That is what a consultant enocrinologist said to me on Friday. My telephone appointment with my usual endo was cancelled and he was the substitute. I've just watched the proceedings in the Scottish parliament and it was categorically stated in the evidence given that there are no clinical reasons why T3 should not be prescribed for anyone. I asked for my blood test results and he said they are all fine. I said fine is no use to me I need numbers. He then gave me a lecture on anything in normal range is good and he has never seen such a good set of results and will tell my GPs that and that I don't need further treatment. I was overcome and told him how much worse I feel now,post RAI than I I did when I was hyper and on carbimazole, and that the reason my blood tests are so good is that I have been taking supplements to improve them. He didn't get it, I told him I have had the DIO2 test and am heterozygous therefore my results don't give a full picture. His only interest in that was if I had had it done privately. I got him to tell me some of the results but couldn't get them all down sensibly as they are totally different ranges and units to the last ones I had done by medichecks. So I got him to agree to post a print out of them to me, I have prior knowledge of him however, and am not confident that he will do that as he he has made unreliable promises previously. If he does then when I get them I will post them on here for scrutiny. I asked him to advise me on whether to continue with the same dosage of supplements or whether to reduce them to maintain increases. His answer was that I don't need to take any as all my results are normal, I selected the Vitamin D result and said, but look, I have been taking 3000 units a day in a spray and it hasn't gone up very much. Answer: but it's normal. You don't need to take it.He was't willing to engage any more about my thyroid : seemingly his main purpose was to give me advice about covid19.I was so worried he would discharge me that I told him "I'm not living now." I have left t till now to post this because I am aware how distressed and unreasonable he has made me feel, hoping I would calm down.
T3 can cause you to have a heart attack - Thyroid UK
T3 can cause you to have a heart attack
First comment...
Refuse to see or speak to that doctor ever again. He's been disrespectful of you, refused to take your concerns seriously, and broken the law by refusing to give you access to your test results.
You could make a complaint to the hospital, and you certainly have grounds to, but I know that few people want to do this.
He should have the word "normal" excised from his vocabulary.
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As for T3 and the heart... Low T3 is far more dangerous for the heart than having a high in range or slightly over the range result. Also note that having palpitations and tachycardia can both be caused by too little T3 as well as too much.
And you might find this of interest - you only really need to get the gist, you don't need to understand every word :
ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161...
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Off the subject of thyroid hormones...
Low iron and low ferritin can both damage the heart. In fact if they are low enough they can cause heart failure.
Low B12 and possibly low folate can also cause lots of problems with the heart.
Getting them tested would be worth it.
If you look at this link :
medicines.org.uk/emc/search...
it shows you most of the versions of T3 that are available for prescription in the UK.
The SmPC is the Summary of Product Characteristics
The Patient Leaflet is the paper document you get inside a box of prescribed pills.
I haven't read all of them but heart attack (or myocardial infarction) is unlikely to be mentioned as a side effect of any T3 products. Manufacturers are legally obliged to tell the truth on both the SmPC and the PIL, so if they caused heart attack it would be there.
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If you want to see the yellow card data for Adverse Drug Reactions from Liothyronine (T3), you can see that on the MHRA website. You need to start here :
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Specifically for T3 :
Total number of reactions: 1248 - Total number of ADR reports: 196
Total number of serious ADR reports: 174 - Total number of fatal ADR reports: 0
Displays show a breakdown of all 196 UK spontaneous reports received for LIOTHYRONINE.
Reports processed up to: 29-Feb-2020
The yellow card system contains data covering the years 1967 - 2020 (53 years!)
In the cardiac disorders part of the report for liothyronine it says there have been 35 reports (in 53 years!)
Those 35 reports involved one case of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and one case of heart failure.
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Just for comparison, let's compare the above numbers to those for simvastitin, a drug prescribed for people who have high cholesterol, which are handed out like sweeties :
Total number of reactions: 18290 - Total number of ADR reports: 7997
Total number of serious ADR reports: 5620 - Total number of fatal ADR reports: 131
Displays show a breakdown of all 7997 UK spontaneous reports received for SIMVASTATIN.
Reports processed up to: 29-Feb-2020
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It is also worth noting that T3 was developed in the 50s, as far as I am aware, but statins weren't really a "thing" until 30 years later. And I only looked at one specific statin, not all of them.
Let us add into that:
The majority of those who receive T3, at least in recent years, have been quite to very unwell. Just being not 100% would never get a prescription!
With statins, simply having what appears to be a high LDL test is enough. Some would even argue take them (almost) regardless test results and feeling fit and healthy.
So the disparity in ADR reports and fatalities is likely even worse than initially appears.
