Has anyone managed to get a reverse T3 test and... - Thyroid UK
Has anyone managed to get a reverse T3 test and a fT3:rT3 ratio done on the NHS through their GP?
no - my gp will not even do TPO - he says that the local hospital endocrinologist has told him TSH is all they need to test ( which is utter rubbish of course)
No as reverse T3 is NOT tested on the NHS at all that's why, it is not available.
No - i have yet to find an nhs gp that even knows what rt3 is.
Even the private company that i use sends the rt3 component to US to be done separately, so you can imagine that with nhs being about 1000 years behind private, there is no prospect of this being done on the nhs......ever.
It's all beyond amazing!!! I can't understand why it is that patients can read up on (and understand) the workings of the thyroid gland, while so many doctors remain blissfully unaware! It all seems a bit unethical from where I sit! At the moment I'm engaged in DIY diagnosis to try to find a solution to negative symptoms, but this is undesirable and potentially dangerous. Still, little option unless the NHS gets better informed on the topic!
I'd agree with 'unethical', in fact I'd go to criminally negligent! 
Yes, I was trying to be polite as I don't know who reads these posts. What I was thinking goes beyond what I said .... With bells on!
The NHS Leeds Pathology lab does at least mention rT3:
Amiodarone has a similar structure to that of thyroid hormones and interferes in the peripheral conversion of T4 to T3. Resulting T4 levels may be high with a low T3 and an increase in rT3. TSH levels may be raised. Furthermore the iodine content of amiodarone can itself cause a hyperthyroid state although this is less common. Basal TFTs should ideally be checked prior to initiation of amiodarone therapy. Assessment of thyroid function once amiodarone therapy has started should be based upon careful clinical examination.
pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk/te...
However, despite that, they do not list an rT3 test.
Rod
Legally they do not even have to treat you to get the funding point. I found this out via a FOI request a while back. So just by you being hypo, they claim extra funding from the PCT or whatever they are now - but that does NOT mean they have to treat you at all - they get the funding point regardless.
And there is nothing you can do as no org/dept is accountable for the nhs. All you do is wear yourself down - i have been there - just go straight to self treatment and save time and energy.
The number of letters i wrote my gp about the dangers of sourcing my meds online - they honestly do not care because they know they can get away with it.
Yes, I keep suggesting that I'll have to try some T3 from Mexico, but alas, it makes no difference at the end of the day!
They test T3 once you're taking it is my experience, but not rT3
I managed to get a reverse t3 test for my daughter on the nhs, she had been referred to an endo (which was a battle in itself) been ill with hypo symptoms for several years, kept getting nowhere with GP, paid to see Dr peatfield who said he felt there was an obvious adrenal issue and possibly thyroid too. We undertook thyroid urine test and saliva cortisol test at his behest. Cortisol was massively high and urine t4 was well below reference range . Went back to gp with findings and was referred to endo. Long story short, after urine cortisol came back ok, and tsh in range, they decided she was fine. So I wrote hospital endo asking if he could explain the discrepancy between tsh and ft4 levels, if indeed her tsh was fine, how come her body was not able to access her own thyroid hormone ? I said I believed a urinary cortisol was not as accurate as saliva test either. Went on to say I believed she needed better cortisol test, and a reverse t3 test to try establish what as stopping her body from accessing any thyroid hormone she actually did make. They wrote back offering dexa test and rt 3, saying this would have to be sent to America. All good so far, but when test results came back, her rt3 was 23 in range of 12-25 , I remembered suzy cohen info stating the figure had to be under 16, but you will have guessed she was given the all clear. Dexa test came back 'in range,' but didn't get a result. So, great that we got the test, not so great re reference range wars! Some things never change
Well done for getting the rt3 test! Disappointing on the rest. The whole situation for all of us is so unbelievably bad. It's so appalling that such serious conditions are happily ignored by so many doctors just because of numbers on bits of paper, which don't explain or help symptoms.
Reading all the replies are quite disheartening, I have in the past years asked for these tests but always been told no, I know have a reason to believe that my T3 isnt at the amounts needed well more sure than I ever was, after I was hypothyroid years ago, i have had sleeping ad fatigue problems even though my thyroid tests where in range for years I felt I was hypo, I ended up convincing myself that that was normal and I just didn't know it because I was hypo for so long!! but my problems continued to slowly get worse and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a year and a half ago. now 8 years after my graves kicked in and 5 years medication free I went hyperactive again and guess what all my fibro symptoms disappeared the more hyper I got and now I am n carbimazole my fibro symptoms are slowly returning. I need to find a way to get my endo to listen to me and consider these tests and the use of T3, I cant afford these privately as I am on long term sick from work (trying to get back) but I was basically told when I got diagnosed with fibro that that is it you are in for a lifetime of extreme fatigue and pain you will need to learn to manage it, at 33 that was quite a blow, but now I know that there is something that may give me my life back, if I can only get the gp's and endo's to listen to me and get them on board, I mean surely I would be less of a drain on them with T3 on prescription for life instead of pain killers for life that only take the edge of the pain and can cause more health problems esp when used long term!!!
I looked at all the lists for hypothyroid symptoms, from fatigue to aches, to sleep apnea I ticked pretty much all of the boxes for my fibro diagnosis, add in sensitivity to touch, which I have read some people do get with hypothyroidism, it all points to a T3 problem all of it and I just think if these tests where on offer 4 years ago when I fisrt started going back to the doctors thinking I was hypo it would have saved me 2 years of constant pain and stress as I am probably going to be let go from work and will defo lose my career I worked so hard to get.
Sorry for the essay, I am just in a state really as I have no clue what is the best way to approach my endo with all of this, my gp's attitude was basically haha yeah good luck with that one, so please any advise on how to broach all of this with my endo and perhaps asking him for these tests would be greatly appreciated.
I hope you are all ok xx
Hello, Magicknuts, I'm not sure how to answer your post, but many others might. However, as you wrote it in a reply to a question I posted 2 years ago, I don't know if anyone other than me will have seen it. I suggest that you copy and paste it into a new post, then everyone will see it, and you will get some replies.
Cost of T3 and how to get the GP to prescribe on the NHS
T3 autoantibodies (THAAbs) causing high FT3 test results found by anyone?
Has anyone managed to get hashimotos into remission? And how? 
TSH T3 and T4 NHS Test results via GP
GP asked for T3 and T4 test, lab done repeat TSH and T4!!!!
