paisleylass Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi - I registered with a GP last week, and got an appointment to get a prescription for thyroxine as my UK supply is running low. I showed him the pack of UK levothyroxine tablets to show the dose, and he'd never heard of it. After some research, he reckoned thyroxine sodium (Eutroxsig) tablets would be the same and I should be on the same amount of mcg a day. However I was surprised to find you can get single dose tablets in 200mcg which is a pretty high dose - but happens to be what I'm on. I'm a bit suspicious that Eutroxsig might be required in a higher mcg dosage than levothyroxine - but may be totally wrong! Anyone else on Eutroxsig in Australia, finding that the dose matches fine mcg for mcg? Oh, and I was surprised to find the tablets need to be kept in the fridge. Actually the GP was surprised the UK tablets even work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdb Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Where was the GP from? Might be worth finding an English doctor to have a chat with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleylass Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 Where was the GP from? Might be worth finding an English doctor to have a chat with? He's Australian - I'd have no idea how to go about finding a UK doctor! But there must be people on PIO on Eutroxsig as hypothyroidism is common, so would be useful to hear of others' experience. I just thought it a bit odd that you could get such a high dose in one tablet! But not bothered if all is good, it saves me cash in the long run :oD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Karenphil67 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi paisleylass, interesting reading your post. I'm on thyroxine to and take 250mcg a day. Thankfully my gp back in the uk gave me 6 months worth before I came out here 7 weeks ago. I'm on the gold coast and a nurse and I work with a couple of uk dr's so I will have a chat to them and get back to you. karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleylass Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi paisleylass, interesting reading your post. I'm on thyroxine to and take 250mcg a day. Thankfully my gp back in the uk gave me 6 months worth before I came out here 7 weeks ago. I'm on the gold coast and a nurse and I work with a couple of uk dr's so I will have a chat to them and get back to you.karen That's brill, thanks so much! It could be that the medicines are essentially the same, but odd that the Aussie version needs keeping in the fridge! Mybe it's just the heat here and my UK stuff should be in the fridge, oops?! Gosh, and I thought my dose was at the high end - maybe it's not that uncommon. I remember one GP in Liverpool tried to reduce it, I protested but he made me take 175mcg a day and when I went to the hospital my consultant went nuts and put me straight again. Endocrinologists know best! But yeah, I think any UK doctor with any thyroid experience will be clued up on the different meds. My only other med is Cerazette which I knew you couldn't get here, so my GP's trying me on another POP. I checked the price from the prescription (which I don't need for a few months, but he's saving me another consultation fee!) and it's all of $9.99 for 4 months. And the thyroid meds are $26 for nearly 7 months worth. Not too expensive at all! Cheers, looking forward to your findings :oD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest boyllba Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 That's brill, thanks so much! It could be that the medicines are essentially the same, but odd that the Aussie version needs keeping in the fridge! Mybe it's just the heat here and my UK stuff should be in the fridge, oops?! Gosh, and I thought my dose was at the high end - maybe it's not that uncommon. I remember one GP in Liverpool tried to reduce it, I protested but he made me take 175mcg a day and when I went to the hospital my consultant went nuts and put me straight again. Endocrinologists know best! But yeah, I think any UK doctor with any thyroid experience will be clued up on the different meds. My only other med is Cerazette which I knew you couldn't get here, so my GP's trying me on another POP. I checked the price from the prescription (which I don't need for a few months, but he's saving me another consultation fee!) and it's all of $9.99 for 4 months. And the thyroid meds are $26 for nearly 7 months worth. Not too expensive at all! Cheers, looking forward to your findings :oD Hi paisley lass, i'm an erskine lass and heading to perth 11th february and take 125mcg of thyroxine also so i am really interested to watch your thread to get as much info as poss for the same problem. thanks lorraine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepallis Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi What a great post, I too was wondering how I was going to go on with the thyroxine availability. Will watch the outcome. Thanks Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleW Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi - I registered with a GP last week, and got an appointment to get a prescription for thyroxine as my UK supply is running low. I showed him the pack of UK levothyroxine tablets to show the dose, and he'd never heard of it. After some research, he reckoned thyroxine sodium (Eutroxsig) tablets would be the same and I should be on the same amount of mcg a day. However I was surprised to find you can get single dose tablets in 200mcg which is a pretty high dose - but happens to be what I'm on. I'm a bit suspicious that Eutroxsig might be required in a higher mcg dosage than levothyroxine - but may be totally wrong! Anyone else on Eutroxsig in Australia, finding that the dose matches fine mcg for mcg? Oh, and I was surprised to find the tablets need to be kept in the fridge. Actually the GP was surprised the UK tablets even work! My partner is on Eutroxsig (50mcg) which is actually a lower dose than the one she was prescribed in the UK. She doesn't have any problems with it at all and when she saw her specialist back in the UK a few months ago, they were more than happy with the prescription. