Forced to take Teva liothyronine???

[jezebel69]

I'm being told that T3 is hard to get and Teva is the only one available. Are others facing this problem?

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

I think it’s Teva T4 that people struggle with, haven’t heard complaints about Teva T3 🌱

[jezebel69 in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks for your help. Do you use it? I'd love to hear from some direct experience if I can

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to jezebel69]

I took Teva T4 for about 9 months recently switched to Aristo which I think is weaker but that is T4. I have to have lactose free so thats why. I have a compounded T3 from Roseway Labs, its only 5mcg and early days for me, I haven't noticed much difference on that so am going to follow up with them when I've given it a good few weeks to settle. I just remembered the Teva thing was T4 which was my reason for responding. I think someone said T3 Thybon Henning was preferable, Roma is nicknamed Whizz by some members ... thats just from reading others posts.

[Yeswithasmile in reply to Regenallotment]

Hi

‘Nicknamed Whizz’ ? Do they? I haven’t seen that. Is it for obvious reasons? I haven’t tried it yet 🤔 perhaps I should! Lol.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Yeswithasmile]

I confess it is Citrinesun and I that have dubbed it 'Whizz' as it seems to kick in and fizzle out quite quickly 😂 I have since altered to taking all in one 15mcg morning dose and this is working a whole lot better.... recent bloods show it is a similar strength to Tiromel which is the only other one I have tried, Citrine is now trialling Morningside as lactose isn't an issue for her

[Yeswithasmile in reply to TiggerMe]

lol that’s made me chuckle. Thanks for the reply. Well I will see but to be honest I doubt I’ll even notice it with such a drop.

I found tiromel weaker. Cynomel potent and Morningside steady so be interesting to try Roma. Once I am well adjusted on my newer brand of t4 I’ll give it a go.

Glad to hear you’re managing to work round it. Taking in one go (I do that) is a so much easier than splitting isn’t it?! Especially if you’re a grazer like me. Only time I have an empty stomach is early morning 🤣🤣🤣

Good luck (still chuckling).

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Yeswithasmile]

Good🤗! It's that    Citrinesun she's an old raver!

Interesting I found Tiromel had more umph but then my T4 was higher at the time and it was my first time of adding T3, Roma seems to have picked up since my T4 has gotten back into the 70% zone so it makes it really hard to do direct comparisons... bloods wise T3... same same!

It's all a bloomin mind game really isn't it 🙄🤷‍♀️🤗

Tiromel bought me back from the early onset days... so I guess gets sweetheart status 😍

[Yeswithasmile in reply to TiggerMe]

ah so a soft spot for tiromel. I get that.

You’re right. It is a mind game. I would be so much further ahead of it wasn’t for brand changes. So frustrating!!

I find different t3’s really affect my heart rate when I first change for a while so that’s what my experience is based on. Tiromel was mild but cynomel was definitely more bang for your buck 🤣 and morningside is more like a plough horse. Longer lasting and steady. Wonder what I will compare Roma to? Lol.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Yeswithasmile]

Interesting isn't it and frustrating! Roma did nothing to my heart rate even when I doubled the dose which put me at 130%, it was the uplift in T4 (which had dropped back to 25%) that kick things up a gear 🤷‍♀️🙃

[Yeswithasmile in reply to TiggerMe]

so strange how we all react differently 🤷‍♀️ and annoying. If we were all same how much easier it would be!!

[Citrinesun in reply to TiggerMe]

Yes ditto, here heart rate was scaring me it went to sleep 😴

[Citrinesun in reply to TiggerMe]

Oh my word, that convo was just so funny.. 😊 🤣🤣 TiggerMe can always relay on you to spontaneously cheer me up..it takes one to know one *wink* 🤩💃 haha..

Morningside, I think im doing better on and the HR is still very fast, still better than feeling like my heart is not working lol.

lowest 73bpm and highs up over 100 daily, but I have been on the go a lot and highly stressed so I couldn't say it's a true review of it just yet.

