I am currently paying fir a private prescription fir T3 5mcg and last time I got it filled at Boots it was £421 fir 3 months worth, horrified and I didn’t know where else to go. I live in Bournemouth.
I’ve got a new private prescription and looking for recommendations to get it filled online, but it’s a minefield for a newbie.
I’ve only got 4 tablets left, so get to get it filled quickly. Thanks for any advice.
Smartway are good. It's more expensive to get 5mcg, so what's often easier is to get 20mcg tabs of Thybon Henning and quarter them, and this costs around £65 for 100 tabs at the moment (though it seems to vary between 60 and 80). So that would last you a lot longer.
Thank you I will into that, silly question - would I have to be prescribed 20mcg for it to be issued to be cut down if you know what I mean?
Hm, don't know, but my prescription is for 15mcg a day, and I had no problem asking them for 20mcg. I think they know people tend to split tabs. Can always phone them and ask - they're usually pretty helpful.
thanks, have sent them an email asking.
This is presumably a private prescription
5mcg capsules by Roma are cheaper than 5mcg tablets at £55 per 28
But Roma capsules don’t seem to work as well for many people
For by far cheapest option….You need your GP/endo to change prescription to 20mcg tablets and cut into 1/4’s
Thybon Henning 20mcg tablets are only £60-£80 per100 tablets. Not currently U.K. licensed
Online pharmacies
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...
Current prices NHS pays for U.K. licensed T3
Private prescription might be higher
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
How much T3 are you taking per day
Yes, a private prescription as my Endo brushed it off completely. Dose 5mcg a day alongside my 10cg Levothyroxine.
Thank you I will look into the links
Presumably you mean 100mcg levothyroxine
5mcg is small dose
Looking at previous post you have been on this dose about 3 months
Suggest you get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done
Extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least annually
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
On T3 - day before test split T3 as 2 or 3 smaller doses spread through the day with last dose 8-12 hours before test
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options and money off codes
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.
Link about thyroid blood tests
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee
Monitor My Health also now offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65
(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies)
monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...
10% off code here
Yes, typo error 100 mcg levothyroxine.
I was hoping to move to 10mcg of T3, but looking at HRT first and then look to up the T3 meds.
Last monitor my health bloods 2 weeks ago: tsh 0.38 / f3 4.1. T4 15. 5
Vit d in range, but Endo suggested more during winter.
Folate a little low, but iron overall in range
B12 in range
I take b12 1000mcg daily
Thyroid support - bio care ( selinium, etc)
Magnesium 600mg
Mito complex
Ginger
Thanks for your help!
was test done as recommended …last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Which brand of levothyroxine
Did you split T3 as 2.5mcg x 2 per day ….last dose 8-12 hours before test
FT4: 15.5 pmol/l (Range 12 - 22)
Ft4 only 35.00% through range
FT3: 4.1 pmol/l (Range 3.1 - 6.8)
Ft3 only 27.03% through range
Shows you’re under medicated
Suggest you increase levothyroxine by 25mcg and retest in 6-8 weeks
What’s actual vitamin results
How much vitamin D are you taking
Are you taking a daily vitamin B complex
What’s Mito complex?
Thank you gir all of that.
Yes, stopped Levo 24 hours before, only water in the morning, test done by 8am. ( finger prick monitor my health)
I take T3 at same time as levothyroxine, so same time period.
Levo brand - mercurypharma - orange packet. My TSH has been really low 0.02, as came down from 125 mcg before surgery 31st July to 10mcg dosage for 6/8 weeks / last results based in this)
Vit d adequate 49nmol/L ( going yo start taking 1000 daily dose for colder months)
Anemia results broken down - HB 128g/L
Ferritin 121 ug/L
Tsat 36%
Active b12 68pmol/L
Folate 2 ug/L - low
I take vit b12 sublingual nutrgold 1000 daily
Mito in 2 capsules; b2 50mg / b3 100mg, magnesium 7omg, d ribose 200mg, carntine 100mg, n-acetyl cysteteine 100mg, cq10 100mg
Thyroid complex biocare iodine, selenium, zinc, tyrosine, vit -a 700ug, c 100mg, b1 10mg, b2 10mg, Nicole 10mg,
Thank you for your help
Avoid any supplements that contain iodine (which is most supplements that say thyroid support)
Better to take separate selenium and zinc
thank you, will look into that.
Vit d adequate 49nmol/L
more likely to need 2000iu daily now, perhaps more in winter
NHS Guidelines on dose vitamin D required
ouh.nhs.uk/osteoporosis/use...
GP will often only prescribe to bring vitamin D levels to 50nmol.
Some areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol or even 80nmol
leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...
GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)
mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...
But improving to around 100nmol by self supplementing may be better
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...
vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...
Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.
Test twice yearly via NHS private testing service when supplementing
Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.
There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7.
One spray = 1000iu
amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...
It’s trial and error what dose we need, with thyroid issues we frequently need higher dose than average
Vitamin D and thyroid disease
grassrootshealth.net/blog/t...
Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease
newscientist.com/article/23...
Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7
Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine
betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...
medicalnewstoday.com/articl...
livescience.com/61866-magne...
sciencedaily.com/releases/2...
Interesting article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick on magnesium
drmalcolmkendrick.org/categ...
Vitamin K2 mk7
Active b12 68pmol/L
Folate 2 ug/L - low
Low B12 symptoms
b12deficiency.info/signs-an...
methyl-life.com/blogs/defic...
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement and add a separate vitamin B Complex after a week
Then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12 few times a week
B12 drops
natureprovides.com/products...
Or
B12 sublingual lozenges
uk.iherb.com/pr/jarrow-form...
cytoplan.co.uk/shop-by-prod...
B12 range in U.K. is too wide
Interesting that in this research B12 below 400 is considered inadequate
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Low folate
supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid)
This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too
Difference between folate and folic acid
healthline.com/nutrition/fo...
B vitamins best taken after breakfast
Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B complex that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule)
Thorne currently difficult to find at reasonable price, should be around £20-£25. iherb.com often have in stock. Or try ebay
Other options
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....
Igennus B complex popular option too. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...
endocrinenews.endocrine.org...
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
You are such a superstar and so patient writing all of that. I will have a loon at L if your recommendations and get ordered.
Thank you
I just wanted to say, thank you to members on here, I have asked my private endo for 20mg prescription to be able to cut into 5mg - so a big difference in price. I sent information from here to her and she listened, without your support / information I wouldn't be able to continue T3 meds.
Hi LittleMissTeapot , I'm shamelessly plugging this thyroid research petition ~ (it's asking the govt to give some of the £84Million CMA fine from the price hike of Liothyronine T3 to thyroid research) .
Please consider signing and SHARING this petition if you haven't already done so .. if you have signed already THANKYOU 
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Direct link to petition ~ petition.parliament.uk/peti...
"Give more funding for thyroid research and patients after price hike"
done! I shared it on my insta and other friends have signed as well when I saw this link on a thyroid trust post this week?. Soo important, thank you for flagging it here and I'm hoping others see these posts and sign and share it too!!
The NHS prices for liothyronine are available on my blog.
However, although private prescription prices are based on these prices, they can cost considerably more. You have to ask each pharmacy.
Many of the other replies point out the options you have.
Current NHS Drug Tariff Liothyronine Prices
Link to a blog post of Monthly NHS Drug Tariff prices for Liothyronine products from January 2023 onwards.
Also includes link to information for Scotland.
helvella.blogspot.com/p/cur...
Last updated 27th August 2023
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