T3

[SassyMH]

Tbis is my first post...Had total thyroidectomy 5 years ago due to cancer. I then had radioactive iodine treatment. I take levothyroxine. I am trying to obtain T3 on NHS but doubt Ill meet very strict criteria. Has anyone here purchased T3 abroad.recently without a prescription? If so where and how much? I have tried Spain but they require a prescription. I am really not coping well on.T4 alone, constant muscle pains, tiredness etc. I would be grateful for any help/advice.

[Hennerton]

I think you have excellent reasons for fighting to get an NHS prescription for T3. You have no thyroid and there are definitely studies that show such patients needs the addition of liothyronine to make up for the T3 that the healthy thyroid would normally make and release directly into the endocrine system. I have had a Thyroidectomy and am receiving T3 on the NHS. If there is ever any question of revoking the prescription, they will have a fight on their hands. Do some research and you should find plenty to back up your request. I hope someone else will give you some links. I do not have any, I am sorry to say, as it is years since I started T3 but I know they are available.

[pennyannie]

Hello Sassy

I am with Graves Disease and had RAI in 2005 to ablate my thyroid, and became very unwell some 5 years ago.

I was refused a trial of T3 last year because of a suppressed TSH on monotherapy, with Levothyroxine. I actually offered to reduce down my 125 T4, to give me a " better " TSH, if a trial of T3 would then be offered to me. There was no discussion and no help offered.

I am now self medicating with Natural Desiccated Thyroid having trialled both T3 and NDT myself last year.

Both treatment options worked and I felt immediate relief of symptoms, in my case, mostly in my cognitive functions which had become severely compromised.

[SassyMH in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you. Where do you purchase your NDT?

[Hidden]

The easiest solution is to forget about synthetic T3/Liothyronine and start yourself on NDT. You will most likely regain whatever health you are ever likely to recover and will save yourself one heck of a lot of needless bother and frustration. You will not stand much of a chance of ever getting it on an NHS prescription.

I suffered for 8 years on levo alone, then gave up and started taking NDT - son recovered. I've been trying ever since (5 years+) to get NDT on NHS prescription and no success yet. Currently making extreme efforts to change the universal blacklisting of NDT that is applied to ALL types of hypothyroidism, especially to those who are athyreotic like us.

[SassyMH in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the advice. Where do you buy it? Do you get it on line in uk?

[Muffy]

The late Dr Gordon Skinner found that total thyroidectomy patients did best on NDT.

[SassyMH in reply to Muffy]

Thank you. Could you tell me where you buy yours. It seems very expensive.

[Phoenix66]

Hi - I have just got back from Italy where I was able to buy T3 over the counter without prescription. Best bit is it was €13 - a lot less than buying it privately here. They cannot believe the cost in the UK. I am self medicating based on private blood test results as it is nigh on impossible to get here on NHS. It simply changed my life - it makes me really despairing that I have had to resort to this just to feel normal. Good luck!

[SassyMH]

Where in Italy? I am starting on T3 shortly (self medicating) and have 3 months supply so will plan my next trip to somewhere i can purchase T3. Thank you.

[BadHare]

I travel to Greece to get mine. It's hard to find as only 1 in 5 or so pharmacists have a packet or two in stock. Some will offer to order, but can't get more than a few if they're able to get it at all, as the government now control stock rather than pharmacy suppliers. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes & travel somewhere with a lot of pharmacies. Consider the Geography too as a remote island might be beautiful, but T3 less available than a large town with several pharmacies. Vrisko (Greek Yellow Pages) is available as an app & in English. Most pharmacists speak English & are aware of the T3 situation here. Learning hello, please, & thank you is useful as well as having a photo of a UniPharma box till you get your first packet to show.

[SassyMH in reply to BadHare]

Thank you i love Greece so not a hardship. Where did you go? Would you recommend mainland or island. Thanks again for any help. X

[BadHare in reply to SassyMH]

You're welcome!

Mainland, definitely! Choose somewhere where there seems to be a higher density of people & pharmacies.

Mx

[hugbubble]

I just returned from Turkey where I have a holiday home in Kalkan. I bought 4 packets very easily from the chemist on the corner for a total of £6. Each one of the five chemists in the village stocked it.

[SassyMH in reply to hugbubble]

Thank you. I will book my next holiday there. X

[SassyMH in reply to SassyMH]

My brother is just going to Turkey and has offered to get me some T3. Should he ask for Liiothyronine in the chemist there or do they have a different name? Thanks for yout help. X

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to SassyMH]

There is a picture of the packet here:

dropbox.com/s/sswtzhxvrj2qi...

Note: It is only legal to bring back prescription-only medicines into the UK for self and members of your household. I have no idea of your domestic arrangements but if not in the same household, be careful what your brother does and says, if challenged. Lies are possibly the worst answer as being caught having lied is probably not what you'd want.