Hormone therapies vs cost

[HouKN98]

I've been looking at hormone therapies for my low testosterone and high TSH / possible hypothyroidism, and I've already enrolled myself in a lowtestoserone.com program which is $199 a month.  The thing is, it seems to focus only on TRT, and I do want to get my high TSH levels addressed, too.

However, my primary care physician won't consider doing anything about my high TSH or thyroid.  Although he admitted that my TSH is higher than it should be, he just says that my thyroid hormones are dictated by what I eat and that he would not "overreact" by rx'ing thyroid hormone replacement. 

So now I'm looking into an anti-aging clinic or a functional medicine doctor to get my thyroid addressed.  However, they do not take insurance.  So, the cost is starting to get out of control here. 

TRT: $199/mo
Co-pays: $15 per doc visit, and $15 per Rx at pharmacy
Vits & Supps: $20-50/mo

I'm already about to spend up to $250 a month on my health, and that doesn't even begin to include insurance.  If I am to add visits to a functional medicine doctor to address my high TSH levels, that's more co-pays, more medications, more labs, more outlays to a health provider who does not accept insurance.

It's already starting to become an issue with my finances.  What should I do?  Is there ANY reasonably priced natural supplement that can bring my TSH down at least 1 full point, from >3 to less than 2?? 

Trying to convince my primary care doctor is out of the question, I tried that already.  Switching doctors is also not a great option, because I'm tired of playing doctor roulette just trying to get someone to listen to me (I'm on my 7th doctor in the last 3 years).

Sorry for the rant, but I'm at a crossroads and I need to do something, because my health and QOL is at stake.

[explorer]

Thyroid therapy isn't so expensive once you get the OK by the doctor/practitioner.

For example, a natural desiccated thyroid that was popular a few years ago, ERFA, costs $50 per bottle with 100 pills, the 30 mg version. If one needs something stronger, it costs about $35 per month.

[HouKN98]

Thyroid therapy isn't so expensive once you get the OK by the doctor/practitioner.

For example, a natural desiccated thyroid that was popular a few years ago, ERFA, costs $50 per bottle with 100 pills, the 30 mg version. If one needs something stronger, it costs about $35 per month.

Well that's good... maybe I can ask my current PCP for a referral to a "thyroid specialist" for a 2nd opinion, and see who he refers me to.  If he refers me to a functional medicine doctor, great!  If it's just another endo, I'll go straight to a functional medicine doctor and ask for a free consultation.

[PeakT]

A thorough workup can cost a bit for thyroid and the office cisits tor tuning tbe medications as well.  But after that it is much cbeaper than hrt

[HouKN98]

A thorough workup can cost a bit for thyroid and the office cisits tor tuning tbe medications as well.  But after that it is much cbeaper than hrt

I could print all my labs that include thyroid tests going back a year, and hand it over to the doc as to save on the initial workup?  I'm trying to find ways to save money because if I fragmentize my health care (1 doc for TRT, 1 doc for thyroid, 1 doc for other stuff, etc etc) things can get redundant and wasteful pretty quickly. 

The whole reason I chose my current PCP to begin with was because I was trying to centralize my care with one doctor, and while he is good (it was his idea to do the IMT and he tests for everything I ask for), he just won't prescribe T injections or thyroid medications.  I don't like having to fragmentize my care again, but I may have to do that.

[explorer]

A thorough workup can cost a bit for thyroid and the office cisits tor tuning tbe medications as well.  But after that it is much cbeaper than hrt

I think those who can use just symptoms and temperature for diagnosis tend to be the best thyroid practitioners, so it can be inexpensive.

Broda Barnes was one of the advocates of treating by symptoms. I would want a practitioner influenced by him.

[HouKN98]

I think those who can use just symptoms and temperature for diagnosis tend to be the best thyroid practitioners, so it can be inexpensive.

Broda Barnes was one of the advocates of treating by symptoms. I would want a practitioner influenced by him.

Funny you should say this.  My current PCP actually had me measure my basal body temperature in the mornings for a month, keep a daily log, and send the log to him.  My average BBT came out to 97.3, and he said it's fine.  He said if it came below 97.0, he would have put me on a trial of thyroid hormones.  I can't decide whether my TSH = 3 is a real problem, or if my thyroid is just running normally on a set point that is different than most people's. 

