the pain in my fingers and hands are so painful, i have brain fog, weight gain, backache, stomach ache and bloating, fatigue, all the symptoms that made me go on liquid.
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Ive tried all tablet brands. The only one i tolerated was Actavis until it changed to Accord then i was really unwell. Thats when liquid was suggested by my nhs consultant
Got a reply today (2/11/22) from Glenmark email I sent them about their levothyroxine tablets being impossible to source.
I pointed out that their tablet is the only one I know of that is lactose, mannitol and maltitol/maize starch free, and as such , the only suitable tablet for thyroid patients who commonly react negatively to these substances.
I highlighted the shortage of liquid levo at the moment, and said that their tablet would be the only feasible tablet likely to not cause adverse reactions if forced to take tablets.
I emphasised the suitability of their tablet for thyroid sufferers over all others on the market, but the difficulty in obtaining it, and the need to have a reliable , continuing availability for their product.
They replied, today, that it has been discontinued in the UK. However, they state that "They are currently looking to see if it can be reintroduced to our portfolio."
I’ve not had any problem getting my liquid levothyroxine. I always get Wockhardt brand that is also stipulated on my repeat prescription. What my pharmacy does is phone Wockhardt directly. They do not go through their normal supply chain. Wockhardt, which is based in Wrexham, then dispatches my prescription amount to my pharmacy at no extra costs. I collect it from my village pharmacy. I get 4 bottles at a time which lasts me 2 months.
Could you phone Wockhardt on 01978 661261 ask to be put through to customer services then ask if they have your strength in stock and willing to supply to your chosen pharmacy with a prescription. That is what I did initially and now it works like clockwork. Well up to now it has. I have read on here people struggling with liquid levothyroxine supply.
You are so lucky to have such a good pharmacist. I I have have spoken to Zentiva and they said just get the pharmacist to call us and they would tell them what to do so they can order it. Not one pharmacist and there's been many, would do it, saying they can only use their own suppliers. I even had trouble trying to get Wockehart tablets, not that i tolerate them that well, but better than the rest , i needed something as i hadnt hadany medication for seven days. My prescription stated Wockehart cannot take 'Teva'.
Once again i was told can't get Wockehart tablets just like can't get Zentiva liquid. This wasnt one pharmacy, this was 20 at least, i even tried several where my dad lives, 70 miles from me.
i finally found one pharmancy that got me Wockehart tablets. I was so relieved i cant tell you but relieved that i had something to take, but so worried that i knew i was going to feel unwell.
Not only unwell from medication but anxious worrying about whats going to happen at my next prescription. All this together with the struggle of getting T3 thats another story.
thank you so much for this information, I went into my local Boots on Monday and asked them to ring the number you provided, which they did and hay presto I picked up my liquid levo the very next day. Thank you again
brilliant! They can do that each time for you now. My village pharmacy does it automatically for me now. I’ve not had any issues with my supply since. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to nudge and train people how to do their jobs better! Very pleased it’s worked out for you. 👏
Hi there - I read your post lying in bed on my phone and was so incensed that this is still going on because it happened to me and I know how worried and ill you must be feeling - I got out of bed (early for me) and have been doing some research into who we can complain to. But I need to know the following:-
Why were you put on Teva Liquid - as it is sugar free this is normally given for diabetics or lactose intolerant patients - I need to know with your permission the answer to this before I can move forward.
Where you prescribed this via the NHS or private?
What area do you live please ?
Are you diabetic or lactose intolerant - if you are then this is unacceptable as much as being diabetic denied your insulin.
If you are lactose intolerant then you will NOT be absorbing your medication - you will be losing it via the loo - are you rushing to the loo after taking your tablet - I was so sensitive to the lactose - it took me weeks to realise why I was always on the loo immediately after taking the tablet.
Once you have answered these questions - I can suggest a few things so get you over this 'supposed' supply issue.
At one time drugs manufacturers delivered directly to the chemists then some bright spark Health Minister thought that it would a good idea to send them to distribution outlets where they would dish out what is the cheapest and available - often using auctions where drugs not needed or being used by various countries are up for auction for whoever wants to buy them - cheap. I was once prescribed an antibiotic with the most awful colours - and at that time I had a problem with the colour of the tablets - my husband is Italian and he found out that these were discontinued in Italy because they were causing problems - that was years and years ago however, but I doubt whether things have improved on that score.
