T3 question

[Claire8746]

Is it actually possible to buy T3 in this country from an online website abroad without a prescription? . I know nobody is allowed to provide a name of any company who does this on here but I’m trying to find out if this is even possible now or is it a case of even if you buy it yourself you must provide the online website with a private prescription from a private GP or a private prescription from an NHS GP? Is this correct? Thanks all

[fuchsia-pink]

If you are asking whether it is legal to import lio without a prescription for private use, the answer is yes. Lots of people on the forum do so, and you will see posts where people ask for a PM about best suppliers. It's obv much easier (certainly at the moment) to get it eg from Germany with a private prescription, although this is likely to become much harder after the Brexit transition period ends. Pre-Corona, people were also travelling eg to Greece and Turkey and buying lio otc and bringing it back to the UK.

[Claire8746 in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Thanks so much. This is exactly what I was asking. I will search the posts for suppliers, If I can’t find anyone I’ll try my GP, see if he would be prepared to give me a private prescription.

Many Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Claire8746]

Claire8746

I will search the posts for suppliers

You wont find any posts mentioning suppliers. You need to make a post asking for recommendations to be sent to you by private message. But before considering adding T3 you need full thyroid/vitamin testing as suggested by SlowDragon so best get that done first.

[Claire8746 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ok understood re the suppliers. I don’t know how to do/get the message you mention exactly on here so I will search the Internet and hopefully find something there

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Claire8746]

Claire8746

You need to make a post asking for recommendations to be sent to you by private message.

I don’t know how to do/get the message you mention exactly on here

As I said, you need to make a new post on the forum asking for recommendations to be sent to you by private message. That post will have replies turned off because we can't have people giving information about suppliers on the open forum, but the post will still be seen and they will reply by private message if they can help.

If anyone has any recommendations they will send you a private message and you will get email notification of this with a link to it, you will also see a yellow dot next to the CHAT icon at the top of this page and you can click on that and then click on the notification to take you to your messages.

[Claire8746 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi thankyou but I don’t want to do anything that gets me in trouble on here. I’ll search the Internet instead but Thankyou for your advice and help

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Claire8746]

Claire8746

You wont get into trouble for doing what I said. As a member of the Admin team why on earth would I suggest that you do something that would "get you into trouble on here".

That's the way it's done on here. Members ask for recommendations of reliable suppliers.

You are bound to get into far more trouble by using a supplier found on the internet (and by that I mean buying fake tablets and whatever reaction they might have) and buying from them without checking them out, than asking, as everyone else does, for a recommendation from a member for a reliable supplier they have used.

[Claire8746 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry I don’t mean to say you would suggest anything that would get me in trouble. I mean I I might inadvertently say/do the wrong thing. So just to clarify. I am allowed to put a post up asking people to private message me if they have any recommendations on suppliers?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Claire8746]

Claire8746

So just to clarify. I am allowed to put a post up asking people to private message me if they have any recommendations on suppliers?

Yes. And then you can check with me or another member of the Admin team - by private message - to see if we have any feedback on any recommendation you are given. There are some known unscrupulous suppliers.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Just to emphasise, that answer applies to the UK.

The same might not apply in other countries. It is important to check specifically.

The UK legal exemption appears to be this:

(6) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a person who imports a medicinal product for administration to himself or herself or to any other person who is a member of that person’s household.

legislation.gov.uk/uksi/201...

[saltcoats in reply to fuchsia-pink]

I got T3 from my endo..... I don’t get cold as much but honestly I don’t see anything else that it made a difference.... what difference do you think it will make to you..

[fuchsia-pink in reply to saltcoats]

It's made a HUGE difference to me

If you click on my name and look at a lost I wrote earlier this year you'll see what happened when I was taken off lio for just 2 weeks. I'm now back operating on all cylinders!

But I fully accept it's not a "miracle-cure" and doesn't work for everyone x

[saltcoats in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Did it make any difference to you loosing any weight?

[fuchsia-pink in reply to saltcoats]

It's not a weight-loss drug - lol. But yes, when I went back onto it, I quickly lost the 2 kg of mucin I'd put on from being on levo-only in 2 weeks

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Suggest you get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done and then see a recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologist

Especially as your GP is supportive

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking?

Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine?

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Do you have Hashimoto’s?

Ask GP to test vitamin levels

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

If/when also on T3 make sure to take last half or third of daily dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

Medichecks - JUST vitamin testing including folate - DIY finger prick test

medichecks.com/products/nut...

Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays

Vitamin levels need to be OPTIMAL for good conversion of Ft4 to Ft3, also essential to have optimal vitamin levels BEFORE considering adding T3 alongside levothyroxine

Come back with new post once you get full results

Email Dionne at Thyroid UK for list of recommend thyroid specialist endocrinologists who will prescribe T3

[e-mail]

T3 can be prescribed on NHS but must be initiated by endocrinologist as 3-6 months trial. Assuming trial goes well then ongoing care and cost transfers to GP with annual review back with endo

Best option, see an endo who does private and NHS. Start via private consultation....then transfer to see endo on NHS

[Claire8746 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for such a helpful reply, I appreciate it, I will look into private blood testing as it seems the way forward.

I’m on 200 mg on Levo and it appears to be doing nothing. I still fall asleep all the time, actually fell asleep whilst ironing recently. I’m covered in eczema which no cream seems to help, I am unable to lose weight and now weigh 12 stone at 5ft talk which no diet seems to help, I can’t even lose A single lb, no matter what I try. My blood pressure is all over the place, readings are approximately 170/129 despite me taking 10 mg Ramipril, I called the Dr about this and he added another medication and it’s now the readings are a bit more reasonable. I’m always ridiculously tired and aching every day. There are other symptoms but I don’t want to go on and on. I know everybody is suffering on here and it’s just a shame that it’s so difficult to get what you need, I previously used to buy tiromel from turkey but I can’t get that now and I can’t find anyone new, for that time that I took it it was like I was my old self again. I felt awake for once and refreshed after sleep, I started to lose weight and everything cleared up but now I can’t get hold of the person in Turkey anymore so I am a bit stuck. I don’t know if my GP is supportive or not, he only has 10 minutes allowance to talk to me and if I’m honest a bit nervous to even suggest a private prescription. I don’t even know if I am allowed to do that. Whenever I mention all these symptoms he just says my results are mostly normal so I have no idea what my actual readings are, They arranged for me to have a blood test recently and I thought they would be checking my thyroid levels but they checked my serum lipid and heamoglobin do I don’t know what to think. It’s good advice to go private. I’ve seen a bronze pack on blue horizons which is within my budget so I’ll try them. Maybe if I take these to my Dr he may be more open to it, thanks so much for everyone’s help and advice. I appreciate that you know how it feels too and it’s nice to share what’s it like.

Thankyou

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Claire8746]

Claire8746

Whenever I mention all these symptoms he just says my results are mostly normal so I have no idea what my actual readings are,

Whenever you have any tests at the surgery, give it a few days then ask the receptionist for a print out of your results (never accept verbal or hand written results, mistakes can be made). In the UK we are legally entitled to our results so they must give them to you without charge or question. Don't ask the doctor, they don't like us having them, always ask at reception, they may have to get GP's permission to give them to you but you are still entitled to them.

If you have a follow up appointment after blood tests, always get the results beforehand so you are ready to discuss the results with the GP.

[Claire8746 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for this. I didn’t realise I could ask, I will ask for my print out. You are right that he doesn’t like to tell me my actual readings so I just gave up on finding out to be honest but I’ll try this now and see how I get on.

Thank you

[SlowDragon Administrator]

guidelines on dose levothyroxine by weight

Even if we don’t start on full replacement dose, most people need to increase levothyroxine dose slowly upwards in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase) until on full replacement dose

NICE guidelines on full replacement dose

nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145/...

1.3.6

Consider starting levothyroxine at a dosage of 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (rounded to the nearest 25 micrograms) for adults under 65 with primary hypothyroidism and no history of cardiovascular disease.

gp-update.co.uk/Latest-Upda...

Traditionally we have tended to start patients on a low dose of levothyroxine and titrate it up over a period of months.

RCT evidence suggests that for the majority of patients this is not necessary and may waste resources.

For patients aged >60y or with ischaemic heart disease, start levothyroxine at 25–50μg daily and titrate up every 3 to 6 weeks as tolerated.

For ALL other patients start at full replacement dose. For most this will equate to 1.6 μg/kg/day (approximately 100μg for a 60kg woman and 125μg for a 75kg man).

If you are starting treatment for subclinical hypothyroidism, this article advises starting at a dose close to the full treatment dose on the basis that it is difficult to assess symptom response unless a therapeutic dose has been trialled.

A small Dutch double-blind cross-over study (ArchIntMed 2010;170:1996) demonstrated that night time rather than morning dosing improved TSH suppression and free T4 measurements, but made no difference to subjective wellbeing. It is reasonable to take levothyroxine at night rather than in the morning, especially for individuals who do not eat late at night.

BMJ also clear on dose required

bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m41

bestpractice.bmj.com/topics...