How do you get referred to an NHS endocrinologist?

[Zazbag]

I've recently had two dose increases of levothyroxine, from 100mcg to 150mcg, and I don't have much hope that this is going to alleviate my symptoms. I'm going to wait about 6 weeks before having my next blood test but if I'm still symptomatic then, it seems the next thing I will need to do is try T3, but I have read that only an endocrinologist can prescribe it, and they are extremely unlikely to. So I wanted to ask, how did you go from having symptoms and being treated by your GP only and then exhausting the possibilities with levothyroxine to seeing an endocrinologist and getting T3 on the NHS? What does is take for a GP to refer you, how long does that process take, and once you see the endocrinologist, do they usually tell you the same thing the GP told you? That it's all in your head? I have emailed Dionne at Thyroid UK to request a list of thyroid-friendly endocrinologists, but can you even request which one you get referred to?

I'm just wondering whether there is any point holding on for help through the NHS and suffering through these symptoms for even more months, or whether I should just go private. fuchsia-pink recommended I try to get T3 on the NHS before going private, but I can't cope with feeling this way for much longer. And when I asked to be referred to an endocrinologist a couple of years ago, when I was also feeling bad, the GP flat out refused, so I'm wondering whether this waiting and hoping is a waste of my time.

Thank you.

[Lalatoot]

It is a lottery! Even if your GP refers you, the NHS endo can refuse to see you if they think that your results are euthyroid.

Then it depends on where you live. Even in Scotland where NHS Health Boards are bound by parliament to prescribe T3 where patients show a need, it is not easy to prescribed it.

[fuchsia-pink]

You may have to be patient - but the cost of lio makes it worthwhile if you can find an NHS endo who will prescribe it and you suit it. You can ask your GP to refer you to anyone but obv needs to be reasonably convenient - so in addition to Dionne's list, it would be worth you posting to see if anyone can recommend anyone near-ish to you.

I got my referral because I could show I wasn't responding well enough to levo - so you will likely need blood results showing high in range free T4 but low free T3, indicating poor conversion.

And it may take more than one endo appointment actually to get a prescription [in my case, I had to have two - a whole year apart before getting anything ...]

Even then it's not a quick fix, and lio doesn't suit everyone. Good luck