Thyroid med users - a question

[ElizK]

Ever had an allergic reaction to Levothyroxine? I've been having rash/hives randomly show up, mostly on my arms. This has been going on for MONTHS, maybe as long as a year. I usually slather some Benadryl gel on the offending area and go along with my life. It was really bothering me today, so I started checking around and discovered it could well be my thyroid medication! It could just be stress, too, but how do I figure out which one???

I'll call my doctor tomorrow, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this problem, and what medication you were switched to, and what the cost difference was. I just had a 3 month supply filled at the pharmacy! Oh, well. I'm ready for this to STOP!!!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

You can also cross post this on the thyroid thread on the coping and compassion board. I know christine is very knowledgeable in this area. I only take the brand name, even though its more money with my ins. co. I read that unles your pharmacy can guarantee they use the same generic company each time, then you might get a different formula etc. I take 200mci I think, sorry I havent had any problems like you mentioned. Wishing you the best.

 

[ElizK]

Thank you! I will do that.

 

[teacups]

Well, I doubt its allergic after a year but its possible. BUT rash/hives certainly can be a symptom of under active (hypo) problems. The less common type. As your doc about this tomorrow and better yet, do some web searches on it before you go. I'll say again its not one of the more common things so it could get missed. Go inofrmed. Good luck.

 

[disneymarie]

I have had about three different ones and no side effects. I wonder if you could be allergic to iodine. The other thing, you had three months filled, call the pharmacy and explain the problem and ask what pharmacutical company they use, where they are located.

I recently was going to fill a med and it was manufactured in India...a generic. It was out of Canada, there are no generics for this med available in the US due to copywrite until 2011.
I am not going to chance my health to what knows the fillers they use, or dye's.

I had the same thing happen with one brand, having night terrors! I have no idea what could have been in them but they were only $9.99 for three months at a local pharmacy.

I always ask now what country the brand is coming from.
You would be surprised!

PS my Mom had a shell fish allergy and she had the same symptoms you discribe, can that be a possibility?
If Iodine, is part of the med? What is the synthroids meds made from, how do they relate to shell fish?

 

[ElizK]

I am actually allergic to shell fish, but not positive it's the iodine that I'm allergic to. Sigh. And I'll call the pharmacy tomorrow, too, while I'm at it.

I appreciate ya'll's input!

 

[rascalmom]

I've been on levothyroxine for about a year now & haven't had any problems. But when you said you were allergic to shellfish, that rang a bell with me. Some medications use fillers - and some calciums are made using shellfish byproducts (ground shells).

I haven't been able to take a multi-vitamin for years because if this - and my symptoms that I get from the vitamins are very similar to yours. Itching & a light rash (although mine appears on my hands & scalp).

I would definitely talk to the pharmacy & your prescribing doctor about this.

Good luck!!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I was just coming to post that you may be allergic to one of the fillers (aka the inactive ingredients). Those can vary greatly depending on the manufacturer. I have had reactions to certain medications before when I had the generic version but could take the name brand just fine.

Is your script that you just got filled the name brand Levoxyl or Synthroid or is it the cheap generic?

Hope you get to feeling better soon!

 

[Christine]

I have been taking some form of Levothyroxing for almost 15 years. About 3 years ago, I started getting a lot of rashes but just up on my chest and neck. They proceeded to get worse until finally, each time I would take certain medications (not Synthroid), I would have a single hive show up on my chest or on my back. I finally tracked it down to a filler ingredient that was common to all of them--povidone. Once I stopped taking these meds (Motrin, Feosol, Tylenol Extra Strength), I got a LOT better but not back normal. That's when I discovered that my Synthroid also contained povidone. Must be a very small amount. I switched to Levoxyl which does not contain povidone as a filler and then I totally cleared up.

You may not be allergic to the actual levothyroxine (that would be rare) but a dye or filler in the med.

 

[golfgal]

Well, I doubt its allergic after a year but its possible. BUT rash/hives certainly can be a symptom of under active (hypo) problems. The less common type. As your doc about this tomorrow and better yet, do some web searches on it before you go. I'll say again its not one of the more common things so it could get missed. Go inofrmed. Good luck.

