cytomel and t3

Cytomel is a T3 - the only way this would benefit you would be if your T3 is low and need to get that level up. Low T3 could cause anxiety but you need to know your thyroid blood panel to really see if you need it. Cytomel is not really a med to control anxiety. Xanax is the most given or a generic.

THEN you would start to add T3 (cytomel) medication and slowly work up. You then work up until you feel well or you get to about 67% of the range. Since T4 is a storage hormone, with your active lifestyle I think it woudl be even more important to have this storage built up in your blood so your body has it available to use when your body senses you need to have more thyroid. In which case it can be converted "on demand".

I wouldn't advise adding cytomel without knowing what your actual thyroid levels are -- that's Free T4, Free T3 and TSH. T3 med (cytomel) is about 4 times more potent than the T4 med (synthroid) and it can really throw you for a loop if you don't need it. It can cause very rapid heart rate, palps, etc. Whenever cytomel is added, the T4 med should be dropped accordingly. Did you receive the cytomel from your doctor or as a script? What did your doctor say about adding it?

He wanted me to be on the T3 sustained release instead of the cytomel, though. If I go back to the cytomel along with some sustained release T3, it will actually be slightly less T3 than I am on now, but it will be mostly immediate release rather than sustained release, if that makes sense. I seem to need way more of the sustained type than I did with the cytomel. I'm not sure why... Do you think combining a sustained release med with an immediate release med is a bad thing?

The reason a lot of doctors don't like to use Armour is that it contains T4:T3 in a ratio of approximately 4-5:1. The normal human thyroid produces T4:T3 in a ratio of about 20:1. So, Armour has a lot of T3 in it compared to what your thyroid would produce if it were healthy. All kinds of combos work for different people, but I would guess that adding T3 to Armour would be a real double whamy of T3. You'd have to watch your free T3 really carefully to avoid toxicosis.

I was up to 125 mcg synthroid, then dropped back to 75 synthroid, then switched to 75 generic levo and added 10 mcg cytomel. That was too much cytomel, so dropped back to 5 mcg cytomel and switched to generic; then up to 88 mcg levo, staying with 5 mcg generic cytomel. Am currently on 100 mcg Tirosint and 5 mcg generic cytomel. I take the Tirosint first thing in the morning, per instructions (my day starts 3:30 am). I take my T3 med about 7-7:30 am.

The change from alternating 90mg/120mg of Armour to 125 mcg Tirosint and 25 mcg Cytomel actually represents a considerable increase in both T4 and T3. The Armour you've been taking contains roughly 65 mcg of T4 and 16 mcg of T3 per day. The conversion chart assumes, as you thought, that you're replacing the Armour with Tirosint alone. If you're adding in T3 at the same time, the chart doesn't work. Do you have your lab results to post?

I had a TT in Sept. and RAI in Nov. During the time between the TT and RAI, I took only Cytomel and did fine on it. Currently I take 137 of Levothyroxine and 25 mcg of Cytomel. I was taking a half tablet in the morning and once in the early afternoon, but I couldn't manage to remember to take the afternoon dose in a timely fashion, and sometimes was kept up at night.

We'd really have to see your friends labwork to comment. And to comment intelligently about adding Cytomel (a T3 med), we'd definitely have to see free T3 as well as free T4 and TSH. I mention this because doctors often balk at running FT3, but when considering Cytomel it's very important. Usually, people benefit from adding a bit of Cytomel if their FT4 is well up in the reference range, but FT3 remains low. This could indicate that they have a problem converting T4 to T3.

T3 will supress the TSH and you cannot go by this whatsoever when on both meds. You should be having a Free T4 and Free T3 done with your TSH EVERY time. Cytomel and generic comes in 5mcg dosages for easier dosaging. T3 med will only stay in your system approx 6 hrs or so, so it is very important to split your dosage twice per day. I don't understand why your Dr would automatically start you on 25mcg and didn't even test your frees...quite crazy. That is a good way to go very hyper.

Does anybody know a T3 only medicine without fillers? I was added Cytomel and my NT was reduced to 2 grains due to RT3. So far feeling awful, but I am more concern, despite all the pain and discomfort I am in, about Cytomel causing me allergies. My nose is itching and I have been sneezing. I had a similar episode a couple of years ago and I quit it. I cannot do compound pharmacy since I have to travel and it is too much trouble. Any idea about an existent hypoallergenic T3 only medicine?

