Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: joziel on June 22, 2023, 09:49:57 PM
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Does anyone know if Newson doctors can prescribe other meds, besides HRT?
I've just done an advanced thyroid panel and found out that my rT3 is very high (32, when it should be no higher than 12). It could be causing many of these symptoms I've been thinking are due to estrogen not being at the right dose.
The solution is to be prescribed some T3 (Cytomel) for a few months to get things working again.
I forwarded the results to Newson for my doctor there - but I'm not sure if Newson doctors are on some HRT-only remit? Or can they prescribe other things? NHS GPs can't prescribe T3 if other thyroid hormones are normal, so I can't get it from my regular GP.
Otherwise I have to wait at least a month until I can get an appointment with the private thyroid clinic (The Thyroid Clinic). Anyone know?
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MayB ring to ask or look on the web-site?
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The answer is no, in case anyone else ever wonders :(
I'm going to have to have another private appointment, this time with an online thyroid clinic now... Jeeze, I've lost track how much all this has cost this last year, investigating these symptoms.
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There is a menopause specialist who also prescribes T3 at the menopause care clinic run by Dr Naomi Potter who wrote the book Menopausing with Davina. However I would be aware that some specialists may not pay much attention to rT3. It would be more likely to be prescribed if T3 itself was low.
If you have other normal labs then lifestyle changes could help. Stress and lack of sleep can pump up rT3 apparently. Normal lab ranges are another minefield though. Whats normal for one isnt normal for another. I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid when my TSH was 4.64 and my FT4 was 11 (FT3 wasnt tested at that point). However I am also firmly of the belief that I was starting peri menopause at this point (42 am now 45) and that its all linked.
I would be aware of the above as its possible you might not be prescribed anything but pay out for the appointment.
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Hello joziel
I have Hashimotos and I am taking Levothyroxine daily. My GP has never tested my T3 and claims that it is unnecessary because my routine blood test shows levels within the normal range. I was also under the impression that a low T3 reading was a problem rather than a high one but I could be wrong.
The expert on thyroid issues here on MM is Wrensong so you might want to contact her.
You are correct in that Newson only concern themselves with HRT though they do copy in your own doctor after appointments.
Those of us with thyroid issues should have access to an Endocrinologist but that doesn't seem to happen very often.
I hope you get the answers that you are looking for and please keep us updated.
Wishing you well and take care.
K.
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I can highly recommend Thethyroidclinic.co.uk - that is who I tested through and they've already told me my rT3 is way too high and they will prescribe T3 (so I won't be paying out and not getting it, don't worry), but I need to wait about a month to get an appointment :o They offer online appointments and post out meds like many HRT clinics do, which is ace.
Meanwhile my own GP has said he can't prescribe it and Newson can't/won't either. So I just have to wait.
I do have relatively low T3 as well - it's only just in the normal range and The Thyroid Clinic have said they like to see it higher as well. Of course my GP says it's fine because it's in the normal range...
T3 and rT3 are too different things, Kathleen. You should def be getting a full thyroid panel run including T3 and rT3 if you have thyroid issues, those are the numbers that need to be monitored most. T4 is used to make T3, it is converted. But sometimes the conversion doesn't work. To monitor the most active thyroid hormone, you need to monitor T3. And rT3 inactivates T3, so if you have decent T3 but high rT3 you are deactivating all that T3.... which is why rT3 needs to be tested too.
Anyway, I will report back (if I remember!) once I get on T3. I should imagine I will feel better very quickly if it's the cause of some of this.
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Interesting! Good to know. Will be v interested in what you report back with here! To get my ft3 at a decent level I had to take a pretty high dose of levothyroxine which gave me a suppressed TSH of 0.05 and ft4 over range so had to dropdown. Always thought i might need a bit t3 but its hard to get hold of for sure.
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That's why (apparently) people with thyroid issues should always have T3 as part of their prescription. The NHS unfortunately wants to only give T4 (levothyroxine) because T3 is expensive and because they really don't know how to handle thyroid issues. But if you go to a private doctor, you can get T3 prescribed. Have to pay for it... (not sure how much it is, can let you know in a few weeks!).
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It's pretty expensive - or it was anyway.
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What does that mean? ;D Like, £150 a month? £400 a month!?
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Depends what chemists you get if from - Roseway labs do Thybon Henning T3 for 50p a tablet but that was super cheap - I was seeing 150 for a months supply otherwise.
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I've got it now. It was £125 for 90x 5mcg tablets. I'm not supposed to be on it long-term so hopefully I just need that x2 and then my body is going to miraculously get out of this state it's in...
Not sure what I'll do if I need it long term, it's v expensive.
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I've got it now. It was £125 for 90x 5mcg tablets. I'm not supposed to be on it long-term so hopefully I just need that x2 and then my body is going to miraculously get out of this state it's in...
Not sure what I'll do if I need it long term, it's v expensive.
Hi Joziel,
Not sure where you are in UK but I’m in Scotland and get T3 on NHS but it has to be given direct from Endocrinology.
They won’t give it to everyone but they will give a 3 month trial if they decide you may benefit. I’ve been on it since last year.
In my case, I was allergic to Thyroxine tablets (they were convinced it was the fillers) but now it looks as though the liquid is just as bad. I’m now on T3 only for the next month.
It might be worth seeing what your local health trust’s view is on T3 supplements and ask to be referred back to Endocrinology.
I know some people in England who are on T3 through NHS also.
I know this doesn’t help you now but might be beneficial for the future especially cost wise.
E x
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Thanks, yes if I need it long term I'll have to figure something out.
For now I'm hopeful it's just short term. I was never referred to endocrinology anyways because I went to a private GP who specialises in thyroid stuff so I'd have to go to my regular GP and start a very long process to get to endocrinology, not knowing if I will get what I want when I get there....
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Thanks, yes if I need it long term I'll have to figure something out.
For now I'm hopeful it's just short term. I was never referred to endocrinology anyways because I went to a private GP who specialises in thyroid stuff so I'd have to go to my regular GP and start a very long process to get to endocrinology, not knowing if I will get what I want when I get there....
are you feeling better on the t3?
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Well I'm now back to thinking my problems are HRT related and I just needed more estrogen, seeing 4 pumps of gel was only getting me to 283pmol. And some of that was my own estrogen. So when I drop low from my own ovaries, maybe I'm crashing to nothing because I'm not getting enough from HRT. The last 2 months I've had bad nights back again around my period, which tends to suggest low estrogen to me...
I am generally doing much much better but whether that is the switch to gel and gradually increasing it (now at 5 pumps) or whether that's the T3 remains to be seen. I did some thyroid bloods last week and am waiting for results (it takes 2 weeks for rT3 results as bloods have to go to US), so that will be interesting.
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I think when we are peri our own hormones are really swinging around in the background. They cant be underestimated. I am pretty sure mines are rollercoasting right now and I am also having to cater to moving from gel to patch because of the new gel bottle issues. So many moving parts to consider!
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Hi Joziel as you know, I’m not really knowledgable about thyroid but it def may be better to go privately to a good endo in uk if needed, then they can prescribe on nhs? From what I read thyroid issues need specialist assessment & treatment. I think menopause can throw in all sorts of spanner’s, getting your hrt may well sort things🤞x