To buy medication online?

[enoughforme]

I have a thyroid issue, fron results I've been getting and an opinion from a private fertility specialist I should be 25mg if thyroxine.

I'm really depressed and this is the reason because my thyroid isn't working at optimum levels, also TTC and been told this medication will put thyroid levels in optimum category.

I've asked my gp to give me the meds they keep refusing,

What should I do? Barge into the surgery and make a real fuss or just find an online chemist?

DH keeps telling me I'm silly and should just buy online but I'm worried it could be dodgy. Anyone bought from ab online chemist before? An authorised one?

Please can you provide details of so.

@Gardentiger If you are genuinely concerned about OP self medicating, maybe you could point out the dangers, as looking at your post history you appear to be a HCP. What's the point of coming on to the thread to the threat to say "eugh" at an OP who is feeling unwell and seeking advice?

I'd recommend actually being wary of the people who barge onto threads saying they're a HCP and offering individual medical advice.

As it is OP does not want advice, she wants people to agree with her. She's already ordered prescription medications online and lied about her history.

OP, you keep saying "Well 1 doctor said I need them" - medics are responsible for what THEY prescribe, no matter who 'recommends' it. If they really believe you need to have them, they can prescribe them. Instead they're pushing that responsibility and therefore any consequences off onto another doctor. Private 'specialists' are notorious for this - often when you're paying someone they tell you what you want to hear but won't take the action they 'recommend'.

I also hope you have a plan to get regular blood work done now you're starting them against medical advice.

@JaneTheVirgin that's not the case, I am not looking for agreeable originally I wanted to know if people buy online and where from that was what the thread was started for.

Aside from that however I am open to advice aside from this but some posts are offering advice without reading all the posts so missing out some information.

@MintyGreenDream

Also my thyroid is only slightly under and I'm on 125mcg.I doubt 25mcg would do anything significant tbh.Ive been on it for over 10 years.

Please OP, if you’re really going to self medicate, at least don’t get dosage advice from the internet, because everyone is different and will react to medication differently. I don’t even have a thyroid and I’m also on 125mcg, so from my perspective 25mcg sound perfectly reasonable - but I’m not a medical professional, so my experience is not relevant.

In the kindest possible way, you sound like you've become very fixated on this. I don't think GP's are conspiring to refuse treatment to people with hypothyroidism. It would far easier for them to just prescribe you the tablets but they have to prescribe based on evidence and if the evidence isn't there they can't do it, they could risk being struck off. I'm sure someone with medical training could explain far better than me all the reasons why you shouldn't self-treat with thyroxine, but please don't, you could really make yourself poorly.

My sister got treatment for subclinical levels but she did sit there and detail how it was hurting her life in a very real way the doctors agreed to a trial to see if it helped 10 years later she is still on it

OP, have they tested your levels of vitamin d, B12, Folates and ferritin?

@Fancymice I had low vitamin d but now take supplement. My b12 was too high.

Meanwhile for anyone doubting me please take a few minutes to watch this, it is exactly why my doctors are not listening she explaining my exact problem.

She is saying that you should be tested for autoimmune. The doctor told me auto immune is irrelevant!! This is how unqualified my doctor is in helping me.

[quote enoughforme]@Fancymice I had low vitamin d but now take supplement. My b12 was too high.

Meanwhile for anyone doubting me please take a few minutes to watch this, it is exactly why my doctors are not listening she explaining my exact problem.

She is saying that you should be tested for autoimmune. The doctor told me auto immune is irrelevant!! This is how unqualified my doctor is in helping me.

[/quote] You’re choosing to trust YouTube videos over multiple doctors who are unwilling to prescribe to you. You’re lying to a pharmacist so that they can’t make a proper decision about whether it’s suitable for you.

You don’t seem to be aware of the risks you’re taking.

OP i think this is worrying tbh.

Are you taking your depression meds at the moment?

You say it's not depression because thyroid function goes off when you are depressed.

I can only see you've been tested a couple of times so how do you know that?

You've been through a lot and have a lot on now. Agree with PP you seem to have become fixated on this. Probably because you hope it will mean everything goes well.

