T3 out of range - action by Drs? No action needed!!

[Yarby]

Just before Christmas I got a phone call from my Drs surgery saying they weren't allowed to write anymore hand written prescriptions at all - including my armour. Like a fool I let them persuade me to try without it - even tho I've been on armour for 10 yrs - prescribed by a private specialist to start with, for a low T3 result, but picked up by my surgery all theses yrs. I have had regular T3 tests(along with other thyroid tests) and have found if I'm middle to top of the range I've been fine.

I've just had thyroid tests done after been totally off armour for 2 weeks, and guess what? My T3 has dropped to 2.47 (our ref range here is given as 2.76 - 6.45) A big drop for a few weeks.

The proposed action is give it 6 weeks then retest. Pretty angry here now. I have written my questions to my GP and will go and see her on Wed to talk it through. I am asking to have armour on a private prescription - seeing as the surgery admitted it was due to money that my prescription has been stopped.

Which is more easily sourced - Armour or Erfa? I've had both and noticed no difference, and I'm hoping the chemist that has got it for me all these years will still be able to do so.

Things are complicated by the fact that I have Chronic Lyme disease and now my Lyme specialist wants to start treating for Babesia - another tick infection, picked up when I contracted Lyme. But of course, neither Lyme or Barbesia are recognised by the NHS, so we're going private for these to be treated. My main symptom of these are high fevers every 4-5 weeks which are very debilitating and last 2-3 weeks.

I always was relieved mt thyroid condition was well looked after. Now I really won't know what's wrong with me when I'm lousy!

My own GP is wonderful and easy to talk to but I think much of this has been taken out of her hands. They want to send me to the hospital endo, who 11 years ago, laughed when I asked for a T3 test done, said it was too rare to even consider, and told me 'the good news is your blood tests are all normal...so waht are you doing in that wheelchair?' That's why I went private - and low and behold - I had an under ref range T3 result.

So the fight to get well continues.

Helen

[waveylines]

Hi Helen,

Aww am really sorry after all that time on being on Armour someone at your practise on behalf of your lovely GP has decided (maybe its a 'new policy') it can no longer be continued. How outragous -I wonder would they do that for someone who is insulin dependent!!!! I doubt it! You do have a fight on your hands -which if they refuse to budge (which is what happened with me) then finding another GP Practise and negotionating an agreement that they will prescribe Armour brfore you move maybe what you have to do. Why on earth do they meddle with something that was working fine! Alternatively can you go back to the lovey endo who recommended it in the first place and ask him/her to write again to the your practise?

Thinking of you.....

[Chippysue]

Helen, what an ordeal! I have heard that Erfa is much cheaper so surely they can pay for a prescription.

Why don't they want us to be well? I fear that I will be in a similar situation soon when they want to save some money as my purified levothyroxine is costing them around £70 per month. I pay for my own 1 grain of naturethroid that I buy online. I am due to see my Endo soon and will ask him to prescribe it.

How much armour were you taking? For 100 1grain naturethroid it is just £17.83 online from USA.

You could maybe start another post, a question asking who has Erfa and where from and the cost as I cannot remember where I have seen the conversations.

[Yarby]

Thanks you two, for your comments.

I saw my GP yesterday, and in the end, I have decided to wait until the next T3 test before I do anything else - it's only 3 weeks away now. If it's still under ref range, then my GP will definately be taking action and it's likely I'll get T3 on the NHS, which in the long run is the easiest option, and I'm willing to try it.

If I'm honest, I actually don't feel any worse at the moment than I normally do from having Lyme. I only get 2-3 weeks reasonable health in between severe fevers of 2-3 weeks, so never get chance for my body to recover and find out how I really am. The good thing about this Dr is that she's very receptive to treating my Lyme, which is very unusual in the NHS. I've worked hard to take her along with me on this illness and it's paid off. And unlike some Drs, she's not prepared to leave me ill.

So in this case I think I need patience to give this a chance. I just hope that getting it on a private prescription will be a possiblility if I need it.

I was on 2 half grains of Armour. I currently take 125 Levo.

Thank you for your support!

Helen

[Chippysue]

Helen, Lymes sounds awful! You may be doing this already but I think you would benefit from writing down how you feel with specific details in your diary and also the meds that you are taking so that you can keep track, keep us posted