How can I get my Doctor to prescribe T3 - Thyroid UK

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How can I get my Doctor to prescribe T3

11 years ago•26 Replies

How can I get my Doctor to prescribe T3 - I am currently importing Cytomel (King) from the US but the cost is £133 for 100 x 25mcg and then the postoffice stick another £27 on top - I am willing to use an online overseas pharmacy but am a bit worried about card details being abused and the quality of what I will receive,

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twoapples

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nobodysdriving11 years ago

that is much cheaper than the NHS pays for it!

I asked Sainsbury's pharmacy to give me the price it would cost the NHS if I have it prescribed by my GP, they said £234 for 100 25mcg tabs!

I went to see an NHS endo and he asked GP to prescribe and GP did.....

put out a post asking for endo recommendations in your area?

PS King Pharmaceuticals has been bought by Pfizer in 2010 so it's now called Pfizer

twoapples in reply to nobodysdriving11 years ago

Thank you - I will send a request for recommendations.

11 years ago

With regards to worrying about your card, If you are worried about it then do what I do and get a PAYG credit card, easy to top up online (I have the virgin one). You just put the funds on it that you actually need then use it to purchase your meds. There is a small percentage charge for using overseas, but in my opinion worth the peace of mind of not having the worry of using a normal credit card

twoapples in reply to 11 years ago

Thanks - I willl get one of those.

Jackie11 years ago

Hi Have you ad a Free T3 test to prove you need it.? If GP will not do it I use Blue Horizon, intermediate test £61 including TUK 10, £10 discount.If that does not work say that you want to see an endo. Also NDT works out much cheaper than T3 but of course, does not contain quite as much.

Best wishes,

Jackie

twoapples in reply to Jackie11 years ago

Thanks - I have had the test and have Hashi's with conversion problem - I've been on the T3 for five years now - just the price keeps going up and up.

Jackie in reply to twoapples11 years ago

Hi I have Hashimotos, about 50 years! It was not called that then!. I have armour and T3, I have to have a private script for armour, although allergic to Levo and my FT3 so low I take 20mcg T3 too.I have that from my Gp from instructions by my endo. I have been stable for a long time., about a year after seeing my endo, although I do have a very enlarged thyroid and nodules Of course years ago no T3, it has made a big difference to me.. I hope that helps.

Jackie

twoapples in reply to Jackie11 years ago

Hi Jackie - that's interesting - - What did they give you when you were first diagnosed?

Jackie in reply to twoapples11 years ago

Hi I was not diagnosed for years, not much known about the thyroid then and I did not complain enough.. It was many years later that my GP was told by my Nephrologist then I did not know for another 10 years. no copies of letters then. I only fond out recently and furious still! Then I had armour. Later tried thyroxine 4 times , different makes and could not take it.Armour was the only drug for thyroid until about the sixties and of course, no blood tests either. Symptoms and a bright doctor was needed !Jackie

shawsAdministrator11 years ago

My GP wouldn't prescribe T3 unless an Endo requested him to do so.

Triciatextiles11 years ago

I have sent you a PM

kimbo11 years ago

My gp won't prescribe she said only endo can do it great isn't it just love keeping us ill x

twoapples in reply to kimbo11 years ago

That's where their money comes from! Now that Pfizer have taken over King in making Cytomel, perhaps T3 will become more mainstream - here's hoping.

Maddie11 years ago

I get T3 (cynomel) from Mexico, it costs £15.39 plus p&p for 100 x 25mcg tabs. I've had no problems using my credit card. I do also get T3 on prescription but it gets rationed sometimes.

The last time I had difficulty getting it on prescription I said that I would buy it onine and it was reinstated - Maddie

twoapples in reply to Maddie11 years ago

Oh that sounds like a good one! I'll wait until I'm getting it off the NHS before I use it. Did your GP take much arm twisting to give you a script for the T3? Do you find the NSH stuff (Tertroxin??) weaker than the Cynomel?

Maddie in reply to twoapples11 years ago

Just found this link, about the strength of brands of T3, that may be useful to you;

thyroid-rt3.com/which.htm

Maddie

Lymiemeepy in reply to Maddie8 years ago

Hi. Could you give me contact details for your supplier in Mexico?

Thanks

Maddie in reply to Lymiemeepy8 years ago

Hi jj, I have not ordered from Mexico for a long time as I now only use NDT.

I did check the Mexican supplier for you and they have been out of stock for a long time. The Online Pharmacies section on the TPA website is good for up to date info for suppliers. The <name of website> has T3 at a resonable price although a little complicated to order, a friend of mine has ordered from them and been pleased with the product.

Hope this helps - Maddie

Lymiemeepy in reply to Maddie8 years ago

Many thanks for your prompt respinse

xxx

Maddie11 years ago

Hi - as I had been prescribed T3 by an endo consultant a few year's ago my GP knows that I have used it successfully for a few years. The trouble was that I stopped for a few months, on the advice of a new consultant. I have had a suppressed TSH for a while and I am losing bone.

I had hoped that my conversion from T4 to T3 had improved but it hadn't and my T3 started to drop down the range, my increased dose of thyroxine, to compensate for the withdrawal of T3, sent me over the range. My GP even said that it looked as though I wasn't converting.

My GP was fine about prescribing the T3 again but he wanted the OK from my endo consultant first. It proved difficult to achieve this but I did manage to get it back on prescription. Fortunately, my previous consultant returned to the endo department and wrote to my GP to authorise it for me. It does seem that the best route to getting T3 is via a consultant. Some consultants are anti T3 but can, in some circumstances, be persuaded to give a trial.

It was foolish of me to agree to stop taking it in the first place. I had been worried about my bone loss and the effect that a suppressed TSH could be having on the condition. I'm not convinced about the suppressed TSH causing or effecting my bone density but I do not think that I can totally ignore my consultant's concerns.

I have not noticed any difference in the strength of the brands. The thing to remember with the different brands is that the NHS T3 is 20 mcg and the Cynomel is 25 mcg. This 5 mcg difference would equate to approximately 20 mcg of T4 (thyroxine) - Maddie

twoapples in reply to Maddie11 years ago

Thanks Maddie - that is very helpful. My GP did ask me to stop taking T3 for six weeks and go back on T4 so they could see what was happening, but I felt so awful after five days that I stopped the T4 and went back to T3. The consultant seems to be the route to take for prescription. Not sure about that connection with bone loss, my Mum is on T4 and she still has osteoporosis. Why don't you put a question on the site asking if any other long term T3 users have a bone loss problem - it would be interesting to see what comes up.

paulacat in reply to Maddie9 years ago

check with your doctor on your vitamin D, it is an hormone and it goes low with thyroid, also make sure you take D3 not D2 as it takes longer to get into your body, I know it seems high but my doctor recommends 10.000 iu -250.mg not just the 25iu recommended, also take magnesium and vitamin K with it so as not to calcify you arteries it will rectify your bones hope you get this and do your research, Paula

Maddie11 years ago

Hi twoapples - The bone loss is more of a concern for me at the moment than my thyroid condition. I know there are others on the site that have osteopenia/osteoporosis and they are trying various supplements to try and reverse the condition.

I am working with a hormone specialist and have my next Dexa (bone scan) in June and so will find out then if I'm having any success. I do not want to take the prescription meds for the condition.

At the moment I am using natural dessicated thyroid meds (Thiroyd) as they contain calcitonin which helps with bone density. Not sure if the calcitonin from the Thiroyd will have the same effect as that that would normally be produced by my own thyroid gland. My thyroid gland has atrophied so I guess it's not producing anything much.

I hope that you can get your T3 supply sorted - Maddie