Lactose Free Levothyroxine

[lostatsea2]

Have been taking Levothyroxine since 2017 for underactive thyroid.

Recently, have had problems with Lactose intolerance so totally cut Lactose from my diet. Since then I've not had acid indigestion or reflux and feel better for it. I requested a lactose free levo from my GP and they advised me to speak to the pharmacy. They asked me to discuss it with the doctor. Anyway, after a bit of back and forth I got the doctor to make a note on my prescription and asked the pharmacy to get the Aristo 100 mcg.

All was fine for 4 months. However, the pharmacy are saying they cannot get it anymore "we have no choice over brands". Not sure how they managed to get it for 4 months!

The pharmacy are now saying that the Aristo brand contains lactose. They have asked me to go through my bin to find the old packaging so that I can photograph it and prove to them that it is 'lactose free'. The surgery have said if I can prove Aristo is lactose free the doctor will find me an alternative.

So is Aristo 'lactose free'? Angry that if it contains lactose and the pharmacy have been knowingly giving the brand anyway.

Thanks for reading this far

[Hedgeree]

Hi lostatsea2,

Aristo doesn't contain lactose. I take it as I'm intolerant to lactose.

helvella has lots of info regarding excipients in different levo brands someone will link to it for you (hopefully)

It has now been branded as 'Vencamil' same thing just with a brand name. That should make it easier for the pharmacy to locate it for you. You can ask your GP to specify 'Vencamil' on your script.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

How frustrating that they are giving you the run around.

I can confirm that the Aristo brand does NOT contain lactose. It is also available under the brand name of Vencamil which your pharmacy might have to order in.

I attach the matrix of Levothyroxine medicines from Helvellas document.

Could you try a different pharmacy?

Also, perhaps ask GP to prescribe Vencamil which is identical to Aristo and then there can be no confusion.

Levo matrix

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

If a pharmacy is that incompetent and unhelpful, I think I'd have had a meltdown and used some EXTREMELY ripe language.

ALL documentation for UK medicines is readily accessible on the MHRA's documents site - and this is a link to the Patient Information Leaflet for Aristo Levothyroxine/Vencamil. The text below is taken from that PIL which is current right now.

What Vencamil contains

• The active substance is anhydrous levothyroxine sodium. Each tablet contains 100 micrograms of anhydrous levothyroxine sodium.

• The other ingredients are microcrystalline cellulose, maize starch, heavy magnesium oxide, sodium starch glycolate type A and magnesium stearate.

mhraproducts4853.blob.core....

No lactose there!

It is absolutely NOT right for them to DEMAND that YOU prove the case.

We keep getting told that the pharmacists are the experts and are so incredibly knowledgeable. In this case, they are failing on the absolute basics - including "the customer is always right" and "I might not know everything but I know where to find the information".

Apologies - this is not a meltdown at you,  lostatsea2 , but at the pharmacist(s) you are having to deal with. You need every bit of support.

Getting it wrong, saying it does contain lactose, is the sort of thing that should be reported to the pharmacy regulator. (But I'm not meaning you should take that burden on you. Upsetting a local pharmacist likely isn't worth it. Just an observation.)

PS - I take Aristo levothyroxine - despite having no issues with lactose that I know of. It suits me better than any other UK licenced product.

Screenshot of Aristo levothyroxine/Vencamil Patient Information Leaflet on MHRA's website

[SlowDragon Administrator]

The problem may simply be Aristo is now probably listed at Vencamil on the pharmacy database

Aristo has been rebranded

[TiggerMe in reply to SlowDragon]

Yep, expect that is the case... my surgery just look at me blankly and say we can't get so and so any more... then I speak to the independent pharmacist and she says.. that is because the size has changed or the name and then you go back and spoon feed this information to a receptionist to pass onto the script writers which you would think might flag up these things and possible alternatives when they check the script? 🙄

Hidden in plain sight!

[lostatsea2]

Thank you everyone.

As soon as I walked in the pharmacy, that day, I knew something was up. The little glances and quiet chatter amongst the staff. Then the eventual, 'it will be a few moments', even though I dropped the prescription in 5 days previous. Eventually, they hand over the prescription and I open it to discover its Mercury Pharma.

Believe me, I did have some choice words for them. Deceitful was my favourite.

I'm trying to keep my cool and aim to deal directly with my GP. However, the surgery receptionist is acting as a gatekeeper. She has even contacted the pharmacy herself as its right next door. I feel like the receptionist is protecting the pharmacy as it was her that told me the pharmacy wanted photographic proof.