Last week my endo has started me on Levo - lowest starting dose of 25mg.
I gave up dairy 6mths ago due to ongoing gastro issues (which I am now thinking may contribute to thyroid issue).
Anyway… the pharmacist has given me generic Levo containing lactose. TBH it didn’t even occur to me to check this or specify a non-lactose one.
The tablets are tiny - would this small an amount of lactose cause an issue? My gastro issues are not fully under control yet, so hard for me to tell if the tablets are making them worse or not yet.
Please can anyone recommend which generic Levo I should request to avoid lactose or is it a case of getting Levo made privately?
Are there any issues with taking Levo just before bedtime? It would make life a lot easier. I have four clear hours of not eating before bedtime.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Written by
N5girl
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If you think of it as just being lactose, it is a tiny amount.
But what you need to consider is that it is lactose PLUS levothyroxine. And for unclear, even completely obscure, reasons all too many find they cannot tolerate levothyroxine tablets that contain lactose. Even people who consume plenty of other dairy products.
There is (currently) only one make of levothyroxine in 25 microgram dosage that is lactose-free - Teva. Some people get on well with Teva. But some find it causes them all sorts of issues like stomach discomfort. Seems to be entirely unpredictable.
You might be fine with what you have got. Again, there is no predicting.
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. There is now a specific world desiccated thyroid document.
I highly recommend viewing on a computer screen, or a decent sized tablet, rather than a phone. Even I find it less than satisfactory trying to view them on my phone.
helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines - UK
The UK document contains up-to-date versions of the Summary Matrixes for levothyroxine tablets, oral solutions and also liothyronine available in the UK. Includes descriptions of tablet markings which allow identification. Latest updates include all declared ingredients for all UK products and links to Patient Information Leaflets, etc.
Contains details of all levothyroxine, liothyronine and combination products - excluding desiccated thyroid products. Details available vary by country and manufacturer.
The link below takes you to a blog page which has direct links to the documents from Dropbox and QR codes to make it easy to access from phones. You will have to scroll down or up to find the link to the document you want.
Having read quite a few posts on here, 25 mg seems quite low. I understand my endo’s logic for starting on 25 mg but I am definitely not small and don’t have heart issues so I think I will request a dose of 50 mg to circumvent the lactose issue. Is there a 50mg tablet that most people prefer?
Thanks for the info. Will have a thorough read through.
We are all different! Which makes it very difficult to recommend any particular tablet.
Currently there is only Teva if you want lactose-free!
(In late August we are expecting Aristo Vencamil to be available in additional dosages - 25, 50 and 75.)
By the way, the dosages of thyroid hormones are almost always in micrograms (mcg) - not milligrams (mg) - because the quantities are so incredibly small. We understand but best to get it right when discussing with medics.
That would be great news if taking Levo and boosting my Vit D got rid of my gastro issues. I am going to assume it is not as easy as that though. Reading this site makes me think I will need to try a gluten-free diet.
Yes GG it's very correct . I Had /Have Hashi. Even today if I cheat I get lethargic itching and breakouts from gluten and lactose. It became a way of life just to keep off of it to the best of my ability. Have to read ingredients. 🤦♀️
Gastro issues are diarrhoea, increased frequency, urgency and cramping. So, not the usual constipatjon that would be expected with low thyroid issues. They started last summer.
I have had loads of investigative work done, have done a full elimination diet resulting in stopping dairy which has definitely helped to some degree. We have ruled out all the usual suspects like colon issues or gastro conditions, arthritis ((I have joint pain too) etc. What I have found odd in the last year is that I have continued to put on significant amounts of weight despite all the issues - I didn’t even lose weight on the elimination diet. I an five years post menopause so would not have expected it to be oestrogen issues. My Endo thinks this may be due to thyroid or high cortisol. issues (they are still figuring out the cortisol issue) A thyroid diagnosis would also explain the fatigue and a few other symptoms.
My Endo said that I have a Hashimoto thyroid following a scan. She said my antibodies are high but T4 borderline. She wants to get my TSH down to help me feel less tired. She did say that the gastro issues might be linked. I think I need to confirm if I have Hashi’s or if they think I am just likely to develop it in future.
I looked though all my blood tests from the last 8 years (my employer does a full blood panel every year) and my TSH has been increasing and T4 falling). I suspect as they have always been in the normal range that no one has thought it is an issue .
Thanks for all the help so far. I am getting a better idea of all the questions I need to ask when I go back (including getting my results)
It is true that Tirosint is lactose-free. And that some people find it works very well for them.
The problem is that it is close to unavailable in the UK. This is because it has not been licensed and it is very expensive to the NHS. And private purchase through legitimate UK channels is very expensive.
Which means that for ever so many here in the UK, it is effectively unavailable.
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