T3 and Hashimoto’s

[Hashithy123]

Hello! My Hashimoto’s has been causing me extreme discomfort the last few months. I used to be on a T4/T3 combo but when my insurance switched to Kaiser, the new doctor will not prescribe me T3 even though my tests show low T3 and a high RT3. Does anyone have a recommendation on a source? Please private message me rather than answer on this thread to follow the guidelines on this site. It would be greatly appreciated.

[Jazzw]

Are you in the U.K., Hashithy123?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Jazzw]

Mention of Kaiser insurance appears to suggest USA - not UK.

[Hashithy123 in reply to helvella]

Yes - I private messaged jazzw. Hopefully being in the U.K. ins’t a requirement to participate in this community. Such a great resource!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hashithy123]

Not a problem at all!

You can put your country on your profile, if you wish. Then if anyone wants to know, and it is quite often relevant, can check there.

[shaws Administrator]

Can you not return to your previous doctor or phone and ask if he will give you a prescription?

[Hashithy123 in reply to shaws]

Yes, I did look into that. My previous endocrinologist is extremely expensive out of pocket.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Hashithy123]

Ask GP then and it should be done under the NHS.

[Hashithy123 in reply to shaws]

I appreciate your suggestions. With Kaiser, you can only see Kaiser doctors at a Kaiser facility. They have their own protocols. Even though my GP there understands my dilemma with being taken off of the T3, he cannot do anything about it because Kaiser policy is to not prescribe it. This insurance is temporary (hopefully) as I need to be seeing a specialist who is for cutting edge therapies. Thank you again.

[Hidden]

It would seem the myth about high rT3 blocking the action of fT3 has been debunked in recent years. The rT3 test is now considered expensive and unnecessary as it won´t tell you much. So, if you feel bad after being forced to go off T3, it´s more likely because you are a poor converter, and not because of high rT3.

greygoose has mentioned this several times.

[Hashithy123 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your thoughts. My former endocrinologist was thinking the same thing and that is why he had started me on the T3. I read your bio and can relate to not feeling well since diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2009 and am starting to think that maybe I need to be looking into other ways to manage this illness outside of just medication.

[Hidden in reply to Hashithy123]

Yes, it´s a complex disease which affects your health and well-being in many areas. And, even when treated, too much or too little hormone can really wreak havoc on your body and affect every aspect of your life. So, I have come to strongly disagree with what the doctors told me at the time of diagnosis; that is: "Just take a pill a day and feel fine ". If you have poor conversion and feel better on a T3 and T4 combo, there is no reason to deny you that. My guess is that going off T3 is what makes you feel worse as levo only is not enough for you.

A doctor once told me that the "good" thing about hypothyroidism is that, unlike diabetes, it´s easy and uncomplicated to treat. Unfortunately, that means that many doctors don´t take lingering symptoms serioulsy, but rather tend to dismiss them as unrelated to our thyroid condition. To them, it really is about taking a pill a day and feel fine. They honestly believe there is a one size fits all when it comes to the treatment of hypothyroidism.