I guess I don't think I could handle taking my whole dose of this in one so definitely not like Roma.

I may start to take my last dose a little earlier in eve coz the palpitations annoying me when Im laying down.

But other than that I do feel better than I did on Roma. 🤗

[jezebel69 in reply to Citrinesun]

Compounded stress and too much T3 pushed me over the top during the pandemic. I had bouts of very high irregular beats with sky high BP. Blood tests weren't as frequent then so the FT3 rise wasn't caught soon enough. No idea why but I was very happily taking 75mcg and I'm now on 45mcg. My heart rate is around 75 resting and 120 brisk walking

[Citrinesun in reply to jezebel69]

Stress definitely does it but I am definitely not taking too much, I am under coz the endo is only prescribing 15mcg, I was on 18mcg tiromel. With T3 about 6.3.I think it is the make up of different tabs, as tiromel also upped my HR where as Roma completely the opposite we know from Eeyore now that Roma definitely does deliver on the T3 dose, but my HR was dipping back to the 50s low 60s so maybe it's an ingredient thing, I dunno 🤔

[Muffy in reply to jezebel69]

Yes, I have Teva T3 and it’s fine for me.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

You could always try phoning around different chemists to see what they have available. Some use different wholesalers so get different stock. Independent pharacies do better for a wider range available.

Teva T3 is different to Teva Levo. It doesn't contain mannitol which is the suspect ingredient that can cause people issues.

[jezebel69 in reply to Jaydee1507]

Thanks Jaydee. I've done the runaround for 2 months now. I'm going to go back to home deliveries by Well Pharmacy. They were outstanding through the pandemic.

I always thought that Teva T3 was weaker?

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

I believe Teva T3 is lactose free so may feel abit different. Not sure about strength equivalence. Get bloods done after 6-8 weeks if you're not sure of strength.

[Yeswithasmile]

I’ve just been given Roma capsules. Normally get morningside. I should have checked before I left the chemist but was rushing. I’ve not been given Teva t3 before it does show other options for t3 are available.

[jezebel69 in reply to Yeswithasmile]

Capsules? Can they be divided? Roma must be a new one

[Yeswithasmile in reply to jezebel69]

Nope. Well I suppose you could split them with a syringe and empty capsules but what a mission that would be.

I’m on a dose reduction so they gave me then 2 x 5. I was on 2 x 10mcg but prescription got reduced. Hopefully it’s a temporary reduction.

[jezebel69 in reply to Yeswithasmile]

Eek! That would be awkward for me. Are you on T3 only? Did your blood test or symptoms cause a dose reduction?

[Yeswithasmile in reply to jezebel69]

I take t4 as well but although I get a prescription I self source because it’s the only way to stick to one brand. In November the brand I was taking changed its formula (using mannitol as a filler) This led to me being over medicated. I thought I was undermedicated so had a worry free blood test only to discover the problem. Unfortunately this led to a reduction in prescribed t3 as well. I was only at 5.7 (3.1 - 6.8) but ft4 was 22.4 (12 - 24). Explained the situation but 🤷‍♀️ it’s any excuse when your tsh is surpressed. Strangely he was willing to up my t4 from 50mcg to 125mcg alternating 150mcg. Who understands their logic??!

[helvella Administrator in reply to Yeswithasmile]

The capsule content is a powder - so no, not suitable for a syringe.

[Yeswithasmile in reply to helvella]

so they could be split? I expect it’s a tricky business though. Currently splitting a gaberpentine tablet for one of my dogs and that’s one that comes apart easily. Mind you I feel like a drug dealer trying to make two equal halves with my Tesco club card! 🤣

[helvella Administrator in reply to Yeswithasmile]

The problems are:

Avoiding any loss of contents.

Accurately dividing white powder - and, yes, "drug dealer" is the image that comes to mind.

