is anyone in wales on prescription ndt/armour

after educating myself on hypo (thanks to thyroid uk,paul robinson,dr peatfield,mary shomon) i have been through all the doctors at my local practice(all useless)i asked to see a specialist at the hospital,on my third visit and lots of tests i have finally got them to let me go on NDT,but i was told that i have to go back to my GP to get them to perscribe it,they have said they will need to speak to all the other doctors and then the welsh assembly,i am guessing that this is going to be a no,so i think i have yet another fight on my hands, can anyone give me any info before i give up and buy it myself,which i dont want to do having worked all my life i think i am due something back.

[nobodysdriving]

Oh dear sorry I don't know how to help but wanted to sympathise as only today my GP told me she won't prescribe my meds anymore and am waiting on my endo reply now

[hooper in reply to nobodysdriving]

Were you on NDT nobodysdriving? Why is it so difficult to get it? It has to be money. Can't be because they are concerned about us. If it cost the same as T4 I bet they'd let us have a choice. Can't see what there argument is. If it's really bad, and I'm not hearing this from any quarter, why don't they talk to us patients about why they wont prescribe NDT? I always get their back turned on me and no response in most cases, and I have asked a lot of GP's for it!

[tegz in reply to hooper]

I think the reasons are twofold [my view from recent reads]

Firstly, Docs are not versed in NDT use -as it's out of fashion, even if good for many on it ,back then [ it's got more usable hormones in it.]

Second- it's difficult to get a personal mix of T4 &T3 , as pre-designated by manufacturers and they're all abroad now, at that!

They can do personal scripts but that would make it trickier to keep/get insurance cover, at least cheaply.[my guess]

An endo can give synthetic T4 +T3 as reqd. [and trialled]- but many don't do even this readily [by reading here- where a 'friendly' list is available from Admin.]

It's obviously a very touchy area for GPs to deal with, hence their reaction to you. I wouldn't take it personally.

[hooper in reply to tegz]

Thanks tegz! What a mess. Do you think we'll see any change in our life-time? Hoping so!

[tegz in reply to hooper]

Things have just GOT to change. One GPs comment was repeated here recently that said 'not in his lifetime' - but with the internet, my view is the opposite.

The level of touchiness about matters thyroid gives the lie to that 'all is well' in diagnosis/treatment.

The hounding of sympathetic thyroid Docs like Skinner and Durrant-Peatfield [seen and reported on here+elsewhere] shows how nervous the Medical establishment really is, in truth.

It's a scandal waiting to be dug up by the Scottish petitioners- currently getting noticed by politicians.

[nobodysdriving in reply to hooper]

no I was getting T3 by my GP and it is not about money as the PCT agreed to it being prescribed. My GP is being 'really funny' all of a sudden, she prescribed it for 8 months in a row and all of a sudden she says she will not as it's a 'specialised medication needing monitoring and adjustments', my argument with her was it is NOT specialised as it is on the BNF therefore she can prescribe it too, I AM being monitored by the endo who forwards all results to her and any adjustments made were justified by such monitoring so what is her problem?

I have now handed in a formal complaint to NHS england, said it is not fair I have to travel miles to the hospital every time my prescription is due and it is not fair on my endo who supervises hundreds of people on medications to have to prescribe for me every couple of months. NHS england is now looking into it, I will find out hopefully soon.