Can t3 be bought over the counter in Spain?

[Dee8686]

Sorry if silly question, but know this is possible in some places in europe

[greygoose]

No. I don't think they even have T3 in Spain. And, it's not sure there's anywhere in Europe where you can get it otc these days.

[BadHare]

Just Greece & Turkey.

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

Not sure it can these days. Greece not for a couple of years and I think I saw Turkey also need a prescription.

[BadHare in reply to Hidden]

I bought it in mainland Greece in March.

Somebody recently posted about getting it from Turkey.

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

Wow really? Thats good.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes still available otc in Turkey. Just got some last week via a relative who holidayed there.

[LapisSW]

No T3 in Cyprus. I tried in January.

[penny]

I got some on a Greek island a couple of years ago but they only had one packet and an English person had been before me. The pharmacist, who’d worked in London, was horrified at the price the nhs pays for T3. It is very hit-and-miss.

[BadHare in reply to penny]

The pharmacists I told, a few years ago, rolled about laughing when I told them the UK 's T3 cost. Unfortunately, the pharmacy with a large cupboard full to sell in bulk packs of ten has closed down. It's very much hit & miss!

[Hidden]

Hello Dee, I usually spend a few months a year in the Canary Islands in winter and as far as I know T3 is only available as a special order via a private endo. Most pharmacists will tell you that T3 isn't listed as a licenced medicine in Spain so without a Spanish prescription and access to a big city it's not easily available, and definitely not over the counter. Levothyroxine is available OTC and is a few Euros.

Michael

[SusanAR]

Only T4 in Spain. It’s only €5 for 100 tablets over the counter. My friend is from Athens. She can get T3 over the counter. €1.15 for 28 tablets (25mcg). She said sometimes she has to go round a few pharmacies because there’s low stock all over Greece but she gets it eventually. She last bought it 2 weeks ago so if they’ve stopped it must be very recent.

[Marz in reply to SusanAR]

Pharmacies here in Crete are re-stocked daily from a local distribution centre - mostly special orders. Occasionally they may have a box or two of T3. Bulk buying by tourists spoilt it for everyone. It wasn't always about need but also about greed.

Hubby and I have been here over 14 years and have witnessed the changes. From buying OTC as you mention - we now have to produce a prescription which is reviewed annually and for which we pay ..

[SusanAR in reply to Marz]

She has no prescription for it. She just goes in and buys it for me. Last time (end of April) she bought 2 and they gave her 2 free that someone had handed back because they didn’t like them 😂.

[Marz in reply to SusanAR]

Yes you can as I explained but not the bulk ordering as in the past.

Yes we too were given free boxes earlier this year - a promtion no doubt or an overstock ! Yes I too find the odd box without a prescription. More pharnacies in Athens so more options.

[Abeto]

I live in Spain and asked at the local pharmacia, they hadn't even heard of it. 😥

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Abeto]

When the subject has come up before, the extremely few people who have found anything out report that Spain does special imports from France, if deemed necessary. And that is very rare.

[Abeto in reply to helvella]

Thank you for your reply. Do you know if a prescription is needed?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Abeto]

I do not know for sure but would be absolutely amazed if one were not required. After all, didn't someone post that in Spain you now need a prescription for levothyroxine?

[Fiufau in reply to Abeto]

I got a prescription of triyodotironin 20uq from a private doctor in fuengirola, sent it via email to a pharmacy in Valencia and they send it to me in few days. 200 tablets was about 90€. This medicine is a bit different that T3, but worked for me even better than liothyronine. Now I have an EU recipe, going to order online from Germany or try to find something on my next trip to France.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Fiufau]

triyodotironin is liothyronine!

For reasons going back to the very beginning, L-tri-iodo-thyronine (T3 as in the bloodstream), when synthesised and manufactured as a medicine, was called liothyronine. Most countries and companies use the name liothyronine (or a latinised form like liotironina) but some don't.

Was it in tablets or capsules? Was it packaged? Can you describe it?

In France, they have Sanofi Cynomel. But that is in 25 microgram tablets.

[Fiufau in reply to helvella]

Hi, it was in capsules. Not at home now, so i could take a pic of the packet.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Fiufau]

That would be helpful.

[Abeto]

Thank you, I thought so. I don't need a prescription for my Thyroxine (EUTHYROX) where I live in Spain. It only costs about 3 or 4 euros but I've never felt great on it. 🙄