I started on 25mcg of Eutirox (Levothyroxine) manufactured by MERCK on 12/09/2022 and didn't experience any side effects, other than feeling a little warmer. Then, on 20/10/2022, having been prescribed 75mcg tables of Levo manufactured by TEVA, I upped to 37.5mcg (half a tablet of the TEVA brand, as I wanted to step up slowly).
The very next day I started to come out in red blotches on my skin/hives. I read the TEVA leaflet which said that this can represent a rare allergic reaction, so I contacted NHS111 and my GP. Someone online suggested it might be an allergic reaction to acacia, and I checked with the TEVA helpline and their Levo tablets do contain acacia. I have reverted to the MERCK tablets and am now taking 2 x 25mcg as of yesterday.
Did anyone get this reaction? How long did it take to go away? Is it likely to be a reaction to acacia? Any other advice?
I went to see my local pharmacy too today, and they said to use the old medication for a week or two and if the reaction goes away then it is likely to be caused by the TEVA brand.
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UKmale_hypo
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Many members have had a reaction to Teva but I think it's more likely to be the mannitol they use insted of lactose. It may be the acacia but there have been so many people react here and in a French brand which changed their forumula to include mannitol.
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.
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).
Levothyroxine is an extremely fussy hormone and should always be taken on an empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after
Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap.
Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
Similarly if normally splitting your levothyroxine, take whole daily dose 24 hours before test
REMEMBER.....very important....stop taking any supplements that contain biotin a week before ALL BLOOD TESTS as biotin can falsely affect test results - eg vitamin B complex
That reaction looks really uncomfortable. Has it abated now?
A couple of months ago, they gave me TEVA (made in Croatia) instead of my usual ACCORD. Within a day I had a hurting head like it was throbbing and about to explode (unlike any headache I've had before). That was alongside a REALLY foggy brain, blurry sight, aches and pains everywhere, raised temp and a relapse of my auto immune inflammatory condition and serious fatigue. I got back on ACCORD 5 weeks ago and I'm still not right, although its improving.
I read on this forum somewhere that TEVA is now facing a class action suit in the UK (sorry no link).
What with that and all the different adverse reactions that people talk about on here, it seems like TEVA really does need to be investigated/studied and even terminated perhaps.
. I seem to be ok on all the brands I’ve been given, including Teva, which I get 90% of the time. but at one stage I thought Teva might be causing excema on my hands and asked the pharmacy assistant to ensure I was given a different brand. Her initial response was “all brands are the same “. I started explaining about excipients to which she replied “ well one of our customers won’t have anything but Teva.”
“Exactly,” I said, “different brands suit different people.”
I was nauseous shortly after taking it. When that continued for three days, I went to pharmacy and asked them to give me my regular brand and write on my file not to give me Teva again. No more problems.
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