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Currently on 88mcg of Synthroid; want to add 5mcg of Cytomel
If I'm currently on 88mcg of synthroid which I take as soon as I wake up; what time of the time should I take the 5mcg of cytomel?
I ordered it online.
I have an appoinment with a specialist on Oct. 4th so we'll see what she says. I just wanted to see how I should take the cytomel w/syntrhoid.
My conditions that continue are tiredness and fatigue, dry skin, weight gain (with NO diet change if anything I'm eating less), and very sensitive to cold/AC conditions
My PCP did nothing for me nor ran the correct test and is making me pay. All she cares about is the TSH level and finally admitted she doesn't know much about this matter!!!
Thank you for your response!
I have an appoinment with a specialist on Oct. 4th so we'll see what she says. I just wanted to see how I should take the cytomel w/syntrhoid.
My conditions that continue are tiredness and fatigue, dry skin, weight gain (with NO diet change if anything I'm eating less), and very sensitive to cold/AC conditions
My PCP did nothing for me nor ran the correct test and is making me pay. All she cares about is the TSH level and finally admitted she doesn't know much about this matter!!!
Thank you for your response!
How exactly do you go about "ordering Cytomel 25 mcg"?
This is a prescription drug. Someone licensed must be writing out the prescription. How did you get the Cytomel?
It sounds like your PCP dropped your dosage because of your TSH level. Dr's typically with "immaculate TSH belief" will try to medicate you so your TSH is between 1.0 and 2.0 Since your last test the TSH was 0.7 the Dr cut your dose by a small amount to attempt to get TSH to rise a little. The fact that your PCP did not run even at your request the FT4 & FT3 tests indicate to me that your Dr has "immaculate TSH belief". And you may have to take the time to find a new Dr. Because it is virtually impossible to tweak your medicine and have you feel well by TSH alone. it would be like winning the lottery!
You have talked a lot about who you saw and stuff. But you have not described your symptoms. You say you want to feel better. But you have not described the way you feel. What symptoms do you have that you say you "feel crappy". Could you please be more specific?
And you blame the weight gain on medicine. Well it is not the medicine, it may be the lack of the proper dosage. But likely not the medicine itself.
I would not take ANY of the Cytomel until you get a free T3 test to know where you stand. And also a free T4 test. Taking a pure T3 med without testing for blood levels of T3 makes no sense what so ever.
Most people seem to get symptom relief when their FT4 are mid range, and FT3 are in the upper 1/3 of the range. You do not have either test so you have no idea where you are so it is nearly impossible and a complete guessing game as to how to adjust your medication.
If you take the Cytomel it COULD cause you to go Hyper. And going Hyper is nothing to mess with if you can at all help it. Heart racing and anxiety, panic attacks etc are some of the things that can occur.
Again I would insist on getting the FT4 and FT3 tests done before you do any changing of meds. The T4 test that you had above I believe is "total" and not free. And doesn't tell you much and is rather outdated test.
The rule of thumb is that when adding T3 med such as Cytomel, the T4 med would be reduced by 4 times the amount of T3 added. Thus if you ad Cytomel 5 mcg, then you would lower the T4 med (Synthroid or levo etc) by about 20 mcgs.
So the Dr cutting you from 100 mcg to 88 mcg is only a cut of 12 mcg.
Typically you do not add a T3 med until you have determined that you can not raise your T3 med by the addition of a T4 med and let the body convert. If you have a conversion problem then you may need the help of a pure T3 med to tweak the last little bit to make you feel well.
Your PCP doesn't seem to realize that by taking thyroid meds that the medication can artificially suppress TSH. Meaning that TSH can test out VERY low, but you can remain Hypo because there simply is not enough FT4 and/or FT3 in your blood. Again this is another sign that you need to talk with your PCP about and possibly find a new Dr. And find one who is willing to treat you based on symptoms and willing to test and monitor FT4 & Ft3 levels!
This is a prescription drug. Someone licensed must be writing out the prescription. How did you get the Cytomel?
It sounds like your PCP dropped your dosage because of your TSH level. Dr's typically with "immaculate TSH belief" will try to medicate you so your TSH is between 1.0 and 2.0 Since your last test the TSH was 0.7 the Dr cut your dose by a small amount to attempt to get TSH to rise a little. The fact that your PCP did not run even at your request the FT4 & FT3 tests indicate to me that your Dr has "immaculate TSH belief". And you may have to take the time to find a new Dr. Because it is virtually impossible to tweak your medicine and have you feel well by TSH alone. it would be like winning the lottery!
You have talked a lot about who you saw and stuff. But you have not described your symptoms. You say you want to feel better. But you have not described the way you feel. What symptoms do you have that you say you "feel crappy". Could you please be more specific?
And you blame the weight gain on medicine. Well it is not the medicine, it may be the lack of the proper dosage. But likely not the medicine itself.
I would not take ANY of the Cytomel until you get a free T3 test to know where you stand. And also a free T4 test. Taking a pure T3 med without testing for blood levels of T3 makes no sense what so ever.
