Hi, I haven't been on here for a while because everything seemed ok with me! Mine is a long story whereby I was eventually prescribed 20mcg of T3 per day in increments of 5mcg throughout the day. I was also on T4 100mcg. I had complicated issues with lactose tablets and ended up with 100mcg of T4 and the doc said he was not allowed to give me T3 as I was trying the T4 but when he was prescribing the T3, I didn't need it all because I was buying a joint med from Australia but during Covid that stopped. While I was on the T3, my prescription was too much but I kept collecting it and ended up with a stockpile and for the last couple of years I have been taking lactose free T4 and 5mcg of lactose free T3 every morning as that seems to work well for me. However I am now running out. I contacted the doctor last year and they told me they don't do T3 testing anymore so he couldn't give me anymore. I haven't tried again this year yet but am now down to 130 tabs. Can anyone offer any advice, is there a doctor I can contact online? How have lots of you been prescribed T3? Does it depend on which area you live? Any help would be appreciated thanks. I know this dosage is for me as I have been doing it perfectly well for the last couple of years. Thanks in advance
T3 help: Hi, I haven't been on here for a while... - Thyroid UK
T3 help
GP can’t initiate T3
To get T3 on NHS you have to jump through a lot of hoops
T3 can only be trialed on NHS via NHS endocrinologist (or NHS psychiatrist for resistant depression)
It’s virtually impossible to get a referral on NHS to see thyroid specialist endocrinologist
A) wait is over a year
B) if TSH and Ft4 normal, referral often refused
So recommended steps are
A) Get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done yourself privately
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)
T3 ….day before test split T3 as 2 or 3 smaller doses spread through the day, with last dose approximately 8-12 hours before test
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
Post all about what time of day to test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing
Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee
Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.
Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test
support.medichecks.com/hc/e...
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
Please add recent results if you have them and they were tested correctly re timings
If vitamin levels low work on improving
B) once vitamin levels are at GOOD levels retest thyroid again
C) see endocrinologist privately
Ideally choose an endocrinologist to see privately initially and who also does NHS consultations so that might eventually transfer to getting T3 on NHS
Here’s link for how to request Thyroid U.K.list of private Doctors emailed to you, but within the email a link to download list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologists who will prescribe T3
thyroiduk.org/contact-us/ge...
Lactose intolerance
Presumably you have autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s
Are you on dairy free diet
Are you also on gluten free diet
Lactose free Levo
Lactose free brands - currently Vencamil or Teva
Vencamil is lactose free and mannitol free. originally only available as 100mcg only, but 25mcg, 50mcg and 75mcg tablets became available Sept 2024
Prior to March 2023 Vencamil was called Aristo
Vencamil often very well tolerated/best option for many people
How to get Vencamil stocked at your local pharmacy
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Posts discussing Vencamil
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....
Teva makes 12.5mcg 25mcg, 50mcg, 75mcg and 100mcg
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine.
Teva is lactose free, but contains mannitol as a filler instead of lactose, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Mannitol seems to upset many people, it changes gut biome
Helpful post about Teva
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Posts that mention Teva
healthunlocked.com/search/p...
Teva poll
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Lactose free T3
Choice is
20mcg Teva T3. Lactose and mannitol free
Or
Private prescription
Thybon Henning 20mcg T3
Thybon is cheapest on private prescription - cut tablets into 1/4 to get 5mcg
5mcg tablets or capsule options
Roma capsules 5mcg
5mcg Sigma Pharma is lactose free, but contains mannitol
Current prices to NHS
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Private prescription could be higher
Most people on private prescription use Thybon at £60-£80 per 100 tablets
Do we know anything about how successful psychiatric prescriptions are? Would it be worth seeing a private psychiatrist for a prescription? I try to avoid discussions with medics about depression (low mood I kind of stick with but really big dips now and again)) because I keep thinking I don’t want to be written off. Hah! Like I have not already had my card marked.
