T3 brand - sigmaPharma and Thybon Henning

[vroooom5]

Hi

Managed to get a prescription for T3, but the prescriber is offering SigmaPharma 5 mcg initially, and says that it will be changed to Thybon later on as Sigma Pharma gets very expensive for higher doses like 20 mcg. Is this a good plan?

I currently take Mercury T4 75 mcg

Thanks

[helvella Administrator]

I do not take T3. But quite a number of members get Thybon Henning and split the tablets.

These are current NHS prices - private prices will be higher.

Current NHS Drug Tariff Liothyronine Prices

Link to a blog post of Monthly NHS Drug Tariff prices for Liothyronine products from January 2023 onwards.

Also includes link to information for Northern Ireland and Scotland. (Wales' data is based on England.)

helvella.blogspot.com/p/cur...

Last updated 30th May 2024

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.

dropbox.com/s/bo2jzxucgp9hl...

helvella - World Desiccated Thyroid

Contains details of all known desiccated thyroid products including information about several products not considered to be Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT/Desiccated Thyroid Extract/DTE).

dropbox.com/scl/fi/gx6dmz5i...

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines - RotW

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.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[crimple]

vroooom5 When I first was accepted for T3 treatment, alongside T4 on NHS I used to get a private prescription which went to Germany (before Brexit) for about £30 I got a box of 28 x 25mcgm tablets which I could cut into quarters with a pill cutter. I have issues with fillers, particularly acacia powder. I was fine with Thybon.

When Brexit was looming my NHS CCG finally accepted they would have to supply me with UK t3 but the standard NHS ones Morning side and Teva I think had acacia powder. Sigma Pharma (from USA) was acacia free and I still take that now, 3 x 5 mcg tablets, which I know are quite expensive even though its now made in UK.

Why NHS doesn't source T3 from Europe is beyond me but they seem adept at wasting money.

Off topic but my 90year old aunt is awaiting discharge from hospital so she is on the discharge ward but no one had checked her mobility!!! Another 24-48 hours bed blocking, I could go on at length about how money is wasted.

[helvella Administrator in reply to crimple]

I'm not convinced that Sigmapharm is physically made in the UK!

It clearly looks as if they are made in the UK.

The product documentation does say:

Manufacturer

Wasdell Packaging Ltd,

Units 1-8 Euroway Industrial Estate

Blagrove,

Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 8YW, UK

But I think that could be the company responsible for importation, packaging, etc., rather than the literal factory where the tablets are pressed. I do wish these things were clearer.

[crimple in reply to helvella]

@helvella, yes there is so much obscurity around far too many things. Supermarket chains only give head office details not where item was grown or made!

[Italiangirl123]

Might it be worth going straight on to Thybon Henning 20 mcg and splitting the tablets? That’s what I did and still only take 10 mcg along with T4 so they last a long time!