Thyroid medication question.

[Ninablue]

Hi I have been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid a few months ago and started on 50mg of Levothyroxine. All fine until i had my second prescription from the Dr and went to the village pharmacy( the first time i went to the local boots for prescription). This second dose of thyroxine are bigger pills and are obviously from a diffferent source from the first dose (tiny pills)

Now I have started to feel ill again, tired, headaches, constipated. mood has changed. i was feeling great on first dose of pills. Is there any way that these second lot have different ingredients? Or is it just me and i need ot get back for another blood test?

Sorry for long post, thanks for reading, would be interested to see if anyone else had this. Wish i had the packets for the first lot so i could check!!!

Ninablue

Weird - I've been on thyroxine for a few years and it's always been tiny pills. Other people may know differently though. Could you go back to the chemist you got the bigger ones from and check? If they say they're the same then definitely another blood test - maybe you just need a slightly higher dose.

Thanks for msg Ginismyfriend, will pop back to chemist in a bit and ask.!!! thanks again..x

just found this when i googled different brands of thyroxine uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070321030542AAVLDPe

Some people get the same symtoms too, need to go back and ask!

ah link won't work, anyway it says that some people do experience problems if the brand of tablets change, so i will go back to Dr.

I am on 75mcg per day and take a small 25mcg and a larger 50mcg tablet. They are the same size what ever brand I get.

Your first dose sounds like 25mcg has your Dr upped you dose to 50mcg (the bigger pills) thus time round. As far as I understand dose is increased gradually due to risk of side effects like palpitations.

It may be that these pills are a different brand, with different fillers and that you are having some sort of reaction to the fillers ? this is quite common. You may need to have your GP prescribe a specific brand rather than a generic.

It is also the case that at least two brands of synthetic thyroxine have been recalled recently because they were shown to be ineffective, leading to a return of symptoms. Do you know which brand the second was dispensed on the second prescription?

50mg is still a baby dose and half of the standard starting dose unless you are elderly or have a history of heart problems. You may just need another blood test and an increase.

D

The first was probably brand name and the second generic levothyroxine? Then what you are experiencing is quite common.

According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, you should ?use the same brand of thyroid medication throughout your treatment. Thyroid disease often requires lifelong therapy and is best managed with consistent and precise treatment with the same brand of thyroid hormone. Your doctor may change your dose of thyroid hormone, but the brand of your thyroid hormone medication should always stay the same.?

On this timescale it sounds like you're right to suspect the medication, but some forms of thyroiditis are progressive. DH has Hashimoto's, which I think involves autoimmune attack on the thyroid which can happen in bursts rather than a gradual decline. So he sometimes notices return of symptoms and has to get his dose upped.

Thanks for all your replies. Very informative. I knew nothing about the tyroid gland until i was diagnosed. I just wish every person was screeen regularly for this as it seems very common. I went back t othe DR who gave me another prescription and i have started on the old tablets this mng. Grimmathenome i do have some days where i feel really ill but i put it down to hormones. Im due another blood test so will get my levels checked.

Thanks again..