confused?

[tootired]

Hello I had my op on Tuesday glad its all over now and on the bright side while I'm off work recovering I can rest due to my daily migraines.

Now I want to self medicate but on reading previous posts there's a difficulty in obtaining good quality T3 obviously I am not going to go down the route of dodgy body builder websites.

So here goes T3 is available on a named patient basis on the NHS but what about desiccated thyroid is that available on the NHS or is the spawn of the devil?

I have an Endo appointment in 3 weeks but I have a feeling he might just increase my T4 as my TSH was 4.41 on 100 mcg of Thyroxine, I am not getting my hopes up that he will prescribe T3 although I am willing to beg! Hopefully he'll check my T3 to see if I have a conversion problem.

So I thought I would order some T3 just now as I know it takes about a month to get here that way if the Endo says NO- I can start T3 a week or so after my appointment.

Basically which is easier to get a hold of T3 or desiccated thyroid extract?

I've ordered hormone testing and urine thyroid function testing to get a better look at my T3 and adrenals to see if the problem lies there I have also started taking the Vitamin B12 spray.

I cannot afford to go private I am on a low income and will be severely worse off the next 3 months due to being off work with my foot op, so this is the best solution I can come up with.

Any advise would be appreciated.

[Clutter]

Tootired, You are undermedicated to have TSH 4.4 on 100mcg so FT4 and/or FT3 will be low. Most people are comfortable with TSH just above or below 1.0 with FT4 in the upper quadrant of range and FT3 in the top third. Read Treatment Options in thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... You probably need 137.5-150mcg but dose increases are usually in 25mcg incremements. Poor conversion is indicated by low TSH, high FT4 and low FT3.

Mercury Pharma Liothyronine IUK T3) doesn't need a named patient basis prescription because it is licensed for UK use. If your endo recommends it your GP will probably agree to continue it on repeat prescriptions unless your CCG has prohibited it.

NDT isn't licensed for UK use and is rarely prescribed on the NHS. NDT and various brand of T3 are available online without prescription. The active ingredients in NDT and T3 don't differ but excipients vary according to brand so you may need to try different brands to find one which suits.

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I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[pollyanna58]

My GP prescribed T3 for ten years but it was stopped this year due to CCG rules. I used to take 60mcg a day (because that was the maximum my GP would let me have), but when I started buying my own I increased to 75mcg, initially because the new tablets are 25mcg instead of the 20mcg NHS ones and cutting tiny tablets is a bit fiddly. I found I felt better at that level and there was a big, unexpected bonus: my migraines have stopped. I had them for thirty years, several times a month, and each one lasted 48 hours, then another 24 hours of feeling wiped out, so it's such a relief to be free of them. I do hope you get the same result when you are taking enough meds.