Information for patients currently treated with T3 (liothyronine) T3 (liothyronine) treatment for hypothyroidism (either alone or in combination with T4 [levothyroxine]) is no longer available This is a local policy which applies to prescriptions from GPs and from endocrinology clinics. It is supported by national recommendations. It does not apply to patients treated in the private sector.Is this policy consistent with best practice guidelines and research evidence?This policy is in accordance with the position statement ‘The diagnosis and management of primary hypothyroidism’ Evidence from a number of carefully conducted researchtrials does not support the routine use of T4 (levothyroxine) / T3 combination therapy. In clinical practice, a small number of patients do seem to benefit from T4/T3 combination therapy, and research studies are ongoing to look into possible biological explanations for this observation.
Interesting page I Found On Hypothyroidism - Thyroid UK
Interesting page I Found On Hypothyroidism
- Blood tests
- T3 test
- T4 test
- Levothyroxine
- Vitamin B12
- HRT
- Thyroid function test
- Natural Thyroid
- Thyroid abnormalities
- Combination therapy
I would much prefer a group of doctors who actually have hypothyroidism, who cannot recover on levothyroxine to be in these groups who are deciding upon patients' wellbeing and welfare who cannot recover on a synthetic T4 alone product.
For goodness sake are they unaware that before 1892 people who had hypothyroidism died a terrible death - not wished upon by any human being with a jot of sympathy.
These people recovered - without blood tests - but by NDT introduced in 1892 onwards and is still a very useful replacement in these modern times.
They can give us all the misinformation they want but those for whom NDT works well and it was prescribed by the NHS for many years. Did these people die due to swallowing NDT??? Or did they go on to have a fruitful and energetic life?????
We are dealing with the human body not one produced by a laboratory.. We are all different. Some people can get drunk on two bottles of beer and others could swallow a lorry full and appear to be unaffected. It is not one size fits all.
Doctors like Dr Skinner, Dr Lowe, Dr Peatfield and others are sadly missed - most likely long-retired or deceased.
Dr Peatfield in particular was hounded so much for doing as he was trained to do - he also studied in the USA, under the Broda Barnes Institute -to resign his licence but could still advise patients to their recovery.
Read 'Tears Behind Closed Doors' I recommend these doctors to read and that story is repeated daily for many thousands of people who either remain undiagnosed - (TSH to reach 10) and very unwell and miserable but told they've no problems as they haven't as yet, reached the magic No.10.
There's no date attached to that PDF ....though it appears to be from July 2018
This is directly against Uk guidelines
See point 10 in this document
nottsapc.nhs.uk/media/1311/...
January 2018 - acknowledgement that some patients need T3
nottsapc.nhs.uk/media/1280/...
Liothyronine- It was raised that some GPs had requested that secondary care should be responsible for prescribing this for patients that had been reviewed and deemed acceptable to continue. After discussions it was felt that this was inappropriate and the grey classification should remain with primary care prescribing for exceptional patients that remained on the medication after appropriate review.
From November 2019 - updated to be as UK Guidelines
nottsapc.nhs.uk/media/1327/...
*All patients currently receiving liothyronine on the NHS in the Nottinghamshire area will be reviewed and the NHS will only support continued prescribing in exceptional circumstances and only under recommendation from an NHS Endocrinologist.
In my view, all documents like that should have:
Date (as pointed out);
Person or body responsible;
Some sort of contact;
A document life - e.g. when it is due for revision or revocation. It should be a controlled document.
Hello helvella Should be controlled but some how it is out there on the internet I typed in on my browser T3 and NHS and that PDF popped up think it was a leaflet for NHS staff and doctors endocronologists in 2018 etc
Yes - I am happy that it is available 
but there should be formal document control.
By which I mean: tells you when it was written, by whom (individuals), who authorised and agreed it, and when it is due for review. Otherwise we are left in this crazy situation where we do not know if it is still current, where to check for later versions, who to contact if we find errors and omissions, etc.
Absolutely ALL formal publications like this should have this information.
Hello SlowDragon I agree it sounds like it was a guideline leaflet for treatment of patients with hypothyroidism by NHS staff which if it is is total babble. It says T4 is produced in the more in the human body than T3 and admit that T3 is expensive yet T3 is produced more than T4. Makes no sense
Actually, the thyroid produces more T4 than t3. Most T3 is converted from t4 in other parts of the body.
This article is so misleading and inaccurate.
I agree that is what was interesting about it saying that T4 is produced more by the brain and body than T3 which don't make sense.
I'm assuming that the following statement is of people who aren't hypothyroid.
"interesting about it saying that T4 is produced more by the brain and body than T3 "
Are these researchers stating that it is only T3 which runs our metabolism - converted from levothyroxine if it suits the patient.
This is an excerpt from the following link:-
"T3 is the body’s active form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. Enzymes in organs like the liver, brain, and heart convert thyroxine (T4) into T3 and the thyroid gland produces some as well. For most people with hypothyroidism, the body converts levothyroxine into sufficient T3. But there’s evidence this doesn’t always happen. For about 15% of people with treated hypothyroidism whose TSH levels are in the normal range, T3 is still low, experts note.12 Taking a combination of T3 plus T4 can raise T3 levels… but that doesn’t always relieve lingering hypothyroidism symptoms, according to a recent review of 11 combo-therapy studies involving 1,216 people with hypothyroidism
endocrineweb.com/conditions...
