cytomel dosage for depression

My question is whether having a very low free T4 is harmful when taking Cytomel? About a year ago I was started on Cytomel by my psychiatrist as an adjunct for resistant depression. I had my TSH tested in the past to screen for thryoid problems, but they had always been "normal" (lab range 0.27-4.20 mIU/mL, results = 2.61 in 2010 and 2.87 in 2013). The Cytomel worked really well for my depression and my energy increased.

I am 6 mos post op (thyroidectomy) and I felt wonderful on Cytomel. The problem is my doctor switched me to Synthroid because he indicated Cytomel has a short half life and can cause "cardiac" side effects. In place of taking Prozac for depression, I was wondering why the doctor won't consider adding Cytomel to the Synthroid dosage so we can kill two birds with one stone.

I agree that depression can be a symptom of being hypo. Also, keep in mind that it's not unusual for symptoms to worsen, or for new symptoms to appear when starting a new dose/medication. Some people who have severe depression or anxiety while hypo, find that they need a mild anti-depressant or anti anxiety med. This is usually temporary, just until levels are under control and life gets back to "normal".

It was amazing to me how such slight changes made such a big difference in how I felt and also how the lab tests varied. I am now on 150 mcg T4 and 30 mcg Cytomel with FREE labs stabilized in mid-range for T4 and in the upper 3/4 range for T3. Feeling pretty good, but it took a lot of testing to get there. Just a reminder that we shouldn't take our medication before our blood draw, especially with T3. Best to all.

Patience is not my long suit. But as soon as Endo saw this, he increase my generic Cytomel to your dosage 5 mcg twice a day. He did not touch the T4 despite the low level. Hopefully this will work for me as well. Thanks for your thoughts. Always appreciated. My question was just about the unusual jump from 5 to 25 by the manufacturer. I realize just add another but was curious about those who need more than 10. I guess 25 would be good if someone needs 50mcg a day.

5 (32-100) ~ low Will the dosage I was supposed to take improve my labs and feeling? (upping Cytomel only, not adding T4 at all). On the wrong dose, I still felt tired although better than before... probably because the RT3 got normal again. I inquired about the low T4 and he almost wanted to add Armour to Cytomel, but I said I didn't feel well on it. He said okay, Cytomel only is fine, he said T4 should not worry me (even though it's low). He told me to take iron and vitamin D...

You might consider going up to 5mcg's of Cytomel. Usually the dosage of Cytomel is 5-10% of the T4 dosage and at 2.5 you are taking less than that. Plus, your free t3 has room to move up. Most feel best with a free t3 over 350.

After having two thyroidectomies and radioactive iodine for thyroid cancer (1997), I have been on 75 mcg of cytomel for 13 years. My new doctor wants to lower my dosage significantly because she says my tsh level is too low. I have already changed to 50 mcg daily. I am afraid to go any lower. What should I do?

I began to feel really awful. Totally exhausted, achy, and puffy. I tried some cytomel for a couple of days to see if there was a difference and I felt so much better. My doc wants me to raise my levo dosage now, so I will have more T4 in my system. But I seem to be having difficulties with T4, so I am really worried about doing this. I don't think I can function this way for too much longer.

1. How long does it take for the thryoid levels to return back to where they were. And how long do these symptoms last. 2. Was 25 mcg of cytomel a normal amount to add to 0.2 mg of levothroxine.. one other thing - the cytomel was added to increase the effectiveness of antidepressents.

Ask for the cytomel in 5 mcg tabs - then you can split the dosage much easier.......Mine are 5 mcg, which worked out perfectly when I was on 10 mcg/day - I could take one first thing in the morning, then another later in the morning, without having to split pills. Now that I'm down to 5 mcg/day, I still don't have to split the pills - they just last twice as long......... To get the 12.5, you will have to go with 1.5 pill twice/day, unless you can get it dropped to just 10 mcg/day.....

I have slowly tapered off of Zoloft, and have been depression med free and depression free for a few weeks now.

