Liquid Thyroxine, do different brands have differing side affects?

Hello I've been on Teva Liquid now for about six months and while better than the tablets the side affects are pretty awful, So I'm wondering if it's worth changing brands to see if other liquids have less side affects. if anyone has experience of this I'd really like to hear your views. GP is just really happy my TSH is now down from 91 to 10.8. I'm also going to start replacing liquid with tablet so will do half and half in the hope of lessening side affects of both. I don't want to do to many things at a time so I can keep track of what does what as it were, but as I have no experience of other liquids I'm asking advice. Many thanks.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

What side effects are you getting?

It really depends on what you're sensitive to in the liquid or tablet as to what brand suits you as they all contain different exipients.

Why are you switching to tablets?

You're still very hypo so many symptoms will be expected from the condition itself.

[Hidden in reply to Jaydee1507]

Hi thanks for the reply truth is I have never had any Hypo symptoms ever, even with a TSH of 91. GP's just look at me and go, you should be 40 stone and unable to get out of bed? but I'm fine. the only time I'm not fine is taking thyroxine so the last 20 odd years has been trying to minimise side effects as the pills make me basically mad, suicidal and suffering from catastrophic anxiety. The only way I can stop this once it kicks in is to stop taking thyroxine for a few months then get back on an even keel over another few months and then start to reintroduce pills tiny amounts at a time. So I'm now on the liquid and I may be not sleeping and having night terrors and putting on weight but it's better than the pills!!

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Hidden]

As far as I'm aware what you describe aren't standard intolerance symptoms. I see you have put on your profile an interest in pernicious anaemia, do you have that?

Have you had key vitamins checked lately? You need results for ferritin, folate, B12 and D3. Low vitamin levels can make us intolerant to levo of any type.

I'm sorry you're having such an awful time of it.

[Hidden in reply to Jaydee1507]

Hi I've had everything checked out even Antibody interference and everything seems fine all numbers for Vits are good D good. I do have PA but self inject once a week so know it's not that. some endos are so awful they aren't worth speaking to. I've had them tell me all kinds of things over the years, I've been on every brand of Thyroxine and can be stable for years as long as I don't change brands or sometimes even batches, my problems only arise when I'm overtreated. As soon as I'm overtreated all the stuff I mentioned kicks in. GP's just leave me alone and hope I can sort it out myself. I must admit they do go along with what I ask 9 out of 10 times so I can't really complain about them. I'm hoping that half and half will give me minimal side affects from both but as I said to GP this could all go horribly wrong and if so I'll just go back on the liquid. Then I thought stupid me should have tired a different liquid before I tried mixing it with pills hence the question.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Hidden]

If you're hypo you're likely to have low vitamin levels due to low stomach acid. When was the last time you had vitamin levels tested and what were the results exactly? You should never trust a doctor when it comes to vitamin levels.

I wonder with the PA if you need to inject more often once you get to a better thyroid level maybe?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jon99

Side effects will be down to how the individual may or may not react to fillers. Best thing to do is check the ingredients of the different brands, which you can do with helvella 's thyroid hormone medicines document. Click on the first green tab T4 SOL here:

dropbox.com/s/wfhrlmb5983co...

There are links to the patient information leaflets if you need more information than Helvella has included.

I'm not sure I'd mix tablets and liquid, why risk side effects of both when you might be able to find the right solution that gives you no side effects?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If your TSH is 10 you need dose increase in levothyroxine because you’re not adequately treated

On levothyroxine the aim is to increase the dose slowly upwards until TSH is always BELOW 2

most people when adequately treated will have TSH around or under one

Do you have any recent blood test results you can add

ALWAYS test thyroid levels early morning, ideally around 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

ESSENTIAL to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3

plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 levels at least once a year

Do you have autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine

 

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies 

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis. 

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis 

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test 

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options and money off codes

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Watch out for postal strikes, probably want to pay for guaranteed 24 hours delivery 

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism 

thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...