Doctor Prescribing Armour Thyroid in France

[RachelChD]

I’m moving to France in September and wanted to know if there are people living in France taking Armour thyroid? Does your UK GP prescribe it. Do you get is shipped or did you find a Dr in France. Trying to find the best solution as being on Armour thyroid has changed my life but now I’ changing country 😱

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Desiccated thyroid isn't just not prescribed in France, it is positively illegal.

 greygoose wrote the story many years ago!

How NDT became illegal in France - by request

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

It can be confiscated by la douane on entry.

[RachelChD in reply to helvella]

Thank you for letting me know. Thats crazy 😱

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to RachelChD]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

I think one or two members manage somehow but discussion of avoiding the law of the country really is rather off-topic. If anyone does have useful information, please send a private message (chat).

[RachelChD in reply to helvella]

Sorry and Thank you I hope they will get in touch.

[greygoose in reply to RachelChD]

That's French. French doctors are even more terrified of hormones that average.

There are of course, still people who take NDT, but there's no way you'll get it from a pharmacy here. If you're moving anywhere within reach of the Belgian border, you could hop across, sign up with a doctor there, and get it in a Belgian pharmacy. And just hope that you don't get stopped by customs on the way home! Although they're usually very nice about it.

But, on the subject of what is and isn't legal, it's now illegal to buy any prescription medication without a prescription, no matter what it is.

[RachelChD in reply to greygoose]

I will be closer to Italy than Belgium. Thank you I see what I can do with my GP in the UK.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to RachelChD]

I don't think any desiccated thyroid is available in Italy. That is, I don't think any products are (officially) available.

(Long ago, over 12 years past, there was an Italian desiccated thyroid called Cinetic.)

[RachelChD in reply to helvella]

Thank you it feels like going on a tresure hunt 😱

[greygoose in reply to RachelChD]

OK, but don't forget that we are no-longer part of the EU, so packets coming from the UK will be subject to custom scrutiny like other non-EU countries.

[RachelChD in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for letting me know this is not good 😱

[greygoose in reply to RachelChD]

You're welcome.

[Brightness14]

I live in France and NDT is banned here. I have no thyroid and take NDT Thyroid s. I have it sent to a friend in the UK who repacks it as vitamins and sends it over here.

You can also buy Armour online without a prescription it's expensive though and you would have to go down the same route. You would also have to pay UK customs charges when it enters the UK from the US.

The ban makes honest people dishonest.

I have been using it since 2016.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Brightness14]

'The ban makes honest people dishonest.'

When it comes to thyroid medication, that doesn't just apply to France. Denying patients medication that properly resolves their hypothyroid condition, whether that be the specific type, brand or amount, engenders dishonesty here in the UK too. So many people have to resort to self medicating, whether that's with or without the knowledge of their medical 'so called' professionals.

[Brightness14 in reply to RedApple]

Exactly right.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Brightness14]

Filling in a false declaration for customs is illegal and could have consequences under UK law.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to helvella]

A lot of things are illegal, but people do them anyway. Technically video recording tv programmes without permission was illegal back in the day but millions did it. Its the system that's at fault, pushing desperate people into underhanded tactics. Your health and qol vs a bit of law breaking. For most people its a no brainer.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

I usually include a comment saying that this sort of response is NOT meant to be censorious but to WARN of the possibilities.

You can look back over previous broadly similar responses - I simply thought it obvious and not worth adding on this occasion.