T3 doctors

[RobinAnn]

Hey everyone...new here. Need some help. I am currently living in Germany where T3 only treatment is pushing illegal. I am extremely T4 intolerant and T3 is my only option. But since my TSH level is now 0.02 and my FT4 is 0.03 my blood levels are considered illegal. My FT3 is at 2.5... bottom of normal. Doctrs here are insisting i take T4 medication. No way in hell that is going to happen. Anyway many of you have talked about the views of Dr Lowe. So are they doctors you can recommend who share Dr Lowe's views. Someone who can also do a phone consult or who is located on mainland Europe. I'm not even sure I will have access to my T3 medication but at least I know how to work the system so hopefully I can find a way.

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, RobinAnn.

It isn't illegal to prescribe T3 in Germany and it can't possibly be illegal to have suppressed TSH and low FT4. Your current doctor obviously does not approve of T3 only treatment so you need to find a doctor who will. FT4 is low because you are taking T3 only and if FT3 is low in range you need to increase dose.

I doubt any UK doctor will prescribe T3 without seeing you in person. You can buy T3 over the counter in Greece and Turkey and it is also available online without prescription if you wish to self medicate.

[RobinAnn in reply to Clutter]

Hey clutter, yes I understand (although only recently) that surpressed tsh and t4 are normal with t3 only treatment. Prescribing t3 is not illegal but treating me with t3 only while having such low t4 is outside the acceptable or legal German thyroid protocol. Two doctors in one week have said the same and insist I take t4. Since I refused, they won't help me (not that I wanted what they were offering). Finding one who will help is harder then looking for needle in haystack. The only doc who would help died several years ago.

Self treating is not something I have a problem with but an occasional doctor's support would be nice. Thanks for the tip on getting t3 without rx.

I just raised my dose 4 das ago. Slightly improved digestion but feeling colder and sweating under arms at the same time. Pulse is all over the place. I will try splitting dose and see if that helps.

[RobinAnn]

My husband works at international company so he's checking to see who is Greek or Turkish and how often they go home😆

[RobinAnn]

Can either of you give details about brand name and such regarding Greek or Turkish t3. Already found possible source just need to give them details about what to buy.

[greygoose]

Levotiron is T4.

The Turkish T3 is Tiromel.

The Greek is just called T3.

[greygoose]

RobinAnn, if you want to go to Brussels or Paris, you will find doctors open to T3.

[RobinAnn in reply to greygoose]

Do you have any Dr names? I might continue alone, for cost reasons. But just in case i want a doctor.

I've actually been doing it alone for many years on t3 only but since it took my tsh and ft4 10 years to get suppressed doc would give me rx. But now they're all in freak out mode.

I had an undiagnosed pancreas problem for 11 plus years. I think once it was finally dx'd is when my t3 started really getting into my cells and tsh/ft4 became suppressed. It's probably also the cause of my t4 resistance... malnutrition from my pancreas.

[greygoose in reply to RobinAnn]

No, it's T3 in the blood that suppresedTSH. It will be suppressd even if it doesn't get into the cells.

There can be many, many reasons for bed conversion.

In Paris there is Dr Claude Dalle :

zestetik.fr/medecin/dr-clau...

It calls him an anti-aging doctor, but that just means he knows about hormones. He has Hashi's himself.

In Brussels, there is Dr Theirry Hertoghe, but I think you'd be lucky to get an appointment with him himself, and it would cost you an arm and a leg - however, I believe he has a clinc with other doctors - Anna-1234 , can you help answer this?

[RobinAnn in reply to greygoose]

This is great info. It's nice to know there is, hopefully, help just around the corner.

Regarding t3 in blood- I wonder why it took 10 years for tsh and t4 to get below normal range then. I assumed it was correcting some form of malnutrition or maybe my kpu.

[greygoose in reply to RobinAnn]

Well, I imagine you just weren't taking enough. I don't know.

[RobinAnn]

That could be, come to think of it.

[ann_g_k]

I'm afraid I don't know enough to provide any answers to your post.

I hope you don't mind me responding with a question. I've been trying to find out what the ref range is for TSH in Germany as we often say that if many of those in the UK considered by the medical profession to be euthyroid lived in Germany, we would be considered hypo. Would you mind providing the ref range and indicate whereabouts in Germany you live.

With thanks, Ann

[RobinAnn in reply to ann_g_k]

Hey Ann, I live in the Frankfurt area. I can give you ranges from two labs:

Thyroid doc 0.27-4.20

GP lab 0.5-4.20 with note, grey area 2.5 - 4.3

My daughter tested 2.8. So this grey area fell on deaf ears.

I have yet to find a doc here, of any specialty (over 100 plus hospitals and uni clinics ) that understand the difference between in range and being optimal.

Like with my ferritin- the range is 25 - 300. I test at 37 and doc said that's perfectly fine. Lol

In general a GP decides if you get transfer paper to see specialist. But they don't know how to properly interpret blood values. So often people with thyroid problems suffer.

I think there is still a really strong mentality in Germany that the doctors receive and expect from their patients... treat doctors like God. Hardly a place for an intelligent, well informed, opinionated foreign woman like me😆

Most recent thyroid visit- doc said she could do RT3 test. I pointed out I only take T3 med and that RT3 is converted from T4. 😂She also tried to explain how important T4 is. I pointed out T4 is merely storage homone and not active like T3. She gave up trying to tell me my blood values were not ok. Doctors really get pissed when patients educate themselves here. I've visited doc in other countries an educated patient was expected and welcomed. So refreshing.

Sorry- that was really more then you asked for😅

[ann_g_k in reply to RobinAnn]

Thank you very much RobinAnn, this is very helpful. My husband and I were recently in Germany (at one point in the Marburg area) and we were given the impression that doctors were less than helpful.

The 'grey area' is an interesting one, given that the 'grey area' here in the UK is between c. 4.2 and 10, so it must be so frustrating that your daughter isn't being given the attention she needs. My TSH values are always over 2.5, but below 4.2, considered within range here.

[RobinAnn in reply to ann_g_k]

Wow- 4.2 to 10 is grey area. That's a clearly hypo area. That must be extremely frustrating and devastating for many.

...doctors less then helpful... now that's being polite😇

[Glynisrose]

Its cheaper to order it yourself and self medicate. Up your dosage over a few weeks till you have NO symptoms.

[RobinAnn in reply to Glynisrose]

Great. I also like to check my base pulse. Is that best done while still in bed and before taking t3?