I took the sustained release t3 and I would get all the way up to 75mcg and for that day I felt great! Temp went up and all sx disappear. But the next day I would take the same dose and low and behold-my temp would plummet and I'd feel tired again. So then we figured that wilsons wouldn't work since I couldn't keep my temp up so he decided to try me on cytomel since I did respond somewhat to the SR t3. Well, he put me on 25mcg twice a day. The first day was great.

I have Hashimoto's and am TTC. I take Synthroid and am thinking of adding Cytomel. Is it best to stop TTC when first starting this medicine to see how my body reacts? My doctor would prescribe 5 mcg of Cytomel daily. Here are my latest labs, which were taken a few months ago: TSH .94 Free T4 1.6 (.8-1.7) Free T3 2.8 (2.6-4.

I am taking 2.5 mcg cytomel and 8 drops of Lugols solution for treatment of thyroid nodules. I have more energy, sleep better, but am having regular frontal headaches and my eye ache and itch. It's hard to know if I am taking too much or too little, since the symptoms can be the same! Any suggestions?

So, out of network, I saw a doctor willing to work with supplements and hormones and returned to a combo of Levoxyl/Cytomel, will bring in Selenium, some B12 and an Adrenal Support. Also recommended was a very small amount of liquid Iodine 1-2 x a week. Here are the past two labs and the medication doses I was on. Since the change to Tirosent and the increase to 30 mcg Cytomel, I am more tired. And can't seem drop an ounce of weight, despite a really strict diet.

As I mentioned to Laura, my doctor tried to bring up my T3 by lowering my NT and by adding Cytomel. I started to add Cytomel slowly, but to be honest I had a lot of irregular heart beat. I got irregular heart beat when I am hypo as well, so it is very confusing to me to really know what is going on. I tried and decreased my NT up to 1.5 and increased Cytomel, and that are the numbers you see in my original post.

30am and 30mg Armour and 5 McG Cytomel again at 3pm. I feel great, much better than when they had me on just 30mg Armour once a day.

I take Synthroid .1 and 5mcg Cytomel every day for hypothyroidism. I have been taking them together in the morning an hour before any other medications, foods and 6 hours before any iron, calcium, or zinc. Should the Synthroid be taken by itself completely? I can take the Cytomel with breakfast and other meds later in the day, but wondered if taking the Cytomel at the exact same time as the Synthroid was somehow lowering the effectiveness/absorbtion of the Synthroid.

I did take cytomel with ERFA but i seemed I was getting too hot on the combo before I could feel any effect of the cytomel. So out came the ERFA to try to increase the cytomel due to my low T3. But its not working either. I'm still dizzy from increasing the dose and I think I will have to go back down in order for this to go away.

Normally a combination of synthyroid and cytomel would be given. If you are taking cytomel, it should also be spread out through the day (ie. multiple dosing) not all at once. I would be rechecking on this or getting a second opinion. Another option considering that your FT3 is low is to switch to 'natural thyroid' whcih contains T3, T4 and other trace hormones. Armor is one, dessicated thyroid (erfa brand from canada), or compounded from pharmacy.

When I was first tested in late 2005 my doctor said it was hypothyrodism. She put me on 25 mcg of cytomel and 3months later had blood work and it was still low. She then put me on the 50 of cytomel. I want to say that back then my TSH was testing normal by my FreeT4 was low. Since I've been on the 50mcg i have been tested yearly. I went to my doctor because i was just feeling horrible constantly.

My doctor tests my tsh, free t4 and t3 uptake. I went to a specialist and he is the one that put me on Cytomel about a year and a half ago. I could not tell any difference. I did not like the specialist and went back to my regular MD for follow-up. After this long on Cytomel with out any improvement I asked to change to Armour. He said it would be like starting all over again to get meds right.

After 4 years on Armor thyroid, my MD switched me to synthroid 25 mcg and cytomel 5 mcg 1 bid (tid prn). I am a 50 y.o females who is s/p total hysterectomy for ovarian ca. I take Estratest FS 4 X's week. I am feeling MUCH better with the Synthroid and Cytomel, however, my latest labs have come back as follows: TSH- .062 Free Thyroxin-- 1.

Common Questions and Answers about Cytomel and t3

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