The Roma Patient Information Leaflet gives advice on removing contents and taking with water. But not dividing. (Not that you'd expect them to support a questionable approach.)

[Yeswithasmile in reply to helvella]

yes. It would be fraught. I notice that empty capsules and tiny spatulas can be bought on Amazon as can precise scales but they need calibrating and when deal with tiny amounts of white powder apparently air pressure and conditions all play their part. So don’t think I’d bother going down that route!

If it’s not about fluid leaking which obviously was my assumption, is it just cheaper to provide it in a gelatine capsule I wonder?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Yeswithasmile]

I have a milligram scale. And even using it upstairs (wood floor) rather than downstairs (concrete floor) makes a difference. Can change by a few milligrams while you look at it.

I use it to weigh tablets for my thyroid hormone medicines document. And it is good enough for that because all that is doing is giving an idea.

[Yeswithasmile in reply to helvella]

well i doff my cap… that is dedication.

I read that they can change as you watch the display which is why I opted for doing it by eye!

[helvella Administrator in reply to jezebel69]

Roma capsules have been marketed as from 13/01/2022.

[Lalatoot]

I had no problems with TEVA t3 when i was on 20mcg. I was on it for several months and found it as good as Morningside. As I now need 5mcg tablets I am now only on Morningside

[jezebel69 in reply to Lalatoot]

Thankyou Lalatoot - I can stop avoiding it now. Morningside has always been good

[Hay2016 in reply to jezebel69]

I’ve had morning side, mercury pharma and TEVA. No discernible difference for me. Xx

[Jasp6]

The main problem I have with Teva T3 is they tend to crumble when split. I have to quarter mine. I stick to morningside or mercury pharma for this reason.

[Dynaskia]

Thanks for your question about this. I've been on Teva brand T4 and T3 for some time now and felt stable on them. (I cut the T3 for 10mcg a day) However, the pharmacist told me today that they can no longer get Teva liothyronine, partly due to manufacturing issues in Ukraine. I hate changing brands, but I've been given Morningside 20mcg tablets as a replacement. I appreciate the comments in the thread about this brand and will give them a try. I really don't understand what is happening with medications in the UK. I was happily on Thybon Henning for several years, but these became unavailable due to Brexit, so I was told. It's frustrating!

[jezebel69 in reply to Dynaskia]

I feel your frustration. Morningside has been fine for me. I'm puzzled that I'm being told that Teva is the only T3 available much of the time?Also thyroid hormones are produced in the UK (at a massively inflated price) so we should not have any shortage.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to jezebel69]

jezebel69, ' I'm puzzled that I'm being told that Teva is the only T3 available much of the time?'

Teva may be the only brand available to your pharmacy through their particular distributor at any given time. It may not necessarily be true for pharmacies using different distributers though.

'thyroid hormones are produced in the UK (at a massively inflated price) so we should not have any shortage.'

UK does produce it's own thyroid medications, but perhaps some of the raw ingredients have to come from outside the UK, and that could be a cause of shortages? Maybe helvella knows something about this.

[helvella Administrator in reply to RedApple]

So far as I can tell, of liothyronine products licensed in the UK:

Morningside and Advanz/Mercury Pharma are manufactured in the UK.

Teva, Roma and Sigmapharm are manufactured abroad.

I have no information on where raw ingredients (active pharmaceutical ingredients or excipients) come from.

And I have absolutely NO idea why Ukraine is relevant. I have not found that Ukraine has any liothyronine products. But it is not inconceivable that they produce various things like starch-based excipients.

[Dynaskia in reply to jezebel69]

i decided to follow this up and found useful contact details on this website to TEVA, and was told that they do have stock. I spoke to my pharmacist again and she said she would still not be able to supply it to me, even though TEVA brand is on my prescription, and this is because of a a recent price increase that they are not willing to pay for. I'm looking around for a new pharmacy now so that I can continue taking TEVA