PTU varying potency: I am noticing it!

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Hi Grav-ies:

I think Granny wrote this:

(or was it Simon in reply?) anyway:

>Hmm, you've got me wondering now, I didn't sleep last night much

>and now have other hyper symptoms as well, all on the same dose

>of PTU.

>

>I know the pharmacist JUST got a new batch of PTU in, as I just

>refilled and they asked if I could come back in twenty minutes

>as they were unpacking the latest delivery, but the bottle I'm

>on could well be from the previous batch.

>

>They subdivide large bottles into smaller, and PTU is only

>prescribed on the NHS if Carbimazole is ruled out for some

>reason (which having read the research sounds a reasonable

>approach). They only date the bottle with date issued, and the

>prescription has renewal date, I have no way of checking other

>dates other than asking the pharmacy involved - hmm sealed

>bottles suddenly seem more attractive.

In related news,

Msolomonchik here. As I wrote before, the Canadian Manufacturer of PTU has

changed from Merck Frosst (up here) to an " orphan " drug company, Paladin. The

potency of the last few batches, caught between this distribution change,

has been inconsistent. I have talked to both companies, and right now get

the ol' " it's within tolerance " story.

This is alarming to me: I do not believe in the consistency of generics, nor

do I have much hope for companies really caring about a highly monitored

level of sensitive consistency (which we NEED as thyroid patients). I too,

in self-defence, am noting the lot numbers carefully with the help of a

friendly pharmacy, and trying not to go to the " conspiracy of Big Pharma,

all-out-to get us off ATD's " place. *All I know is my PTU is not what it

was.* I am in Canada, remember, so don't panic as I am doing ;-)

Right now I don't know whether to switch to Tapazole, where there will at

least be a generic to substitue if things get wacky, or just up this current

impotent PTU ( I was reducing it! Wahhh!) or supplement with bugleweed tea

and lemonbalm tea mixed together, sipped all day. It's all discouraging and

hit-or-miss.

Right now I am breaking into my hoarded old 100mg. pills given to me when

the 50mg. became temporarily unavailable last year. The broken 100's were

unbelievably inconsistent, and left me wondering about distribution of drug

through a pill generally, something which has been discussed here. It

doesn't seem as if half the drug is in half the pill, in these at least.

I am extremely disturbed about potency issues in our drugs. I want to go to

the government here, but you know, I can just see a scenario where they say

" she is not supposed to be on this stuff for more than two years anyway!

RAI her so we can give her bad and ineffective thyroid supplementation!

Bwahahahahah! "

Thanks for letting me share, guys. grumble grumble.

love and support to all

Maribeth

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