But you're trusting s person who is a fertility person over two other HCPs.

The private doctor- not being funny but they would earn more by getting bloods because of follow up and then from the regular check ups. Not saying they do things not indicated but probably would be more likely to act on borderline.

How much was it? Private prescriptions can be v expensive depending on drug.

And also you might want to get details of private doc deleted as accusing him of being a scammer is not trivial.

@NiceGerbil I haven't posted the docs details and I do feel scammed.

Also I'm not taking my meds because my thyroid is causing my depression, not depression.

I honestly feel like I'm being gaslighted bu this thread just like the doctors! Thyroid is a disabling condition that affects lives and I feel likes it's ruining mine but no one believes me.

Oh sorry I thought I saw something about a doc near Gatwick, must have got confused.

@NiceGerbil someone else posted doctors details to recommend for me x

Ok sorry for that!

Please consider my posts.. up to you what you do in the end of course.

OP - I agree with NiceGerbil. Stay away from youtube.

The woman presenting that video you posted isn't even medical doctor, she's a chiropractor - she only has the Dr prefix as she's studied at graduate school.

ibrainandbody.com/dr-brianne-holmes

Remember too - all medications have potential side effects, especially when you don't need them. Depresssion can cause lots of physical symptoms too.

I'd take the ant-depressants, try and lose some weight and you may find that helps you to conceive. If not ask to be referred.

I honestly feel like I'm being gaslighted bu this thread just like the doctors!Maybe because you're wrong? You keep saying that you had 2 doctors saying you don't need treatment, one who said you did. The 2 who said you didn't are much better qualify to make an assessment, a GP who will have seen 100s of patients like you, and a specialist consultant who clearly knows best. Yet you want to believe a fertility consultant, who has very limited if at all experience in endocrinology.

You are confusing everything. I high tsh is indicative of underactive thyroid, not over. You saying you were treated for overactive thyroid with a high tsh makes so sense at all. You said it twice so not a typo. You're getting your dosages wrong, you lie to get medication that can be dangerous if not monitored regularly.

I agree with the above, all these are red flags and indicative of a mental health concern. I do not deny at all that doctors don't get it wrong, I've been through it with Vit B12, so I know, but you are totally over blowing the whole thing just because of one very slightly elevated result, and are clearly completely unwilling to accept that your issues might not be due to your thyroid and coming across as quite obsessive compulsive about it all.

There's no point in telling you anything though because clearly you've reached the point when you are totally blind to anything that is not what you want to hear. I just hope you'll be ok and not causing your body any damage by self-diagnosing and self-treating yourself.

[quote enoughforme]@NiceGerbil I haven't posted the docs details and I do feel scammed.

Also I'm not taking my meds because my thyroid is causing my depression, not depression.

I honestly feel like I'm being gaslighted bu this thread just like the doctors! Thyroid is a disabling condition that affects lives and I feel likes it's ruining mine but no one believes me. [/quote]
Also I'm not taking my meds because my thyroid is causing my depression, not depression.

How do you know this? Even if you do have thyroid issues, it’s possible to have both thyroid issues and depression.

I honestly feel like I'm being gaslighted bu this thread just like the doctors! Thyroid is a disabling condition that affects lives and I feel likes it's ruining mine but no one believes me.

Nobody is denying that thyroid conditions are disabling. That doesn’t mean that you definitely need thyroxine. Doctors aren’t gaslighting you by refusing to prescribe it, and posters aren’t gaslighting you by saying that if 3 doctors have refused to prescribe it, you should listen to them.

I just hope no harm comes to you from self-prescribing.

I think I would concentrate on finding a holistic endocrinologist who can look at all your previous levels, antibodies and work out what is going on. I don't think you should self medicate, although can understand your frustration, however I would be concerned that you go the other way and develop symptoms from that. It can take time to find a consultant you can work with but I honestly think it's worth pursuing , particularly if you are planning to try and conceive. I say this as someone who has thyroid problems and have found it to be a real balancing act at times.

