Crescent Levothyroxine

[RugbyMum140]

I was diagnosed hypothyroid (Hashimotos) around a year ago, and have been on 75mcg Teva since then, with no side effects. I picked up my latest prescription from the pharmacy today, and they have given me 75mcg Crescent brand. Has anyone had any experience of changing from Teva to Crescent, and did you have any new side effects since changing?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Are you lactose intolerant?

On dairy free diet?

See how you get on

Get bloods retested 6-8 weeks time

July 2024

Crescent levothyroxine. Dosages: 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100

(Not yet known if all approved dosages are or will be available).

Excipients: lactose monohydrate, maize starch, croscarmellose sodium, gelatin and magnesium stearate.

Lactose free brands - currently Teva or Vencamil only

Teva makes 25mcg, 50mcg, 75mcg and 100mcg

Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine.

Teva is lactose free.But Teva contains mannitol as a filler instead of lactose, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Mannitol seems to upset many people, it changes gut biome 

Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet.

So if avoiding Teva for 75mcg dose ask for 25mcg to add to 50mcg or just extra 50mcg tablets to cut in half

But for some people (usually if lactose intolerant, Teva is by far the best option)

Vencamil (currently 100mcg only) is lactose free and mannitol free. 25mcg and 50mcg tablets hopefully available from summer 2024

March 2023 - Aristo now called Vencamil

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

How to get Vencamil stocked at your local pharmacy

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.

Most easily available (and often most easily tolerated) are Mercury Pharma or Accord

Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets 

Mercury Pharma also boxed as Eltroxin. Both often listed by company name on pharmacy database - Advanz

Accord only make 50mcg and 100mcg tablets. Accord is also boxed as Almus via Boots, 

Wockhardt is very well tolerated, but only available in 25mcg tablets. Some people remain on Wockhardt, taking their daily dose as a number of tablets 

Helpful post about different brands

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

List of different brands available in U.K.

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...

Posts that mention Teva

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

Teva poll

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.

Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.

Government guidelines for GP in support of patients if you find it difficult/impossible to change brands

gov.uk/drug-safety-update/l...

If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient.

academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).

And here

pharmacymagazine.co.uk/clin...

Discussed here too

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[RugbyMum140 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you SlowDragon. Am not on a dairy-free diet or lactose intolerant, so will give the Crescent a go

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

If feasible, it might be a good idea to try switching over from Teva to Crescent while you still have some Teva left.

By doing that, if you have a problem with the Crescent, you can switch back. Whereas, if you wait until you have run out of Teva, you'd need to get a new prescription and get it dispensed before you can go back.

Obviously this depends on how many tablets you have in hand.

If you have problems, please put in a Yellow Card report. But I hope you are just fine.

[RugbyMum140 in reply to helvella]

Thanks for your advice helvella. I have a couple of weeks of the Teva left, so will do as you suggest and switch straight to the Crescent now and see how it goes.