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Yes, I was on 200mcg Liothyroine for two years, I'm pretty sure many doctors won't recommend you to be on that high dosage of T3 only medication for longer time. I switched to 160mg Armour thyroid, which worked for me. Why are you on Cytomel?For me, I had problems in converting T4 into T3 Later on my doctor figured out my ferritin was too low, so when it went back to optimal level I could switch to Armour.

I was put on Cytomel and temporarily taken off Synthroid to get my tsh up for the purpose of a whole body scan and while on Cytomel I noticed that I felt much better and seemed to enjoy much more in life. It took some hassle and finally had to go to an Endocrinologist about 175 miles from my home but he put me on 224 mcg Synthroid and 50 mcg Cytomel daily. The combination makes me feel much better than I did, however I have noticed that it isn't perfect.

Depression is a known symptom of low thyroid. Is it the only cause for depression? certainly not. But it is AWEFULLY coincidental that when you have half of your thyroid removed and you then become depressed that it would seem at least possible that the depression could be related to insufficient thyroid. T4 only does not work for everybody. But it is also possible that you simply were under medicated with the T4 only dosage.

I should add that I am currently not on an antidepressant. I have a Xanax (PRN - which I actually went two weeks without a panic attack...) and Requip for restless leg (I've been on that for over six months - the Cytomel only two months).

I have been on 137 mcg of levothyroxine and 50 mcg of cytomel for 2 years and felt great. He recently re-ran blood work and said I needed to cut back. He lowered me to 173 mcg of levo and 25 of cytomel. All my previous symtoms returned and I feel like ****. So I switched to 137 mcg AND .50 mcg of levo. AND 25 mcg of cytomel and it doesn't seem to help. Last blood work numbers were, according to the DR. were: TSH 0.1 T4 7.

Sorry, Im not very familiar with these numbers. I was unclear on the difference so I will say Total T3. I just saw the range was 0.04-0.57. I didn't know that that wasn't my actual number. The cytomel dosage is 5 mcg daily. My T4 was orginally way too low but bc I had been taken a higher dosage of levo it shot thru the roof and my level was too high. Im not sure of the number. I felt fine on the high dosage but the doc said it was dangerous.

There is no way you would become hyper from such a small amount of cytomel. You need to commit to a plan for dosage and increases and stick with it unless there is some unforeseen reaction you cannot tolerate short term, which is not likely with your cortisol and ferritin levels.

She has had me taking various levels of Synthroid and one Cytomel tablet daily for the two years I have been seeing me. She requests that I get my TSH tested nearly every 5 weeks and nearly every time the dosage needs to be adjusted. My sister and my dad both have hypothyroidism also, but they only have the levels checked about once a year. My question is: Does it seem normal that my thyroid meds should need to be adjusted constantly?

5 and 10 cytomel caused a tsh over 2, he suggested I take 10 cytomel and 75 of syn every day except sunday than take 1/2 75. This is not a good solution for me because I feel I ahve side effects from the cytomel and my ft3 and ft4 are still lower than when I took straight t4 meds. I thought a good compromise would be more t4 meds and 5 of cytomel along with a switch to a medicine that worked better for me before like Unithroid.

Can I come off cytomel cold turnkey without side effects? My primary doctor put me on cytomel for chronic fatique/depression. He started me on 25mcg. I felt better so he increased to 50mcg. I said to him at my last appt that it didn't seem to be working and he said we'd go to 75mcg. He said "we can go to 100mcg and then we'll check your thyroid sometime".

I just had my thyroidectomy a week and a half ago and got my prescription for cytomel. My prescription is for 25 mcg every twelve hours and my doctor said to take it on an empty stomach (4 hours w/o food), no solids for the first hour after taking it, and no calcium or citrus for four hours afterwards. AHHH! How do I do this? I can deal with no milk in my morning coffee, but what about dinner? Any advice or help? I think that this is just until my RAI in a month or so. THANKS!

I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. My doctor prescribed levothyroxine .025 mg and my psychiatrist added 5mcg of cytomel. The problem is that instead of being cold all the time, I am burning up, sometimes with sweating. I have internal heat that my husband claims he cannot feel on my skin most of the time. This heat is awful. Can anyone shed light on this? My doctor claims I am now in the normal thyroid range and can't understand the heat issue.

Cytomel dosage for depression

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