Did anybody heard the news this morning that Public Health England wants e-cigarettes to be available on prescription within the next few years and calls for “easier route” for the manufacturers to get a medicinal licences. Outrageous! It makes me so mad!
Don’t think I’m being insensitive, smoking is a habit that is very bad for health, but it’s just that – a habit. And if somebody can afford cigarettes, surely they can also afford e-cigarettes if they choose to use them. On the other hand, those of our community who desperately need T3 to live are being denied it or they have it withdrawn from them! And without it they are not only suffering but actually slowly dying! And not by their choice, not because it’s a habit! I am sorry for strong language and if I offended anybody, but I am so upset right now I’m close to tears...
Written by
moniacho
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I do agree that we are being denied t3 but smoking is not ‘just a habit’ it is a physical addiction. Are you saying our right for t3 is greater than support to help people struggling to be free of a physical addiction? I would not want to put one as a higher priority than another. I agree that if you can afford cigarettes you can afford nicotine replacement, but sadly as we all know it is never just that straight forward. I have never smoked but a family member did and the struggles they went through to give up opened my eyes to how hard it can be.
Yes, its hard to quit, but we are not talking about quitting in here. Its not a prescription for some treatment that will cure the addiction. It’s a prescription for another kind of nicotine, which is easily available to everyone. Anyone can choose to switch at any time and it will cost them the same or maybe even less to buy e-cigarette and replacement liquids than buying cigarettes. And they will still get the nicotine they are addicted to. And even if for some reason a smoker would be denied nicotine, they would suffer from cravings, nausea, headache, anxiety and irritability. All of those symptoms would peak within 2-3 days and then completely disappear after about 2 weeks. Well, maybe except cravings.
A person requiring T3 who is denied of it, will suffer more than cravings, headache and irritability. And it will not go away in 2 weeks. And it will get worse and worse. And it will cause other health issues. And yes, it can eventually kill them.
So yes, if money is coming from the same pot, and the choice is between switching smokers onto healthier nicotine (which they can do themselves) or providing T3 to people who desperately need it to live, then I do think that the latter is of higher priority.
At the end of the day, the whole health care relies on priorities, doesn’t it? If you have two people in an A&E and one of them is having a heart attack and the other has a broken finger, wouldn’t you treat the heart attack first?
Absolutely treat the heart attack first, but there is a high probability that they are a smoker so it would be sensible to help them to quit and if an e cigarette works for them it would be money well spent.
33000 people a year die in the uk from copd, 82 patients a day, over £8 million pounds a year is spent on this disease, the biggest reduction in disease progression is smoking cessation, potentially a massive cost saving. I absolutely agree that just replacing one nicotine source with another is not beneficial, but as a tool to quitting they are more effective than gum or patches. I also agree that tobacco companies have moved into manufacture and this needs further investigation.
I don’t think it is an either or situation, e cigarettes compared to t3. It is a failure of a joined up health strategy across the uk. Funding t3 would improve patients lives, improve the ability of people to work and pay taxes, quitting smoking will also do that. I would like equity of treatment, but perhaps I’m to idealistic.
T3 is prescription medication and is denied on stupid, unfunded basis hence making it extremely difficult to obtain.
I'm an ex smoker on ecig for the last 5 years. Absolutely disagree that Ecigs should be handed out free to smokers.
People are denied cancer drugs or newest medications due to "costs" as NHS claims, yet same NHS wants to pay millions for something available OTC and actually produced by and profiting tobacco concerns!
I probably would put our need higher, as I am very disabled and haven't worked for 5 years. Even people who are a lot less affected by being hypo will be missing out on a huge amount of life. Whereas a smoker may have just as much quality of life as an identical non-smoker.
Although I came into the thread intending to say that I try not to get bitter about this. The NHS funds many many things that are more 'frivolous' than thyroid care. I count many operations, drugs for less debilitating conditions, etc. This just serves as greater evidence that there should be thyroid specialists in the NHS, as well as prescriptions for T3 and NDT.
Note that there are some serious questions over the safety of e-cigarettes. Seems simply taking in heated air is damaging. (Bear in mind, we have already seen suggestions that very hot drinks might cause cancer.)
Also, who are those behind e-cigarettes? Why, largely the tobacco companies who have seen an opportunity to continue flogging addictive substances.
So unnecessary things like e-cigarettes are fine for tax payers to fund but not T3. Wonderful! Why isn't alcohol available on prescription then as that is an addiction or tickets for bungee jumping?
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
erfa / armour prescription 
Prescription timing.
Private prescription 
Weight gain on T3 only? This ain't supposed to happen!!
T3-private prescription 
