I need a sneaky way to continue getting my thyroid meds?

[summerskye2002]

Here are my levels
tsh .02
free t3 3.2 range 2.0-4.4
thyroxine, free .84 range .82-1.77
I fought hard for 7 years to get cytomel and now I feel great. Though my tsh is low my body temperature is 97.4. Resting heart rate is 58. Average heart rate while walking around is 80. Blood pressure is 110/72. I'm vegan so my cholesterol is 160, never had problems with cholesterol or blood sugar. I can not get a doctor to prescribe based on how I feel they just keep looking at the tsh level. My psychiatrist is prescribing it because I begged her as no endo would listen and she is cool. I am on 25 mcg cytomel and 75 mcg levothyroxine. I was thinking of making an appointment with a new endo and going off my meds for a week hoping to increase my tsh so I can continue getting my meds otherwise I do not know what to do. My psychiatrist will continue with the cytomel for I do not know how long and I have nobody to prescribe the levo anymore. Prior to cytomel my temperature was about 95, I gained 149 pounds, was put on 800 calories diet with 4 hours of exercise a day and phentermine (gained weight). Prior to hashimoto I was a personal trainer and aerobics instructor, went from a size 3 to a 3X. Thanks to cytomel I have very slowly lost 58 pounds and I'm in an XL, very proud of that. I workout 3 hours a day and eat 1200 calories, much better then before. I just cannot go back to the ball of cold goo, sleeping 12 hours, having clumps of hair fall out while doctors tell me I'm fine or overeating when I'm starving to death. Any advice or suggestions???

[summerskye2002]

I'm raising 2 kids on a disability check, I don't have two pennies to rub together.

[rach7612]

My thyroid doctor does not accept my insurance. It is ~$100-150 per visit. Labs are covered because I get them at an independent lab which is covered by insurance. It is worth every penny to pay out of pocket for the right doctor, esp. when your insurance will probably still cover the lab tests. (this is just my experience)

[summerskye2002]

That is why I have been researching where to buy it online, cause you never know and I do not trust endo's. If something should happen to my doc then I am out of luck or learning to self medicate and I would rather feel good then curl up and die like it seems the endo's want you to. I am going to fight for my right to feel human.

[summerskye2002]

I think if I give my psychiatrist enough info on tsh suppressed on cytomel and free t3, free t4 she might just take it over for me. My endo called her trying to get her to decrease my cytomel last week and she refused, that is why I quit my endo and I had to go to my therapist explaining everything as she tells my psychiatrist and it was my therapist suggestion that my psychiatrist take over my levo too. I even went to my gp so I could show them my bp, temp, hr, etc. to prove I'm not hyper. They can also see, I'm still quite hypo. I am just frustrated and nothing is forever. It feels strange teaching a doc how to medicate me and totally unreal that she is trusting me...I feel that no endo has trusted me, especially with diets. I want more control in the situation.

[goolarra]

Still, if he's open to prescribing Cytomel, you might be able to work with him...  The people who answer the phone aren't always privy to everything the doctor prescribes.  Perhaps, if you have to wait until October to see him, your psych would be willing to prescribe both T3 and T4 for you until then at least???

It's good to vent once in a while...we've all been there...

[flyingfool]

My wife just got her cytomel pulled from her!  ANd she is feeling worse.  Told the endo that after the first reduction in the Cytomel.  To no avail!  low TSH and boom pulled the Cytomel.  Now my wife is back to requireing a nap every day, grouchy, her periods are messed up again. etc.  Yippee!

This TSH conspiracy is unbelievable.  The previous Endo we had who finally allowed my wife to get Cytomel after about a year retired.  The replacement is the one who just pulled her off the cytomel.  I feel like we should sue for malpractice.  This is insanity!

[summerskye2002]

I just left a message seeing if she will do my levo too. I called the doctor's office of Kenneth Gross and found out if I switch my insurance in October that I may be able to see him but was informed that he usually only prescibes 5 mcg cytomel daily by the woman that answers that phone so that went from being promising to a bust. If worse comes to worse I'll self medicate...I will never go back to being near death's door again. I will fight for my right to feel human and have a body temperature above 95. After getting sick I never knew I could feel good again...I waited 7 years to get cytomel and it has saved my life. I will do whatever it takes to keep it. It scares me how doctor's would rather watch people get sicker and sicker then prescribe one little pill that can change their world. Going through this has made me seriously considering getting my phd so I can help people...after going through this I realize how uneducated doctors are to this illness. Sorry for the long posting...venting

[goolarra]

Are you making it clear when you ask the question that you want to know if they will use a combination T3/T4 therapy.  They may think you want to know if the doctor will use T3 alone.

Is it possible to go out of plan?  If you're feeling well, you might only have to see your doctor once a year.  Due to very high deductible health insurance for the past many years, I've arranged with my endo to only see him once a year.  I have labs at six months, and we talk on the phone if either of us has an issue at that point.

If your psych is prescribing your Cytomel now, you could ask if she intends to continue that indefinitely.  Why can't she prescribe your levo as well?

[summerskye2002]

So far I have called every endo that Takes myinsurance and none of them deal with cytomel...only synthyroid

[goolarra]

Unfortunately, if you stop taking meds and get your levels to change, you're probably going to be feeling pretty bad, too.

I notice you have another thread going that I just responded to asking for a doctor in your area.  I think the only real answer to your problem is finding a doctor who will treat you properly and treat your symptoms, not your TSH.  

Have you tried pre-interviewing doctors over the phone or by fax or email before making an appointment?  A few pertinent questions can weed out the worst of the worst.  I can make some suggestions on what to ask if you're interested.