france.

[Bellaowl]

French info re levothyrox. Have people seen this? 🦉medscape.com/viewarticle/98...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

here’s other info on same case

Merck replaced lactose with mannitol

rfi.fr/en/france/20221020-m...

connexionfrance.com/article...

[Bellaowl in reply to SlowDragon]

so have they been doing this with other meds that are in U.K?

The article says this has been a 5 yr fight for compensation.

And France the biggest user. Do they have a higher incidence of thyroid problems?

I ask because my grandmother was French and my thyroid destruction is inherited from her.

[Brightness14 in reply to Bellaowl]

I don't think that we have a higher number of Thyroid patients here in France, but they are treated faster than in the UK. I have no thyroid and all of my medication is free of charge, also T3 is provided. The only thing not available here is NDT. Face to face GP's appointments are still the same day and there are many new hospitals being built too. By the way my Grandmother was Welsh.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Bellaowl]

So far as I am aware, no UK levothyroxine tablet has had a change of formulation in many years - with one caveat.

Teva levothyroxine was an inherited product that was changed from APS to Teva branding. (Was also distributed under an own label supplier arrangement as Numark.)

However, that was completely withdrawn in 2012.

Teva launched an entirely new formulation in, I think 2017. And this is the only UK levothyroxine tablet which contains mannitol. (Though the 25 microgram tablet ONLY is distributed under an own label supplier arrangement as Northstar.)

I think this is distinctly different to an existing product changing formulation from one batch tot he next.

[Brightness14]

It is well known here in France I posted about it only a few weeks ago. The French high court ordered Merck to go back to the old ingredients and Merck was fined millions of Euros because they didn't notify patients or Doctors of the alteration of ingredients.

[Bellaowl in reply to Brightness14]

my grandfather was Welsh, my other grandmother Scottish.

[Brightness14 in reply to Bellaowl]

A good mix then, great.

[Bellaowl in reply to Brightness14]

thanks for the info from France.

I’m not sure we get informed of changes in fillers and colours.

I picked up a new packet of sitagliptin- diabetes Med- and it’s much darker iron oxide. Different company and paperwork said nothing.

I envy u same day appmts with GP. Mine is good but it’s normally a phone appmt if urgent.

I also have no thyroid since about 1988. I’m on T3 mono and the endo in last report last month said not to prescribe Levo, I assume because my body can’t use it.

[Brightness14 in reply to Bellaowl]

How do you manage on T3 Mono? I have just started on Levo plus T3 as my last batch of NDT wasn't working after 7 years they must have changed somthing.

[Bellaowl in reply to Brightness14]

iv been on it from the beginning- ?1986/8. I’v been given levothyroxine a few times but I become a zombie within days.

CT shows no space for thyroid 1 side and a hole the other side with nothing in it- I assume there must be plasma since the body doesn’t like a void.

I had a prolactinoma treated 1966 by radiotherapy.

I take 20mcg bd but T3 not tested for yrs. I really must get it tested.

I’v been wondering about dividing I last dose in half and having 10mcg about 5-6pm and the other 10 at night

The hosp do TSH and T4- both always low.

I seem to manage ok on it

[Brightness14 in reply to Bellaowl]

Its all about trying to feel well, how do you take your dose?

[Bellaowl in reply to Brightness14]

thee morning dose I take with all my other meds/ heart, diabetic, and pyrodoxine. Often without food since I’m not a breakfast person.

The night 20mcg I also take with many other meds- they seem to mix ok. Often about 1-2 hrs after food.

But my legs and feet are getting very cold this weather which is why I thought dividing it may help.

My blood sugar is not totally controlled. I had a major issue about 2yrs ago and can’t go on insulin bc of the preservatives; so it’s been a long journey to get my HbA1c to 64- have slightly further to go.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Brightness14]

As I understand, the old formulation was made available again for a limited time. But the new formulation is now standard.

For example:

6.1. Liste des excipients  Retour en haut de la page

Mannitol, amidon de maïs, gélatine, croscarmellose sodique, stéarate de magnésium, acide citrique anhydre.

base-donnees-publique.medic...

And while there were just Biogaran and Levothyrox, there are also now L-Thyroxin-Henning, Thyrofix, TCAPS, and Thevier products.

[Brightness14]

I am on Thyrofix now from Greece made by Uni Pharma. It's available in all the Pharmacies it is named on my Prescription. My T3 is Cynomel made by Sanofi in France. Is Thyroxin-Henning better.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Brightness14]

I have tried both L-Thyroxin-Henning and Uni-Pharma levothyroxine (possibly not exactly the same as Thyrofix - what I tried was their product from Greece).

Both were fine. I'd have chosen L-Thyroxin-Henning simply because the Uni-Pharma product contained dyes/pigments. Other than that, I'd happily take either.

We are all different so it is difficult to use someone else's experience to make choices.

[Brightness14 in reply to helvella]

Exactly thank you