I have received a letter from my GP saying Eltroxin is being discontinued - does anybody know why?

[Newlyna]

[RedApple Administrator]

Eltroxin is a 'brand name' levothyroxine product. It is manufactured in the UK by MercuryPharma.

MercuryPharma also put the *exact same* levothyroxine tablets into their own 'generic' named packaging. i.e. it says MercuryPharma on the box, rather than Eltroxin.

If MercuryPharma have decided to discontinue the branded Eltroxin packaging, and supply only the 'generic' packaging, their reason for doing is not something they have yet made, or maybe even will make public knowledge.

I am actually wondering whether it may not be that Eltroxin is being discontinued by the manufacturers, but rather that your GP (PCT or whoever) is no longer prepared to pay the additional cost of Eltroxin when you can be supplied with the same medication under the MercuryPharma generic label, which obviously will save the NHS money.

If you are worried about the possibility of Eltroxin being discontinued, you don't need to be. Because the same tablets are still available in the generic packaging, you can ask your pharmacist to fulfil your prescription with these instead. There is absolutely no difference in the tablet ingredients, so you will not be 'changing brand'.

More information on brand names and ingredients of thyroid medications is always available on our main website. This page is updated periodically whenever we receive new information. We have not received any official information about the withdrawal of the Eltroxin brand.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

.

[meki in reply to RedApple]

I was told that Eltroxin was being discontinued 30 years ago. The Endo I saw literally scoured the hospital to get my first supply as did my Docs who then issued the meds as no pharmacist in the village Not sure if this is a Pharmaceutical ploy. My pharmacist has made comments about issues with production but not discontinuation. They are very good at reordering their stock for me. Use your local pharmacist rather than one of the big ones. Looks like a cost issue on the side of the GP as the cost comes from his budget now. Maybe we need to get a letter from the manufacturer to take to GP's to prove the generic product remains in productio

[Newlyna]

Thank you. I am not worried, just curious. I was on Levothyroxine until a few months ago, when they changed me to Eltroxin, I assumed it was due to cost! I am happy to be switched back to Levothyroxine.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Newlyna]

Eltroxin *is* levothyroxine. It is simply the brand name on the box that is different. If you look at the PIL inside the box, under the heading 'Name of the medicinal product' you will see that it says it is levothyroxine.

It's the same as if you buy a branded tin of baked beans versus a supermarket tin of baked beans. They both have baked beans inside the tin.

[Newlyna in reply to RedApple]

I still prefer Heinz baked beans

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Newlyna]

Sometimes the beans in the branded tin, are exactly the same as the beans inside the tin that says S-------y or T---o or A--a because they come off the exact same baked bean production line. So you're just paying more (not getting anything better) for the beans that say H---z on the tin

[RedApple Administrator in reply to RedApple]

I'm sure I didn't need to tell you that though!

[Newlyna]

True

[Hidden in reply to Newlyna]

iwas on levothyroxine 50mcg rising to 75mcg/ i was unwell on 50mcg.when it increased to 75mcgi became really illand incontinent. the day i stopped levo the day my incontinenece and other symptoms ceased. am now on eltroxin for 3 months.and although i am not really well. i am muchbetter on eltroxin. pharmacist tells me levo costs 8p per month. eltroxin costs £4 per month. also tells me eltroxin only available in 50mcg at present, no 25mcg regards brenda

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Hidden]

The way you have expressed this makes it sound as if you are on a different medication, which you are not. If you are taking Eltroxin, then you are taking levothyroxine. As explained in details above, levothyroxine is the name of the medicine and Eltroxin is the brand name.

[Hidden in reply to RedApple]

i only know how i reacted to levothyroxine brand. and how ireact to eltroxin brand, maybe the fillers are different . regards brenda

[Illeana in reply to Hidden]

If you're in the UK you can buy levothyroxine (eltroxin) without a previous script with an easy online medical consultation goodrxtabs.com

hope this helps

[brenchley in reply to Hidden]

I have been on Eltroxin for the past 7 years as I cannot take Levothyroxine which I react very badly to. The Eltroxin box states Levothyroxine Sodium - not just Levothyroxine. Mercury Pharma (alias Goldshield) produce Levothyroxine and also Levothyroxine Sodium, so I would advise anybody who takes Eltroxin because they cannot tolerate anything else to ensure that their prescription reads Levothyroxine Sodium. If your GP won't add the words Mercry Pharma, then speak to the Pharmacist, mine has marked my record that I must only have Levo. Sod. by Mercury. Last week was a real battle with the GP and pharmacist, but got there in the end. Stick out and insist on Levo. Sodium - yes it is a little more expensive but if it makes you feel better then cost should not be an issue. Hope this helps - all we want to do is feel well - is that a crime! Hope you soon feel really well again.

