Dr says do not prescript T.3. I live in London,... - Thyroid UK

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Dr says do not prescript T.3. I live in London, UK. T4 is the right drug. Where can I buy it?

Hype profile image
Hype
6 Replies

I am hypo and will be seeing my Dr tomorrow if I am able to wake up to make the emergency call.had my blood test result back at surgery and she will like to hv a chat with me.

I suffer from chronic Insomnia which makes my life different.

Had a test in Jan 17

T3 2.6 3-106.80Pmol/L

T4 7.1 12-22.00pmol/L

TSH 0.35 0.27-4.20mlU/L

So medication up by 23microgram to 75mcg

I do not know my T4 and T3 reading yet but the FSH was 0.04 using same range.

I have joint aches, always cold etc etc .

I will let you guys know later k if I managed to get the appointment😊 I have put so many alarms you won't believe it⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰😃

Will decide on T3 with advice after listening to what she has to say.

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Hype
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6 Replies
eeng profile image
eeng

This is awful, you clearly have central/secondary hypothyroidism, where your pituitary is failing to tell the thyroid to produce more hormone. You may find once your thyroid is adequately treated (by which I mean your FT3 and FT4 are in the top third of the range, not just crawling into the bottom of the range) that your insomnia improves.

Get your doctor to test your Vitamin D, B12, Folate and Ferritin levels. These are often low in people with thyroid problems, and cause a lot of symptoms. Low Vitamin D is associated with aches and pains. It seems that however healthily we eat, without proper levels of thyroid hormones, we don't absorb or retain these nutrients.

MariLiz profile image
MariLiz

You will need the T4 to be prescribed by the doctor, we are unable to buy this medication over the counter without a prescription.

I hope that you get to your appointment, and begin to feel better once you are on the medication?

Best wishes

MariLiz

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

The increase of 23mcg after your last dose may not have been sufficient to bring your T3 and T4 towards the top of the range. Both were below the bottom range. Your dose was too low initially for you to have 'below' range numbers.

If you're just up to 75mcg now even that is a lowish dose. Chronic Fatigue is a clinical symptom of hypothyroidism and many people just want to sleep as they have no energy (T3) in their cells. Your doctor should test both FT4 and FT3 and I'll give you a link which shows the reason why these two tests are helpful.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Very important to get levels of vitamin D, folate, B12 & ferritin tested. When on Levo we need these at good high levels. Often they are bumping along the bottom.

Always get copies of full results including ranges. Also would be good idea to get thyroid antibodies tested, if they have not been done

Come back here with results in a new post.

Saggyuk profile image
Saggyuk

Hiya Hype

I really understand how you feel. It sounds so similar to me. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune sleep disorder called ideopathic hypersomnia which causes sleep that is unrefreshing, sleep inertia upon awakening, feeling sleepy all day and having mini sleep attacks but insomnia late evening into the early hours lol. I tried everything over the years and they even had me on some very nasty meds for a while but nothing ever worked. It's something to do with the wrong hormones/chemicals being set off at the wrong times not allowing transition from awake to asleep and asleep to awake, wrong patterns of REM and deep sleep and a substance which has a sedative effect during the day. Alarms hardly ever woke me up even though I would set multiple ones off around the room and I even resorted to paying a friend to come round and wake me so always had to find jobs that would work around it or just get sacked.

However, mine completely disappeared after I went gluten free and all my health issues magically reversed or got better. It was a little too late for my thyroid though. As suggested on here in most posts, going gluten free helps a lot of thyroid people on here so well worth a try but has to be 100% gluten free and for at least three months to know for sure if a problem for you. Many of my issues took a little longer than this but the sleep disorder and fatigue issues cleared up quite quickly. If this fails, you could always try an elimination diet to see if any other food types are a problem for you.

Yes, your T3 and T4 levels are horribly low which is unusual with your tsh, this is slightly different to normal thyroid failure so you should ask for referral to endo to have a more in depth look and possibly prescribe T3. THe other more rarer cause of this I've read about can be severe malnutrition or eating disorders like anorexia so just want to check this is not the case for you? If it is, this may well keep you awake as when your body is desperate for certain nutrients, it will keep you awake until it gets it and you will have higher levels of Adrenalin to compensate which will stop you falling asleep and put pressure on your adrenal glands in the long run.

Either way, it is worth checking your nutritional levels as suggested above in case you are deficient and possibly having a good look at diet to see if anything missing :-)

I spent a good 25 years thinking it was useless but I can get up in time for work (just lol) and get my daughter to school (just) and go to bed when I want. I'm still up now out of habit but if I took myself to bed three hours ago, I would have zonked out immediately lol. SO don't give up, keep looking and testing and reading up and either resolving or ruling out and you will get there :-)

Hype profile image
Hype in reply to Saggyuk

Hi Saggyuk

It's so relieving to know that I am not alone. My vits and minerals are on high end and I eat healthily. The doc says it's only important to look at t3 and t4 reading and tsh can be ignored.

Still feel the very hot moments and very cold clammy moments. Will actually put on a padded jacket in summer. The previous dr I saw told me bluntly that T4 is the right med when I asked for T3.

Often I accept my conditions, chronic insomnia for about 10 years now, thyroid problems, depression and asthma, while bringing up my boys as I have no where to turn to. If I have an important appt like a scan in the hospital, I will not sleep at all so tt i am sure I make it to the appt. I will be super super knackered after tt but at least I went for the scan.

Docs are not helpful at all. I would rather pay and be taken seriously.

I may try the gluten free diet.

Thanks for your message! Means a lot. Hope you are keeping well😊

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