Trouble getting liquid Levothyroxine

[HollyMaya]

Hi, I can’t get liquid Levothyroxine from any pharmacists at the moment. My prescription was returned to the spine. My surgery send me a text to inform me. I’ve had previous problems and had to switch pharmacy for supply in the past. The doctor has said I have to take it and I have no choice but to go back on tablets, which I had intolerance issues with in the past. I feel so stressed out about it, I did ok on liquid. Is any one else have the same issue? Thanks for reading 😊

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

There have been supply issues of liquid levo since last summer. It's the same with many medicines lately due to Brexit, Ukraine war, all sorts.

Have you tried phoning around local pharmacies? Independent ones are better to try than the big chains, they have access to a wider range of suppliers.

Also ask them if they have it at a different strength to your usual strength. If they can supply a different strength then go back to GP and get your prescription written for what strength they do have.

[HollyMaya in reply to Jaydee1507]

Thanks for your reply. I did change strengths recently, they are saying they can’t get any strength now. I’ve rang around many pharmacies, I get the same response, nobody can source it. I hope I can tolerate the tablets, if I can’t, I hope things improve with getting liquid eventually 🤞

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to HollyMaya]

I had to accept a different strength for one prescription but my independent pharmacy has managed to keep me ticking over in supply throughout this. Maybe different areas are less well supplied. 🤷‍♀️

[Star13]

you just have to sit down and keep phoning pharmacies until you find one who has some. I’ve had to travel quite some distance to get it at times. If you find some that’s too far to go you can ask for your surgery to send your script for it to them providing they are prepared to send the medication to you. It’s a real issue at the moment with a number of medications and pharmacies are not spending the time to source medications as so many are out of stock. I’m spending more and more of my time doing their job. Frankly it’s not good enough to just send you back to your GP to get alternative medication that does not always agree with you.

[HollyMaya in reply to Star13]

Thanks for your response. I’m really struggling to deal with it all. I just can’t bring myself to do the phoning around again. I’ve just been diagnosed with Autism, my anxiety is so bad at the moment. I struggle with all sorts at the best of times. I’ve just picked up Teva Levo tabs from the pharmacy, I’ve been told to try them, let the surgery know if I’m struggling. I couldn’t tolerate tablets in the past, I doubt things have changed.

[RedApple Administrator]

HollyMaya, Here's a previous thread, started in December '22 about the ongoing difficulty obtaining liquid levothyroxine healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[McPammy]

I’ve had a nightmare in obtaining my liquid levothyroxine. I was switched to tablet form in Dec. By mid Jan I was in a mess. TSH up from my normal 0.89 to 6.00. My T4 plummeted. I have difficulty absorbing tablets. Liquid can be up to 40% more absorbent. What I did was phone my local and not so local hospital pharmacies. After many calls saying they didn’t have any nor knew when the next stock would be available, I found a hospital pharmacy that had some stock. Drs from different hospitals can’t make out a prescription only for their own hospital pharmacy. How I got it in the end…. The hospital pharmacy manager transferred the stock to their community on site pharmacy which meant I could get it with my usual green GP prescription. If you want to obtain medication from a hospital pharmacy it’s a white prescription. I finally got that stock which was Brillpharma. I normally have Wockhardt but I didn’t care any brand by this time except Teva. I then recently tried my community pharmacy just to see if any stocks are coming through yet. Bingo! They could get Zentiva 125mcg strength only. I informed my medication manager at my surgery and she got my GP to send over a prescription straight away. Last week I also picked up 4 bottle of Zentiva 125mcg. I’m normally on 50mcg strength but that’s OK the pharmacist works out what to take. I just take a lot smaller ml now of 125mcg. I’ve been back on liquid now for about 1.5 weeks and feel so so much better. It is down to Brexit (I voted passionately to remain) the medication manager told me last week. She had over 100 patients on a list that their normal medicines are not available. She said mainly endocrine medicines like thyroid and diabetes. So please check with your community pharmacy for Zentiva 125mcg there should be stocks available. It’s twice the price of my usual 50mcg strength but it will last twice as long.

🤞 Good luck xx

[HollyMaya in reply to McPammy]

I also voted to remain. Brexit is a nightmare. I’m sorry you’ve had so much trouble. I just don’t have the will to search anymore, all the phone calls are so stressful for me, I’ve just been diagnosed with Autism. My anxiety is bad. I’m going to try the tablets, in the hope I don’t struggle with them like I have in the past.

[McPammy in reply to HollyMaya]

there is stock of 125mcg Zentiva available now and that means you don’t have to go down the tablet route. Just call the medication manager at your GP surgery ask them to put 125mcg Zentiva on a new prescription then you shouldn’t have any problem getting it from your local pharmacy. Just one more call away.

I’m sorry you’re not feeling too good with anxiety levels. I do hope it’s sorted soon.

[Bookworm63]

I also had difficulty last month in obtaining liquid thyroxine. I managed to get two bottles of Zentiva from our town branch of Boots. Which seemed strange as the pharmacy who told me they couldn’t get it are a smaller Boots pharmacy just down the road. I would have thought they would have contacted the main branch to see if they had any but obviously they don’t do that. I had to ring round and I spoke to a local online pharmacy who are always very helpful and they sourced the bottles at Boots for me. At that time I rung Teva and they said the strength I have would be available at the end of January so I’m hoping my next prescription will be ok 🤞. I don’t mind any brand as long as it’s not Wockhardt it has Malitol in it. Interesting it’s Brexit that’s the problem, I’ve never been able to get any pharmacist to confess that but I always thought that was the problem.

[HollyMaya in reply to Bookworm63]

Thanks for your reply. I was getting mine from a large Boots. They were the only place I could get it. That was 10 miles from where I live. I haven’t got the drive to search anymore. The phoning around stresses me out too much. I’ve decided to try the tablets, been given Teva, I’ve not took one yet, I’m scared! I’ve not been able to tolerate them in the past