Any acacia free Levo?

[Emj001]

Hi, I’ve been looking at the ingredients of levothyroxine for different brands and can’t find any without acacia added. Does anyone know of any available in the U.K.?

Thanks

[helvella Administrator]

Accord (including Almus), Aristo, Wockhardt.

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...

[Emj001 in reply to helvella]

thanks. I’ve looked on the official medicines site in the U.K. and I can’t see any that don’t have acacia now aside from wockhardt

[helvella Administrator in reply to Emj001]

Which site are you looking at?

This one?

medicines.org.uk/emc/

It is useless. Some companies don't put their product details on that site. So you end up with half the picture.

It likes to make it *look* as if it has everything. It doesn't. If you read carefully, they don't even claim to. But they word it in such a way that anyone could think they do.

As I said, Accord and Aristo do not contain acacia.

That is why I created my document which genuinely contains details (or links) for ALL UK products. Occasionally it might take a short while between a change occurring and me editing the document but sometimes it is within hours. And my links are to the MHRA copies of the documents - that is, the official up-to-date versions.

[Starmen in reply to Emj001]

I take Wockhardt it has no acacia or mannitol. My GP agreed to prescribe this brand and pharmacy have this on my record . It is only dispensed in 25mcg tablets therefore I take four tablets to make up my 100mcg dose..

[Emj001]

oh wow ok thank you! Yes that was what I was using. That’s a relief. Thanks again. Feeling calmer now!

[helvella Administrator in reply to Emj001]

Accord information used to be there but suddenly stopped. I'm afraid I don't trust that site at all.

Glad I explained sufficiently!

[crimple]

Emj001 Vencamil is Aristo and doesn’t contain acacia powder. They only have 100 mcgm tablets, so you would have to cut them to get your correct dose. My scrip says Vencamil, so that’s what pharmacy must dispense. Don’t let them fob you off. I cannot tolerate acacia, plays hell with my stomach.

[Exhausted101]

I've just looked at the Almus sheet. No acacia.

[Hidden]

I wonder why is acacia used as a filler at all?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Trouble is, you could say that about any substance - but some might not tolerate anything suggested as an alternative.

It has been used in pharmacy for a very long time - as has lactose.

We have members who cannot tolerate corn derivatives which is likely the most difficult single source to avoid. Even medicines which do not contain corn starch and such like might have ingredients derived from corn.

Also, the main reasons for using it are:

Emulsifying Agent; Stabilising Agent; Tablet Binder; Viscosity-Increasing Agent, and Thickener

pharmacentral.com/product/a...

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

Yes I know about lactose. It's very hard to find any meds without it. Thank God I don't have problem with it. Also corn starch, sometimes gelatine (terrible for vegetarians) and many, many chemicals. But acacia, I don't think that I ever saw it on the list of excipients of any medications that I was taking for any sort of medical problem that I had. Do they have some fancy name for it so I wasn't aware what it was?

[Hedgeree in reply to Hidden]

I just had a very quick Google; acacia used as a binder or emulsifying agent. I had no idea acacia is also known as guar gum.

Never realised it was the same thing? 🤷🏼‍♂️

As helvella says been used for a very long time in medicines.

[Hidden in reply to Hedgeree]

I just checked a bit too. I know that guar gum is just about everywhere but they say it's slightly different than acacia.

[Hedgeree in reply to Hidden]

Ah yes. I'm skim reading too quickly; yes slightly different.

[jgelliss in reply to Hedgeree]

In US we have Levoxyl. I don't know if it's available in UK.

[helvella Administrator in reply to jgelliss]

No - it's not.

Somewhat ironic the the current Levoxyl arrived because the previous version was so appalling they had to reformulate completely!

There is no levothyroxine product that is generally available in both the USA and the UK.

[jgelliss in reply to helvella]

Helvella I'm so sorry. I know that I was dosing with Synthroid after my TT it caused me awful palpitations. Dr's couldn't figure out why? I later read that patients dosing with Synthroid had the same reactions and it was from the Acacia. I would love to know why the manufacturers are using fillers knowingly that thyroid patients don't do well with? You would think they would be more cautious.

[helvella Administrator in reply to jgelliss]

From what I have gathered, both Synthroid and Eltroxin - the USA's and UK's first levothyroxine products had similar formulations - including acacia.

My guess is that they used lactose (the all-purpose bulking agent), magnesium stearate (the universal 'lubricant'), and acacia to help make the tablet more physically rugged.

Being the first, there was no understanding of the impact of any excipients used in levothyroxine had on hypothyroid patients.

But I do not have a full history of changes made over the years.

There have been studies which have highlighted some excipients having effects on absorption, etc. One I remember was calcium phosphate. But that study was something like an MSc thesis rather than a major investigation.

But the general thoughts have fed into products such as Tirosint and Tirosint Sol.

[GREENcard13]

Yes Wrockhardt doesn't contain acacia ..its the only brand I seem to tolerate now. I get it in 25mcg x3 and have it specifically noted on my prescription