Is it impossible to buy T3 at a reasonable price in the UK?

[SLC76]

Currently taking Levothyroxine and want to add T3. I can get a private prescription but have been looking at the cost of T3 in the UK and it seems astronomical! Can anyone advise or private message me. Do I need to go to another country in the EU to purchase it at a reasonable price? I sometimes work in Spain and have friends who live there - can I get it there? Thank you.

[Clutter]

SLC76,

Cost of T3 is astronomical in the UK. It's a scandal how UK manufacturers charge £258+ for 28 x 20mcg when 100 x 25mcg is less than €4 in Turkey and around €6 in France.

Ask your friends to find out whether Liotironina is available with prescription and if it is to check whether it is 25mcg and whether it is sold in packs of 100 or other sizes.

If you get a prescription for 100 x 20mcg Liothyronine you can buy Thybon T3 from versandapo.de/en/0/7498960/...

[SLC76 in reply to Clutter]

That's fantastic! Thank you, Clutter Out of interest and in your experience as an administrator, would you advise adding T3 to levo or changing to NDT. I have Hashi's and currently on 150mcg Levo and have piled on the pounds and have little energy. Cannot decide the best option, one minute I am set on starting NDT and the next I read what someone else has said and think - No, I need T3! So hard because I just want to feel well as quickly as possible.

[Clutter in reply to SLC76]

SLC76,

T4+T3 suited me so I've never tried NDT. It would be easier to start by adding some T3 to Levothyroxine. Once T4+T3 doses are optimal you can easily switch to NDT later without the hassle of titrating Levothyroxine and NDT.

[SLC76 in reply to Clutter]

That makes complete sense. How much T3 did you start on and how much did you end up on? Do you feel much better now?

[Clutter in reply to SLC76]

SLC76,

I was started on 3 x 20mcg T3 only the morning after thyroidectomy as I was waiting to have RAI when hospital quarantine was available.

I didn't do well on Levothyroxine only and am much better on T4+T3. Over the past 4 years I've been on Levothyroxine + 40mcgs, then 30mcgs and currently taking 25mcgs.

[SLC76 in reply to Clutter]

Glad to hear you are much better - long may it last. I hope one day, I can say the same. Have a lovely evening.

[Clutter in reply to SLC76]

SLC76,

I hope you'll feel better soon

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to SLC76]

Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 first.

These need to be at good levels FIRST before starting T3

As you have Hashimoto's are you already on strictly gluten free diet?

[SLC76 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes. Totally gluten free

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to SLC76]

Good.

What about vitamin levels? Can you add results and ranges

[Riri12 in reply to SlowDragon]

Why does d3 ferritin and folate need to be optimal first please and what is considered optimal please ?

[SilverAvocado]

Hi SLC76, I would suggest starting on T4 + T3 first just for pragmatic reasons. You already have a prescription for Levo, and it sounds like you can get a prescription for T3, too. So you will stay completely inside the system, and have all the security that brings.

Also its good to work through each variation systematically. Many people do well on T4, so don't need to experiment. The simplest thing to try, if you don't, is to add some T3. This will help another large group of people, as it deals with conversion issues. Then the smallest number of people will have to have either T3 -only or NDT.

It's good to get the boxes ticked and try out each variation, because then you'll know you don't have to go back and try that one again.

[Riri12 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Is it always necessary to start on t4 with t3 My t4 is an ok level and due to lowest of range free t3 and elevated rt3 I need t3

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Riri12]

I suggest you write a new post for your question.

Posting it in a reply on a post that is over four years old means it might well not be noticed by more than a very few.

[Riri12 in reply to helvella]

Thanks I have good t4 higher end but lowest end t3 and elevated rt3 …do I still have to start both t4 and t3 ? How about t3 only I often hear of and there is a fb group called - t3 only

[SilverAvocado in reply to Riri12]

Hi Riri12,

You would get some good responses if you make your own post. Give a brief history of your thyroid illness and treatment, and any blood tests you've got. Posting here in SLC76's old thread will mean they are getting notifications, but very few people will see your question.

I'll try to give a quick answer. Most people end up starting on T4/ Levothyroxine, because it is what will be prescribed initially. Many people do well on T4- only, so the first thing to try if you aren't doing well is to make sure you're on the best dose for your own personal needs. In the first instance, this means getting freeT4 high in the reference range. If you raise slowly (by 25mcg each time), and get to the top of the range or slightly over and still feel unwell then that is the time to start thinking about other options. It's common to need to have it all the way at the top to allow your body to convert it into enough T3.

If your freeT4 is at the top of the range and freeT3 is low in range, then this is the most classic case of a person needing to add some T3 to their T4 dose. If you want to confirm that is your situation make a new post with your thyroid results and members will give their interpretation.

[Riri12 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thanks I have good t4 higher end but lowest end t3 and elevated rt3 …do I still have to start both t4 and t3 ? How about t3 only I often hear of and there is a fb group called - t3 only

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Riri12]

You are not writing a NEW post. On a computer, go to the top right of the page and click on [ Write ].

There's plenty of people here on T3 only.

[Riri12 in reply to helvella]

Ok thanks I did. A post just a short while ago and not had response yet x

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Riri12]

I think most members were in bed by the time you posted!

cancer patient :3.8 pmol/l FT3 & Rt3 +++normal t4 needing to talk please ! Cancer is linked to these issues I learned.I want 🇬🇧 t3/ndt(?)

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Riri12 in reply to helvella]

Can u see my post please it reads cancer patient then explains levels in title and longer in description and my results too

[Bluemaxx]

Hi - I added T3 to my levothyroxine (cutting down on the levothyroxine to compensate) about 18 months ago. For the last two months I have been on a slightly different dose and I am feeling my old self again.

If you do decide to add T3, start low and go slow, as they say!

I was taking 100mcg of levothyroxine so initially I dropped to 75mcg and added a quarter of a tablet of 25mcg of liothyronine (equivalent to just over 6mcg) sourced from Greece.

After about 6 weeks I upped it to a half a tablet of T3 (12 1/2mcg).

About three months ago I got all my levels tested and noticed that my T3 wasn't even half way through the range so I dropped my levothyroxine to 50mcg 6 days a week, missing out every Wednesday, and upped my T3 to one tablet daily (25mcg).

Bearing in mind that T3, as the active hormone, is meant to be three times as strong as levothyroxine, this added up to about the same overall but with more T3 and less T4 - if that makes any sense. As I said I am now feeling fantastic and I will re-test in a couple of weeks to check my levels of T3 and T4.

If you decide to go the T3/T4 combination route, get advice here on dosage.

By the way I got my T3 - a years' supply for about 20 euros in Greece - but I have been told that it is getting harder to buy over the counter without a prescription.

You might be able to get your prescription translated by a local doctor in any European country for a small fee.

[SLC76 in reply to Bluemaxx]

Really helpful information. So glad to hear you feel fantastic, I do hope I will be in a position to write something similar to someone else in the future. Appreciate your time.