Ingredients Of Levothyroxine Sodium for Oral Use, (Liquid)

[LesleyRosslyn]

Im trying to find out if Tevo Levothyroxine sodium Oral solution has lactose in it.

[RedApple Administrator]

Welcome to the forum.

Levothyroxine Orals Solutions don't typically contain lactose, and have long been prescribed because of their lactose free status.

helvella may be able to be more specific. In the meantime, you could check out the info helvella has compiled on all UK thyroid medicines. Details are on his blog here helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[LesleyRosslyn in reply to RedApple]

Thanks very much

[helvella Administrator in reply to RedApple]

Correct - all levothyroxine oral solutions are lactose-free.

The document linked by RedApple has links to the official documentation of all UK thyroid hormone medicines - the Patient Information Leaflets have full lists of ingredients.

Also, would point out that Teva and Aristo levothyroxine tablets are also lactose-free. Being massively less expensive as well, they are more likely to be prescribed long-term.

[LesleyRosslyn]

Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator]

liquid levothyroxine is also currently very difficult to get hold of

Are you currently taking a different brand of liquid levothyroxine

[LesleyRosslyn in reply to SlowDragon]

Im taking Tevo. I also think the product contains Parahydroxy benzoates which I believe are anti fungal. Im worried about that as it seems toxic.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to LesleyRosslyn]

' I also think the product contains Parahydroxy benzoates '

Which actual product are you referring to LesleyRosslyn?

[LesleyRosslyn in reply to RedApple]

Liquid Teva Levothyroxine sodium oral

[RedApple Administrator in reply to LesleyRosslyn]

You're not giving us much information to enable us to help you. What dose and brand of tablets are you currently taking? And why are you asking about the liquid?

[LesleyRosslyn in reply to RedApple]

Hi. I have papillary Thyroid Cancer and last week had an op to remove cancerous nodules. My voice box has been damaged so swelling pills is not good. I was on Teva Levothyroxine tabs 125 mcg. My doctor had given me Levothyroxine 100 mags/5 ml, Oral Solution. 125 mcg dosage.

I read the ingredients on Tevo website it says it has Parahydroxy benzoate in it which when I looked it up it said was an anti-fungal product. I am concerned that that is toxic.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to LesleyRosslyn]

It's a tiny amount of preservative. Liquid levo is taken by many, many people and also given to babies and children, so it really doesn't seem likely that it would be 'toxic' for you.

[helvella Administrator in reply to LesleyRosslyn]

All levothyroxine oral solutions (liquids) require some preservative to be included. The precise preservatives do vary a little.

Typically:

E217 Sodium propyl para-hydroxybenzoate (preservative) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propy...

and

E219 Sodium methyl para-hydroxybenzoate (preservative) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodiu...

A mixture of glycerol and water can easily get contaminated with fungus and/or bacteria and their spores and remain there, possibly growing, for a long time.

The only other way of avoiding that is if the product is divided into individual sterile packed doses. And no products like that are regularly available in the UK.

Many are concerned about these preservatives but they are in small quantities.

[LesleyRosslyn]

Thanks for that. Im quite paranoid about all the fillers and additives in the medications I am now having to take. Ive already had cancer twice.

Thanks again.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to LesleyRosslyn]

Your paranoia is understandable. But you cannot live without thyroid hormone, so if you can't take tablets, then liquid levothyroxine is your only choice.

[helvella Administrator in reply to LesleyRosslyn]

I have just dropped a tablet of Aristo Vencamil (levothyroxine) in a small pot of plain tap water. In just over one minute, it dispersed such that you could swallow it effectively as a liquid. Just swirled once at the end. (Levothyroxine itself is almost insoluble in water. So you have to swallow the water with the obvious dispersed tablet, add water and swallow again, to make sure you get all the levothyroxine.)

This is NOT officially supported by the manufacturer. But this approach used to be commonly described in the Patient Information Leaflets of several UK levothyroxine tablets in the days before any liquid products were available.

Aristo Vencamil is, unfortunately, only available in 100 microgram tablets at present. They are easy to break in two (with just finger pressure) and some members even split those half-tablets in two. (This tablet splitting is supported by the manufacturer in many countries - but not by the MHRA in the UK.)

Aristo Vencamil is one of only two lactose-free tablets available in the UK. I don't have any of the other make, Teva, to try the same thing.

I hope this provides another option to consider.

Patient Information Leaflet:

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

Ingredients:

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

A sequence of photos of Vencamil in a small pot of water. Just over one minute.

[LesleyRosslyn]

Indeed. 👍

[LesleyRosslyn in reply to LesleyRosslyn]

Hi . Thanks for experimenting for me.

My swallowing issue means I can only swallow water if it is thickened. So that would not work for me. I can swallow food fine. Tablets stick in my throat and normally you just drink large amounts of water to dislodge them. I can't do this which is why I wanted the lego thyroxine liquid, which is a small amount to swallow.

😀

[helvella Administrator in reply to LesleyRosslyn]

The total amount of water I used was chosen to cover the little glass bowl deep enough. That was so the photos would be clear. I'm sure less could be used. Even down to a similar amount as the liquid - 5ml or so.

Could you add something - potato starch, cornflour, custard, gelatin (as in cooled but not quite set jelly) - to thicken this up?

I know that we are advised to take levothyroxine away from foods. But if you found a suitable substance to use to thicken this up, you could be using the same thing every day.

(Please don't take this as pushing you towards any particular choice. I'm just trying to help by examining the possibilities that occur to me.)

[RedApple Administrator in reply to helvella]

🌟🌟Sometimes, a simple 'Like' button just isn't enough. Your 'help' here deserves top marks and several gold stars! 🌟🌟