AVAILABILITY OF ERFA THYROID OR DESSICATED THYROID IN INDIA

[bn27]

I live in India and have autoimmune hypothyroidism. I have been on Eltroxin and subsequently Thyronorm for the last 17 years. After finding out about dessicated thyroid and its benefits versus the synthetic thyroxine only treatment I have tried different endocrinologists to help me cope better as most of my symptoms over the years were treated or explained away as separate complaints completely unrelated to my longstanding hypothyroidism. None of the endocrinologists were willing to consider the merits of dessicated thyroid treatment or discuss its potential. My enquiries show that dessicated thyroid is unavailable in India as of now. I wish to find out if it's possible to obtain it in India. Will appreciate any help/feedback.

[bhaavi]

Hi,

Were you able to procure desiccated thyroid? I am living in India and looking for buying Armour. Please pass me the information on how to procure it?

Thanks in advance.

[Red_Star]

No problem. Btw, type in Alpha Pharma not the entire name for that company to find the website.  I posted that info just in case you find you can't find a doctor to give you a prescription for NDT. Here in Australia it's illegal to purchase most medications without a valid doctors prescription.

[bn27]

Thank you. Will check it out.

[bn27]

Thank you once again! I will check out the info sent by Gimel or else try my luck with the Canadian pharmacies.

[Barb135]

Thank you ...

[gimel]

Sent PM with possible source for med.  Just click on your name and that takes you to your personal page.  Then click on messages.

[Barb135]

Those are T3 only; she's looking for desiccated, such as ERFA or Armour.

[Red_Star]

Kalpa Pharmaceuticals India sells Thyroxyl T3 (listed under Weight Loss).

Alpha Pharma Healthcare India sells Thyro3 (listed under Thyroid Care).

Search online for the name of the drug company so you can check out the products on their website. There is also contact details as well.

[Barb135]

Many doctors, here have a one size fits all approach as well, and concentrate only on the TSH value, also, so things aren't much different between our countries.  We do have doctors who will prescribe, combined T3 and T4 medications (I'm on them), but many refuse to do so.  Many also refuse to prescribe desiccated hormones.

As for obtaining the desiccated hormones, there may be some pharmacies in Canada, from which you could obtain ERFA.  We had some members a while back that were getting it there, but I can't recall the names of the pharmacies. Try a google search for "Canadian Pharmacies ERFA" or something similar.  Then you'd have to contact them to see if they can ship to your country.   I don't of any from the U.S that would ship to India, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.  

Maybe someone else will come along with further information.  good luck with your search.

[bn27]

Thank you for your response. We do need a doctor's prescription but one can obtain the medicine OTC without producing the prescription each time. Blood tests too can be ordered by self at private labs. Combining synthetic T4 & T3 medication is also not followed, atleast by the Endocrinologists I have approached over the years. The practice here is one size fits all. All hypothyroid patients are put on synthetic thyroxine and symptom alleviation is not of much concern as long as TSH values fall in the normal range (mostly followed range is 0.3 - 5μIU/mL).

What I have been wanting to find out is if it is possible to source Naturally dessicated thyroid from abroad with a prescription from a doctor here (if I can successfully convince an endocrinologist to issue a prescription).

Will appreciate response from anyone who has had success in sourcing dessicated thyroid in India or knows how to go about it or knows an open minded endocrinologist who is willing to consider it over synthetic thyroxine  for treatment.

[Barb135]

Most of us are not real well versed in medical laws/policies in other countries, so we might not be very helpful.  You might talk to pharmacists at local drug stores to find out if they can obtain it; however, in the U.S. desiccated hormones require a prescription, so if one can't find a doctor to prescribe them, they still can't obtain them, even if the pharmacy can get them.  

Do you have to have a prescription for thyroid replacement hormones in your country?  Do you have to have a doctor's order to obtain lab tests?  Do you have T3 medication available in your country?  Many of us do very well on synthetic medications; I, for one, have been on, both, synthetic T4 and T3 for over 6 years and am doing well.  Desiccated hormones are derived from pigs, which produce much more T3 than humans do and not everyone needs that much T3.  One doesn't need desiccated hormones to get well, but some of us "do" need additional T3 medication.