Levothyroxine 88 mcg Tablets Changed From Green to Lavender

Thanks for reaching out to us. Great question!

With most medications, a new color (or shape, imprint etc...) on a refill simply means the pharmacy switched to a different generic manufacturer, and that is very likely part of what happened here. Regardless, you absolutely want to call or stop into your pharmacy so you can verify you received the correct medication.

Levothyroxine Tablet Variation

Levothyroxine comes in about a dozen different strengths, so there are many different tablet shapes and colors out there. The 88 mcg tablets of levothyroxine are usually an olive or minty green, which matches the light green tablets you are used to.

You said the manufacturer of your new tablet is Northstar. Northstar is a generic manufacturer, and they alone make several different strengths of levothyroxine. Each of their different strengths will be a different color and they will have different imprints as well. Below is an image of their 88mcg levothyroxine tablet:

What I can't tell you from here is whether the particular tablet in your bottle is truly an 88 mcg tablet since I can't see or verify it. Dispensing errors with levothyroxine are uncommon, but they do happen, so you want to verify.

How to Verify What You Were Given

Here is what I recommend you do:

• Look at the pharmacy label on the bottle and confirm it says 88 mcg (sometimes written as 0.088 mg).
• Check the imprint on the tablet itself. Every manufacturer's levothyroxine has a code stamped on it. You can look it up online, or have it ready when you contact your pharmacy.
• Call the pharmacy and describe the tablets. Ask them to confirm which manufacturer they dispensed and what the 88 mcg tablet from that manufacturer is supposed to look like.
• If you have an old green tablet left over, keep it so you can compare the two side by side with the pharmacist.

If the pharmacist confirms the lavender tablets are indeed 88 mcg from a new manufacturer, you can continue taking them as prescribed.

It is still a good idea to let your doctor know about the manufacturer change, since some people notice small shifts in their thyroid levels after switching products, and your doctor may want a TSH check about six to eight weeks later just to be sure the new tablets are keeping you steady.

Many prescribers and pharmacists also prefer to keep patients on the same levothyroxine manufacturer when possible, and you can ask your pharmacy whether the original product can be ordered for future refills.

Final Words

Call your pharmacy, have them confirm the imprint and strength of your levothyroxine tablet, and mention the switch to your doctor so your thyroid labs are appropriately monitored.