Update on Endo appointment and question about cutting pills in half!

[Penny_babe2001]

Ok, so a while back I posted about my GP refusing to refer me to Endo for Thyroid/pituitary (empty sella picked up on MRI for suspected MS). He said he would "write to him and see what he said".

Well, yesterday I had the Endo appointment that the GP said I couldn't have; Endo obviously thought different ;-). Was a bit surprised that he's prescribed me T3; I thought majority of doctors wouldn't and a lot of people have to fight for it. If it makes me feel human, I'll give it a go!

But he's prescribed 10 mcg, and I've got 20mcg pills. Ans have to chop them in half! I tried earlier and lost about 3 pills to crumbling.

Is there a right way to cut them up? I'm concerned that I won't be getting the right doses as the halves aren't quite half!

[Slj1970]

Hi Penny,

Today I bought myself a pill cutter from Boots to do the same boots.com/en/Safe-Sound-ext...

I asked the pharmacist and they said this is the one they use, I've not tried it yet though.

Sarah

[Aurealis in reply to Slj1970]

This is the brand if use too, it's the best I've found. Temperature seems to affect crumbling so be careful where you store them.

[Jayne22 in reply to Aurealis]

Where do you store yours Aurealis? Mine are in the fridge and cut fairly cleanly with just a little crumbling..... will try the damp hands suggestion! X

[Moggie]

Great news that your endo seems to be a bit more in tune with thyroid issues than some others about T3.

Once you get your pill cutter (any chemist will sell them) you might still find that the T3 crumbles so what I used to do was handle them with damp hands, not wet only damp. I found this out by accident when I had finished washing up one day. I had dried my hands on a tea towel and then cut my pill only to find that it didn't crumble so used to run my hands under water, dry them and then cut the pills - worked most of the time.

Moggie x

[Tiggysmummy]

Can you not get your pills in 10mcg doses? I have 20's10's and 5's it saves waist

[helvella in reply to Tiggysmummy]

The only licensed liothyronine tablet in the UK is a 20mcg one from Mercury Pharma.

If you are getting 10 and 5mcg tablets I assume one of two things - you are not in the UK or you are getting unlicensed products. Either is possible though cost of unlicensed products tends to be prohibitive.

Indeed 10 mcg tablets seem to be pretty rare anywhere.

Rod

[Tiggysmummy in reply to helvella]

I get my liothyronine capsules from boots the chemist , they are made by martindale And 5mcg are distributed by paddock and they are tablets, I am in the uk and all are on nhs prescription, I normally wait about 3 days for them to get them as they are a special order

[helvella in reply to Tiggysmummy]

In October 2013 there was only ONE prescription for 10mcg T3 capsules in England - and the 56 capsules cost the NHS £169.48.

In the same period, there were FIVE prescriptions for 5mcg Cytomel with an average of 171 tablets and costing about £382.14 per prescription.

(Data available from links on this page:

nhsbsa.nhs.uk/PrescriptionS...

)

At that rate, I shall, sadly, be surprised if you continue to receive 5mcg and 10mcg products indefinitely.

Rod

[Tiggysmummy in reply to helvella]

Well I of get them on prescription and I have 3 pots of 5's with 100 in each , I have 3 pots of 10's with 100 in each and far to many pots of 20's.... While my gp prescribes I will keep collecting them.... And the reason I have far to many pots at the moment boots did a repeat prescription not knowing I had all ready done it x

[Penny_babe2001]

Thanks all

Will invest in the pill cutter. I didn't even know there was such a thing! I used a sharp knife and cut it on tissue (which I've done before, but with bigger tablets). I didn't know how small T3 pills are!!

The Endo did tell me when he wrote the prescription out, so I assumed 20mcg is all I'd be able to get.

Will try the damp hand one too, thanks

[Heloise]

Penny, it's not so important to be perfectly in half. just be sure to take the other half the following day and you will be taking your correct dose within 24 hours. I use the crumbs as well. I hope T3 works for you.

[Marz in reply to Heloise]

...lick the end of your finger and dab up the crumbs....

[Heloise in reply to Marz]

Ha, or just lick the pill cutter........ OUCH

[Marz in reply to Heloise]

[Penny_babe2001 in reply to Heloise]

Ah, mm, I may have cocked up a bit there then. I chopped a few up together and put them back in the pot, trying to make it a bit easier for myself. Will just do one at a time from now on. Thanks

[HarryE in reply to Penny_babe2001]

[Stourie]

I used to use a pill cutter but the pills crumbles quite a bit so now I use my thumb nails and that works a treat.

Jo xx

[Marz in reply to Stourie]

..oh to have thumb nails !!