Most people seem to get symptom relief when their FT4 are mid range, and FT3 are in the upper 1/3 of the range. You do not have either test so you have no idea where you are so it is nearly impossible and a complete guessing game as to how to adjust your medication.
If you take the Cytomel it COULD cause you to go Hyper. And going Hyper is nothing to mess with if you can at all help it. Heart racing and anxiety, panic attacks etc are some of the things that can occur.
Again I would insist on getting the FT4 and FT3 tests done before you do any changing of meds. The T4 test that you had above I believe is "total" and not free. And doesn't tell you much and is rather outdated test.
The rule of thumb is that when adding T3 med such as Cytomel, the T4 med would be reduced by 4 times the amount of T3 added. Thus if you ad Cytomel 5 mcg, then you would lower the T4 med (Synthroid or levo etc) by about 20 mcgs.
So the Dr cutting you from 100 mcg to 88 mcg is only a cut of 12 mcg.
Typically you do not add a T3 med until you have determined that you can not raise your T3 med by the addition of a T4 med and let the body convert. If you have a conversion problem then you may need the help of a pure T3 med to tweak the last little bit to make you feel well.
Your PCP doesn't seem to realize that by taking thyroid meds that the medication can artificially suppress TSH. Meaning that TSH can test out VERY low, but you can remain Hypo because there simply is not enough FT4 and/or FT3 in your blood. Again this is another sign that you need to talk with your PCP about and possibly find a new Dr. And find one who is willing to treat you based on symptoms and willing to test and monitor FT4 & Ft3 levels!
They haven't, I'm seeing a holistic practitioner and wanted to see to search on my own to see what time in the day is better.
In April I got a physical and my TSH was at 64.7. And went again in a week to confirm my blood work and my TSH was at 57.1. So my general MD put me on 100mcg of Synthroid once a day first thing in the morning. I went back on June 11 to check on level and my TSH was at 3.3. (Note: my general MD has NEVER tested my Free T3, Free T4, RT3, etc.
I started seeing a holistic practitioner the first of Aug. and she recommended Cytomel and asked me to get the above tests run and she would look over the results and recommend accordingly. I asked my general MD to run those tests but they did NOT run the ones I asked for instead they ran T3 uptake (30.2), T4 thyroxine (17.7), calculated T7 FTI (5.35), and TSH (0.7). Also, my iron serum (133), unsaturated IBC (323), calculated total IBC (456) and calculated % iron SAT (29).
After I asked my general MD for the tests and they ran the wrong ones, with the above numbers she wanted to do a follow-up. I asked her about Cytomel and she said she didn't know a lot about thyroid and she thought I should go see someone else regarding Cytomel. Yet she proceeded with the follow-up stating she was going to change my 100mcg of Synthroid to 88mcg and that I should take iron supplements about 3 days a week. My holistic practitioner did not agree with her and I went ahead and ordered Cytomel in 25 mcg tablets
and here I am..... trying to figure out what to do.
I just want to feel better!!! And be on the right, good medicine and NOT feeling crappy, gaining weight due to medicine!!
In April I got a physical and my TSH was at 64.7. And went again in a week to confirm my blood work and my TSH was at 57.1. So my general MD put me on 100mcg of Synthroid once a day first thing in the morning. I went back on June 11 to check on level and my TSH was at 3.3. (Note: my general MD has NEVER tested my Free T3, Free T4, RT3, etc.
I started seeing a holistic practitioner the first of Aug. and she recommended Cytomel and asked me to get the above tests run and she would look over the results and recommend accordingly. I asked my general MD to run those tests but they did NOT run the ones I asked for instead they ran T3 uptake (30.2), T4 thyroxine (17.7), calculated T7 FTI (5.35), and TSH (0.7). Also, my iron serum (133), unsaturated IBC (323), calculated total IBC (456) and calculated % iron SAT (29).
After I asked my general MD for the tests and they ran the wrong ones, with the above numbers she wanted to do a follow-up. I asked her about Cytomel and she said she didn't know a lot about thyroid and she thought I should go see someone else regarding Cytomel. Yet she proceeded with the follow-up stating she was going to change my 100mcg of Synthroid to 88mcg and that I should take iron supplements about 3 days a week. My holistic practitioner did not agree with her and I went ahead and ordered Cytomel in 25 mcg tablets
and here I am..... trying to figure out what to do.
I just want to feel better!!! And be on the right, good medicine and NOT feeling crappy, gaining weight due to medicine!!
COMMUNITY LEADER
What time did your doctor tell you to take it? Some people take it with the synthroid, others take it later in the day, still others split the dose in 1/2 and take 1/2 at one time, the other 1/2 at another time.
It's generally recommended that you decrease the dosage of your T4 med, when adding cytomel; has your doctor told you to do this?
Can you post your most recent labs, with reference ranges, so members can more fully assess and comment on your situation?
It's generally recommended that you decrease the dosage of your T4 med, when adding cytomel; has your doctor told you to do this?
Can you post your most recent labs, with reference ranges, so members can more fully assess and comment on your situation?
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