When is cytomel prescribed?

[Totie]

I read on here how many use cytomel with their Levothyroxin or other thyroid medication. Why & When is cytomel prescribed? Is it something that makes your mind feel better? How do you know if it would help me or not?

Just curious..

[edra]

In a clinical sense, a smart doc will try T3 (Cytomel) when you've been on T4 a while and just aren't doing well.  You may have brain fog, or one of a cluster of about 60 other symptoms.

Blood testing may or may not be able to prove that you have a T4-T3 conversion problem.

I've been on T4 for a very long time, and am still not back to full health.  I also have low body temp, which indicates poor T4-T3 conversion.  (Many docs will poo-poo temperature as a diagnostic tool.  I think they're dead wrong.)  If your basal (waking) temp is below 98.2F, or your daytime temp is significantly below 98.6F, you probably aren't converting right.

Dosing with Cytomel is tricky.  I find that a small dose (e.g. 1/2 of a 5mcg tab) every few hours is much preferable to a large daily dose.  Or, you can try the compounded sustained-release T3 that is used to treat Wilson's Temperature Syndrome.

[Totie]

Okay, had my appt. last Friday with my regular PCP. Lost 3 lbs., was at 101, now at 98. No I am not trying. She will not do anything as far as Cytomel right now until I get my TSH level retested again in another four weeks.

The reason I went in was due to my 3rd woman cycle in 30 days. She thinks I could be menopausal. I could be (38). She can not test me for it because I still get my cycles. She also thinks that it just maybe the dosage change (thyroid) has caused my cycles to go out of whack. I started my 3rd cycle on Jan.6, and here we are Jan 13 and still on it......:(

She is basically at a wait and see what happens mode. So until then, deal with the pain in the ovaries.....:((

On another note, I will go see a surgeon for the tumor in the abdomen. ..THAT they can not tell me what it is nor are they able to biopsy it....:((

Grin and Bear it....

[Smilerdeb]

Good Luck Totie...let us know whow you go as everyone learns from our postings.
As I have learnt from your ones about the saliva glands.
Many Thanks

[Totie]

I go see my doctor 2morrow for issues I am sure is thyroid related. I go in the morning so I will let you know how it goes...

Thanks. for your replies...

[Smilerdeb]

Your dosage should be based promarily on your Free T3 and Free T4 levels first THEN on your TSH....not the TSH levels alone.
Just as they say that it is best to keep the TSH below 2.0, some cant handle this (me included) and I function better when my FT4 is around the 16.5 mark, the FT3 around the 4.5 mark and the TSH around the 2.3- 2.5 mark.

Everyone is different and it is good to write down how you feel and your symptoms after every dose change and labs tests.
This is the way that I have been 'tweaking' my meds to get my levels stable.
Prior to that, I was going Hyper every 3 weeks on Thyroxin.
I havent been Hyper now for some time.

5.19 definately is Hypo and yes you will feel like **** ...watch your symptoms and although I am no expert, they say to balance the T3 out over the day (3 doses if possible).
Keep us informed how you go.
Good Luck.

[Totie]

I had TT due to graves/hyperthyroidism.  

My dosage is changed based on TSH level.

Here are results since April 08.  I had been losing weight without any diet changes since Jan 08.(I do not excersie).

April     08 -       2.19 125mcg
July      "   -       .5      125mcg
Aug.    "   -        .95    125mcg (regular PCP wanted to lower dosage, but endo said no)
Oct       08  -      .44    PCP lowered dosage to 100mcg
Dec      08  -        5.19  PCP increased dosage to 112mcg

Yeah, I feel like ****.....