When customs confiscate your T4

[catrich]

Just to share my fury...Finally had a letter from SwissMedic today who have been examining my little packet of T4 from Greece. It arrived in Switzerland in July. Apparently I could have had it if it were no more than a month's supply. As it is more than that I can choose to have it destroyed or returned to the sender. All of this will cost me 'about 400CHF'. Around £280. I'm stunned. Would have been cheaper to get on a plane.

[shaws Administrator]

How awful for you. Do you mean you have to pay them 400CHF whether or not it is returned or destroyed? It is very frustrating.

I have had a look at your Profile and I note you have Hashimoto's but am assuming you've never been prescribed thyroid hormones as your TSH may have been 'normal' and that the doctors don't prescribe if the patient has Thyroid Antibodies even though your gland is under attack?

If you did go abroad and purchase, would the customs allow you to bring it through personally as it is for your own use.

Can you appeal?

[catrich in reply to shaws]

Yes Hashimotos. Endo last Aug declined to treat 'until it gets worse'. That really was a low point for me. It had all been getting worse for years. My T4 however had been steadily dropping. Last measure 11.1 (10-28). And T3 too...4.0 (3.0-9.5). TSH looking fab at 1.48 (0.10-4.00). So final (in my mind) trip in March to yet another GP -who lo and behold said straight off that he'd get me on 50mcg of T4 and we'd take it from there. Wow.

Long story short...he hadn't a clue what T3 was. Central hypothyroidism confused him even further. NDT not an option here. When I mentioned hypothalamus he said ''you mean hypoTHYroid" Yes, really. Anyway, in May increased my T4 to 75...felt better. Not great but better. Still unexplained crashes and feet pain and exhaustion when doing longer days at work. No weight loss. But little oedema. Yippeee!

So I got clever ...or so I thought...and ordered from Greece. Saving money. Avoiding the nonsense we have to go through every visit and the comments and the huge bills. T3 arrived. T4 confiscated as I found out today!!! Actually...I have been on T3 only since July. The packet of T4 not arriving just pushed me to do this. And I feel very very good. Very very good. 50mcg. Doc horrified. Blood test results in tomorrow though so we shall see. I only went to him last week as I knew a blood test was way overdue and I'd messed up TWO Blue Horizon draws.

Appeal? Yes but the law is the law says the letter. And ignorance is no excuse. So there! They might even have my address highlighted now and open EVERY packet! Secretion carefully in cases, handbags and on person might be the way forward if I want to continue with T3. We shall see. Sigh.

The games we have to play. The hoops we have to jump through.

[shaws Administrator in reply to catrich]

We shouldn't have to be 'acrobats' with regard to life-saving hormones but I often wonder if they are stupid. We are not asking for illegal drugs to give us a 'high' but ones that our healthy body would have produced and which could ultimatley lead to 'other' more serious illnesses if untreated/undertreated.

With Hashi's you should have been treated. Just wait till the doctors or wives are struck down - then they'll change their tune.

Liothyronine I now take as levo didn't agree with me so if you feel well certainly continue with it and I take just under 50mcg myself and life is now so very different from T4 only. (a nightmare for me). I don't feel unwell anymore.

[catrich in reply to shaws]

Thank you Shaws. Your final phrase is so simple and yet says it all: I don't feel unwell anymore. That is where I'd like to be and I do honestly feel there has been a mighty shift in that direction... You never know, I might post tomorrow once the results are in!

[Jose651]

Hi catrich,

I'm sorry to hear that. £280 is a lot to pay for Nothing.

I would get them sent back to the seller and then negotiate with them.

They could maybe send them to you 1 months worth at a time or you could fly to Greece and collect them yourself.

I would try all options, but firstly I would contact the venders.

Good luck and keep us posted.

J 👍

[catrich in reply to Jose651]

Yes...good idea....I do have the option to send to seller. Will get in touch with them today. They are very good in responding so we shall see!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You say you are getting sore feet.....this can be low vitamin D, / low vitamin B 's

Supplementing Vitamin D& B12 plus good B complex might help - but get your levels checked first

see this article

drgominak.com/vitamin-d-hor...

[catrich in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SlowDragon but very much on the case with my supplements. I didn't mention how much better sore feet are since switching to T3 only!!! How much better many things are....

[JAGL]

Hello Catrich,

Where are you in Switzerland? The Paracelsus Klinic near St Gallen is supposed to offer a good natural approach to this problem. I'm trying to get my doctor to send me there in the hopes that they can supply NDT legally to Swiss patients. The Swiss pharmaceutical companies are a real mafia here and don't allow NDT anymore.

I'm allergic to maize and artificial preservatives and colours (so to fillers+binders in nearly every med). I used to be able to get NDT in liquid form (just NDT in distilled water) at the local chemist in Geneva but then they tightened the screws on all chemists. I'm willing to go to anywhere to get a good supply of WP Thyroid or even Thyro-Gold. Any suggestions anyone?

Thanks!