RE: Re: What now???? URGENT

[Guest guest]

We have to stick together and not allow our doctors to force us

back into taking a thyroid medication that gives us only bad effects and does

not make us well again.

Go to our FILES section which is accessible from the Home Page

of this Forum, and check out the FOLDER entitled 'Internet Pharmacies' and you

can see where you can still buy natural thyroid extract, i.e. Armour Thyroid,

Nature Throid, Westhroid, Thyroid-s and 'Thiroyd' without the need for a

prescription.

Unfortunately, doctors have become terrified of daring to go

outside of the RCP, BTA written 'statements' about how they should diagnose and

treat those with symptoms of hypothyroidism because they have learnt that

should they dare, they run the risk of being reported to the GMC as previous

doctors have been. We now MUST get it across to our doctors that they need fear

no more. So should your GP/Endocrinologist tell you that you cannot be treated

with any form of T3 because they believe it to be " dangerous " then,

as pointed out, print off the conclusion of the recent Transcript of Dr

Skinner's Fitness to Practice Hearing to show them.

The GMC Determination on Dr Skinner's Fitness to Practice (November

2011) has at last, thrown the RCP's statements into the proverbial dustbin. The

Panel confirmed that Dr Skinner's diagnostic and treatment protocol for those

with symptoms of hypothyroidism is safe, practical and legitimate, and conceded

that there are valid alternatives to levothyroxine-only therapy and that blood

test results alone should no longer dictate how doctors diagnose and treat

those with symptoms of hypothyroidism.

The GMC have at last, accepted that there are no formal

guidelines as to the accepted ranges for the testing for abnormal thyroid

activity and that there has been insufficient development in this field of

medicine to conclude that the view held by endocrinology is mandatory -

the lack of any formal guidelines was indicative of this. They also

accepted that the recently revised TSH reference range in the USA and Europe

was an alternative to those used in the UK (Government have already

acknowledged that doctors can use whatever guidelines they wish, even if from

another country, so long as they could give good reason why they preferred to

use that) and that the biochemical evidence should be used as a support in

dealing with the clinical presentation of a patient and not as the sole

arbiter (as stated by the BTA in the statement on their web site).

The Panel accepted also that there is a place for the

prescribing of natural desiccated thyroid (NDT)) to those patients who had not

responded adequately to thyroxine and that the use of unlicensed drugs is

commonplace in the UK and not unique to NDT. In reference to Dr Skinner's

prescription of NDT, they are content with his reasoning behind its

prescription.

The Panel also accepted that the safety measures and follow-up

routine as described by Dr Skinner at his Hearing, have allowed them to feel

confident that patient safety was not disregarded as he has shown awareness of

the risks of his prescribing and have sought to communicate this to patients. (Point

this out to your GP/Endocrinologist and ask them to press for this to be reflected

in the RCP statement).

The GMC Panel determined that conditions on Dr Skinner's Fitness

to Practice are revoked forthwith and that he is now free to practise without

restriction within the United Kingdom.

Luv - Sheila

Have just received the same email and came

straight on here to see if there was any news.

Trying not to panic ... I don't want to be forced back on to Levo!

Babs

[Guest guest]

Please see the message I have just posted to Babs, and please,

try not to panic at this stage. I need to hear from Value Pharmaceuticals first

hand to see whether this ruling actually does apply to the UK as we can still

purchase Armour, Nature Throid, Westhroid, Thyroid-s and 'Thyroid' from other

Internet Pharmacies without the need for a prescription.

Meanwhile though, I would write to your GP asking him/her to

give you in writing, the reasons why they refuse to prescribe you any other

form of thyroid hormone replacement other than synthetic thyroxine-only. Demand

that they do this, because this is your health and if thyroxine fails to give

you back normal health, you must be given a choice of other thyroid hormone

replacement.

Luv - Sheila

Me too

I'm absolutely gutted, I was just starting to feel normal, and my doctors won't

give me a prescription. I'm intolerant to levo, and the doctors were more or

less just leaving me to die.

I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now!

>

> Have just received the same email and came straight on here to see if

there was any news.

> Trying not to panic ... I don't want to be forced back on to Levo!

>

> Babs

>

[Guest guest]

I do not see how or why a doctor could refuse a prescription for

synthetic T3, either alone or in combination with levothyroxine. This is legal

and available and published in the British National Formulary as prescribable

for those suffering with hypothyroidism. GP's must be made to write their

reasons why they refuse to prescribe this medication.

Luv - Sheila

HI LILIAN

Is this just the start, and could this happen even to T3, and would Sheila be

aware of this. If GP'S will not provide a prescription on NHS then patients are

being forced to have a private prescription which will add even more to the

cost.