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancient brits Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi - I registered with a GP last week, and got an appointment to get a prescription for thyroxine as my UK supply is running low. I showed him the pack of UK levothyroxine tablets to show the dose, and he'd never heard of it. After some research, he reckoned thyroxine sodium (Eutroxsig) tablets would be the same and I should be on the same amount of mcg a day. However I was surprised to find you can get single dose tablets in 200mcg which is a pretty high dose - but happens to be what I'm on. I'm a bit suspicious that Eutroxsig might be required in a higher mcg dosage than levothyroxine - but may be totally wrong! Anyone else on Eutroxsig in Australia, finding that the dose matches fine mcg for mcg? Oh, and I was surprised to find the tablets need to be kept in the fridge. Actually the GP was surprised the UK tablets even work! Hi Paisleylass I am on thyroxine and have been since 1983, more than 1/2 my lifetime!!! In the UK I was on 175mgs levothyroxine daily and this was sometimes reduced to 150mgs in the summer. Been in Aus 3 years now and have been on Eutroxsig since being out here. I currently take 150mgs daily and it is working fine. I did take 175gms when i first came out but with the warmer weather here the 175gms was a little too high for me and the slightly lower dose is better. You just need to have regular blood tests and this along with you knowing your own body and how you feel, you will soon find the dosage that feels right for you. Hope this helps Rita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleylass Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 Great replies thanks! So it sounds like if anything the requirement may be lower than 1:1 :biggrin: I said endocrinologists know best but y'know what? They talk all half-lifes and T4 and stuff I don't understand, the real experts are the people who take the stuff and can report how they feel on the dosage, so these replies are really valuable stuff. I knew people in Australia would easily be able to get a thyroid hormone supplement, but was surprised when my GP looked at my pack of tablets all puzzled and said you don't get this stuff here - and it sounds like Eutroxsig is a slightly different beast to good old Levo. Anyway, more than happy if this helps thyroid people yet to arrive - or to top up their supplies - as well as me. Brill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Great replies thanks! So it sounds like if anything the requirement may be lower than 1:1 :biggrin: I said endocrinologists know best but y'know what? They talk all half-lifes and T4 and stuff I don't understand, the real experts are the people who take the stuff and can report how they feel on the dosage I think that's a tad unfair on endocrinologists - endocrinology is a complex area of human physiology,that encompasses several organs, most body systems (in one way or another) and a whole range of conditions (thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, parathyroid problems, etc, etc) and there are a number of aspects that are not fully understood. They have to consider not just how you feel, but also how a dose of a drug might affect the release of other hormones, which could have serious consequences if they get it wrong. It may be that the endos you've seen don't realise you don't understand - if you ask they should be able to explain it to you in way that makes sense. Here in Australia levothyroxine sodium is referred to simply as 'thyroxine sodium', which may be why your GP had problems finding it! However, Eutroxsig is the same drug (according to MIMS online, which is the standard drug reference in this country). So, your dose will be the same (assuming your biochemistry isn't altered by some other factor). I'm guessing that your GP consulted the relevant (and regularly updated) pharmaceutical reference, and got the same info I just did. Hopefully all will be well, and you will continue to be fit and healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoiam Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi paisleylass, As littlesarah said both levothyroxin and the aus equivalent are the same- namely thryroxine sodium. Sometimes in warmer weather your requirement might decrease. But I must say its the first i have heard of having to refrigerate the medication! Hopefully you will become adjusted to your dose and in the long run may even be able to reduce it. Go by your symptoms more than the blood levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleylass Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 I think that's a tad unfair on endocrinologists - endocrinology is a complex area of human physiology,that encompasses several organs, most body systems (in one way or another) and a whole range of conditions (thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, parathyroid problems, etc, etc) and there are a number of aspects that are not fully understood. They have to consider not just how you feel, but also how a dose of a drug might affect the release of other hormones, which could have serious consequences if they get it wrong. It may be that the endos you've seen don't realise you don't understand - if you ask they should be able to explain it to you in way that makes sense. Here in Australia levothyroxine sodium is referred to simply as 'thyroxine sodium', which may be why your GP had problems finding it! However, Eutroxsig is the same drug (according to MIMS online, which is the standard drug reference in this country). So, your dose will be the same (assuming your biochemistry isn't altered by some other factor). I'm guessing that your GP consulted the relevant (and regularly updated) pharmaceutical reference, and got the same info I just did. Hopefully all will be well, and you will continue to be fit and healthy. Apologies if my somewhat flippant comment caused offence, if it wasn't for endos I wouldn't be here now. Truth is all this stuff was explained to me over 15 years ago when I had my entire thyroid gland removed over 2 operations due to a dangerous tumour that stuck out the side of my neck like a golf ball. I also had a dummies guide to thyroid conditions that contained some medical jargon. I work on a 'need to know' basis, but the terminology I once had in my brain, and understood, has since been displaced with newer info - I just keep taking the meds these days. As explained, my endo in Liverpool knew way better