August 18, 2017.

Patients have wanted to express their anger after discovering that the composition of Levothyrox, a treatment prescribed for thyroid problems, had changed and was causing unwanted side effects.

Some patients cannot take the new Levothyrox.

3 million French people ingest Levothyrox daily, a treatment intended for people who suffer from thyroid problems. But the composition of this drug has been changed, and some patients have complained of unwanted side effects. ” Since then I lose my hair, I feel tired while for six years I was very stable », Lamented Fatima, a young patient, in the columns of the Parisian.

His case is far from isolated. A petition entitled ” Against the new Levothyrox dangerous for patients! Was launched on the Internet on June 25 and has received the support of more than 40 people. “The laboratories have decided to change some excipients and it follows that too many patients cannot tolerate the new Levothyrox, they experience significant side effects ”, we can read in the petition.

Anger of patients against laboratories

The side effects are various. Some feel very tired, others have bowel problems, cramps or headaches. Still others have suffered from physiological or psychological disturbances.. The patients are angry that no one has informed them of this change in composition. ” The laboratories made this decision without taking the opinion of the patients concerned. », They write.

While the author of the petition demanded that the laboratories return to the old formula or offer patients the choice between the two formulas, Sylvie Chabac, the director of medical affairs at Merck France, one of the laboratories that manufactures this treatment, explained to Parisian thatthere would be no return to the old composition and that this formula would be adopted at European level. Patients will have to live with it.

Marine Rondot

Learn more about the main thyroid conditions