You mention swinging between over and underactive, to the point where you have previously taken carbimazole when over and thyroxine when under.

Has anyone ever checked antibodies for Graves disease and Hashimoto's? Graves antibodies (TRab) are a common cause of an overactive thyroid, and TPO (Hashimoto's) antibodies are associated with an underactive thyroid.

If you have the antibodies associated with Graves disease then self prescribing would potentially be quite dangerous as you could end up overactive again and add to the problem by taking thyroxine.

On the other hand, some people with Hashimoto's can have a period of overactivity in the early stages of disease. My understanding is that as the immune system targets and destroys cells in the thyroid, this can lead to a release of the hormone from those cells. This is generally a short term issue, followed by a period of normal function then underactivity as you gradually lose more function.

If you have the Hashi's antibodies then it's likely your thyroid function will get worse over time and you'll eventually need to be on thyroxine permanently. If you have symptoms and are mildly underactive on testing, and also have those antibodies present, that may give weight to your argument - why wait and suffer symptoms instead of starting it sooner?

I think more testing for a better understanding of your condition would be helpful!

@vivainsomnia I'm not wrong - I was tested for overactive because at that time it was and now it is overactive - this is a condition called hashimotos so if you're going to comment fine but please at least get the facts.

Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease, which can cause an under active thyroid through antibodies attacking.

This can only be diagnosed with a blood test to detect the level of antibodies.

Given how close to normal range your levels all are, they likely wouldn't medicate abs would suggest finding your triggers, most commonly gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, dental infections).

I've had Hashimotos for 10 years, if I wanted to become pregnant again I would be closely managed in terms of my thyroxine doses as during the first 8-10 weeks of pregnancy, medication levels are critical to a healthy pregnancy.

If you have been told by your specialist you have hypothyroidism I recommend seeing an endocrinologist who specialises in this especially if you are Ttc who can closely monitor you and any medication you are prescribed.

I was tested for overactive because at that time it was and now it is overactive
I am not disputing that you were overactive at one point if you were prescribed that medicine (assuming you didn't buy online lying as you are now), but your TSH would have been very low, not the high result you state. That makes no sense at all.

Self-medicating is dangerous, but it is even more when the person doing has a real lack of medical understanding. That you would mistrust your GP, I can understand totally, they are expert, but a specialist in endocrinology did too. Do you believe that they too lack understanding of your condition? If so, go and see a second endocrinology that can redo all your blood tests including antibodies. Going by what your fertility expert said, most likely without looking into details into your levels and history is really bonkers.

@beingsunny thank you so much.

I only know I'm hashimotos through further research and finding the test on my medical report from a year ago. They did the test and no one told me I have this, another major blow and distrust I have for them.

I had a thyroid peroxidaise and my level was 206 iu/mL on a range of 0-75

This is positive antibodies and no one communicated this to me I had to look at my medical records myself to detect this.

This is why I cannot trust the doctors, as many posters don't seem to understand - how can you have a medical condition and no one tells you?

That level is indeed high and can be an indication of Hashimoto but not always. It's not uncommon to have high levels and this not being an indication of hypothyroidism, especially with normal TSH levels. Indeed, that was the case for me. I had a call from my GP once to say my antibodies were very high but as TSH was in the normal range, they would just monitor. I had no symptoms. 6 months later, it was in the borderline range, 1 year later, it was normal and has been for 5 years now.

It's very confusing to understand your history and treatment though. If your doctor thought you might have Hashimoto, they certainly wouldn't have treated you for hyperthyroidism. They would if they thought you had Grave's disease, but again, that would be based on your TSH levels and you say these were then high, so it really makes no sense at all that you'd be given treatment for an overactive thyroid.

You really are totally confused....

High TSH, indicative of underactive thyroid, with high antibodies, possibly Hashimoto. Standard treatment: thyroxine.

Low TSH, indicative of overactive thyroid, with high antibodies, possibly Grave's disease. Standard treatment: Carbimazole/Propyltiouracil/radioactive iodine.

I'm sorry OP, but you're the one who doesn't undertsand it.