Hello. I've recently moved from San Francisco to London. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in 2013 and have been successfully treated with a compounded T3/T4. For now I am able to get enough medication from California, but I'd like to have a doctor here in the UK who will test appropriately and continue what has until now been a successful treatment plan for me.
Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Cecily Ward
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Cecilouward
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Hi Cecily. Welcome to the forum, and to the UK! Roughly where do you live?
Having had a similar experience I'd suggest scheduling regular visits to California.
You may find someone here to prescribe a t3/t4 combo (two different meds) but I don't know if it is prescribed as a compounded medication. Is it compounded for you in specific proportions?
If you're feeling good consider that if it is possible to stay on the same brand and same dose you're on now your chances of staying well are higher. Maybe consider if you can formulate a plan b to stay on your current meds.
For now my plan is to continue working with my naturopath in California, but I'm in the process of changing doses after blood-work in February so it would certainly be easier if I could get things monitored here. The t3/t4 combo is compounded in a specific ratio for me by a compounding pharmacy. I'd be happy enough to take two different meds if the dosing is right!
Yes, the dosing (and brand) would mean making adjustments.
You should be able to find a doctor to supervise your treatment but you might want to make a note of what your tests look like now when you feel well, just in case you're asked to reduce your meds. Not a lot of docs here use t3 and they sometimes panic when tsh is suppressed (which it often is when taking t3). You will also know then if the change in brand is possibly affecting you if your levels are the same but you begin to feel different.
You can also order your own private blood tests, which you could either use to monitor your own health or you could pass on to your CA doc.
You can email Louise for a list of sympathetic docs. She was Louise Warvil but I think her email has changed since she got married. Someone else will clue me in or you can pm an admin for her details.
NHS GPs will usually prescribe Levothyroxine only as Liothyronine (T3) is so expensive thanks to price gouging by Concordia which owns Mercury Pharma which is the only T3 licensed for use in the UK. If you are unable to persuade your GP to prescribe T3 you might consider buying Greek or Turkish T3 without prescription. Members will advise where to source it if you post a question asking for sources to be sent to you via private message.
NHS GPs will usually test TSH and FT4 but FT3 is rarely tested unless TSH is <0.03. rT3 is not tested on NHS.
Compounded T3/T4 is available from Martindales but it will be expensive and you will probably need a private prescription as NHS is unlikely to prescribe.
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