For anyone who takes Teva levothyroxine..

[yorkylass]

Our lovely Jaidee found this info..

Marketing Authorisation For Teva Brand Levothyroxine 100mcg Tablets Suspended Over Effectiveness Concerns
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has suspended the marketing authorisation for levothyroxine 100mcg tablets manufactured by Teva. This comes after reports that this brand of levothyroxine was less effective than other brands, as well as evidence of manufacturing difficulties. As a precautionary measure Teva has stopped manufacturing and distributing levothyroxine 100mcg tablets whilst investigations are ongoing. Only the Teva and Numark brands of this product are affected by the suspension and other brands continue to be available. Healthcare professionals have been advised to be alert to any changes in the symptoms of patients who take levothyroxine, as this may be due to them taking the Teva brand of tablets.

Levothyroxine is a replacement for a hormone that is normally produced by the thyroid gland to regulate the body's energy and metabolism. It is given when the thyroid gland does not produce enough of this hormone on its own.

For more info   
 http://www.mediguard.org/r/0ZIqf5WsHKys

[caterpillargirl]

thankyou for this information!

the last few prescriptions my 100mcg has been this one, i really wish my chemist would give me the same brand all the time anyway i never know where i am one month to the next without this as well!

[Erudin]

After taking a break from cycling during the winter due to colds, flu, and feeling very run-down I started riding again in February but found it very hard going. Despite getting the miles in my average speed was the worst its been compared to identical rides I did in previous years. I had no go in my legs (cadence 50 instead of usual 65+), and poor recovery in the following days following cycling.

After getting a letter about Teva Levothyroxine from my GP I checked my pills and found that's what I'd been taking, last time I remember looking at the brand (last autumn probably) I was on it had been Actavis. After binning the Teva pills (as advised by my pharmacist) and changing back to Actavis Levothyroxine (200mcg per day) a couple of weeks ago my cycling performance has jumped back to normal, going by the cycling log I keep.

I will get a blood test done in a few weeks and ask my GP to specify the same Actavis brand on my repeat prescription if possible. I'm annoyed I didn't notice the brand had changed and I failed to connect feeling run down over winter to my thyroid treatment. Years ago I noticed I felt worse after changing from the Eltroxin brand to different ones (APS and Cox I think), after testing my dose was adjusted.

[caterpillargirl]

how lovely that you had a letter from your GP erudin! if it hadnt been for this post i would never have known,

i suspected that the tablets werent as good but thought i was imagining it, i loved the ACTAVIS brand but  thought the chemist would say i was being stupid so never asked, at least i know now that i was right and should trust my own body,

now just to convince the pharmacist to give me actavis EVERY time :-(

[brishaz]

I had total thyroidectomy in march 2011 and was taking 150mcg before and after surgery. However in Dec 2011 I felt awful and doc thought it might be calcium deficiency but tests were normal. My TSH went up to 19.6 so my GP increased my Thyroxine to 200mcg daily. My endocrinologist actually asked if I was definetly taking my thyroxine!!! Then I went back to hospital 2 months later still feeling awful with muscle pain and weakness and exhaustion and sweating etc. The doctor noted that my TSH had dropped to 1.5 and so tested me for malabsorption, celiac disease etc. These tests also all came back normal and my Gp was confused as to what was going on. Then my Tsh shot up again to 21 and Gp advised to increase my Thyroxine to 300mcg!! I was on this dose for one week before my Gp surgery rang to check what brand of levothyroxine I was taking and it was Teva. I was told it had been withdrawn from the market in February and I was to throw them out and start on new tablets and reduce dose back down to 200mcg.

I am angry that I have been ill for 4 months and off work for 6 weeks and still feel terrible and I was only informed of this drug withdrawl on 5th April. However I am glad that I will hopefully feel better in a few months time when the new tablets kick in.