Buying T3 Cheaper from Abroad??: Hi all My... - Thyroid UK

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Buying T3 Cheaper from Abroad??

amays profile image
18 Replies

Hi all

My endocrinologist consultant has told me to use this site to find out where to source my T3 cheaper than in the UK, he says he has a patient who can buy T3 for £15.00 per month?

Is this possible?

I'm currently paying £98.00 a month here!!

I need the 25mg dose.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

April :)

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amays
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18 Replies
Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1

Don't you find it amazing that your endocrinologist is telling you to get your T3 from abroad? Mine did the same. He asked where I was getting it from? Surely he should just be telling my GP to prescribe it to me......makes no sense.

Kitten1978 profile image
Kitten1978 in reply toNumberone1

Most endos are a bunch of cowards who find it easier to tell us that we don't need T3 or ndt or advise us to get it from abroad rather that challenge their CCGs... I'm sorry: I had to let the steam out...

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1 in reply toKitten1978

Apparently if you have the infamous faulty gene (which I have), GPs can risk asking the CCGs....my GP said it will be either a Yes or No answer. Also Rapunzel, I have been hypo for 6 years, only healthy on T3 for the last 2 years and ended up paying for a private endo to make sure Im supervised with the taking of it. I feel I should at least feel safe getting the T3 from an official source.

Kitten1978 profile image
Kitten1978 in reply toNumberone1

"Risk"? What would they "risk" by writing to their CCGs??? Especially as CCGs are full of GPs who are no experts on thyroid care. They won't get burned at the stake by challenging CCGs decisions, would they? It's nothing in comparison with the risks we are taking by buying medication from abroad. I'm sorry Numberone1: I'm still officially fuming...

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1 in reply toKitten1978

Im sorry but I was using my GPs stance with the words risk. He said he wouldn't even be asking them if I didn't have the faulty gene and that it will be purely a Yes or No answer. I agree....what is more the risk, them asking that or us overseeing and purchasing our own medication. I too am fuming. He clearly won't be challenging their answer.

Kitten1978 profile image
Kitten1978 in reply toNumberone1

I wonder how he can sleep at night. I hope you will get your T3 prescription. All the best of luck!!!

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1 in reply toKitten1978

What also gets me is that on T4 I had the symptoms of fibromyalgia. I never did go to the doctors with it. I guessed it was to do with the T4 because I had never had it before. I was crying in pain and depression most of the time. By taking advice from Dr P and taking T3 most of the pain disappeared. It would appear I wasn't converting it and it was building up in my joints etc. This has all now been proven by the gene issue. Anyway, my point is I would cost the NHS an awful lot more if I was then having to have treatment to resolve the joint pain etc. Do they really not have the sense to see this.

Kitten1978 profile image
Kitten1978 in reply toNumberone1

I'm glad you are feeling better on T3-only. I suspect I have RIO2 gene mutation as well as I cannot take T4 at all. It actually makes me worse than no treatment!

I suspect there are many people with fibro and chronic fatigue, who have undiagnosed or untreated or poorly treated hypothyroidism or thyroid hormone resistance syndrome. The NHS would save millions of pounds if they provided us with individualized metabolic treatments, rather than one size fits all (=T4 only) approach. It's a massive waste of public money and a horrific waste of human life ;((

I'll keep my fingers crossed that you will get your T3 NHS prescription. Take care xx

Rapunzel profile image
Rapunzel in reply toNumberone1

You see it does make sense to me, Numberone1 because if the nhs is paying £258 for a months supply of T3 at 5mcgs, many will object to the taxpayer funding that and lining the pockets of disreputable reptiles who have hiked the cost exponentially. I understand your frustration also, but ultimately cost rears its head. We do not have the bottomless moneypit for good health funded by the state which too many seem to think is every citizen's 'right'. It bliddy well isn't and we have to live in the real world, wake up and smell the coffee and swallow it.

