Where to buy T3 without prescription

[orlandosunshine]

Hi, can anyone suggest a genuine website where I can purchase T3 from abroad at a reasonable price, T3 is no longer available in my area on the NHS and don't have a prescription to order in the UK. Thanks in advance.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Orlandosunshine

As you are new to the forum and there is nothing in your profile, if you would like to post your latest thyroid test results, say what your current dose of thyroid meds is, and share some information about your thyroid journey then members are more likely to share their source of supply and help with dosing if necessary.

[orlandosunshine in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi, I don't have my results at hand but can share my Thyroid Journey! Started 6 years ago with and overactive thyroid (graves disease) tried medication but end up with Radioiodine treatment, 6 months of bliss before becoming underactive but haven't felt great since then, have terrible sweats, exhausted most of the time, moods up and down, run down, head in a cloud etc. Its just gotten worse. Had levo increased from 100g to 125g but its not helped, now been told to alternate days with 100g and 125g and given beta blockers for the sweats. Asked about T3 but was told they don't prescribe it in my area, would require to go private. Will try and get hold of my last results from my doctors surgery and post them. Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to orlandosunshine]

OK thanks

It's very important to have results for TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested at the same time. That will tell us whether you need to adjust your dose of Levo.

Also, no thyroid hormone can work properly unless nutrient levels are optimal, so you also need to see where your Vit D, B12, Folate and Ferritin are and whether they need optimising before starting T3.

If you can post the results, with their reference ranges, when you have them then we can help.

[orlandosunshine in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi, I have got my count details shown below,

T4 - 24 range (10-25) , TSH - 0.09 range (0.55-4.78) , no T3 tested , B12 - 363 range (200-700) , Ferritin - 73.0 range (7.0-150) ,

Folate - 7.9 range (3.0-20.0) , don't think I have Vit D results unless they are shown as something else on the results, surprised as they do normally mention Vit D at my appointment for Coeliac.

Many thanks in advance for any help. I've also added them to the bottom of the feed.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to orlandosunshine]

Liothyronine is available nationally, but you need to really push to get prescribed. Would need referral to NHS endo.

british-thyroid-association...

theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?i...

See Improve Thyroid Treatment campaign on Facebook for useful info, letter templates and research links too

But first you need full Thyroid and vitamin tests as listed by SeasideSusie

You may benefit from strictly gluten free diet too. Several people on here who have had RAI for Graves have still found it helps too.

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.

Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor

 please email Dionne at

[e-mail]

Also can request list of recommended thyroid specialists, some are T3 friendly

Professor Toft recent article saying, T3 may be necessary for many. Note especially his comments on current inadequate treatment following thyroidectomy or RAI

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

[orlandosunshine in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi, lots of information many thanks. I have coeliac disease also so already gluten free, I went in to the doctors armed with the debate in the Scottish parliament regarding T3 treatment still being available on the NHS but was told individual NHS trusts can decide to stop certain drugs where they see no benefit, showed me the email they received regarding the drugs, I suggested its more to do with cost he said possibly. Discussed referral back to endo so will chase that up as the Doctor that dealt with me there was wonderful, very supportive. Will request my last results and get them posted on the feed and any further info would be great. Many thanks again.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to orlandosunshine]

As you are coeliac then gut is compromised (Hashimoto's and gluten intolerance causes similar)

Therefore gut issues compromise conversion of T4 to T3

Another reason patients might need T3

drbradshook.com/understandi...

[ffranny in reply to orlandosunshine]

Hi

I hope you manage to use advice to feel better from this site. I have found it really helpful.

I went to the Scottish parliament debate too, through a local thyroid group. I am trying to remember the name of the female MP who spoke as I wanted to email her.

Is it a Scottish area that has refused the T3? I am about to go to my GP to request it backed up by a letter from Dr Toft who I saw privately at huge expense.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to ffranny]

It's Elaine Smith

Here's the debate

scottishparliament.tv/meeti...

