Euthyrox

[Elsabounre]

Have been prescribed this medication for Hashimotos...according to 193 revuews from patients it is the most horrible med ..with tons of side effects..does anyone have experience with this med here?

[helvella Administrator]

It is just a branded levothyroxine.

The number who take levothyroxine is enormous. And a lot do very well on it.

And Euthyrox (and under its various other names which vary a bit by country/language) is sold in a vast number of countries.

Given the numbers, 193 bad reviews could represent an infinitesimal proportion of those who have taken or are taking it.

Not sure why you have been prescribed Euthyrox - I thought you were in the UK?

[Elsabounre in reply to helvella]

I am.in Switzerland..out of 193 negative reviews only 2 were positive...in your opinion which brand is the one that most people tolerate best?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Elsabounre]

I do not know what brands you get in Switzerland.

In the UK, it has always been difficult but possibly Aristo is climbing. But it is a relatively new product here and has still not been tried by that many people.

L-Thyroxin Henning is not available here (except as a special import) but has a good reputation, but I have heard of possible supply issues and do not know if it is an option for you.

[Elsabounre in reply to helvella]

I see Endo again on Monday..will ask..and check online in the meantime to see if available here...Euthyrox is the cheapest generic here and guess this is why it is prescribed..I am not happy to even try it wih those really bad reviews...so hope she will see fit to prescribe another..thank you for your help and replies..

[FallingInReverse in reply to Elsabounre]

I would also consider that when people start taking levothyroxine it usually means they are properly hypothyroid - in other words, feel miserable.

And since it takes months to slowly bring a Levo dose up to optimal, it’s very likely those reviews were of people taking it wrong.

In addition to what Helvella said - for example in the US Levo is the second top prescription with millions written a year.

[Jingley]

You'll never know if it suits you or not until you try it.

To put things into perspective, I usually find more negatives than positives, about many different things, on review sites. After all people are more likely to post reviews complaining about things rather than praising them. 🙂

[greygoose]

People like me, who cannot tolerate any brand of levo, rarely bother to leave reviews. I know it's me/my body, not the levo itself.

On the other hand, people like me who can take any brand of T3 without feeling any difference, also don't bother to leave reviews. You have to ask yourself why this particular person took the trouble to leave a review. Personally, I don't know why people leave reviews but there has to be a reason that could be revealing about... levo in general, perhaps.

OK, I know, I'm a bad person not leaving reviews. I'll put myself in the corner, shall

[Elsabounre in reply to greygoose]

Was just the huge difference in negative and positive..and the negative were horrible...will speak to endo on Monday...about that...but really do not want to take drugs to feel sicker...lol

[greygoose in reply to Elsabounre]

Well, of course you don't. Nobody does. But the fact is that there is no brand of levo that suits everyone. And you have to take into account that people are more likely to write a review if they are dissatisfied than if they're happy with the product. That's human nature. And as helvella says, 193 is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the number of people that must take the product.

I doubt there's much point in talking to your endo. They usually take the position that levo is levo and all brands are the same. Well, yes, T4 is the active ingredient and it is always the same. But the refuse to take into account the fact that excipients and fillers vary from brand to brand and some of them upset some people. Even pharmacists refuse to acknowledge this, and they should know better! But that's the thyroid world we live in.

As Jingley says, you cannot know which brand is going to suit you until you try them. So, personally, I would stop reading reviews, which are obviously going to be objective, and just try it. If, after giving it a decent trial, it really doesn't suit you, then try a different brand with different fillers. But do take into account that you're bound to feel worse before you feel better. That's the nature of the disease. And the longer you've been undiagnosed/un-treated, the harder it is likely to be. But, that's hormones for you.

[Elsabounre]

What a thing....feeling worse would be difficult to understand..usually.meds are supposed to make you feel better...very frustrating..thank you for replying.