I agree with everything you have all said and it is wonderful to have such support. My history with him goes back 15 years or so when , in front of a medical student he tried to ridicule and destroy the reputation of Dr Katharina Dalton, who treated my premenstrual syndrome and rescued my life. The future fate of other women standing precariously on his influence upset me so much that although I stood up to him and destroyed his case, I couldn't help the tears flowing. My question to him then was "You know about this treatment then do you, you are familiar with her work?" He had to admit that he didn't, adding "I don't know much about hormones really." However, when I was admitted through A&E several years later he was on duty on the AU ward, so I couldn't avoid him then. I managed to avoid him when I was referred with my thyroid but it didn't go down well asking my GP not to send me to him but someone else. And I could not avoid him when I was sent for RAI as he is the only one who is licensed. So I may not be able to avoid him in future, in which case I feel I have to give him the chance to honour his agreement to send me a printout of my results. I know his attitude: on a previous occasion when I asked him for my hba1c result he said, "Why? Would it mean anything to you? Would you understand it?" So it doesn't look promising, but I do try to avoid confrontation because you feel you have a reputation for it if you have had PMS. What I am more upset about is that I am getting the feeling that no-one wants me to have T3 and that I am never going to be any better, and in fact continue getting worse. Thankyou for taking the trouble to reply to me, it does relieve some of the stress.
when I asked him for my hba1c result he said, "Why? Would it mean anything to you? Would you understand it?"
Tell him you can read and learn just like other people can, it isn't a skill reserved just for doctors. And point out that you are legally entitled to copies of your medical records and blood test results, including the reference ranges, under the terms of the Data Protection Act 2018.
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If you want more information on the subject of your right to your own data read posts by DJR1 who has a special interest in data access rights :
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If you want to avoid confrontation with anyone you can avoid the doctor altogether by making what's called a "Special Access Request" often referred to by the initials "SAR". It isn't anything complicated, it is just a short letter.
I wrote an SAR for myself when I wanted a copy of all my GP records. I just included my address, wrote to "Dear Sir/Madam", gave my NHS number, and then said something like this (from memory) :
"I wish to make an application for copies of all my medical records in any format under the Data Protection Act 2018."
If you don't want copies of everything you can specify exactly what you want covering the dates you are interested in e.g. "copies of all my medical records from 1st January 2015 onwards" or specify that you want just blood test results, copies of all letters sent and received, etc.
One thing I failed to do, and I wish I had done, was I didn't specify how I wanted the information, and so I ended up with a big pile of paper. It would have been easier to manage if it had been on CD or USB stick, so I'd definitely suggest you specify how you want to receive it, although you might be told your choice wasn't possible for some reason.
If you are writing to a hospital you should look up their website to find out where you have to actually write to. There should be a section somewhere giving the address information you need - possibly a medical records department?
It is also possible that a hospital may have a form they want you to use to request copies of your records. They can't legally enforce that, and a letter is perfectly acceptable by law, and they must act on it. But you may want to use their form - it is up to you.
No doctor has any business asking you why you want a copy of test results, or insinuating that you won't understand them. Under data protection legislation (GDPR 2018) you are entitled to see or receive free copies of test results along with any other part of your record that you wish to consult. Only in exceptional circumstances can a doctor redact any part of your record to prevent you reading it.
I forgot to mention the need for proof of identity in my reply. Oops. 
Did you send scans of the documents you used to prove your identity as attachments to your email or did you send them separately by post?
Thanks.
Until recently I was that woman. I have in the past sorted out my own supposed high blood pressure, my IBS, PMS reversed my diabetes years before Tom Watson, and sorted out diagnosis and treatment of my son's Constructional Apraxia, all with the system against me and lack of understanding from the medical establishment. This time I haven't got the same energy and determination because of the nature of the illness which makes me exhausted and depressed and also because I've spent so much of my life doing that, I just want to stop. However I am going to give it another go. Did you know by the way, that Katherina Dalton said there was evidence of thyroid disturbance in women with severe PMS? Thankyou for taking the trouble to message me. I really appreciate it.
I angers me the way some Consultants can talk to patients the way yours has spoken to you. Unfortunately some of them have the "God Complex" and I have met many of them when I worked for the NHS. Several years ago I went to see a Consultant Gynaecologist because I had painful fibroids. I took my husband with me because he was a hospital manager at the time and I knew he would listen to my husband more than me. The man I saw was from Africa and right from the start I could tell he wasn't taking my pain and bleeding seriously. He gave us both a lecture on how the women in his country never made a fuss and would walk for miles just to give birth. After listening carefully my husband turned to him and said "Well we are not in Africa now are we and I need to you to treat my wife" He then sent me for some scans etc. and was given some drugs to help with the bleeding and pain.
Can you buy t4? Or should I wait?
Freaked out a bit - alone with T3 only
Under range T4 -TSH and very low FT3
Desperate for help for Dad
Help - feeling like a lost cause. Warning long post :/ ;)
