RE: Re: Terrible experience with private doctor

[Guest guest]

I think the endocrinologist wants to save his own practice money

by getting the GP to use his practice allocation of funds to pay for it. There

are many NHS endocrinologists who prescribe both synthetic T3 and natural

thyroid extract for their patients (I know mine does) because some GP's refuse

to prescribe natural thyroid extract because it remains unlicensed in the UK. In

such a case, the hospital pharmacy gets in the NDT and the patient picks it up

from there. I would challenge this endocrinologist again. I can't think why he

would recommend it for you but refuse to give you a prescription for any other

reason.

Luv - Sheila

I need a doctor who can prescribe because I want to be able to get my

medication from a pharmacy rather than online which is proving a bit of a

hassle for me. It's just that I expected this doc to be able to prescribe for

me when I required it but despite the cost he's left me with the NHS to sort

things out which is just...

I'd seen another private doctor in the past who prescribed me T3 so I expected

it to be easy to get a prescription, private doctors do prescribe without

getting the GP to do so don't they? That's how I thought it worked.

I just want a doctor who will prescribe natural thyroid for me now, that's all.

[Guest guest]

I think if this was me, I would be writing a letter to him

setting out my concerns about his treatment protocol and his lack of reason why

he refuses to give you a prescription. This looks to me as if he is taking

patient's money under false pretences. Keep on at him until he gives you a

reason and let him know that you need whatever doctor you are paying to look

after your health not to be 'passing the buck' onto other doctors within the

NHS. The lack of knowledge about thyroid disease within the NHS is the reason

you are now paying to see him privately - so you expect him to do the job

you are paying him for.

Luv - Sheila

I've been thinking of making a complaint because one of main reasons for the

consultation was that I would get a prescription. He told me he needed an up to

date thyroid test results and wanted me to come in and have him do the tests.

However I knew I would be getting them for free at my NHS endocrinology

appointment so declined and waited until then. But I provided it and then he

refused to prescribe instead offered to oversee my care. My GP is unaware that

I take natural thyroid instead of the thyroxine they prescribed although I did

say to him that I would inform them. I'm sure he is not ignorant to the fact

that many people with thyroid issues who come to him do so due to the fact that

they have difficulties with the NHS - to advise me to go back to my GP to do

the real work while paying him seems strange.

[Guest guest]

Hi - you are absolutely right. The cheapest way to get

prescription medicine is via the NHS route. The next cheapest way is via an

Internet Pharmacy route where you can purchase outside of the UK without

a prescription. The most expensive way is via a private doctor giving you a

private prescription where, as you state, everybody involved gets their cut and

you end up paying double the actual cost of the medication.

Luv - Sheila

I obviously do not know what kind of

hassle Honey has experienced in getting get her NDT online, but I am just

wondering about the monetary implications of a private script. I have not

gone down this route myself with NDT, but it is my understanding that when you

hand in a private script at the pharmacy for NDT, everybody takes their cut

and it works out considerably more expensive than when buying the

same product online. Didn't we have a similar thread on here some months ago,

where someone told us about the ridiculous amounts of money a certain pharmacy

charged for filling a script for Erfa? I can't remember the exact circumstances,

but just as another example, I got a private script for something from my ENT

doctor and when I had the script filled at the pharmacy, they charged me more

than double of what the item actually cost.

[Guest guest]

On Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:01:59 -0000, you wrote:

>

>Something I'm now wondering about is other private doctors, if what has

happened with my doc is a regular occurence? Perhaps some people (like I myself

in the beginning) already get their meds online and so this issue never comes

up?

The Private Doc may have been trying to do a favour, if you can get a

NHS prescription for thyroid that and all other prescriptions are

free.

If you have a private prescription you have to pay for the cost of the

meds.

Personally for natural I preferred the Greater Pharma which was around

£100 for 1000 grains of natural which is considerable cheaper than

Armour and in my experience better than old Armour.

For T3 the Grossman is excellent and around £50 for 300 tablets.

Nick

[Guest guest]

Honey,

I originally went to a private doctor who agreed that I was not converting to T3 and he prescribed it - liothyronine. Although the cost of the medication was not too much, adding it to the cost of the consultations, it was pretty expensive. I therefore decided to get it from abroad without a prescription.

