HiI've just gone on to my account to order t3 and there's a note on my account that says my brand has been changed from Morningside to capsules "as per NHS cost saving measures". The endo specified Morningside because I had been given sigmapharm in the past and that didn't work so well for me. I know I can't take Teva t4 and I'm going on holiday soon. I don't want to be unwell on holiday. I don't want to be unwell at all! How do other people get on with capsules? Also, does anyone know if the NICE guidelines about not changing brands applies to t3 as well?
Thanks.
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Do bear in mind that Teva T4 and Teva T3 have very different excipients.
Some members have not been happy with Roma capsules. It may be worth pointing out that you can take the contents of the capsules out, mix with water, and drink - avoiding the actual capsule entirely.
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 injectables and descriptions of tablet markings which allow identification. Latest updates include all declared ingredients for all UK products and links to Patient Information Leaflets, etc. PLUS how to write prescriptions in Appendix F.
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).
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.
Hi helvella Thanks, I'll have to look at this on my PC at work. It's quite a document! I'm just concerned that a change in brand will have an impact on how well I am. I feel so much better now than I have done in years I don't think I can go backwards!
Helvella Thank You for pointing out that Teva T4 and Teva T3 have different fillers. Though I did not try Teva T4 because I have lots of sensitivities with fillers and dyes. But what I can tell you that Thankfully Teva T3 works well for me. At least now. Long may it last.Thank you for being so informative.
Hi Yes I am prescribed 15mcg to be taken in 3 doses but I found that taking it in one go works better for me. I used to forget the daytime dose at work. I have had aigmapharm in the past. They were OK for a short time but the longer I was on them the worse I started to feel. I'm really worried. I feel better now than I have done since I was diagnosed in 2019. I've worked really hard on getting well! I'm not sure what I can do now if the capsules don't work so well. My NHS endo who prescribed originally was horrible!
I was meant to do that at first and I had no issue with that but the pharmacist at the chemist refused stating to the horrible endo that I wouldn't "get a therapeutic dose" and made him change the prescription. Much to his disgust!
I have no issue with doing that. I'll have to phone the surgery in the morning. Monday morning to phone the gp! Ugh! Hopefully the gp pharmacist will agree! And then the chemist pharmacist!
If you want to explain their 'cost cutting' would actually be a whole lot more effective if they issued you 20mcg (assuming you were on 5mcg to get your dose) for you to cut down to get your 15mcg dose it would save them a whole lot more.... many people seem to do this though I'd have thought the pharmacist would be against cutting pill 🤷♀️ but they sing a different tune when it comes to cost
The flip side is I've been taking Roma 5mcg x 3 for 18 months and find they work well but I take them as one dose so it's a bit daft they issue me 5mcg's... I'm keeping it up my sleeve if they ever get funny about the cost that I'd happily trial cutting 20mcg tablets 🙃
It's just another silly game which you will be able to outwit them on thanks to all the knowledge here 🤗
HiYes my pharmacist in the chemist didn't want me to split my dose. The horrible endo prescribed 20s for me to split. She hunted him down and made him change the prescription. She said he was horrible as well.
That's reassuring that you take the capsules and find them OK. I take all mine in one go as well. Not that they know that. Do you split the capsule?
Sounds like you have a right double act to deal with 😬... so how are capsules cost cutting then??
My Endo thinks I split 2 x5mcg am and 5mcg pm but it does nothing if I do that (no point explaining that to her as she is the expert!)😉
I take them whole, I experimented with opening the capsules but didn't notice any difference... I can only compare them to Tiromel which seemed to initially have a bit more umph but the Roma seems to do a nice steady job... often it's the thought of change that messes with our minds and puts us into a tail spin as the fear of going backwards is too awful, Roma have the least excipients so 🤞
That's very reassuring to hear. I don't mind trying. I'm going on holiday in a couple of weeks and I don't want to be experimenting on holiday. It's a walking holiday! I feel so well now after so many years of feeling crap that I just don't want to go back! I might ask for a compromise and ask for Morningside this time then try capsules next time! That might reduce the black marks against my name at the surgery!
It's not easy. I thought things were going too smoothly! Oh well! I'll put my big girl pants on and go forth in the morning! I reckon that might be why they keep you in the queue for so long! You've lost the plot and any fighting spirit you might have by the time your "important call" gets to no. 2 in the queue! Any notion of assertiveness is gone to s*!£ by the time an actual human has answered!
