I have a Drs appointment next week I am going to ask for combination therapy T3/T4 or desiccated thyroid, I know what the answer will be but I have to ask one last time. If my Dr refuses I have taken the decision to self medicate as I cannot go on any longer with my deteriorating health so far this week 5 migraines, I think it will be a daily occurrence soon.
I have printed off a copy of Dr John C Lowe's paper on Stability, Effectiveness and safety of Desiccated Thyroid vs Levothyroxine: A Rebuttal to the British Thyroid Association.
Are there any other papers I should take with me to plead my case ? as I know my Dr isn't half as knowledgeable as most of the people on this forum regarding Thyroid.
Should I print off a list of my symptoms- unfortunately I tend to lose my train of thought a lot and cannot seem to communicate effectively when I am in-front of my Dr and tend to start crying at how miserable I feel.
I have Paul Robinsons Recovering with T3 book, Your Thyroid and how to keep it healthy by Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield, Overcoming Thyroid Disorders by David Brownstein. Any other books or papers I can read up on to prepare me for a change of medication?
Thanks
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tootired
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Thanks for that such a good article, I posted Mays results not had any luck getting the rest of my blood test results the practise manager never seems to be in.
May TSH= 1.21 mU/L
Free T4= 17.4 pmoI/L
(i'd already taken my 100 mcg of thyroxine before the blood test.)
I am going to get my thyroid function test redone privately especially my T3 levels the problem is getting someone to draw blood I've looked online and the nearest place is Edinburgh. I live on the west coast of Scotland.
Genova do the urine thyroid function test but when I emailed them they said I need a health practitioner, so I'm not really getting anywhere fast.
Tootired, If you use the Thyroid UK code A42AQ when ordering Thyroid UK, in association with Dr Alyssa Burns-Hill PhD, Holistic Hormone Health Specialist, will be named as your practitioner. See link for more detail.
If you are ordering a urine test you may need a practitioner to interpret the results for you. I haven't seen members able to interpret urine results on the forum. From what I've read urine results show T3 used rather than T3 available for use.
Thanks for the links I'd previously had gene testing and paid the extra £60 for someone to tell me the results- I didn't think it was worth the money. Its an expensive business ordering tests Gp refuses to test my hormones, etc. I paid £200 last year on hormone tests and will be forking out £300 for urine and hormone testing again this time but I need to see if there is a hormone in-balance to get to the problem of daily migraines, fatigue and the big list of other symptoms, I'll see how I get on with the urine test and keep you posted. Thanks
Do you know that Lorraine Cleaver has taken her case to the Scottish Parliament about the poor care patients with a thyroid dysfunction have. She has a page on facebook and she may have some ideas.
wow that would be great, I've heard the urine test is more effective as it measures the T3 and T4 being used, I think I should also get my adrenals checked. Thanks should I pm you ?
It would be great if your doctor could prescribe but I am afraid the BTA guidelines still stand, i.e. 'no place for NDT in the treatment of hyp' (or words to that effect. Dr Skinner and Dr Peatfield both appeared before the GMC for prescribing what they always did. Dr P withdrew his licence rather than be struck off and Dr Skinner wouldn't give in and he died of a stroke shortly after his seventh appearance before the GMC. A friend of Dr S worked out that there would be a 10 million to 1 chance that a doctor would have been called so many times before the GMC. Other doctors lost their licence.
I'll cross my fingers anyway. Your Doctor might be persuaded to add some T3 to your T4 at present. Ask for a 3 months trial, i.e. a 1 part T3 with 3 parts of T4 or equivalent to the levo you take at present.
Email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org.uk and ask for a copy of Dr Toft's Pulse Online article. Highlight question 6 where he says some T3 could be added. Ignore his last sentence - you will see the reason why when you read it.
Thanks I know I am expecting the worst but I need to ask one last time, migraines are every day now so I need to do something, thanks again for your post.
Yes its horrendous the treatment of Dr's who dare to treat their patients effectively, I cannot understand why thyroid patients are treated so badly, surely it must cost the NHS more treating all the other ailments and health problems that develop from under treating the Thyroid ? Its dumbfounding !
It is certainly dumfounding but 'they' believe they are right and that we are either hypochondriacs because we aren't well and are still complaining, despite the blood tests stating that we are fine.
We are told there's no problem with the thyroid as our bloods are 'in range'. We are dismissed or given something for the 'symptoms' instead of the addition of T3 to T4 or a trial of NDT which they state is inconsistent in the hormones. Which I believe is untrue.
As you say there is far more money spent on the 'extras' which we might not need at all if ONLY we had a decent thyroid hormone which suited us. The NHS could save a fortune, I am sure. Plus people would be able to go back to work or just to feel well what an achievement they could make if ONLY they listened.
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