Kathleen

>

> I have just placed an order for Erfa with Value Pharmaceuticals and have

today received this email:-

>

> Dear Valued Customer,

> Due to recent changes in regulation, Value Pharmaceuticals will no longer

be able to accept a personal declaration for prescription products. We will

require a prescription for all prescription medications. Prescriptions can be

faxed to 1-800-234-9185 or emailed in to prescription@...

> Lilian

>

[Guest guest]

The problem might be them not allowed to send them, not us not being able to receive them.   LilianOn 30 December 2011 14:14, khgparrish@... <khgparrish@...> wrote:

 

HI SHEILA

You say it is legal for a GP to prescribe T3, but when I was tried on the NHS T3 I did not do very well on it. It could have been how it was prescribed or due to the different ingredients in it, but I would hate to be cut off from my Mexican T3.Dr Peatfield even says that the Mexican brand is better than the NHS supplied T3.

I hope we are not going to be faced with an all round problem in obtaining drugs from abroad.

Kathleen

[Guest guest]

I hope all internet pharmacies dont start doing the same, I will have to go back to Armour from International pharmacy, I do ok on Erfa and Armour

But this is a worry

So now its gonna cost me even more :-( been trying to buy but it will not let me.So now will have to get a private prescription on top. Will they stop charging us VAT if we use a prescription?Carol>> The problem with stocking up is that the use by dates aren't that long. The one I have just now expires on 11/2012 and will probably last me until September time. It's a big financial gamble to take to stock up and hope for 2013/2014 use by dates :-/> > Thanks for following up Sheila. Keep us posted. > > Babs>

[Guest guest]

I believe they are no longer selling Armour to the UK either.LilianOn 30 December 2011 17:26, sarah s <xxsarahxx_40@...> wrote:

 

I hope all internet pharmacies dont  start doing the same, I will have to go back to Armour from International pharmacy, I do ok on Erfa and Armour

But this is a worry 

[Guest guest]

Probably the NHS doctor didn't know how to prescribe the T3 for

you, or more realistically, was not aware of any of the associated conditions

that can stop thyroid hormone from being properly absorbed at the cellular

level. This is one thing we cannot emphasize sufficiently. The need to check

for adrenal fatigue, systemic candidiasis, mercury poisoning caused through

amalgam fillings, low levels of iron, transferrin saturation%, ferritin,

vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc. Everybody on

thyroid hormone replacement should demand that these test be carried out,

especially if they are not regaining their health.

Luv - Sheila

You say it is legal for a GP to prescribe T3, but when I was tried on the NHS

T3 I did not do very well on it. It could have been how it was prescribed or

due to the different ingredients in it, but I would hate to be cut off from my

Mexican T3.Dr Peatfield even says that the Mexican brand is better than the NHS

supplied T3.

[Guest guest]

There would be no point in buying NDT from abroad if we can get

a prescription for it in the UK Carol. With a prescription, either NHS or

private, we can buy NDT from the UK pharmacies….so you wouldn't have to

worry about VAT.

Luv - Sheila

So now its gonna cost me even more :-( been

trying to buy but it will not let me.

So now will have to get a private prescription on top. Will they stop charging

us VAT if we use a prescription?

Carol

---

[Guest guest]

I have just received a response from value pharmaceuticals

telling me that yes, indeed, all orders from the UK now require a prescription.

I have sent out a message to all members to this effect.

Luv - Sheila

I hope

all internet pharmacies dont start doing the same, I will have to go back

to Armour from International pharmacy, I do ok on Erfa and Armour

But this

is a worry

So now its gonna cost me even more :-( been trying to buy

but it will not let me.

So now will have to get a private prescription on top. Will they stop charging

us VAT if we use a prescription?

Carol

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

This is true Lilian, but it is the manufacturers (Forest

Pharmaceuticals) that are no longer shipping Armour to the UK or Europe. They

are, however, still manufacturing it for the US, and therefore, Internet

pharmacies in the US can still buy it, and they, in turn, can still ship it out

to Europe and the UK. So things are not as bad as we first thought.

Luv - Sheila

I believe they are no longer selling Armour to the UK either.

Lilian

On 30 December 2011 17:26, sarah s <xxsarahxx_40@...> wrote:

I hope

all internet pharmacies dont start doing the same, I will have to go back

to Armour from International pharmacy, I do ok on Erfa and Armour

But this

is a worry

[Guest guest]

Below

are just some of the reasons why thyroid hormone doesn't work for some people

as it should. Read this carefully and go through each one by way of a process

of elimination to see if this is why your T3 is not working as it should for

you.

