Aristo/ Vencamil has anyone switched to this?

[crimple]

I have sent in a yellow card to MHRA for 100mcgm Accord levothyroxine. My latest bloods and previous bloods for thyroid review showed that the Accord was not delivering the correct dose, T4 seriously lowered and feeling rough.

I have checked what's available on NHS prescribing and cannot tolerate acacia powder filler so that rules out Teva and Advanz / Mercury Pharma and Wockhart only produce 25 mcgm which would mean taking rather too many fillers.

How easy is it to obtain Aristo/ Vencamil, which chemists are most likely to stock it?

Thanks in advance for your help

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

I switched to Vencamil a few months back when issues getting hold of liquid Levo just weren't getting any better. I've had no issues so far with either the product or getting hold of it.

You may need to give your chemist 24 hours to order it in, and I've done this now with 2 different chemists, just drop prescription in one day and collect the next afternoon.

Good luck and I hope it works well for you as it seems to be for me.

[Hedgeree]

Hi crimple,

It's less difficult to get now it's been 'branded' Vencamil. I changed to this after having problems with Wockhardt causing horrible digestive issues.

Hope you find what suits you.

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

I've been using Aristo / Vencamil for over a year, much kinder on my stomach. I'd recommend an independent pharmacy as it will likely be classed as a 'special' and need ordering in for you which some of the bigger chains are too lazy to do

[helvella Administrator]

My latest prescription had been updated from just saying Aristo to be for Vencamil. (The surgery somehow decided to do this, or it was done automatically, without my knowledge or involvement!)

But I had already prepared the way about a year ago with a local pharmacy by going in and discussing. (I expressly wanted and needed to stop using Boots for various reasons.) They were a bit unsure but, in combination with the prescription being written acceptably, and the pharmacy wanting to help, I got it. And several repeats since.

And my next lot is already on the shelf waiting for me!

We keep hoping that their additional dosages will come through - 25, 50 and 75. But will be next year, I think. In the meantime, the tablets split in half really easily with just finger pressure and a flat hard surface.

[HealthStarDust in reply to helvella]

Which dose is available? 100mcg?

[helvella Administrator in reply to HealthStarDust]

Only 100 microgram tablets at present.

As soon as the other dosages are approved, their documentation will be visible by running this search:

products.mhra.gov.uk/search...

[Sailing14 in reply to helvella]

Can I ask why Aristo/Vencamil suits you as I am not sure whether to try this brand.

Thank you

[helvella Administrator in reply to Sailing14]

Yes - I simply take it and forget it.

Had issues feeling the potency of Accord (and Almus, of course) varied.

I have a crazy idea that despite being entirely lactose tolerant in every other way, there is something about lactose in conjunction with levothyroxine that does something odd. (And Teva with mannitol caused stomach discomfort.)

[Sailing14 in reply to helvella]

Thank you for your response. I may consider this brand as I am concerned about Accord and certain batch issues. Have you found Vencamil consistent?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Sailing14]

Entirely personally, it has been absolutely excellent.

And the tablets can, if needed, be very easily split by finger pressure. (This is NOT endorsed by the MHRA but is described in the Patient Information Leaflets for the same product in many other countries.)

[Sailing14 in reply to helvella]

Thank you. I think I may ask the GP about these, although, I have only recently asked for Accord brand to be added to my current prescription and it can be difficult to ask to change again so soon. The idea to be able to break them is good too.

What was the most difference to your health on this particular brand? Without you having to detail too much.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Sailing14]

I've only ever had bad issues with Teva and what I felt was significant under-dosing from Accord (Almus).

But there are differences among all of them. Speed of delivery. Burping. Whether they last to the next dose. These might seem crazy for a medicines which is claimed to be a storage hormone but I do feel rate of delivery and how long the dose lasts are important to me.

[Sailing14 in reply to helvella]

I will consider this change and see how I get on with this brand as the crumbling issue with a batch of Accord has caused palpitations I believe. Also, could these be sub standard if they are breaking up? And do I have to ask the doctor to state brand on prescription?

Thanks

[helvella Administrator in reply to Sailing14]

If you want Vencamil, then best for doctor to prescribe "Vencamil" - not "Levothyroxine sodium". It should be coded within all GP computer systems by now.

[Sailing14 in reply to helvella]

Thank you for and for all your help and advice.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

prescription needs to be written correctly to specify brand

Brand levothyroxine

[crimple]

Thank you helvella, Slow Dragon, Eeyore100, Hedgeree and Jatdee1507 for your positive responses. I hope to get a new scrip in the next couple of days.

[TaraJR]

I've been given Aristo for about 12 months. I hadn't asked for it, though I do always say 'no Teva'. So I assume Aristo is cheap as otherwise I wouldn't get getting it.

[helvella Administrator in reply to TaraJR]

No - it is not cheap! Though it will be reimbursed the same as other 100 microgram tablets at 79p for 28, the NHS indicative price is £1.77 - whether as Levothyroxine or Vencamil.

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/levot...

[TaraJR in reply to helvella]

Thanks. That's odd then. Why not give me something cheaper?

[helvella Administrator in reply to TaraJR]

It's always possible that the pharmacy is getting some sort of discount.

When I asked for it, the pharmacy were a bit confused because it was fairly recently on the market - and they said something about it costing more.

I had a chat with our GP practice pharmacist and he dismissed the cost difference as being unimportant/trivial.

Then it arrived and all has been well.

[TaraJR in reply to helvella]

I don't know.. it's such a complicated world! September drug tariff is out today.. no change on T3 prices.

[helvella Administrator in reply to TaraJR]

5 microgram tablets have gone up from 12250 to 12350!

As if they were not already outrageously expensive.

[TaraJR in reply to helvella]

Oops, I missed that.Yes, that's absolutely outrageous.

[helen_m]

I love Aristo. Been on it for at least a year. No issues with it at all. I also go to an independent pharmacy and they say it's easy for them to get 😊

[Ellie-Louise]

Asking for a friend.

I told her about this because she has horrendous problems with Levo and has tried so many different ones.

She went to the chemist to ask if they could get it, and they could so I thought she was sorted at last.

She has just got back to me saying she had looked it up and it was Eltroxin which is one she can’t take.

So is she right, is Vencamil, Eltroxin?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Ellie-Louise]

No. Absolutely not.

Vencamil is from Aristo.

Eltroxin is from Advanz Pharma (packed as Mercury Pharma).

All make/branding details are in my UK medicines document.

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...

[Ellie-Louise in reply to helvella]

Thanks Helvella, I will message her.