PeriG

[Sugarplumb61]

HI,

I'm a 60 year old lady, who has been Hypothyroid for 15 years. I went to see Dr Skinner who informed me that I didn't convert T4 to T3 so I was prescribed T3 to take 40mg a day. I had got my Mojo back after so many years of feeling down and slow etc etc.

I have been on this strength for 8 years or so now then my dose was cut in half.and since then I have been ok'ish. but felt I could have done with more T3. I recently was told by my GP that T3 was not going to be prescribed anymore unless my Consultant thought it really necessary. We will wait and see.

Each year when my test comes around I panic at the thought that my GP will tell me that my meds, in particular T3 is going to be cut. But finding an outsource for this is great.

You don't realise that there are so many people out there that need T3 for the same reason I do, and to be told that you cant have it is appalling. I have never smoked cigarettes, I don't drink apart from the odd Gin & Tonic or glass of Champagne, I swim do Yoga and Pilates, I try and keep my body fit and healthy, so why are we being denied a Hormone T3 that can be bought else where at a fraction of the cost that the NHS is being charged?

[humanbean]

The way that the NHS does business is strange. They have huge buying power but they don't exercise it. Instead they insist that drug manufacturers come to them and pay for a license in order to enter the NHS market. I don't know how many hoops they (the manufacturers) have to jump through to get their drugs onto the list of possible ones a doctor can prescribe, but I'm under the impression it is expensive.

If there is no competition, and the drug involved is declared to be generic then the manufacturer can name their price.

The current suppliers of T3 to the NHS (there is only one) charge hundreds of pounds for 28 T3 pills. And rather than finding an alternative supplier the NHS just accepts the price without argument. Then the CCGs tell patients they can't have the drug for various made up reasons. The real reason is that it costs too much.

[Sugarplumb61 in reply to humanbean]

They should be sacked. In the past I have temped for the NHS and its appalling what levels they go to. No wonder they are in such a state. We need proper business people in there not poor administrators.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Sugarplumb61]

The fact, too, that the guidelines state that only levothyroxine is the choice of replacement regardless of how the patients feel on it. You like me have a life with T3 none without it.

How many frightened patients whose T3 is being withdrawn and some don't have access to internet to find out how to go about sourcing their own.

We have to write to the Health Secretary who will then pass it onto the BTA and the Endocrinologists will probably say that levo is fine, as if we just wanted a change of hormones, rather than levo makes us worse and T3 makes us well. We only have that choice but are disbelieved and they do not care. Due to the astronomical cost they now have an excuse to prevent it being prescribed. There was a post the other day I'll look for it and copy it to you.

[shaws Administrator in reply to shaws]

Here it is:-

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...