T3. in capsule form rather than hard tablets

[Catseyes235]

Picked up my latest T3 pills from Boots the chemist. Boots operates the chemists at Kingston Hospital so I can request pills sent to a more local Boots.

Turned out that rather than the hard 5mcg which I halve to have 2.5 mcg morning and night , I’d been given 5mcg capsules. Both hospital Boots and Endos secretary were really good and understanding but until they can sort out alternative I’m stuck trying to empty out and split the contents of these capsule.

if anyone has any experience of this I’d be grateful for any tips. It’s just trying to judge by eye what is half the quantity and separating it into two small piles like some dodgy drug dealer then taking it in water.

Also Boots was suggesting they might only have the capsules going forward. Any knowledge about this also helpful! Thanks

[Lalatoot]

Get the doctor to write your future prescriptions as 2.5mcg x 2 daily. That way you are more able to argue that you need a tablet to split.If your prescription says 5mcg daily then they can argue that that is what is being supplied.

[Catseyes235 in reply to Lalatoot]

5mcg is the lowest dose I’m afraid. Or so that they have to provide a tablet that can be split?

[Lalatoot in reply to Catseyes235]

Yes but if they stipulate 2.5mg x 2 then they have to provide something that splits easily. I have that understanding with my doctor as I have to split a 5mcg tablet too.

[Catseyes235 in reply to Lalatoot]

thanks ...makes sense.

[Catseyes235 in reply to Lalatoot]

btw is that the only T3 you take ...and is your TSH very low?

[Lalatoot in reply to Catseyes235]

I take 50mcg levo x2 and 5.mcg and 2.5mcg lio so total daily dose of 100mcg levo and 7.5mcg lio.

When I was on 100mcg levo only my tsh was below range at 0.19 , my ft4 60% and my ft3 16.7%

Now having added 7.5mcg lio my tsh is unmeasurable it is so low, my ft4 is 50% and my ft3 is 72% .

[Catseyes235 in reply to Lalatoot]

my TSH has been around 0.02 for twenty + years. I dread going into hospital as am sure they’d try drop my T4. My doc says it would be on my notes but I see nothing to that effect so maybe a tattoo is the way to go. My Endo just said yes but it’s just about detectable and seemed happy with that but wish he’d get through to some of my GPs in my practice!

higher dose of T3 just gave me horrible palpitations.

[Catseyes235 in reply to Lalatoot]

I’ve just come across the letter Endo sent to my doc/practice in August. He has correctly stated exactly what my dosage is - 2.5mcg twice a day plus 1.25 mcg once a day (I’d occasionally try a quarter tablet in the middle of the day.). So it seems there’s been some communication breakdown between him and Boots!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Prescription need amending going forward and should specify TABLETS

5mcg liothyronine tablet taken as as 2 x 2.5mcg

It’s a cost cutting issue see previous post here discussing

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Catseyes235 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks ...so far Ive managed to split the contents at night and have the second in water in the morning when I wake in a haze. Now I have to be fully awake to deal with so hope it’s only temporary. In the greater scale of things at least my right eye no longer needs Eylea and the other is on every ten weeks so my eyes are costing less! Our health is a matter of cost benefit analysis.

[helvella Administrator]

My medicines documents lists all UK products.

All prices in pennies and are for 28 tablets/capsules. 5 microgram tablets are almost twice the price of 5 microgram capsules.

Liothyronine 10microgram capsules 6500 Roma Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Liothyronine 10microgram tablets 15244 Morningside Healthcare Ltd

Liothyronine 20microgram capsules 5500 Roma Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Liothyronine 20microgram tablets 5619

Liothyronine 5microgram capsules 5500 Roma Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Liothyronine 5microgram tablets 9947

helvella - Thyroid Hormone Medicines

I have created, and try to maintain, a document containing details of all thyroid hormone medicines in the UK and, in less detail, many others around the world. It is sectioned by UK - rest of the world, and by T4, T3, desiccated thyroid, etc.

And do keep up to date. I edit it frequently- sometimes trivially, sometimes extensively. If your copy is more than a few weeks old, please download it again. (You must download - not just view in a browser- for the Table of Contents to work.)

From Dropbox:

dropbox.com/s/wfhrlmb5983co...

From Google Drive:

drive.google.com/file/d/11z...

[Catseyes235 in reply to helvella]

Thanks I thought that may be the case. I know there was a recent price change. Afraid my wee iPad can’t cope with the documents you sent links for.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Catseyes235]

It should work on an iPad - unless you have very little storage space left!

This is the matrix of products available:

Liothyronine matrix

[helvella Administrator]

By the way, your post title is wrong! Might help to edit it.

[Catseyes235 in reply to helvella]

thanks ...how stupid...amended now!

[helvella Administrator in reply to Catseyes235]

Ever so easy to do!