He wrote to my GP explaining how much I had improved with T3, that it was needed and saying how I would like it to be prescribed by my GP. GP went ballistic. Would never prescribe T3. (Presumably he would if an "accredited" NHS endo had sad he should).

After that every time I went to my GP whatever for - a broken finger, a cough, a rash etc. he would blame it on the T3. Would not treat me, and in our surgery you cannot go to another GP you have to keep to your own. If you go to another one they ask who your doctor is and tell you to make an appointment with them. The last straw was when I had cellulitis on my leg and he refused to give me any medication saying the remedy was in my own hands. As a diabetic that could be extremely dangerous for me and I could have lost a leg. And, as I was not able to see another doctor in the surgery, I had to change my doctor, who immediately gave me anti biotics and anti biotic cream to put on it.

However, it turned out that the doctor I had changed to (not my decision but just given the next doctor with vacancy available), was just as bad. Made me stop taking T3 or he would refuse to treat me.

A friend of mine whose doctor told her she was 'normal' went to see private doctor, who prescribed thyroid medication. Since then she has been buying it herself and not told her doctor. He still has on his books that she does not have a thyroid problem so therefore does not call her in every so often to be tested. She knows from how she feels, her temperature etc. whether she is taking sufficient or not.

Lilian

[Guest guest]

How absolutely dangerous these doctors are who are causing

ACTUAL BODILY HARM to their patients.

Luv - Sheila

From: thyroid treatment

[mailto:thyroid treatment ] On Behalf Of Lilian

Sent: 22 November 2010 11:33

thyroid treatment

Subject: Re: Re: Terrible experience with

private doctor

After that every time I went to my GP whatever for - a broken

finger, a cough, a rash etc. he would blame it on the T3.

Would not treat me, and in our surgery you cannot go to another GP you have to

keep to your own. If you go to another one they ask who your doctor

is and tell you to make an appointment with them. The last

straw was when I had cellulitis on my leg and he refused to give me any

medication saying the remedy was in my own hands. As a

diabetic that could be extremely dangerous for me and I could have lost a

leg. And, as I was not able to see another doctor in the

surgery, I had to change my doctor, who immediately gave me anti biotics

and anti biotic cream to put on it.

However, it turned out that the doctor I had changed to (not my

decision but just given the next doctor with vacancy available), was just as

bad. Made me stop taking T3 or he would refuse to treat me.

_,___

[Guest guest]

If one of the doctors on my list refused to prescribe you

T3 and told you it was " inexplicable " that the thyroxine did

not help you, it is likely this was said because s/he did not feel that in your

particular case, neither synthetic T3 or natural thyroid extract was needed

because you were probably converting T4 into T3 OK. If this was the case, s/he

would feel it inappropriate to prescribe a drug containing T3 for you.

The doctors on my list come recommended by our members and as

you don't have experience of all of these doctors, you should not say that

members would be wasting their time by seeing private doctors. Not all of the

doctors on my list are private, many are NHS based. Many doctors decide to go

private and work outside of the NHS because of the restrictions placed on them

by such organisations as the RCP and BTA. Many members are here because they

cannot get any form of T3 prescribed, either within the NHS or privately. Just

because I have a list of doctors who have, and do, prescribe some form of T3 therapy,

does not mean they will automatically do so in every case. Each case they treat

on an individual basis.

However, I do agree that for those who feel they are getting no

help whatsoever, either within the NHS or privately, that you are left in a

situation where you just carry on as you are, or you need to decide whether or

not you need to take your thyroid health into your own hands - learn about the

disease and treat yourself accordingly. This is everybody's right to do so, and

often, the only way to regain your health.

Luv - Sheila

I don't think private doctors are any more

inclined to prescribe NDT ot T3 than NHS ones in my experience. I'd seen a

couple of private thyroid consultants before finding this site and neither

would prescribe me either, then I saw one highly recommended one from the list

from this site and they also would not prescribe me T3 and even said it was

'inexplicable' that the thyroxine did not help me, which was really helpful I

must say.

_,___

[Guest guest]

The one thing about going to a private doctor is that if you are not satisfied with the way you are being treated then you can just stop seeing them and if you want to, go to another private doctor.     Unfortunately you cannot do that with a GP as you have to register.

Lilian