It is very possible she could develop an allergy after a year. You can't be allergic to something the first time you have it. Your body has to build up histamines that causes an allergy. With more severe allergies it happens faster, the second exposure, but with more mild allergies it can take years.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Ever had an allergic reaction to Levothyroxine? I've been having rash/hives randomly show up, mostly on my arms. This has been going on for MONTHS, maybe as long as a year. I usually slather some Benadryl gel on the offending area and go along with my life. It was really bothering me today, so I started checking around and discovered it could well be my thyroid medication! It could just be stress, too, but how do I figure out which one???

I'll call my doctor tomorrow, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this problem, and what medication you were switched to, and what the cost difference was. I just had a 3 month supply filled at the pharmacy! Oh, well. I'm ready for this to STOP!!!

Funny you should mention this.

I take the same medication and in the last 2 months have developed itching on my left inner arm and more recently on my right elbow.

At first I thought I might have picked up some poison oak somehow, but I don't have any of the lovely blisters/rash that go along with it. So that's not the cause. Never thought it could be from my meds.

 

[disneymarie]

One thing I learned is some of my meds come from a variety of vendors. If I fill at mail order for three months, or local mom and pop, or the CVS etc. Even though my med and dose has not changed, the pill I take has.

ESPECIALLY WITH SYNTHROID TYPE MED>>>>> ask where the medication was produced!!!!
It is a wake up when I ask and they are in India, burma, it could even be in China.....THe fillers are the problem not the medication that we have been taking.

I have one med that if I fill at one pharmacy seems like it is a sugar pill, if I fill it at Rite Aid I get good results.

Ask where the med was made, discuss things with the pharmacist what their experience is with the suppliers.

I know I had a heck of discount to get a generic for the medication Lexapro from Canada, but do I want to have it imported from India
I would pay $88 as to the @3 months for $150,

The filling from CA is 3 weeks because the are not manufacturing it in CA it is going through customs from India and that scares me.
I can not buy one month either....

I would like to know if this many of us are having some rash reactions WHAT in the world is the filler, it has some kind of toxic reaction and side effect so what is the Gov guidelines to meds we take.

The FDA is suppose to be the best in the US to protect us, but it seems that something in these medications is suspect for side effects we have, not the active ingrediant in the medication.

 

[Christine]

One thing I learned is some of my meds come from a variety of vendors. If I fill at mail order for three months, or local mom and pop, or the CVS etc. Even though my med and dose has not changed, the pill I take has.

ESPECIALLY WITH SYNTHROID TYPE MED>>>>> ask where the medication was produced!!!!
It is a wake up when I ask and they are in India, burma, it could even be in China.....THe fillers are the problem not the medication that we have been taking.

I have one med that if I fill at one pharmacy seems like it is a sugar pill, if I fill it at Rite Aid I get good results.

Ask where the med was made, discuss things with the pharmacist what their experience is with the suppliers.

I know I had a heck of discount to get a generic for the medication Lexapro from Canada, but do I want to have it imported from India
I would pay $88 as to the @3 months for $150,

The filling from CA is 3 weeks because the are not manufacturing it in CA it is going through customs from India and that scares me.
I can not buy one month either....

I would like to know if this many of us are having some rash reactions WHAT in the world is the filler, it has some kind of toxic reaction and side effect so what is the Gov guidelines to meds we take.

The FDA is suppose to be the best in the US to protect us, but it seems that something in these medications is suspect for side effects we have, not the active ingrediant in the medication.

For me, I am not being switched around. My doctor does not allow generics on my thyroid meds so I *am* always getting the same medications.

As for fillers, they are are ingredients that allow the pill to remain intact and disingrate at at stable rate within the body. These fillers are all substances that ANYONE can be allergic to at any time. They aren't necessarily anything dangerous but any person can be allergic to anything at all. It's really not all that unusual to react to something within the pill be it a coloring dye, a wax glaze, or a type of sugar. If you look your medication up online, even down at the generic level, they must list all inactive ingredients. You will then see your "fillers". I found that most of the fillers listed are commonly used in many other medications.