The 10 top prescribed medicines in Germany from 1985 to 2022: pharmacological analysis

[helvella]

Not surprisingly, my reason for posting is primarily the Levothyroxine section (around a third of the way through).

That section references (Saravanan et al. 2007) and (Jonklaas et al. 2008) - and simply accepts their conclusions that liothyronine and combination products have little or no justification as all of us can be well with levothyroxine monotherapy.

I don't think anyone disputes that any dosing with liothyronine causes relative T3 peaks in the blood. But that simple fact appears to be taken as proof that including liothyronine in any form or regime is necessarily inferior to levothyroxine monotherapy.

The 10 top prescribed medicines in Germany from 1985 to 2022: pharmacological analysis

Research

Open access

Published: 21 November 2024

Open access here:

link.springer.com/article/1...

[RedApple]

As has been said so many times before by those who properly understand these things, some sort of slow release dosing mechanism is required for liothyronine. It's so wrong that patients are denied replacement T3 simply because it's not available in an appropriate form.

[helvella in reply to RedApple]

With the irony that desiccated thyroid was at least marginally closer to that than liothyronine.

It has to be up to the person, the patient, whether they feel the risks, the damage, from liothyronine (if there is any in them as individuals) is worth it.

[TSH110 in reply to helvella]

Totally agree. I feel it is worth the risks for me the benefits of NDT far outweigh them.

[TSH110 in reply to RedApple]

It’s called NDT

[arTistapple]

I do believe some of the info is probably correctly assumed (not proof) but highly likely. However another case of over simplification, particularly re: levothyroxine.

Another potentially damaging piece of research, endocrinologists (at least eminent ones) fall over themselves for this level of information. As for increased doses, in our case it’s about hoping for a better result AND we still have to get that past a GP.

Someone yesterday described it as begging. I could not agree more. There certainly is nothing else on offer.

The dates and changes were very interesting. The increases in levo in particular just around the same time T3 was ‘banned’. That context was not really explored enough.

It might explain why my GP at the time when I finally asked about Hypothyroidism replied “Oh you don’t want to go down that route!” I was too dumb and relieved not to query his point.

[TSH110 in reply to arTistapple]

As if we have a choice! I certainly didn’t want to go down that route but sure as hell I went down it anyway

Getting a diagnosis even when very overt was like pulling hens teeth. In the end….and it was close to the end…. I determined I was not moving out of the consulting room till I got a thyroid function test. Luckily this GP was a very good one and listened - not that I was making much sense - and teased important info out of me and got me properly tested only just in the nick of time. If only they were all as diligent and caring.

Gas lighting by the medical profession for decades is what I’d call it.

[arTistapple in reply to TSH110]

Yes one other point I meant, is how many in the meantime may have been overprescribed Levothyroxine by medics due to this nonsense of ‘blacklisting’ T3? We know that too much T4 is also dangerous. Many need ‘balance’ or even T3 only. Unheard of in medical circles methinks. My GPs are incredibly placid about treatment for hypothyroidism. Then they are mortally offended when challenged. No doubt my notes are now dubbed with …….

Gaslighting is a true description. How many of us are now suffering PTSD type symptoms after contact with medics? It’s clear to me now this is a ‘tactic’ commonly used by medics to manipulate us, whether they are aware of this or not (giving them any benefit of any doubt).

I know when I come across ignorance and smugness in medics, even remotely, I realise I am ‘not right’. However it seems that with hypothyroidism, this is not a symptom worthy of any consideration, something to be written off somehow, simply to protect these ‘snowflakes’ from themselves.

They need re-programming, at the very least!

[serenfach]

I wonder how many patients they asked as to how they feel...

My body does not appear to have read the text books...

[TSH110 in reply to serenfach]

Zero or 0?

[Shredder29]

Levo work for some apparently as a solitary medication but sadly it didn't work for me and it was only when I initially switched to Armour Thyroid did I start to feel better. Sadly when Armour was sold by Forest it went royally downhill and I became unwell again. I was lucky and had an endo that prescribed liothyronine alongside my levo and I feel ok again now. I still don't feel as good as I did when on Armour (when it was working) but still feel significantly better than I did on levo alone.

[TSH110 in reply to Shredder29]

It’s odd that even close relatives feel very well on levo but I never did. It could be of great scientific interest to try and find out why that is. But nobody cares

[TSH110]

How about the simple proof that we feel better with some? Or that nature designed us to receive some?

Isn’t the point of thyroid hormone therapy to restore our health?

No it’s an incomprehensible game the white coats like to play with numbers.

….and Levothyroxine most certainly never helped me loose an ounce of weight I put in stones on that stuff or addressed my depression which greatly worsened, both were rapidly rectified on NDT.

They talk a lot of rubbish.

[arTistapple in reply to TSH110]

As we have seen and heard, that’s exactly what some medics respond to. It’s been reported on the Forum. Medics are expressly against us feeling better. It could not be put better TSH110. “They talk a lot of rubbish”.