I said yesterday I'd post some of my most recent letter from my endo...the logic emerges later. I quote
"...there is a potential risk from combination therapy such as osteoporosis and arrhythmia"(interesting thing with this statement I'd that it's a consensus statement from the RCP;consensus implies that not all agree?)
Two comments or so:1.Osteo runs in my family;I am DEXA scanned regularly and am prescribed supplementary calcium and vit.D. In my previous period of taking T3 my Osteopenia was totally stable and I am still being monitored.
2.There is no history of heart problems at all in my family. Arrhythmias are potentially dangerous, but can be monitored and treated. Compared to spending the rest of my life as a vegetable -which is how I felt just on T4 - it's a risk I'm prepared to watch for and live with.
And finally...if T3 is such a dreadful thing,why do our bodies produce it (if we're "normal") and even more, why is it still available on prescription?
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mumcat2
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Mmmmm, instead just read ' I am not going to give it you cos I said so, so there!' They really are hopeless. I agree with you, you know the risks, the real ones not the made up scaremongering ones, and you want your life back!
Dr. John Lowe believed that for many people T3 only was the best answer for their thyroid problems. We believe it saved my daughter's life and has kept her metabolism ticking over for the last 11 years, until we discovered a doctor who could help her more. You may be interested in these quotes:
""Some women are told to be wary of taking thyroid medication because it can leach the calcium from bones. This assumption is now outdated. The research on people taking extremely high doses of thyroid hormone is mixed, but it is now known that thyroid pills in appropriate doses are good for your bones. Moreover, it has recently become apparent that the fairly common situation of undetected and untreated low thyroid is the cause of bone calcium depletion. Dr. Richard and Sharilee Shames
In the 1970’s and 1980’s, many faulty studies were published that led to the erroneous conclusion that TSH-suppressive dosages of thyroid hormone decrease bone mineral density in most patients. Some conventional endocrinologists wrongly extrapolated from these studies that TSH-suppressive dosages lead to osteoporosis and increased risk of bone fracture. Among our patients who have used TSH-suppressive dosages of T3-containing preparations from 1-10 years, bone densitometry has shown that their density is HIGHER than other men and women for the same age.
The finding of higher bone density among patients taking higher-end dosages of thyroid hormone suggests that under-treatment with thyroid hormone can contribute to lower bone density. The lower bone density is likely to result from patients being unable to engage in weight bearing exercise due to low motor drive and decreased metabolic capacity. Hypothyroid patients using T4 replacement dosages commonly lack the drive to engage in weight bearing exercise, indicating that replacement dosages are often tantamount to gross under-treatment. Dr. John Lowe, Boulder Colorado (119)
Optimising the serum dialysis free T4 and T3 levels in all my patients has not contributed to osteoporosis at all (on the contrary, serial DECCA scans have usually shown dramatic increases in bone density despite my never prescribing any drugs for osteoporosis but using nutritional and metabolic corrective approaches instead); and cardiac arrhythmias are taken care of by making sure there is no functional deficiency of the pertinent minerals in the appropriate fluid spaces (RBC/packed cell levels in the case of magnesium and potassium). Not doing these things, and assuming that a “normal” TSH always means normal – even optimal – thyroid hormone function, is causing vast under-diagnosis and under-treatment in millions of patients in the US and around the world. Surveys of patient satisfaction with treatment, and websites devoted to this topic, invariably show deep distrust of the adequacy of their treatment, Dr John Dommisse, Tucson, Arizona""
Where do these Endocrinologists train that they appear not to be at all knowledgeable about the thyroid gland and what hormones it actually produces. Why would our natural thyroid gland provide T4, T3, T2 and T1 if they were unnecessary?
We are most likely to have heart and other serious problems with either being kept in a 'range' or undiagnosed due to the reliance on the TSH as 'diagnosis'.
This statement comes from the fact that when first launched on the market as thyroid replacement they also marketed t3 as a weightloss drug which of course it was very successful for unfortunately what they did not anticipate is that it gives euthyroid people heart attacks and osteoporosis which of course resulted in the kneejerk reaction we hypo patients now have to deal with when we want alternative treatment to t4. I have never heard of amy hypo patient experiencing these side effects would it be possible to tell the endo you are aware of the possible risks and are willing to take them, you should be able to be actively involved in your own health care or is that too much of a stretch for these arrogant endos.
I think the Endo's really only learn about diabetes, cos that is where the money is for them and the Pharma companies. Diabetes is near the top of the list re payments to GP's for treating their patients who have diabetes. Thyroidies barely get a look in, we don't generate enough cash for GP's!! We are all depressed, menopausal, overweight etc etc if we were to believe them!! They get paid more if they hand out anti depressants etc. Sorry for the rant!
Hi Crimple, I am 60, still nowhere near menapause, but my doc, didn't believe me, so had all the blood tests, FSH Lh, still same as a much younger woman, told her I had normal periods lol, so you see, we are all not the same, can't these endos get it into their thick heads!!
Got my Free T3 tested and Free T4, FSH, I know that my ferrutin is low, due to always having had heavy periods, on ferrous fumerate, but still struggle.
So my Free T3 is only 3.7, should be between 4 and 8.3, when the doc phoned me back she said that the emminent head hunter endo in Newcastle, will never ever prescribe T3!!! He knows that I am not converting, I feel soooo mad, wish he had hypo, he would soon be self-medicating with T3/T4 combo or NDT, but not tell anyone lol!!
Just missed signing the petition to the gov this year, but we can start another one as well, check out thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/news.html, very interesting reading, I may well start another petition. Problem is, not many people know of that site, maybe we could promote it on this one.
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New here, TSH 8.06 should I be pursuing GP for medication?
New here and wonder if you can help?
Will you be my medical advisor?
No logic in the UK supply of T3
How do you cope with the thyroid roller coaster? Early stages of medication 