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1 in reply toRapunzel

That is still no excuse Rapunzel. My family and I have hardly been a drain on the NHS. In fact I had to pay £10k for an operation for my daughter who had been misdiagnosed. I hardly ever go to the doctors and my family are the same. The one time I need them after paying NI for 40 years, Im told to get t3 from abroad or spend my life in pain by being on T4. I agree that all we are doing is lining the pharmaceuticals pockets but maybe that is where action needs to be taken. There is no excuse for the cost of good health. It would be like telling a type 1 diabetic that they have to find their own insulin. It isn't our job to tell the NHS how to do their job, at beating these greedy pharmaceuticals. Neither is it our job to make it easier for people to basically privately arrange our own healthcare. This is the beginning of a tricky road. At the end of the day where do your draw the line at what is allowed. My Daughter has type 1 diabetes - that is the only concession I make to how much we are costing the NHS but believe me I read forums about it and those people in America who can't afford health care, who don't have insurance related to their job because they have no work and decide whether they are going to live or die because they can't afford the insulin. Really its no better than having to risk getting our T3 from an unknown source online and being recommended to do so by our NHS.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

I think it is definitely 'double-standards' when they know the patient is well or unwell on levo but advises an 'online service'.

The fact that these Endocrinologists can prescribe on a 'named-patient' basis for the more inexpensive T3s if they so wish but wont take the consequences.

Also the fact that their Associations say that T3 or NDT is useless - when instead it is the Associations who are absolutely hopeless because they close their ears to other doctors who want to prescribe - even on a trial basis - to see if it helps their very unwell patients but then those doctors are either dismissed or taken before the GMC. Most of all the associations treat the mainly 'women' with derision who are very unwell indeed. Many of whom don't even have access to the internet to find out the 'truth' 'the whole truth' and nothing but the truth'.

katey profile image
katey in reply toshaws

Dear Shaws, Please can you explain a bit more about this, perhaps in a separate post? It is very interesting what you say..."The fact that these Endocrinologists can prescribe on a 'named-patient' basis for the more inexpensive T3s if they so wish".

Please could you tell us more about the named patient basis? And the more inexpensive T3? Do you mean that they could write a script, that could then be useful for the uk pharmacies to source non-uk T3? And if this is possible, why dont we hear of this happening more, or present our consultants with more requests to do this? Many many thanks in advance. xxx

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply tokatey

I've just had a quick look at the BTA Guidelines which have been updated.

I shall have to read through it so I may have to reply quite later on. Their previous ones were definitely against T3 being added at all and just go by the blood tests and disregard symptoms.

I think previously that the onus was placed squarely on the prescriber's shoulders.

In the meantime this from TUK website:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

Look down towards the bottom of the page to read about named-patient basis on the non-uk prescription.

Kitten1978 profile image
Kitten1978 in reply toshaws

You have touched on the feminist aspect of poor hypothyroidism treatment on the NHS: yes indeed, most of us are women and we are more likely to be prescribed antidepressant/anxiety medication and bee seen as neurotic/historical/attention seeking/malingering etc than taken seriously and treated seriously with medication we need...

Rapunzel profile image
Rapunzel

Holiday in Greece once a year. Given a few days notice or ordered thru your hotel ( and the IKOS group I stayed with seemed mighty au fait with arranging this in advance via e mail ) it's €1.15 on the mainland or 1.16 in Crete, where Marz has a place she'd be happy to tell you about, for 30 25mcg tablets of Uni Pharma T3. So let's see...you could have a fortnight with a thyroid UK wise head (((Marz))) get some sun, get your meds and still have change for what you're paying now.

Nothing to declare - see my post of yesterday :) good luck xx

PM'd you where I am ordering my T3 without prescription.

jojomac23 profile image
jojomac23 in reply to

Hi Just seen this post , i am interested in buying T3 without prescription , Can you alos PM the details, Thanks Jo

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply tojojomac23

You have just replied on an old thread - to a person who is no longer a member (that is what the user name of Hidden means).

I suggest you write a brand new post.

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