I know that it is not permitted to advertise suppliers openly on this forum, but I would be most grateful if someone could private message me with the names of reliable / safe suppliers as I think I will need to obtain levothyroxine without a prescription fairly soon.
I first posted here about three days ago seeking information about going private for help, and whilst people have been really helpful in giving names of private endo's - Thanks everyone - from what I can see it's a lottery, with the majority of private patients being treated exactly the same as NHS patients, but paying for the doubtful privilege of being lectured and patronised, instead of receiving the exact same outdated, thus substandard treatment for free on the NHS - It's quite bad enough to be patronised, but it seems a bit masochistic to pay for it and I am unwilling to pay good money for a flea in my ear!!!
For those who didn't see my first post, I'm 57, post-menopausal since 2015 and have been unwell now for about 4 years. My symptoms started innocuously with numbness and tingling in my fingers, brain fog and physical fatigue, sleep disruption, raynauds, tinnitus, occasional dizziness, and lightheadedness, joint pain and swelling, constipation , headaches, plus chronic oral thrush, which resolves with treatment, but always comes back. I was also found to have low complement C3 and C4, plus mild neutropenia, low iron and low ferritin . I have found that iron supplementation only resolves the iron deficiency for a short period before it returns.
I have a diagnosis of UCTD [undifferentiated connective tissue disease (an autoimmune rheumatological disorder - I have autoimmune antibodies) During the past two years I have gained three stones - up from 8.5 stones to 11.5 stones. No matter how little I eat, or how much I exercise, I continue to gain weight. Although I used to be a runner, I now have exercise intolerance. I go to the gym daily to no avail.
Endocrinology have refused to see me because my thyroid function is allegedly ‘normal’, however I have noticed that my TSH which has always previously been slightly below or slightly above 1.5 is now 2.5 - it has never been above 1.6 before.
Given that I have UCTD, an autoimmune disease, it seems very likely to me that my weight gain and other thyroid issues are indicative of hashimoto's and I need treatment now, as I am feeling more and more mentally and physically sluggish by the day.
I am going to ask my GP for a trial of levothyroxine, but I think it's unlikely she will have the guts to prescribe it and since endocrinology have refused to see me, I am between a rock and a hard place. Accordingly, my only option are the following:- Either see a private endo, which I am reluctant to do for the reasons explained above, or take matters into my own hands and buy levo on the net.
I would be so very grateful if anyone who has found a reliable and safe source would private message me with the details. Thanks in advance.