[cazmania7 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon, I notice on blue horizon they have a coeliac test. Is this worth doing would you say? The Chris Kesser article said the tests are too reliable, but that article is a few years old now, so things might be different now! I am not aware of having any food sensitivities, but it would be hard to tell anyway, as feel rough 90% of the time!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to cazmania7]

You can get easy coeliac test online for under £20

Might get cheaper by shopping around

healthcheckshop.co.uk/store...

Best to rule it out BEFORE going strictly gluten free. If test is positive, see GP, you have to stay on gluten rich diet until endoscopy

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

You do NOT need any gut symptoms

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

[cazmania7 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for the advice, test is in the post!

[Howard39]

Hi

I agree you need those results together with your vitamin levels. You may want to consider having them tested privately say thro blue horizon or medichecks.

From people I see I have yet to find an endo who will supply t3. Mine was 0 and I was on it for 15 years b4 it was stopped. My specialist wrote to my gp but they ignored her. In the end most people have to find their own or swap to ndt- again getting their own.

Sorry I’d just not waste my money going to a private endo. For me that money paid for 18 m of medication.

Good luck

[orlandosunshine]

Hi, I have got my count details shown below,

T4 - 24 range (10-25) , TSH - 0.09 range (0.55-4.78) , no T3 tested , B12 - 363 range (200-700) , Ferritin - 73.0 range (7.0-150) ,

Folate - 7.9 range (3.0-20.0) , don't think I have Vit D results unless they are shown as something else on the results, surprised as they do normally mention Vit D at my appointment for Coeliac.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to orlandosunshine]

Before you can know if you need to add T3 you must have a result for FT3 done at the same time as FT4. This is because you need to know if you are converting T4 to T3 well enough. If you are, FT3 will be in balance with FT4 near the top of the range. If you added T3 in those circumstances then you would become very overmedicated, FT3 would go over range, and that would cause problems. If your FT3 is low with your current level of FT4 then that would show poor conversion and confirm that adding T3 would be beneficial.

**

Optimal nutrient levels are important before adding T3.

Ferritin is good, optimal is half way through range with a minim of 70 for thyroid hormone to work, so all good there.

**

B12 is on the low side. An extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:

"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".

"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."

You could supplement with sublingual methylcobalamin 1000mcg daily to raise your level, plus a good B Complex to balance all the B vitamins, which will also raise your Folate level while healthy is a bit on the low side, Folate should be at least half way through range.

**

Vit D is important and might be shown as 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25 OH Vit D or similar. If you don't have a result for that you can do a fingerprick blood spot test with City Assays vitamindtest.org.uk/index.h...

[jgelliss]

SeasideSusie

How right you are when you say Optimal nutrient levels are important before adding T3. I can tell you from my own experience that even when I did supplement nutrients I had a hard time with dosing with NDT for my T3 . I would suggest to supplements with nutrients for a few months prior to dosing with any T3 dose . SeasideSusie can better advice how long before dosing with T3 you need to be on nutrients .

[orlandosunshine]

Hi, Many thanks for all the replies, I have started on some womens health vitamins and have ordered T3 but will take a few weeks till I receive them. Will gradually try adding T3 to my Levo starting with a low dose, fingers crossed, sick of being exhausted all the time!!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to orlandosunshine]

It's best to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 and supplement these if need be.

A good vitamin B complex with folate, not folic acid for B12 and folate if needed

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 3-5 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

Also recommended to avoid iodine when hypo

[jamtom2 in reply to orlandosunshine]

Hi Orlandosunshine,

Are you based in the uk if yes where did you manage to get T3, my doctor is no longer allowed to prescribe it anymore and I don't have the funds to go privately. Is it possible to buy from an overseas pharmacy without a prescription?

[cazmania7]

Orlando, your experience seems similar to mine - graves, then the radio-iodine. A short while later I went under-active and started on Levo 125g. Just under a year later and I began feeling like death and have done since. Was told my bloods are fine and I think they told me I had CFS just to stop me from booking appointments at the GP! How is your journey going now?