t3 trial

[Incontinenta44]

hi everyone

I am seriously thinking of seeing a private endocrinologist I have had underactive thyroid for twenty years.

Type 2 diabetes and arthritis.

I just want to do a trial with t3 to see if it helps with aches, tiredness, brain fog etc. I’m about to see my gp but can I insist on a trial?

I wondered if anyone else has experience with this ??

kind regards Gloria

[DippyDame]

I'm afraid without up to date labs we don't know if you might benefit from T3.

Are you being medicated with levo, if so how much are you prescribed.

Insisting on T3 would not be the advisable way forward ...that approach is likely to antagonise an endo/GP

You were given good advice a year ago....did you follow that? And, in particular, the advice from SlowDragon re a full thyroid test. If so perhaps you might post the results which would enable members to help you.

There is clearly nothing to prevent you from seeing a private endo... you are diabetic, but perhaps best to find a thyroid specialist endo.

You ask about personal experience...I have a form of Thyroid Hormone Resistance and need a supraphysiological dose of T3-only. Despite also carrying the Dio2 snp/ homozygous I had no luck with an endo who advised that I take Levo... which after 20+ years had left me barely able to function!

There is no guarantee T3 will be made available I'm afraid, and certainly not just for the asking

Sorry, but that is the hard fact

Full thyroid testing is the first step.....members can certainly help once labs are available. The collective knowledge of thyroid disease here is greater than that of any one medic and several years ago almost certainly saved my life!

One step at a time...good luck!

[Incontinenta44 in reply to DippyDame]

hi dippydame

thankyou for your reply. I will definitely get blood tests done.

Kind regards

[pennyannie]

Hello Gloria :

Currently within the NHS system you will need a referral to an endocrinologists to sanction a trial of T3 - Liothyronine.

Whether you need it or not , depends on your local ICB ( Integrated Care Board ) ( ?? ) and not necessarily down to medical need - but rather financial constraints - and formerly referred to as CCG with patients asking to be referred to an area where T3 is more easily prescribed, than possibly their own area.

If you go into openpresciribing.net and then go into analyse you can see by surgery and or CCG/ICB how your area / surgery compares to others.

Before you consider going private it would be wise to have full thyroid blood panel run and post and results and ranges on here as there is much you can do for yourself after considered opinion has been offered as to your next best step and we will be able to see if your T3 needs supplementing.

T4 is a storage hormone and needs to be converted into the active hormone T3 which runs the body but your ability to convert the T4 can be compromised by several factors including inflammation, antibodies, and non optimal levels of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D.

If you go into Thyroid UK - wwwthyroiduk.org - the charity who support this forum - you will find a list of private blood test companies if your doctor isn't able to help you run the appropriate tests - and it's referred to as a full 'ultra ' thyroid blood test and around 10/11 results covering all those listed in the previous paragraph.

Thyroid UK - contact admin - also hold a list of patient to patient recommended specialists and endocrinologists that maybe of help to you in the future.

Arrange the blood draw for early morning, and fast over night just taking in water, and stop all supplements for the week prior so we can see exactly what your body is holding onto and take your daily T4 dose - AFTER the blood draw.

Once with the results and ranges start a new post and you will then be talked through your next best steps back to better health.

P.S. Just looked back and see you have all this information from a year ago - I'm in Cornwall and yes, it's just a hilly and just as useless at prescribing T3 on the NHS.

[Incontinenta44 in reply to pennyannie]

hi penny

Thankyou so much for your advice/reply.

I will definitely investigate and get an ultra blood test and report back as you all seem a lot more knowledgeable than me!!

Have a good day x