Help with GP re suppressed TSH on t3/t4 combo

[Red86]

Hi,

My GP is asking me to go for a blood test re thyroid meds. I was on just T4 but had previously tried a combo and changed back to just T4 (on the advice of my old doctors surgery - I am now with a new practice having moved house but within the same subset of surgeries)

I started back on a t3/t4 combo by buying my t3 online without prescription as when I had asked previously about going back on it they said I didn’t need to, it has no benefit, no research backs up that it’s better for people etc etc.

Anyway I now have to tell them my results since I’ve been on the combination.

The ones I have to give them are:

From February when on 12.5mg t3 and 50mg t4:

Free t3 4.39 (3.1-6.8)

Free t4 10.5 (12-22)

TSH 0.03 (0.27-4.2)

Then 3 months later after a slightly increased dosage to 15mg t3 and 75mg t4:

Free t4 15.2 (12-22)

Free t3 5.85 (3.1-6.8)

TSH 0.01 (0.27- 4.2)

I don’t feel over-medicated and my TSH was suppressed before I upped my dosage anyway but has lowered a tiny bit more since the change. I was hoping to get yhe t3 prescription from then instead of having to keep sourcing it myself. More for safety of the product than anything even if they just give me a private prescription for now (before I was on t4 only and have still been putting in that prescription until recently).

Is there any specific research about suppressed TSH whilst on t3 that I can use as I’m worried they will take away the t4 also or lower it from what I’m using when I am honest with them about my new combination treatment?

Thank you in advance for any help x

[tattybogle]

The evidence / ammunition you need is these two posts .

sorry they are complicated ,and i can't direct you to the right bits at the moment ..... (my knees are hurting and it's affecting my brain lol ...) anyway , hope you can find something helpful in there:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.... tsh-is-just-the-opinion-of-your-pituitary-about-your-dose-but-your-pituitarys-opinion-is-a-bit-warped-once-you-take-thyroid-hormone.

See the first reply to that post (re. T3 lowering TSH more than T4 does) ,,, and it is continued much further down.

also re. low TSH/ Risk vs Quality of life : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... useful-evidence-that-tsh-between-0.04-0.4-has-no-increased-risk-to-patients-on-levothyroxine-updated-new-study-does-show-small-risk

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p.s

GP's cannot initiate T3 prescription on NHS .. it must be initiated by NHS endocrinologist as a 'trial' before then being passed back to GP to continue IF trial is deemed successful by endo , and IF GP agrees to take it on ....... (also some area's still won't allow any 'new' prescriptions of T3 at all , it's still a bit of postcode lottery) .

They can offer private prescriptions of course , but most are unlikely to be willing to do so .

So if you want T3 on the NHS you need to get GP to refer you to endocrinology and hope your area allows it . ( it is also very dependent on the opinion of the endocrinologist ... even in areas that allow it some endo's are dead set against offering trails .. so you need to make sure you are referred to an endo who is not fundamentally opposed to it's use) .

ask admin on here for email adress to get list of thyroid friendly NHS endo's from ThyroidUK charity

[SlowDragon Administrator]

List of thyroid specialists and endocrinologists who will prescribe T3

Some are NHS

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

if GP says “no one is prescribed Liothyronine”

Have this ready to show them

Almost 63,000 prescriptions in England in last year

openprescribing.net/analyse...