Anyway please know that you will get through this - we just need to kick some bottoms - if you can answer as soon as possible then I can spend some time on this today for you - other than that I am at hospital tomorrow and will lose that day.
live on the borders of Essex although i have a London postcode.
I am monitored by Addensbrooke Hospital as i had thyroid cancer that was removed. It was them that suggested liquid as they knew the problems i had on tablets. They wrote to my gp and he agreed to prescribe it.
At first i was given Teva liquid.
i am not a diabetic or as far as i know lactose intolerate.
I didnt do well on Teva and asked for another brand. I was given Wockeharte, although it bloated my stomach and i put on so much weight i persevered. Then the pharmacist couldnt get it saying i had to have whatever their suppliers sent. It was Teva. I tried several pharmacies and it was the same the only brand they could get for me was Teva.
Now it seems they can't even get Teva not that i would want. All pharmacists have told me there is no liquid at all to order.
i spoke to a pharmacist yesterday who said the situation is going to get even worse. I asked is it the same for HRT and insulin, he said yes they are affected with only certain brands available.
i havent noticed rushing to the toilet but have noticed i go more often.
I honestly believe the root to the problem with the supply of thyroid medication is all down to money! It seems that a patient's wellbeing doesnt come into the equation.
I am dreading my next prescription i know i will be running around once again only to be told 'we can't get it'.
My anxiety levels are going through the roof, im a very laid back person normally but my anxiety is not the medication, its not being able to get it thats the problem.
Hi so sorry you are suffering so - but as my previous post I think you need to either contact Addenbrookes or your GP telling him what is going on and making sure he is using the correct method for prescribing.
I am in the same boat as you and on my last bottle of liquid thyroxine. I can't find a tablet that does not contain excipients that make me feel ill. I have rung all the pharmacies and no-one can get it. Boots told me that they will be getting it by the end of October and I have heard nothing so far. Lloyds told me that the problem is that pharmacies won't order it because the NHS will not cover the full cost so they end up out of pocket. I sent an email to Zentiva and they would not tell me who or where they supply or who their distributor is. They said that I could pass their contact details to the pharmacy and Zentiva would tell them who their supplier was, but they do not deal with patients directly. So not a lot of help! After a little bit of research I found out their distributor is Alliance - think that might be the supplier to Boots? So I am going to get back to Boots to see if there is any more sign of it appearing by the end of October. I am afraid I am not holding my breath. My GP told me that Liquid thyroxine cannot be discontinued as there are many patients that just can't take tablets for various reasons and that it will be a short term problem. I hope she is right! Any more info greatly appreciated for all of us who take the liquid! Last resort will be to ring Wockhardt and thanks for that tip.
Zentiva told me the same that if the pharmacist called them they would tell them what to do, but no one was happy to do it.
it was a boots pharmacist i spoke to yesterday who told me there's no liquid and the situation is going to get worse. I suppose they know more than gps regarding supplies.
Im taking tablets at the moment out of desparation as i finished my liquid and after no medication for a week i had no choice. Now feeling terrible
i feel i do but it goes on deaf ears i i just cant get through to anyone, im not a confrontational person but very good at speaking up for myself, i honestly don't think there's much help out there except on this website.
Really this is a GP issue as well - you really should get an appointment or call with him (difficult I know) and tell him the problems you are experiencing - if he is putting the brand name in the wrong box on the prescribing screen then the chemist is at liberty to give you whatever is in stock at that moment. There is a previous post on what should be done if someone can bring it up for us.
Also really you should be requesting more thyroid tests - I know they want to do it yearly but you can request that you get it done more often if the circumstances apply and these circumstances i.e. not getting the same medication means your levels will be totally out of kilter using a new product. If you are lactose intolerant there are tablets you can take prior to taking your meds until the liquid which is lactose free comes available.
Quote" Pharmacist or GP?
Who you contact about your missing medication depends on the type of medication you usually take. If it's a prescription, your GP or practice nurse will need to issue you with a new prescription, but if it's over-the-counter medication then your pharmacist is your best bet.
If it is a prescription medication, by law, the pharmacist has to provide the medicine that the doctor has stipulated," McDougall explains.
For non-prescription medicines, pharmacists are able to advise on similar alternatives. There are multiple medicines and brands available, so if your preferred medication is not available, the pharmacist could suggest multiple alternatives that might help instead."