than the GP who tried to reduce my dose. The GP apparently knew nothing about suppression therapy, indeed my new GP claims it's ineffective but is happy for me to stay on 200mcg. Well, if it's ineffective, then it's odd that TSH started showing in my blood when I went down to 175mcg! I'd always been warned I'd be on the 'warm' side, but that it's a small price to pay for detection of further trouble. I'm not daft, I've worked in the health sector for the past 6 years and picked up far more clinical terminology than I'd have foreseen. As a data analyst I didn't need to know all the ins and outs of ICD-10 coding, but I got pretty advanced with it. More than enough info to displace the endo terminology from back in the day ) Sorry again, my sense of humour can be a bit off, I just think that it's great to read the experiences of other thyroid patients ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Racheyroo Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I agree with littlesarah. I've checked in Martindale (the ultimate drug bible!) and it says Eutroxsig contains levothyroxine sodium, which should be exactly the same as what you are prescribed in the UK. It used to be called thyroxine sodium but name was changed to bring us in line with the rest of Europe etc. I would assume your dose could be converted mcg for mcg, unless your dosage requirements change due to new climate or something. It's not uncommon to find people on doses of up to 300mcg so a 200mcg tablet is very sensible and I wish we had them here! Pretty much all drugs should be stored below 25 degrees and since thyroxine is a hormone it is possibly more sensitive to heat than other more stable drugs so I guess that's why they say to keep it in the fridge, since the temp in Oz is regularly hotter than 25. Obviously not much of a problem in sunny ol' Britain :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleylass Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 Gah! I've just checked the leaflet in my UK thyroxine and it says do not store above 25c - thermometer in the kitchen (where my tablets are) is currently 26c and it's been warmer! Best chuck these and get on with the Aussie ones methinks. Cheers Racheyroo, I'd never have thought to check the storage temp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Karenphil67 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Hi paisleylass, Hmmm I'm a bit confused now. I spoken to 2 drs at work separately and they both said that it's the same. I also looked it up in the MImms and that states that it is sodium thyroxine (the same as home) and that I would be prescribed the same dose as I'm on in the uk. I suppose just see what ur blood tests say and be guided how you feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 My wife takes it. Levothyroxine is the generic name, Eutroxig is a brand name--but they're the same thing. Here's a web site about it though you likely know everything in it. http://doublecheckmd.com/DrugDetail.do?dname=Eutroxsig&sid=63351 FYI, the large available tablets are not unusual: My wife is on another (unrelated) tablet and, in the UK, had to take 4 x 50mg tablets every evening because that was the largest tablet available through the NHS. Here, when we first went to the GP, he prescribed a single 200mg tablet of the same stuff. I suspect it's just the NHS/NICE wanting to standardise on a smaller number of different size tablets for the economy of scale. As for the temperature thing, my wife gets about six months supply per prescription. The box says to store them in the fridge but that a single strip (they're in foil blister packs) at a time may be stored outside in warmer temps for the time it takes to use them. We move one foil strip at a time to the bedroom and have never had any issues even though I'm sure it gets above 25C in there occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Libbysmummy Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Fab thread thank you, i'm on 200 levothyroxine too so this info is great x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trigger Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Thanks, really useful information on this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzbound Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Hi There, I was prescribed Eutroxig when I had run out of Thyroxine. Both the doctor and pharmacist emphasised it had to be stored in the fridge. We are in Melbourne. In the UK I had major issues with my doctor, he would put the medication up and down every 6 months, I'd put masses of weight on, loose some, feel like crap, feel ok so I was more than worried about moving here and how the heat would affect how I felt. I have felt so much better here, the bulk billing doctor is fantastic, listens, has put me on 125mg one day 150mg the next have not felt the thyroid symptoms at all since arriving over 2 years ago. Not sure if its the dosage or the fact that its in the fridge and might actually work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucysdream Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 Great thread. I am on 175mg a day of Levothyroxine. I was born without a thyroid gland so always been on it. I have never heard about the fridge thing either but it rarely gets over 25 here! I plan to take as much as possible with me to start off with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo123 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 What a great thread! I'm currently on 250mcg of levothyroxine in the uk and was a bit concerned about the costs of meds in Oz but not anymore! Does anyone know the "range" for the thyroid tests in oz? in the uk the standard range that my doc works off is 0.6-6, so if my tsh is 3.5 then i am "normal"...hoping the range is lower is oz because getting my doctor to listen to me whe i go in and tell him that all my symptoms are back...but im within normal range..grrrrrrrrr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo123 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Oh and one more question....has anyone had there vit d checked since they went out to oz? mine is very low (in the uk, in winter lol), so it should be better in australia but just wondering if anyone had any probs? Underactive thyroid and vit d deficiency sometimes go hand in hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.