advice please

[Goinginsane1]

Hi all, does anyone know of a brand of Levothyroxine that makes 12.5mcg (or 25mg that I could cut in half) that ISN’T TEVA brand please? I currently take Accord but I think they only do 50 or 100?

I have reduced my thyroxine from 75 to 50 which has helped a number of on going symptoms, but created horrendous silent acid reflux problems that I’ve never had before.

After speaking with GP it was decided to trial 75/50 alternate days and see if I can find a middle ground. But I wonder if I should try 62.5mcg daily that would be more steady? 💁

[RedApple]

Goinginsane1, Teva is the only brand that makes a 12.5mcg tablet. MercuryPharma/Eltroxin and Wockhardt make 25mcg tablets.

[Goinginsane1 in reply to RedApple]

thank you! Are the others completely separate to TEVA brand? I do not get on well with TEVA at all. I may request one of those in 25 to cut in half if 75/50 alternate days doesn’t help.

[RedApple in reply to Goinginsane1]

Teva contains mannitol, which is what upsets some people. MercuryPharma and Wockhardt do not contain mannitol so they will hopefully be fine for you. What brand/s do you currently have for your 75s and 50s?

[Goinginsane1 in reply to RedApple]

thank you. Accord I take. I cut a 50 in half to make the 75 and add the 25 to a 50.

I have taken 75 the last 2 days and that definitely helped my stomach acid problem as I was feeling like I could eat a little more yesterday and the glands in my neck weren’t up like they have been everyday taking 50.

I have taken 50 today to start alternating 50/75 and the glands in my neck have gone up again today.

But then last night in bed my whole body was aching and tingly all night which kept me awake after taking 75 the last 2 days. I can’t seem to win. I really need to find a middle ground so wondering if I took 62.5 daily that might help 💁

[GlowCoach Administrator]

You really need to get to grips with where your vitamin levels are and begin supplementing any that are low. You are likely to have several low if not deficient vitamin levels.

A lot of what you are feeling is due to low thyroid levels and you're really only a slight step up from a starter dose now.

When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins. Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

Do you know if you had positive thyroid antibodies? Many with autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's benefit from a gluten free diet. A smaller percentage of those also need to remove dairy from their diet to feel well. These are intolerances and will not show up on any blood test.

[Goinginsane1 in reply to GlowCoach]

I had a blood test earlier this week. I have requested a printout of the results that I am collecting on Tuesday and I will pop them up here for you to see if that’s okay?

She said that my TSH had gone just over 4 now since lowering it to 50 but was taking lansoprazole at the same time which probably lowered levels further and too quick.

She said the rest of the results were ‘normal’ but no doubt not optimal.

Since taking 75 for the last 2 days my body was so achey and tingly all night in bed last night and started 50/75 alternate days from today.

I feel like since lowering it from 75 my sex hormones have increased as my period was on time, my libido is coming back which has been non existent and have been sleeping better, which makes me think that was the right thing to do however, it’s caused the stomach acid issue which is worse than anything 😐

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

Thats great that your levels have been tested and no doubt you will need to supplement some of them yourself. Its the only way people get to feel well.

A TSH of over 4 is far too high and even a 12.5mcg dose increase will just be a drop in the ocean.

The longer you are under replaced the worse symptoms will become and the harder it will be to increase your dose. You may have to go through some discomfort to come through to the other side feeling better.

I look forward to seeing your vitamin results. 🙂

[Goinginsane1 in reply to GlowCoach]

I am finding it so frustrating that I seem to have improved some hormones by lowering it in that I have a bit of a sex drive back and period being normal but created a silent acid reflux issue that is worse than anything with chest pain and struggling to breathe and can’t eat anything which I obviously can’t live with.

I am kind of hoping 50/75 alternate days will meet inbetween and find a balance.

75 the last 2 days helped my acid a bit yesterday I’m that I felt like it was improving and could eat a little more and did not need gaviscon. However, all night last night my body was so achey and tingly it kept me up much of the night.

Taken 50 today and the glands in my neck have swollen again (which didn’t happen yesterday).

I think that improving sex hormones is a good thing and my estrogen levels seem to have improved by lowering dose but caused the acid which Iliad been horrendous.

I really don’t know what to do for the best. Have no acid problem and low estrogen/sex drive? I want to get it so that I don’t have an acid problem and still have a sex drive and periods on time etc and sleeping well, which I have also been doing since lowering it.

I have also noticed that my urine has gone back to normal since lowering it (it went a weird line green colour when I was on the higher dose for a few months) and not getting up in the night all the time to go for a wee since lowering it too.

Do you see my frustration as lowering has helped quite a few things but caused the acid issue. At my wits end.I will come back to you with my blood results next week if that’s okay.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

You seem to be caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Making a thyroid dose change is a long term thing, so what you are noticing now will be different in a few weeks and even more so in a few months time.

Approx how much do you weight in kilos?

[Goinginsane1 in reply to GlowCoach]

I am. I am so fed up and frustrated.

I have lost weight and lost even more weight as I can’t eat anything due to the acid. I currently weigh approx 59 kilos. (9st 2lbs). But was 9 and a half stone a few weeks ago prior to acid issue and my original weight was almost 10 and a half stone.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

So a ball park figure for your final Levo dose would be around 94mcgs. This is worked out by weight in kilos x 1.6.

50/75 is still quite a bit under where you need to be. Look forward to seeing your vitamin results, then you can work on those which will help.

[Goinginsane1 in reply to GlowCoach]

even though I am symptomatic on the higher dose and those symptoms improved when I’ve lowered it? And still losing weight not gaining? Honestly I have no idea what to do for the best 😞

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

If your vitamin levels are low then it does lower your tolerance for thyroid hormones. Lets wait and see what your new results are.

[Goinginsane1 in reply to GlowCoach]

will get back to you on Tuesday. Thank you x

[helvella]

Full information about all UK levothyroxine products are in helvella's medicines documents (UK and Rest of the World) which can be found here:

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

helvella has created, and tries to maintain, documents containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world.

This link takes you to a page which has direct links to the documents from Dropbox and Google Drive, and QR codes to make it easy to access from phones.

The UK document contains up-to-date versions of the Summary Matrix for tablets, oral solutions and liothyronine available in the UK.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...