Pharmacists often stock a 'like for like' version of medications, so if your version isn't available another version could be provided.
my experience is that pharmancies want to give me Teva brand both in liquid and tablet form.
my prescription is done by my gp.
i have spoken to them about putting my preferred brand on my prescription but its made no difference. It clearly states the brand also 'not Teva' but they still say its whatever their suppliers send them. I say will that be Teva, they say yes probably. I say even if it clearly states not Teva they say yes.
i can't do more than i have already if they are not prepared to help me what more can i do. Im going to my gp, my consultant and the pharmacists and not getting anywhere
it's like a vicious circle between thems and im in the middle of it
My blood tests are done approximately every 8 to 10 weeks but because my medication changes so much its difficult to get a true reading. My previous blood test was when i was on liquid. My latest one is on tablets.
I've just emailed Alliance pharmaceutical distributors to find out what's happening. These are one of the distributors that many pharmacies go to to fill their orders. I'll let you know if/when I get a response but in the mean time if you would like to ask them yourself the email address is:
information@alliance-healthcare.co.uk
helvella I eventually got a reply from Glenmark to say that their product is currently out of stock. Pretty lame really as it's a lactose free brand.
I think some products are actually handled by Alcura - who appear to be a specialist arm of Alliance (who are, indeed, part of Walgreen Boots Alliance).
Went onto the Alcura site and down a few rabbit holes . I think I have emailed what might be the General Pharmaceutical Council, but the email doesn't show as a sent item in my email account! It was for comments from patients , and I asked if they were aware of the current Uk wide situation with liquid levo, and that patients were suffering , and being kept in the dark for what seemed to be a government/ pharmacy price/ cost/ reimbursement problem which most probably needs to be addressed at government level.
I have no record of the email sent, or who would be the definite recipient, and don't expect a reply if someone has indeed received it! I think I have sent something to someone!
Great you have done this - well done - if you fill in a form on a website you won't get a sent message in your box unfortunately. Best to actually cut and paste into a word doc to save what you said if you need a copy. It will have got there how long you will have to wait for a response is another matter - due to Covid - what rubbish.
Thing is I have scoured every drug supply problem site and thyroid hormone is NOT on any of them. This is nothing more than putting profit before patients.
The failure to list shortages, albeit of individual makes, or specific medicinal forms, is wholly unacceptable.
A non-thyroid medicine is, for me, unavailable for the third time this year. And it is the ONLY product in its category. I can see it listed as being unavailable in Ireland - but not the UK. (It is manufactured in the UK.)
Exactly. I have asked so many times why is there a supply problem no one can give me an answer. I called Zentiva they said there is no supply problem whatsoever.
I have just been to Lloyds Pharmacy to ask which distributor they use and they told me it was Alliance. I asked them to see if they could get any liquid thyroxine and she spent a minute at the back and came back saying they can't get any apart from possibly Teva, which I don't want. The reason for that is that Teva costs around £45 compared to £164 for most of the other brands! They all say it's not about costs, but I am convinced that is exactly what it is about. My GP was no help at all and just said let me know which brand of tablet you want once you have looked at the ingredients and I will give you a prescription. The only one that might suit me is Glenmark and that is not available either! I am now going to ring Boots again to see if they can give me any more information - they told me a couple of weeks ago that it said online that it would be back by the end of October. I shall also ring Alliance. It is all so time-consuming and frustrating and I am so angry about it!
it is definitely costs. A few pharmacists said it to me others wouldnt admit it. When i said it to them they had no answer.
there's definitely something going on refarding everyone wanting to give you Teva, my thoughts are that the nhs have been told to only prescribe Teva brand because its cheap and alot of people can't take it.
thank you so much for finding out info.
i started out frustrated at the beginning then angry then upset and worried.
what is unbelievable is that you are treated like your the only one with the problem. When i say to pharmacists you must have other patients that can't tolerate Teva they look at me and say no not really you aee the first one.
I too emailed Glenmark, but have not received a reply. Another forum member's pharmacist seemingly spoke to Glenmark. They said their tablet is not currently being distributed in the UK!
Thank you for providing the email address for Alliance.
I, too, have now contacted them and pointed out that Teva liquid levo, Alliance brand and Zentiva seem to have stocks in existence, which Boots and other pharmacies would appear to be refusing to dispense to patients because of some kind of cost/ price / reimbursement issue between government and pharmacies.