I think you need to have serious clinical depression and have tried all other antidepressants before T3 is suggested as an option
T3 is not an anti depressant, I am taking it because my liver is not converting T4 into T3 and I need it to survive, without the T3 I would get hypothermic very easily, very lethargic, bowel completely stops working, weight gain with hardly any food and pains everywhere, yet just 5mcg a day means I don't get any of those symptoms
,as well as it's use in treating hypothyroidism ,T3 has historically been prescribed by psychiatrists for 'treatment resistant depression' ( ie when they have tried everything else possible for serious depression and it hasn't worked), sometimes T3 helps .
artistapple,,,, just so you are aware , some areas will no longer allow psychiatrists to prescribe T3 (on NHS) for treatment resistant depression , eg lancs and south cumbria don't allow it for this even though they do ( theoretically) allow it for some cases of hypothyroidism.
p.s i suggest you have a word with Roseway Labs , they can no longer initiate prescriptions for T3 ( they were doing until a few months ago , but it looks like they have been leant on) , they are now saying you need to have the prescription initiated by endo and then they can take over and continue to prescribe ..... but since you were initially prescribed it , i think it's certainly worth a conversation with them . i don't have their contact details , but others on here will have .
Thanks for that info, I didn't know that, coincidentally my GP tried to medicate with me with depression pills on several occasions but I refused as I knew my problem was stemming form my thyroid condition.
I won't be seeing any psychiatrists anyway, I live in Wales, you can't get appointments with them, I found this out when I was at my lowest.
Apologies. I think we got crossed wires here. My fault for jumping in to your post with a question of my own. Really no connection with your question. I can see you have been doing well and I think your question is really only about getting T3 (preferably free through the UK health system) which SlowDragon explains is lots of hoops to jump through - difficult and potentially a waste of time as you know exactly what you need.
So getting it privately is the better route for you. Unfortunately in the UK this is still not straightforward.
If you have not already set up a post asking that quite bluntly, I suggest you do. You will then get that particular issue answered. You can refer people to your story if you still want to - it’s always good to have background. However I think you just need to know where to get T3. Or I could be wrong.
Yes thank you that is exactly what I need to know, I know I need 5mcg a day to function along with my 100mcg levo, so I just need to know where I can get it! I will take your advice and put a post requesting this. Thanks again for your help 
Thanks but when I was at my worst I couldn't get an appointment with a psychiatrist for love nor money. But thanks for your reply
Seeing psychiatrist a possible route, but seems rare that they actually do prescribe T3
We do have a very few members who have got T3 that way.
Endocrinologist privately or private GP is easiest option
Thanks for the lengthy reply and all the links which I'm sure are wonderful. But I am in a place where I know what works for me, which is Teva 100mcg Levothyroxine (Lactose free) and Mayne pharmacy Liothyronine (Lactose free) 5mcg every morning. I went through all that testing years ago when I got the prescription in the first place, I am now working full time as a lecturer and have no time or yearning to go through all that again. If I can't get it on the NHS then I will have to try and look elsewhere.
I haven't eaten dairy products for about 30 years, I don't eat any refined products. I don't eat any sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine. I but my meat and eggs from local farms and live a very healthy life. I make all my own bathroom products like, deoderant, face cream, toothpaste, bodywash, perfume, lip balm, etc etc.
I make my own fermented foods like sauerkraut, Kombucha and Kefir. I take supplements to fill the gaps.
I have no wifi in my apartment, I leave my phone in the living room to charge at night and minimise use.
I make my own herbal remedies for things like coughs and colds of which I don't get many, I sue things like castor oil for aches and pains.
I walk and cycle regularly, have good familial and friend relationships and in general feel pretty good about life.
However, my Liothyronine is running out and I can't get it again from my endocrinologist due to restrictions put on him. If there is no other way, I am going to have to try and buy it somewhere sadly as I really can't live without it.
But thanks for going to all the trouble of sending so much information, I do appreciate it but I have been there, done that, and got many many t shirts, sadly.
Roseway Labs are super helpful. Not only do they dispense T3 but they also have a prescribing pharmacist who is lovely. I am on 10mcg Thybon Henning - they are 20mcg tablets and easily split. I have an annual review and have just paid £60 for 100 tablets which will last me over six months.
They won't issue new prescriptions now though - you need to have had it prescribed elsewhere before they will issue and fill a repeat prescription
Thanks v much, I will contact them immediately. Can they be split four ways? I only take 5mcg per day?
Easy to cut into 1/4’s with sharp craft scalpel
Shouldn’t be a problem splitting four ways with a good pill cutter. Just so you know, when I first approached Roseway, I was asked to provide a copy of my diagnosis (consultant letter in my case) and my blood results (TSH, T4 and T3) in advance of a consultation with their prescribing pharmacist. My GP is aware that I take T3 privately on the basis that our CCB won’t support prescribing it.
T4/T3 dosing
T3 results
Sourcing 5mcg Liothyronine (T3)
Roma t3
T3 dose advice please
