Hi my GP/pharmacy has recently changed my the brand of my Levothyroxine. I feel I am loosing hair and my nails are all awful. Lifting from my finger beds. I had Actavis and Accord or Northstar before but I haven't had any symptoms like that before. Does anyone else have the same?
Thanks
Teva doesn’t suit a lot of people, it absolutely isn’t just you.
Some pharmacists will try to tell you it makes no difference what brand it is but it absolutely does (for some).
I would go back to your doctor and ask to be be prescribed either your usual or another brand.
Hi Tatranka
Teva is the marmite of Levothyroxine. Some people do fine others get side effects and you should absolutely ask for the brand to be fixed on something you can tolerate.
This issue has been addressed at governmental level and sadly like most things they will not tell you. It only applies if you know about it. 🙄
Here is some information that may help.
Two very useful references one in a Pharmacy magazine and the original Gov.uk decision
pharmacymagazine.co.uk/clin...
gov.uk/drug-safety-update/l....
There is also a post on patient autonomy I wrote recently - see below
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Hope this helps 😊👍
Thanks so much for this - brilliant - will keep in reserve in case I need it at any time. At last 'they' are getting the message re switching product.
The whole patient choice is not well publicised- in the surgery we recently moved to the surgery pharmacist said we only do Accord. The guidelines obviously haven’t reached this far yet 😬 or they have and choose to ignore as the locals are quite passive and trusting.
I get my script filled elsewhere…..
Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.
What dose levothyroxine are you currently taking
Most easily available (and often most easily tolerated) are Mercury Pharma or Accord
Accord only make 50mcg and 100mcg tablets.
Accord is also boxed as Almus via Boots
Mercury Pharma make 25mcg, 50mcg and 100mcg tablets
Mercury Pharma also boxed as Eltroxin. Both often listed by company name on pharmacy database - Advanz
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
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)
Aristo (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...
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 …..or can’t tolerate one particular brand (usually Teva)
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...
Contact GP ask for new prescription and note added to all future prescriptions “ No Teva”
Get full thyroid and vitamin testing 6-8 weeks after being back on Accord
Thank you so much for all the information. I have never looking into things in such details so thank you heaps.
I am on 150mg p/d and never thought of the side effects until my nail lady said have you change anything? Then the hair loss and my gut and the nails might make all sense now. I have made Dr appointment so hopefully I will get what I need.
Hi there - just a thought - your 'nail lady' do you mean you are having a manicure or false nails put on i.e. gel or acrylic.
I do have gel nail every now and then for years. I had two different people look at it and both said it could be an allergy to an ingredient in the gel but most likely have I changed medication?! With the hair loss and gut issues and now the nail I think it might be all interconnected. What is your thought?
Hi there - if your thyroid hormone is not up to par then your skin would be soft and more liable to infection whether that be bacterial or fungal - and false nails are notorious for causing fungal problems. I have had false nails for years and years (acrylic only though) and never had a problem as I wear rubber gloves for washing up etc. so no water logging of the nails - but I stopped going when I had a problem with malabsorption due to possible celiac disease issue as I was concerned I might be at risk - oh I do miss them though !
I have never had acrylic just the gel. A friend of mine did it for me for years who is a professional chiropodist and nail technician. I took 3 months break to treat my nails then went to someone else and 3 months later it appeared again. They both said it looks like an allergy not a fungal infection. Hopefully my GP will agree to change the manufacture and I will see then if its the gels or meds. But thankyou for taking your time and give your opinion.
Just checking what your latest thyroid results and vitamins were? It could also be that you're under replaced.
When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins. Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost.thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...
There is also a new company offering walk in& mail order blood tests in London, Kent, Sussex & Surrey areas. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...
Only do private tests on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid postal delays.
Tatranka, I had issues with Teva, awful gut problems. I believe it was the acacia powder used as a filler that was my issue. I went on to Accord but the dosage seemed to be inconsistent. I now take Vencamil/Aristo.
Teva absolutely disagrees with me and I went very much downhill on it. I now have it specified which brands I can have on my prescription. it really helped. good luck
I found Teva made my constipation worse. I now stick to Accord/Northstar and it's less of a problem. Almus through Boots is the same as Accord.
In a word yes!
It’s posible you have an allergy to the fillers preventing you from processing the active ingredients and causing this adverse reaction.
I had a very bad experience but now it is on my medical record and logged with the pharmacy no Teva brand. I would recommend go the same route or chance pharmacy. If Teva doesn’t suit you the longer you are on it the worse you will become (with muscle drop and double vision due to eye muscles sagging leading to other conditions).
There is no reason the pharmacy can’t put you back on Accord/Actavis when you have not “SUFFERED” any adverse reaction on this pill.
Teva…. I don’t have that brand in any of my meds.
Hi there - sorry you are having these issues -it is NOT a good idea to keep changing formula of thyroid hormone but there again try telling the authorities that - I have a good relationship with my GP Pharmacy and my local Boots chemist as I gave them evidence of why it is wrong to do this - perhaps you could do the same - get them on your side and they will try and get the product you like/need - but you must ask the GP or their pharmacist to write on the prescription the name of the product you require otherwise the chemist is then allowed to give you whatever is available at the time - this is working for me. Regarding nails lifting from the nail bed this could be a fungal nail issue and you should really see a Doctor about it. Hope this helps.
Thank you so much for your reply. I will follow it up with my Gp.
I refuse to take Teva I don't get on well with it at all but was fine with the ones you mentioned above.
Hello! The chemist has only ever given me the brand TEVA...my nails are very weak,break constantly even though very short,i have lost hair from front & sides too...i thought this more to do with having thyroid prob than the make of the levo?
Ask to try a different brand. I have no experience of Teva, thankfully, but Mercury made me itch. I now get Accord as a named brand. Its worth trying a different brand of Levo to see if your issues resolve 😄
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.
helvella - World Desiccated Thyroid
Contains details of all known desiccated thyroid products.
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.
Teva
To teva or not to teva? that is the question
Mercury VS's Teva -Does the brand make a massive difference?
My symptoms and TEVA 