As a matter of interest Goldshield, Antigen, Anpharm and Forley rebranded in March 2012 to become known as Mercury Pharma Group. They are re-packaging and introducing this until all products are in the same livery. They state that there are no changes to the manufacturing formulation, strength or pack size of any product. I find it unbelievable that GP's, and Pharmacists do not not have this information to pass on to patients. I found out easily enough.

Best wishes, Beryl.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to brenchley]

If you look at the ingredients listed for all UK levothyroxine products, you will see that levothyroxine sodium is in every one of them.

Levothyroxine Sodium is NOT unique to Eltroxin / MercuryPharma products.

Details of thyroid hormone medications are updated as and when necessary on our main website here

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

The information about Goldshield rebranding to MercuryPharma has also been recorded on that same page ever since it happened.

[helvella Administrator in reply to RedApple]

Further to RedApple's excellent post, so far as I am aware every levothyroxine product around the world uses Levothyroxine sodium as the active ingredient.

Not only that, but I wrote a blog as to WHY that is the case:

thyroiduk.healthunlocked.co...

You will, of course, see it expressed in different ways - as sodium levothyroxine (i.e. with words reversed), or as the sodium salt of levothyroxine. Or in non-English languages.

So far as I am aware, the only thyroid hormone medicines not in this sodium form are desiccated thyroid products.

Rod

[Angela]

Concernig the bake beans I do think that brand names are best they are the same but the flavour is different it's only my opinion only joking lol xx

[Joyceme in reply to Angela]

I don't think they are the same I would like the best eltroxin substitute

[helvella Administrator in reply to Joyceme]

In the UK you have a choice:

MercuryPharma, Actavis or Wockhardt.

MercuryPharma has exactly the same ingredients as UK Eltroxin and, in the 25 microgram dosage, exactly the same product licence. People claim it is different but no-one has ever been able to explain why.

You might do ever so much better asking a new question instead of posting a response on a three-year-old thread.

[NBob]

if this is true, it may be because there have been problems with the formulation of Eltroxin.

Patients in Israel and New Zealand are suing the makers because they allege that it does not work for them.

Particularly useful info because some Endos including mine say that L-thyroxine is netter formulated that Armour.

[NBob in reply to NBob]

*better

[helvella Administrator in reply to NBob]

However that is NOT the same as UK Eltroxin and was NOT made to the same formulation, by the same company or anything else. For historic reasons it had the same word on the packaging.

(For reference, that version was made in Germany by/for GlaxoSmithKline. The previous version had been made in north America.)

Indeed, the MHRA was commissioned to produce a report on the NZ issues. Have a look here:

medsafe.govt.nz/hot/MHRA%20...

To confuse further, Mercury Pharma (then called Goldshield) actually supplied UK Eltroxin to NZ to help ease the problems - but necessarily causing even more confusion among the patients there who then had to understand three different versions all with the same "brand" name.

In my view, some of the issues seen in this investigation are likely to have contributed to the recent MHRA report into UK levothyroxine.

The Israel situation was not that much different to NZ.

Rod

[NBob in reply to helvella]

Rod,

Thanks for that clarification.

[RedApple Administrator]

Updated Information

MercuryPharma have today (11/03/2013) confirmed that the Eltroxin brand of levothyroxine tablets are NOT being discontinued.

There is currently a supply issue with the Eltroxin branded tablets at the moment, and no estimation of how long before this is resolved.

MercuryPharma also confirmed (yet again) that the exact same tablets are available under the generic MercuryPharma label.

[Hidden in reply to RedApple]

Phew! well done RedApple and thanks. It's a Maze and you are amazing.