Can anyone help!i am on levothyroxine ..have been for 3 years and still feeling poorly and unexplained weight gain! Can doctors actually not prescribe combined therapy t3 and t4 ? As I have read up soo much positive stuff about combined!! What if you get it of your own back...where do you stand with docs??
Thank you
Domi1041,
UK T3 is so expensive NHS England are consulting on plans to stop it being prescribed on NHS.
One or two GPs have told patients to stop taking T3 or find a new doctor. Some have declined to treat thyroid if patients self medicate but most agree to continue monitoring patients self medicating. The problem is one needs to know FT3 level when taking T3 and FT3 is rarely checked in primary care so you may need to order private thyroid tests.
If you post your recent thyroid results and ranges I can advise whether you are optimally dosed. If you are undermedicated you will gain weight.
Well T3 isn't actually expensive any where else in the world. But in UK NHS only has one supplier and seems unable or unlikely to source a more economic supply
Here £915 for 100 tablets
EU €30 for 100 tablets
But before you decide on T3 you need to get vitamin test results for vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12. Very common that these are much too low and may need to be supplementing for T4 and/or T3
Also do you have high antibodies- autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's
If you do then need to look at hidden food intolerances- usually gluten
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
chriskresser.com/the-gluten...
T3 fiasco
I would ask the GP for a new blood test if you haven't had a recent one.
It has to be the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose and the test and take it afterwards. This gives the best result for us, the patient.
Ask GP to test TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. He may not do all of them but if you can afford it you can have a private tests from one of our recommended labs. One in particular has an offer every Thursday. Blue Horizon or Medichecks do the tests.
They are pin-prick and can be done at home but you must be well hydrated so that blood can be drawn easily.
Ask GP to test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate too as we can have clinical symptoms if they are low.
Get a print-out from the surgery - they must also have the ranges - and put them on a new post for comments.
Can anyone help or advise please?
Can anyone help interpret results 
I wonder if anyone can help 