Baobabs
Hello Shaws good evening I agree with you it would seem that instead of patients interests they care more about big pharmaceutical and money saving and money making for their benefit not ours the patient who has go day through day in agonising and excruciating pain. Since the 1840’s Victorian era we have come a long way in research and diagnosis and treatment but I feel the medical sector and researchers and governments and endocrinologists and big pharmaceutical companies are slipping and going backwards instead of forwards. It common science and medicine and human anatomy and biology and cardiology and neurology that the body thrives more on T3 than T4 in fact it takes all hormones to make the body feel better and feel well not just T4 as stated in the report. Hence very interesting for them to say otherwise it would be good as you said to have a group of doctors with thyroid problems and see how they get on. Thing is yes we are all human beings made of the same tissue organs etc but we are different by genetics race metabolism DNA and more so it cannot be one size fits all.
Dr Gordon Skinner's staff (he was a very popular doctor and consulted in Birmingham or Glasgow - he was Scottish) saw and healed many patients and he didn't agree with the method advised by the BTA etc.
Since his untimely death his staff (devasted at his unexpected death) have been collating all of his/their scientific evidence re dysfunctions of the thyroid gland and they're hoping to publish it when they have sufficient funds.
Due to Dr S healing people who travelled miles to see him he was called before the GMC several times and it wasn't his patients who complained but more than 10,000 testimonials were given to the GMC who found no fault in his diagnosing/treatment of patients.
How many doctors who're treating hypo patients today would have so many testimonials and the number just shows how desperate people were to travelled many miles to consult with Dr S.
He also prescribed for Lorraine Cleaver who was on the point of suicide. In the past year the Scottish Parliament have agreed that for those who don't recover on levothyroxine can get prescribed any other replacement hormone, be it T4/T3, T3 only or NDT.
mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/m...
Dr S treated patients - not a print-out of a blood test result.
Just how many medical institutes does it take to declare recommendations for the use of liothyronine and NDT and which one should be followed as every one seems to be different?
Hello Panda321 probably a lot before the government and the NHS finally listen to us and not big pharma or money grabbers.
Will that ever happen!
Sigh...
Hello BadHare probably not there needs to be more research into the endocrine system and the way it regulates the human body and also more research into hormones. We know most things about the endocrine system and what part hormones play in regulating the human brain and body. There are still conditions and illnesses we cannot treat or manage and even conditions and illnesses that still have no cure and we don’t even have blood tests and other tests for certain conditions and illnesses still. Like I said if research is not being done or funded then how can the medical profession advance.
A product was first given in 1892 to hypothyroid patients and from then on they didn't die a horrible death.
No blood tests then only clinical symptoms were assessed and NDT was prescribed until a few years ago when it was withdrawn. There was a False Statement made about it, in order for it to be withdrawn and Dr Lowe - Adviser to Thyroiduk.org.uk - sent the following to the BTA and followed up for three years requesting a response but they never did.
Dr Lowe died through an accident. How could they argue with a scientist/researcher and also the 'proof in the pudding' of many who recovered with NDT, since 1892 when it first saved lives. They refuse to prescribe NDT but for patients who still remain symptomatic are denied a trial of it and force people to 'trial' their own sourced NDT.
Hello Shaws Good evening I agree we have gone backwards instead of forwards with treatment and research for the endocrine system and thyroid diseases and conditions. I was watching on YouTube a doctor and neurologist and nutritionist from New York explain why we have brain fog and other conditions including leaky gut and auto immune conditions including Hashimotos and what you can do to heal it including foods that you should avoid and foods that heal. It was very interesting watching. AskDrKhan was his YouTube channel I didn’t know that the microglia in the brain can activate too often causing inflammation leading to severe problems. The more I research and read the more I understand Hashimotos and hypothyroidism it’s a learning curve I know that. I now drink a three ginger and turmeric tea for inflammation and take D3 and B12 and pro biotic yoghurts and omega 3 now. I used to smoke a year ago and to be fair my diet was bad because I didn’t know it was not explained to me the problems that can occur through under medicating of Levothyroxin and diet and lifestyle and living with hypothyroidism I learned a lot from good people on this forum including yourself and greygoose and other people on this forum and without this forum I would still be stuck in a very big dark hole with no way out. The thing is the more you learn about your condition hypothyroidism or other conditions the more you know and the more you know about the condition the better you can manage it. I avoid soy and soya at all costs now and thinking of going gluten free as it is I don’t eat bread anymore and eat more fatty fish and fruit and vegetables. Luckily I don’t drink have not since I was 16 and that was only at Christmas time. But have stopped altogether all these years since 16 and now don’t smoke either so getting better.
Yes - I agree. I think most of us had never heard the word hypothyroidism or thyroid gland problems before we ourselves developed it.
My GP didn't know anything (neither did the other three or four 'specialists' I saw months before and I wondering why I felt so bad and they told me I had nothing wrong.
GP phoned to tell me my 23 blood tests were fine. I had previously told him, "there's something seriously wrong with me" "I think I need to get a private body scan". He reassured me - and said I might get told I have something I do not have. Phoned me a week later and told me everything was fine (he did 23 tests) and I have no problems. I wasn't aware then I could get a print-out of blood tests (neither had I ever heard of hypo) but my tsh was 99+ and he thought that was fine. That's because my own request for a blood test overlapped with his and then the blood test dept phoned him - I suppose to ask why I hadn't yet been given thyroid hormones.
How many endocrinologists does it take to buy a lightbulb as they seem to be working in the dark. 🤯
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Here we go again!
My local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has made a new policy THIS MONTH to stop prescribing T3 and Armour in my area.
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