The

main condition responsible for stopping thyroid hormone from working is, quite

simply, a patient’s thyroxine dose is too low because the doctor or

consultant refuses to increase it, because the serum thyroid function test

results appear OK. Sometimes, the thyroxine dose is too high, yet patients

still don't feel well. They continue to suffer. Some reasons for this:

They

may be suffering with low adrenal reserve. The production of T4, its conversion

to T3, and the receptor uptake requires a normal amount of adrenal hormones,

notably, of course, cortisone. (Excess cortisone can shut production down,

however.) This is what happens if the adrenals are not responding properly, and

provision of cortisone usually switches it on again. But sometimes it

doesn’t. If the illness has been going on for a long time, the

enzyme seems to fail. This conversion failure (inexplicably denied by

many endocrinologists) means the thyroxine builds up, unconverted. So it

doesn’t work, and T4 toxicosis results. This makes the patient feel quite

unwell, toxic, often with palpitations and chest pain. If provision of adrenal

support doesn’t remedy the situation, the final solution is the use of

the active thyroid hormone, already converted, T3 - either synthetic or

natural.

Then,

we have systemic candidiasis. This is where candida albicans, yeast, which

causes skin infections almost anywhere in the body, invades the lining of the

lower part of the small intestine and the large intestine. Here, the

candida sets up residence in the warmth and the dark, and demands to be

fed. Loving sugars and starches, candida can make you suffer terrible

sweet cravings. Candida can produce toxins which can cause very many

symptoms of exhaustion, headache, general illness, and which interfere with the

uptake of thyroid and adrenal treatment. Sometimes the levels - which we

usually test for - can be very high, and make successful treatment difficult to

achieve until adequately treated.

Then

there is receptor resistance which could be a culprit. Being hypothyroid

for some considerable time may mean the biochemical mechanisms which permit the

binding of T3 to the receptors, is downgraded - so the T3 won’t go

in. With slow build up of T3, with full adrenal support and adequate

vitamins and minerals, the receptors do come on line again. But this can

be quite a slow process, and care has to be taken to build the dose up

gradually.

And

then there are Food allergies. The most common food allergy is allergy to

gluten, the protein fraction of wheat. The antibody generated by the body, by a

process of molecular mimicry, cross reacts with the thyroperoxidase enzyme,

(which makes thyroxine) and shuts it down. So allergy to bread can make

you hypothyroid. There may be other food allergies with this kind of effect,

but information on these is scanty. Certainly allergic response to

certain foods can affect adrenal function and imperil thyroid production and

uptake.

Then

we have hormone imbalances. The whole of the endocrine system is linked; each

part of it needs the other parts to be operating normally to work

properly. An example of this we have seen already, with cortisone.

But another example is the operation of sex hormones. The imbalance that

occurs at the menopause with progesterone running down, and a relative

dominance of oestrogen is a further case in point – oestrogen dominance

downgrades production, transportation and uptake of thyroid hormones.

This is why hypothyroidism may first appear at the menopause; the symptoms

ascribed to this alone, which is then treated – often with extra

oestrogen, making the whole thing worse. Deficiency in progesterone most

especially needs to be dealt with, since it reverses oestrogen dominance,

improves many menopausal symptoms like sweats and mood swings, and reverses

osteoporosis. Happily natural progesterone cream is easily obtained: when

used it has the added benefit of helping to stabilise adrenal function.

Then,

we must never forget the possibility of mercury poisoning (through amalgam

fillings) - low levels of iron, transferring saturation%, ferritin, vitamin

B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc - all of which, if low,

stop the thyroid hormone from being utilised by the cells - these have to be

treated.

As

Dr Peatfield says " When you have been quite unwell for a long time, all

these problems have to be dealt with; and since each may affect the other, it

all has to be done rather carefully.

Contrary

to cherished beliefs by much of the medical establishment, the correction of a

thyroid deficiency state has a number of complexities and variables, which make

the treatment usually quite specific for each person. The balancing of

these variables is as much up to you as to me – which is why a check of

morning, day and evening temperatures and pulse rates, together with symptoms,

good and bad, can be so helpful.

The

above problems must be eliminated if thyroid hormone isn't working for you.

Luv

- Sheila

Hi Kathleen,

I too don't do well on NHS T3. I started taking Mexican T3 and told my endo and

asked if he would ask my GP to prescribe it which he did. Just a shame its not

effective for me. I have no idea why? Just ordered from Mexico, if I had read

all this before would have ordered more.

Judy

---

[Guest guest]

Are you saying that International Pharmacy arent selling Armour to the UK??

I believe they are no longer selling Armour to the UK either.

Lilian

On 30 December 2011 17:26, sarah s <xxsarahxx_40@...> wrote:

I hope all internet pharmacies dont start doing the same, I will have to go back to Armour from International pharmacy, I do ok on Erfa and Armour

But this is a worry

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathleen,

Yes, many of these tests are available within the NHS but

whether your doctor will be happy to do them for you in the light of severe

cut-backs or not is up to the individual doctor. Many GP's are referring their

patients to specialists so the cost of such required testing comes out of their

budget and not the GP's.

