Does everyone know that if you have a thyroide problems that all your perscriptions are free.You get the form from your Dr fill it out and he will send it off. So not just Thyroxine is free but everything that you need a perscription for.
Also when you buy anything from a chemist let them know you have either an underactive Thyroide or an over active Thyroide as certain stuff colids with medication. Like certain eye drops. Even Lemsips...... Hope this helps everyone.
Everything the doctor prescribes is free as long as you have a valid medical exemptions card.
Also should add, as far as I know, over active thyroid patients don't get a medical exemptions card.
Anything you buy from a chemist, without a prescription, will have to be paid for.
You have been mis informed as my sister as over active and she also as an excemption card for it.. it would be worth you challenging your Dr for it.
Beani2, the exemption is for myxoedema (Hypothyroidism). Hyperthyroidism isn't exempted as the condition may be temporary with remission after a few months on anti-thyroid drugs.
My sister is over active and she did get an exemption card for hers..
Beani2, nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1...
I get them since being underactive but had to pay when hyper. It would be good if this covers all now.
Thank you Beani2,
Make sure to renew after 5 years (just doing mine) and not required after your 60th birthday.
Flower
I have one more year before i ned to renew it!!
I did forget once but they sorted it as soon as I realised. I used to think they were lifelong. x
Yes, I've just got mine! The GP certainly didn't advise me I was eligible... I found out on my own!
Me too, well the chemist told me! Not needed now though as living back in Wales where free anyway but will keep up to date if I can should I ever venture back across the bridge! 
Sounds like most things we have to discover for ourselves that are thyroid connected x
Probably why it is so hard to get diagnosed and they leave people ill and prescribe everything (like anti depressants) but what is really needed. Sorry to be cynical but I'm still banging my head on a wall when it comes to diagnosis.
Slightly off topic (ish) but does anyone know why it is free for this and not so many other illnesses? If I re-call from filling in the form there are very limited medication/conditions that allow you to then have free prescriptions so I was surprised this was one of them....
Hi EKASUK just a guess I think the reason hyp get free scripts is because the thyroid controls pretty much everything your body does. If it's off kilter then things like your blood doesn't pump properly your heart can be affected your skin hair nails.
EKASUK,
I think it's because it is a life long illness.
Flo
I think it's not so much the life long illness, more that thyroid hormone is a 'life sustaining' medication. No thyroid hormone leads to death eventually.
Ok you say no thyroide hormone leads to death. I can honestly say i was not far off death about a year ago as i stopped taken my thyroxine. And my whole body started to shut down right to the point that thedr could not feel my pulse and my heart beat was faint.And that was down to stopping my thyroxine so i will have to disagree with you on this.
I think redapple meant taking no thyroid hormone (when should be) leads to death not that no thyroid hormone leads to death as you read it
Yes,exactly. No thyroid hormone leads to death!
People with certain medical conditions can get free NHS prescriptions if they hold a valid medical exemption certificate.
You can get all your NHS prescriptions free if you have a valid medical exemption certificate because you have:
a permanent fistula (for example, caecostomy, colostomy, laryngos-tomy or ileostomy) which needs continuous surgical dressing or an appliance;
a form of hypoadrenalism (for example, Addison’s Disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential;
diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism;
diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone;
hypoparathyroidism;
myasthenia gravis;
myxoedema (that is, hypothyroidism which needs thyroid hormone replacement);
epilepsy which needs continuous anticonvulsive therapy;
a continuing physical disability which means you cannot go out without the help of another person; or
cancer and are undergoing treatment for:
- cancer;
- the effects of cancer; or,
- the effects of cancer treatment.
You can only get a certificate if you have a condition on the list. If you are not sure about the name of your condition, check with your doctor. Doctors may advise you about free prescriptions. However, it is up to you to find out if you are entitled to an exemption certificate.
nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1...
It just surprised me when only a handful of illnesses thyroid issues were on there...maybe just my ignorance of how serious it can be longer term if not treated until now!
Typically up to about twelve years from onset to death in the days before any treatment was available.
It's seriousness used to be undoubted. However the era of levothyroxine monotherapy allowed medicine to assume that it was a relatively minor issue. It isn't.
The late Oliver Sacks wrote about a patient with hypothyroidism. The story is called 'Cold Storage' and illustrates the impact that long term lack of thyroid hormone will have.
This link to google books gives a summary of that story
books.google.co.uk/books?id...
Thanks for this, my dad was also diagnosed a few years back but stopped taking his medication as he never has believed in taking anything - will certainly be reading up on this and highlighting some facts to him!
Your dad needs to understand that thyroxine is not a 'drug'. It is simply replacing something that should be made by his thyroid but isn't. It is a 'replacement' therapy, and is as necessary to human life as food and drink are. Your dad may continue to survive for a very, very long time, but insufficient thyroid hormone will take it's toll in potentially many subtle ways that he won't even realise are happening. He may, for example, attribute things to his age, when really they are due to lack of thyroid hormone.
Agreed, I think he just needs educating properly as hes not one to go to the doctors (or look himself online) and you be lucky if get anything from out doctor yet when do they just prescribed him the tablets not explaining anything, the only reason I even had a little bit of an idea was because I am hypo myself but definitely do not yet know enough to bring him up to speed...working on it with the great help of this forum! thank you!
I didn't know Lemsip interferes with thyroxine. I have been living on the stuff this past week but I don't know if I am treating a cold or an allergy.
Yes, this is all info my pharmasist tells me. Your ok with decongestive lemsip. You should speak to your pharmasist as they are very helpful.
Given the large number of Lemsip products and that they vary across countries, your identification of "decongestive lemsip" is inadequate.
There most certainly ARE interactions between Phenylephrine hydrochloride and thyroid hormone. How important they are is difficult to assess and probably varies considerably among people. I have not managed to identify information about interactions with Cetylpyridinium chloride (an ingredient in some Lemsip products).
My choice is to avoid these products if I possibly can. So far, I have managed to - there again, I have never been a Lemsip taking person so it hasn't been difficult.
I've been using the Lemsip max and it does contain phenylephrine, I've also ordered the Lem sip cough medicine in my shopping delivery today, I will have to check what's in that when it arrives.
Lem sip cough medicine for mucus cough. sugar and colour free, contains guaifenesin, cetylpyridinium and chloride.
Im lucky to live in Scotland all my prescriptions are free and have been for a few years now.
Ditto for those of us in Wales! 
Only for under active not over active unfortunately
Yes,my Dr said no charge for any prescriptions if you have a thyroid problems. But she did not specify.
So Thyroid issues are recognised as serious enough for free prescriptions but not serious enough for tests to confirm diagnosis and treat by the majority of health professionals in uk.
free prescriptions for Hypos
Private prescriptions. 
