What happened to Mercury Pharma?

[Emj001]

Hello,

I was looking at the list of brands of Levo and didn't see Mercury Pharma there anymore? It looks like all brands pretty much contain the same thing now. Has anyone else noticed this and any change in how your medication is working?

Thanks, Elide

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Not sure what list you are referring to - but that name is in my medicines documents! Though they are owned by Advanz so could be listed under either name.

In the years I have been looking at levothyroxine, only ONE has changed ingredients.

helvella's medicines documents (UK and Rest of the World) 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...

Screenshot of helvella's medicines document for UK

[Emj001 in reply to helvella]

Thabks for your reply. I was referring to the list provided by thyroid U.K. on their site. All the brands now contain maize starch which wasn’t the case before I don’t think. There’s really very little difference ingredient wise now between any of them. I’m sure Mercury pharma never used to have maize in it.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Emj001]

The list on the TUK website is unlikely to be up to date. The list provided by helvella is the one you need to go by 😊

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Emj001]

Although rather awkward, I have found definitive information about the ingredients in Goldshield levothyroxine in 2008:

Levothyroxine (generic)

strengths: 50mcg, 100mcg

active ingredient: anhydrous levothyroxine sodium

inactive ingredients: sodium citrate, maize starch, lactose, acacia powdered, magnesium stearate, purified water

same formulation, from the same manufacturer, as the Goldshield levothyroxine that was temporarily available in 2008

thyroid.nz/thyroid-drugs-tr...

AND

medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datas...

You will see in the above PDF that the Mercury Pharma logo is repeated many times!

The ONLY change in formulation of which I am aware was from OLD formulation Teva levothyroxine in 2012 to NEW FORMULATION Teva levothyroxine in 2016. A completely different formulation.

Other products have appeared and disappeared. But no other changes of formulation (listed ingredients). Though there has been at least one slight adjustment to proportions.

Inclusion (or non-inclusion) of lactose, mannitol and acacia appear to have profound effects on some members.

[CoeliacMum1 in reply to helvella]

A first for me, re Acacia …my pharmacy couldn’t get wockhardt 25mcg, so got Mercury that had Acacia in it…I’m assuming it has set me off with upset digestion, just as before, with Teva & Aristo.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to CoeliacMum1]

Why do you say Aristo? It does not contain acacia.

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.

medicines.org.uk/emc/files/...

[CoeliacMum1 in reply to helvella]

Yes I’m not sure why, but I get digestive problems bloating causing under rib pain with constipation worse than normal and both those two lactose free as of 2019 caused me problems (not tried more recently ) I know I don’t absorb these as well too, through trialing them few years back now my TSH goes up we noticed also … as I’m coeliac I’ve have various absorption problems and with supplements etc so over the last decade found what suits and what doesn’t…so the Mercury one was a new one to me 6wks ago 4 days in and same reaction (nothing in my diet had changed at all nor any supplements) I’m assuming Acacia…I’m obviously just very sensitive to certain things, possibly these fillers but have been better on Accord/Almus 100mcg and Wockhardt as I take 25mcg extra on 4 days.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to CoeliacMum1]

It can be very difficult identifying the actual reasons for issues with particular formulations.

[CoeliacMum1 in reply to helvella]

The better you spray D3 &K2 has Acacia in and bothers me too not as bad but some must be digested

[daisylorna in reply to CoeliacMum1]

Hi I've just started T3 and ingredients are knocking me out., so tired. I think I've eliminated it to acacia as it is a known histamine liberator. Hope this info helps

[nightingale-56 in reply to helvella]

helvella the method of heat treating of acacia Powder was changed (not sure when), and I believe this is what has caused me and my Son probelms with skin since then. The information about this is in that rather expensive Handbook of Medical Excipients, but I do not know how to link to this.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to nightingale-56]

There is a database of excipients with onward links all over the place.

Not sure if it would be possible to track through and find the information somewhere accessible?

precision.fda.gov/uniisearch

[nightingale-56 in reply to helvella]

Thanks for posting this helvella . Have had a quick look, but think it will take some unrevelling though!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to nightingale-56]

I think it is accessible here:

drive.google.com/file/d/0B8...

I couldn't see anything about change of processing just supply problems from Sudan.

[nightingale-56 in reply to helvella]

That gives just the information that I need on page 31, points 11 onwards. Thank you for this helvella .

[Chriskisby]

I have Mercury Pharma only. My GP puts it on my script and I get it from Boots, as they are the only ones who can be bothered to get it for me. I won’t accept anything else.

[Emj001]

Does everyone seem to prefer Mercury pharma? I’m trialling moving to North Star 50mcg as my TSH has been going up on MP. Since it went into administration and was rescued, is it possible some ingredient quality has changed as I don’t feel they work as well anymore.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Emj001]

NorthStar is no longer available.

(And when it was available, the 100 and 50 microgram dosages were Accord, and the 25 microgram dosage was Teva. That caused no end of confusion and very glad to see the back of it.)

[Emj001 in reply to helvella]

Ok. I found some old stock hence my reference to north star. So I should now ask for accord? Am looking for the acacia free ones. I really feel that MP aren’t working as well anymore for some reason. I understand they didn’t go into administration fully but am wondering if supplier changes have caused a change in the effectiveness, for me at least.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Emj001]

You can ask fro Accord or Al,mus - though Almus is pretty much only ever available in Boots.

Did you look at my medicines documents? Linked in my first reply.

There is a neat little table showing which ones contain lactose, mannitol and acacia.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Emj001]

Mercury Pharma did NOT go into administration in the sense you mean. It is a part of Advanz Pharma.