[PeakT]

A thorough workup can cost a bit for thyroid and the office cisits tor tuning tbe medications as well.  But after that it is much cbeaper than hrt

I could print all my labs that include thyroid tests going back a year, and hand it over to the doc as to save on the initial workup?  I'm trying to find ways to save money because if I fragmentize my health care (1 doc for TRT, 1 doc for thyroid, 1 doc for other stuff, etc etc) things can get redundant and wasteful pretty quickly. 

The whole reason I chose my current PCP to begin with was because I was trying to centralize my care with one doctor, and while he is good (it was his idea to do the IMT and he tests for everything I ask for), he just won't prescribe T injections or thyroid medications.  I don't like having to fragmentize my care again, but I may have to do that.

Okay, well here is the way I see it as a lay person:

1.  If you have hypothyroid symptoms, then consider testing.  If you don't, then don't worry about it of course.

2.  To save money, you can start with the TSH.  If you are over 3.0 and not dieting or doing anything else to make yourself hypothyroid, then you are probably hypothyroid and can consider doing no additional testing.

3.  If you have symptoms and you are under 3.0 on TSH, then to really test for hypothyroidism, you must do quite a few tests and I doubt you have had these done.  Again, read this link to see all the kind of tests that you need:

http://peaktestosterone.com/Testosterone_Thyroid

Unfortunately, there is no easy, cheap way around #3 that I know of.  Maybe your doc will have some ways to stair step the expenses or something if you get to that point.

[HouKN98]

you must do quite a few tests and I doubt you have had these done.

Actually, I have.  What I like about my current PCP is that he tests anything and everything that I ask for.  I've been having my thyroid numbers pulled for the past year, and they have been nothing but consistent.  Here are my test results for my thyroid panel - I have these numbers memorized by heart:

TSH: 3.1 (lowest is 2.8, highest is 4.8 )
Free T3: 3.2 (midrange, no deviation from this number with repeated labs)
Free T4: 1.22 (midrange, maybe 5% deviation from this number with repeated labs)
Reverse T3: 15 (range 9-24)
TPO Antibodies: 5 (<40)
Thyrogobulin Antibodies: 27 (<40)

The TSH is the only value that moves up and down a lot... as low as 2.8 and as high as 4.8, while my other thyroid markers are like sticks in mud.  I did have a reverse T3 reading of 22 at one point, but I think that was from very intense training during bike racing season.  I backed off on the intensity, and my reverse T3 backed off to around 15.

It seems every time I go down the thyroid rabbit hole, I go in circles and really get nowhere.  But then I haven't tried talking to a functional medicine doctor...

[PeakT]

you must do quite a few tests and I doubt you have had these done.

Actually, I have.  What I like about my current PCP is that he tests anything and everything that I ask for.  I've been having my thyroid numbers pulled for the past year, and they have been nothing but consistent.  Here are my test results for my thyroid panel - I have these numbers memorized by heart:

TSH: 3.1 (lowest is 2.8, highest is 4.8 )
Free T3: 3.2 (midrange, no deviation from this number with repeated labs)
Free T4: 1.22 (midrange, maybe 5% deviation from this number with repeated labs)
Reverse T3: 15 (range 9-24)
TPO Antibodies: 5 (<40)
Thyrogobulin Antibodies: 27 (<40)

The TSH is the only value that moves up and down a lot... as low as 2.8 and as high as 4.8, while my other thyroid markers are like sticks in mud.  I did have a reverse T3 reading of 22 at one point, but I think that was from very intense training during bike racing season.  I backed off on the intensity, and my reverse T3 backed off to around 15.

It seems every time I go down the thyroid rabbit hole, I go in circles and really get nowhere.  But then I haven't tried talking to a functional medicine doctor...

Okay, now I remember.  Yes, your case is a strange one.  To me it doesn't sound like you have the typical kind of hypothyroidism that I see on here, so I really don't know what to tell you as far as that TSH since your other #s look pretty good.  Let us know what the functional doc says...