I'd email your endo's secretary saying you have issues with excipients in medication but the are good on Morningside brand. Ask if you can have 20 mcg Morningside only write on your prescription. State that this is also a cheaper alternative. It's worth a try but I understand won't be dealt with immediately.I'm lucky that my gp surgery prescribed my T3 from instructions of my endo. I went through all this with them as I can only take Morningside only too. So now have Morningside only brand on my scripts.
It's also a pain trying to get it from chemist so have to get it through Springfield pharmacy in Surrey as the specialist in thyroid medications and are listed on Thyroid uk website. I do have to pay a charge for this but it's my only option at the moment. Good luck
I'm pretty sure it says Morningside on my prescription because I had issues with sigmapharm. I will speak to secretary tomorrow hopefully as well as gp. I just can't be bothered with the constant battle! But needs must I suppose. I can't understand what it is about thyroid tablets that make it difficult to chop and change. I can take any paracetamol known to man without a problem!!!
Yeah I'm same, had crazy issues with fillers in t4 and t4 itself which lead to being on t3 only. Then really not good on Mercury pharma t3 or Tiromel. Endo recommended Morningside as said most of his patients did well on it. Just wish it was easy to get the volume of boxes I need from local chemists. It cost issue I feel
I went through a phase where I couldn't get the amount in go but that seems to have sorted itself out but if you're on t3 only you'll need a lot more than me.
Yeah a get 6 boxes at a time and it's about to increase. I try to avoid going gp with anything thyroid so not to rock the boat. I know it's going to come though 🫤
State in email that by being prescribed 1 box of 20mcg Morningside cost £62.32 against 3x boxes of 5mcg romantic capsules at £55 = £165. You are saving nhs a fortune! Win, win
Hi, that's what I do, phone my endo secretary, request brand specific t3, mine is thybon henning, on a community prescription and post it to chemist4u. It's worked fine. Good luck on your thyroid journey.....it's a bloody mine field, but thanks to thyroid uk, I'm doing much better
HiIt is a bloody minefield and it shouldn't be this hard. I credit thyroid uk with giving me my health back. If I hadn't found this forum, I think I would be bedded by now! My wellness feels on a knife edge and I'm aware that little things can have big consequences and I don't want to go back to where I was.
I have occasionally split the 10mcg capsules by opening them up - however I get prescribed 5mcg tablets as well as 10 mcg so I take 10 in the morning and 5 at lunchtime. I used to take morningside and GP asked me to change due to cost. I haven’t noticed any difference so have stuck to the capsules.
My prescription was suddenly changed a couple of years ago to Roma capsules and I didn’t do well with them. I contacted the GP and requested Morningside: like others, I pointed out the cost saving if I had 20 mg and cut them. I now have Morningside only written on my prescription. The greatest difficulty was finding a local pharmacy to supply them. Springfield was the answer.
I’ve been on capsules for 2 years now because the chemists can’t get the tablets. This means I’ve not been able to split my dose so I do feel worse for it. But if you’re not splitting it shouldn’t make a difference.
I ask for tablets every time I go but they just can’t get them. So now my endo is prescribing 10mcg twice a day instead of 20mcg so hopefully they can get them and I can take 2 doses.
I always email the endo’s secretary and ask for my email to be passed on. Last time I got a phone call from the endo the next day. I only contact the GP with thyroid issues as a last resort. You could try that?
I am on T3 and my GP tried to change my meds from tablet to capsules. I have difficulty swallowing capsules. Therefore asked for tablets and pushed to get them instead. The GP has agreed to prescribe them. I agree that variations on brands do have affect you differently. I had sigmapharm dispensed (instead of Teva or Morningside) and it did affect my energy levels.
Hopefully you can get the tablets that agree with you.
May I please ask how Sigma Pharm affected your energy levels? I'm in the US and have taken Sigma Pharm liothyronine 25mcg and 5mcg for 5ish years and my Free T3 blood work came back much lower for the first time last week . Thank you!
Hi. Sorry I have got my brands mixed up. I was dispensed Sigma Pharm last week and returned them to the pharmacy, not willing to take the risk of taking another brand and it not agreeing with me. The brand that I have taken recently that has not agreed with me is Viatris. I felt very tired and had tingling in my hands and feet. With Teva or Morningside, I don’t experience any of those symptoms. I take 20mg twice a day and 10mg, once a day.
I just felt "off" and not right. I tried them for a short term and was OK but more than a few weeks and I just didn't feel as good as I do with Morningside.
May I please ask how Sigma Pharm didn't agree with you? I'm in the US and have taken Sigma Pharm liothyronine 25mcg and 5mcg for 5ish years and my Free T3 blood work came back much lower for the first time last week . Going to repeat labs, but obviously concerned! Thanks!
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