I would personally ask my doctor right now for the results of

any previous tests that have been done and ask for the reference range for each

of the tests done, and that way, you can find out whether those tests are

sufficient. The NHS tests we recommend as mainly being needed are iron,

transferrin saturation, ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate,

copper and zinc. We need to know whether any of these are low in the reference

range because if they are, thyroid hormone cannot be taken up by the cells

until whatever is found to be low is supplemented. This is the same with low

adrenal reserve, systemic candidiasis, mercury poisoning caused through amalgam

fillings, food allergies, hormone imbalance etc. but the latter are likely to

be refused by NHS doctors. See attached document to show to your doctor that

gives just some of the references to the research/studies done into the

association between specific nutrients and low thyroid.

Luv - Sheila

All these tests you mention are they all available on NHS. I already know that

VIT D is deficient, but no further tests have been done, but D3 is no good for

me and the reason I take VIT D2.

I have put off having my tooth crowned until my health improves, and that it

can be crowned in a safe way.

Should I wait to see what the full blood count results are first, before asking

if he has ever done any of the mentioned tests, and can they be carried out by

a GP or does one have to be referred to a specialist. If this is the case he

has to have a reason from the tests he can do to be able to refer me.

,_._,___

1 of 1 File(s)

MINERALS AND VIT. TESTING.doc

[Guest guest]

I once wrote to Forest Pharmaceuticals asking them if it was OK

to freeze Armour. They wrote back to say that they had no studies to show

whether this was good or bad, but that they could see no reason why we should

not. I have kept natural thyroid extract in the freezer and found no problem

whatsoever.

Luv - Sheila

Hi Sheila

I can get private prescription for erfa, but my dr thinks it will cost me more

than just buying and importing it myself, i have just bought quite a lot, will

have to freeze some of it. Can it be frozen in the tub?

I always thought it would cost me more and not only that someone else has

control over MY health when no one has made me feel better than me myself. I

take what i need and have not ever felt hyper, like they like to keep you on

thyroxine.

Thank heavens for savings i bought 2 x 500 125mg and hope freezing them will

help, I shall also take my dr up on prescriptions long before these run out and

hope i can keep ahead of the game.

5 years ago i couldnt even think like this.

Carol

___

[Guest guest]

I am saying that Forest Pharmaceuticals will no longer be

importing Armour Thyroid to the UK or Europe though they are still manufacturing

it and selling it to the UK market. This affects those people who's NHS

GP/Endocrinologist prescribes Armour Thyroid where Idis World Medicines and

Pharmarama source unlicensed medicines from. Those previously prescribed Armour

by the NHS must now change their prescription to Erfa 'Thyroid', Nature Throid

or Westhroid as these are the only other 3 unlicensed natural desiccated

thyroid extracts the MHRA accept.

However, US Internet Pharmacies can buy Armour direct from

Forest and for the moment, who are still able to import them to the UK and

Europe, though for how long without a prescription, remains to be seen.

Luv - Sheila

Are you saying that International Pharmacy arent selling

Armour to the UK??

I believe

they are no longer selling Armour to the UK either.

Lilian

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathleen

You

could well be worrying unnecessarily about your cloudy urine in a morning. We

know that this can be a bit distressing but this is quite common and not

particularly important as there are a number of things which can cause it. You

can get cloudy urine following a heavy meal or drinking a large quantity of

milk, but as long as there are no other symptoms, it really is nothing to worry

about.. Remember also that because no fluids have been consumed for

several hours whilst you have been asleep, urine is more concentrated which

again is perfectly natural and no cause for concern, especially as tests done do

not indicate any problem.

You should always take 200mcgs Selenium when suffering with

hypothyroidism. This helps with the conversion of T4 into the active thyroid

hormone T3.

You can check all about the benefits (or otherwise) of the

different vitamins/minerals that affect us in the FILES SECTION under 'Vitamins

and Minerals' FOLDER.

Luv - Sheila

I am also wondering if to increase the T3 again by another half a pill, and to

start taking Selenium. What would be the most likely vitamin apart from Vitamin

D that is more likely to be low in the winter months that would cause problems

to absorbing Thyroxine or T3.

Kathleen

_,___

[Guest guest]

As far as I am aware there are no other Internet Pharmacies

apart from www.valuepharmaceuticals.com

that sell Erfa 'Thyroid' without prescription. You can buy it direct from

Canada - through the Erfa web site but you still need a prescription form there.

I wonder if the manufacturers are putting pressure on valuepharmaceuticals?

Luv - Sheila

I saw this today and was worried too - I thought it might be pressure from

foreign governments (mainly the US) that don't want it to be legal in other

countries to sell prescription meds without prescriptions.

Does anyone get erfa from another country without a prescription?

I don't know what I will do without the erfa. I have extra bottles of Thyroid-s

sitting around that I was going to try if erfa didn't work, and now I don't

know what to do with those, but I'd really rather not switch now that I found

something that is working for me.

__