I have asked for their comment on this, so that this matter may be escalated to an appropriate, more senior level.
From recent reading I have noted that another Zentiva product in liquid form, (not for thyroid conditions), appears to be unavailable. Zentiva seem not to address patient concerns directly, simply saying they are supplying pharmacies as normal, and to ask that the pharmacy contacts the company directly. I also seem to recall info somewhere a few days ago suggesting that ingredients needed for medications in oral form are currently in short supply, so this may well be why reports are coming in about shortages of some liquid meds.
Also, FYI, Teva meds are not the cheapest!! Unfortunately some pharmacists, or pharmacy assistants, are using this "information" as an easy way of getting out of confrontational dialogue. Comparing costs of meds is easy to do by looking them up on the NHS BNF site.
I understand your reservations but the statement that Teva is the cheapest option can still be checked by comparing the Teva cost to others quoted. It is immaterial whether they are manufacturers or wholesalers, the price is clearly stated, and there are several direct comparisons available such as those between Teva, Advanz/Mercury, Accord, Aristo and Wockhardt, for instance. Where are the dramatically cheaper Teva price commonly referred to? Oh, surprisingly, some Teva products are offered at a higher price!! Unfortunately this group is decidedly anti-Teva, and allows such comment without question or moderation, although permitting suggestions such as the the one that Mercury levo tablets are well-tolerated when the acacia in them is in fact a problem for many. This unhelpful anti-Teva slant has been adopted and spread without qualification, leading many to be critical of the brand itself and refuse all Teva products. It should be clearly and succinctly explained that if you are sensitive to mannitol and/or acacia, Teva levo tablets are to be avoided, and Mercury should not be given to those with a sensitivity to acacia. Anyone with a lactose intolerance should avoid the majority of brands of levo tabs, although I am sure they check the formulation as a matter of course. However, it does seem that few takers of meds ever read the PIL or check the formulation! This something which is rarely advised or addressed by any forum members, but could be a useful reminder when people report issues with particular brands. Apologies for straying off-point, but the subject of Teva comes up so frequently that I think it needs addressing objectively. Teva is, after all, one of the largest manufacturers of generic medications, and we are all likely to come across one or more of them sooner rather than later.
NHS indicative price No NHS indicative price available
Drug tariff Part VIIIA Category M
Drug tariff price £0.83
Levothyroxine sodium 100microgram tablets Teva UK Ltd
NHS indicative price £0.51
Drug tariff Part VIIIA Category M
Drug tariff price £0.83
My reliable pharmacist said he could get Teva 100mcg per 5 ml but I had to be quick as they’d only got a handful of bottles in stock and he said for the 100ml bottle about £95. I have 50mcg per 5ml Teva to double up from a number of weeks ago but it tastes awful and made me wretch.
I decided to leave it ( my Private Endo has provided a script for a trial) as what’s the point if I won’t be able to get it again! Way too much stress. He also said they were having major issues with other essential medications. He had another customer on liquid also struggling (unable) to get their brand. Crazy.
Boots were unable to source the Alliance. No dates as to when. It’s all very worrying.
hi, I collected !my prescription this morning. I d been waiting just over 2 weeks for it. I got my regular brand, zentiva, although I would have been happy to get anything. Hopefully, the rest of you will get yours soon.
Hi, No, I get mine on a NHS prescription from my local Tesco pharmacy. They order it in for me each month. They couldn't get hold of it this month. They did a "special order" for it. Not sure what exactly that means. It took 16 days to come in. Considering the problems other people have had, I m really pleased. I was dreading having to go back on tablets.
i'll give them a call thanks for letting me know. Do you have Zentiva on your prescription?
i have cannot take Teva on mine together with Zentiva but it doesnt make any difference.
i feel terrible since having to take tablets even that was near on impossible getting anything other than Teva.
i still have another month before next prescription i'll try now to get the liquid. I asked my gp if they can prescribe more than two bottles at a time but was refused because its too expensive to prescribe any more than two at a time. I explained how difficult it was to get and i cant go through the worry every repeat prescription but they refused.
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NP Thyroid reformulation - bad news. Anyone taking Almus liquid Levo?
Refused liquid Levo by NHS Endo due to cost. 
Liquid levothyroxine 
