Admitting to Endo that I’m on T3?

[HypoCrazy]

Hi guys

Just wondering if anyone’s had an experience of being prescribed T3 in another country or sourcing it themselves, then telling their Endo or GP at home in the UK? If so, what happened?

I recently was prescribed a T3/T4 combo by a doctor in Switzerland and wonder if my bloods showed a positive improvement if my endo would proceed to prescribe it in the UK?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

HC x

[fortunata]

I was self-medicating in T3. My doc rang after a blood test asking why my results were so weird.

I said to him that my T3 was prob near top of range, T4 was non-existent and TSH very, very low. He said I was right and asked how I knew. I told him it was because I’d been self-medicating with Liothyronine. He went ballistic when I told him I’d been getting it from Mexico. But I remained defiant and told him the T3 only had given me my life back.

He sent me to two different endos. The second agreed to keep me on it but moved my dose from 75mcgs to 60mcgs. That was three years ago and I feel so well and healthy.

I would say be polite but firm and tell them how much it’s changed your life. (If it has, that is.)

[HypoCrazy in reply to fortunata]

Great advice! Thank you so much 😘 Did you notice a difference straight away when taking T3?

[fortunata in reply to HypoCrazy]

Within days, I felt warmer, more energetic, clearer headed, less achy. I’m 59 but fit and healthy and feel more like I did when I was 45!

[shaws Administrator in reply to HypoCrazy]

You don't need to take advice if you have improved and you can state you were prescribed by an expert and the fact that you've improved you don't want any changes in your dose. You have also been advised by people who are not medically trained but who had to fight their way to a healthy lifestyle - the aim being a TSH of 1 or lower and with an FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the ranges (rarely tested). The fact too that the medical professionals seem to believe that a low TSH is dangerous and will give us heart attacks. We are not 'hypERthyroid' and need an equate dose of to bring TSH to 1 or lower and an FT3/FT4 in the upper part of the ranges if T4 alone isn't improving our health.

It is a great feeling when you finally get a dose of hormone replacements that have restored your health.

[HypoCrazy in reply to shaws]

Thank you shaws! Wonderful post 🥰

[Agapanthus1 in reply to fortunata]

Sooooo happy for you. Enjoy your good health x

[pffft2017]

Risky. Even when my blood tests were good on T4 alone I still felt terrible for years. I've always found Dutch doctors are better informed. Your GP won't know his bottom from his elbow and most NHS endos aren't much better. Since finally getting T3 I avoid endos like the plague. Good luck.

[HypoCrazy in reply to pffft2017]

Thank you. My Endo is one of the few who prescribes T3, but he seemed reluctant to give it me at the time (in fairness I had only been on T4 for a few months)!

[pffft2017 in reply to HypoCrazy]

Good for you, it took me over two years of begging, pleading and reasoning to get T3. Your endo sounds a reasonable sort.

[shaws Administrator in reply to HypoCrazy]

Probably due to the exorbitant cost in the UK - T3 has gone from some ££s up to a 6,000% increase. That's the prime reason it was stopped but obvioulsy they had they perfect excuse.

[shaws Administrator]

Bloods showing an improvement isn't the 'proof'. It is how we, the patient, feels on it, i.e. relief of symptoms and back to normal health.