medication question

[peacegirl27]

Can you take just Cytomel? I am on levothyroxine and feeling awful. I heard that this generic of Synthroid is actually not the same as Synthroid and that it is not as good. I heard some people have fabulous results on Armour and Cytomel. Why are Dr's so reluctant to prescribe these other meds? I heard Cytomel really helps with fatigue. All I want to do is sleep, it's awful.
Thanks
peacegirl

[cheadlebeagle]

I have just posed a question to the forum as I am on cytomel only and now have insomnia!

[Barb135]

Synthroid, levothyroxine, cytomel and Armour are not all the same meds and are not interchangeable!!  

Levothyroxine is the generic for synthroid, which is a T4 med only - those 2 can be interchangeable, but some people do better on one or the other.  Cytomel is a T3 only med.  Armour is a natural thyroid hormone which has both T4 and T3.  T3 is a very short lived hormone - only lasts a few hours and often works best to split the dosage over the day.  

The body has to convert T4 into T3 in order to benefit.  A lot of people do not have a problem making this conversion but others do.  Those are the ones who benefit most from cytomel or Armour.  

Do you have your latest blood results?  If you could post them here, it would be easier tell you what you might be able to do.  Are you taking the med correctly - first thing when you get up in the morning, then don't eat or drink anything for 30-60 min?  There are also some other meds, calcium  and some foods that inhibit the absorption of the thyroid med and should not be taken at the same time.  

If you aren't doing well on levothyroxine, ask your doctor if you can try synthroid (the brand name).  If that doesn't work, then you might benefit from cytomel or Armour.  If you are fatigued all the time, you could still be hypo, but without seeing test results it would be impossible to say.  

I personally, take levothyroxine with cytomel because I have a conversion problem.  I was on synthroid alone and felt horrible all the time.  I've been on the levothyroxine and cytomel for not quite a month and it's made a huge difference.  I take the levothyroxine and one dose of cytomel first thing in the morning, with the other dose of cytomel about mid morning.  

Try to post your blood test results - that's what would be needed in order to answer your questions further.  

[ChronicFatigue]

You mention insomnia, what time of Day are you taking your Cytomel?

I take 100mcg (a *VERY HIGH* dose)--and sleep fine. (however you are supposed to take Cytomel only in the AM).

I just looked at the Manufacturer's website--here's the link (and PDF on Cytomel). I just found this for my own information (had already been taking only in the AM--but this confirms it).

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The Manufacturer of Cytomel is "King Pharmaceuticals", here is the link I used to find the PDF Copy of Instruction on Cytomel

It's on Page 4 of 5--left bottom left side of page under "Dosage and Administration"

Click on the link that says [pdf] Cytomel

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=site%3Akingpharm.com+cytomel&aq=f&aqi=&aq=f&aqi=&oq=&fp=7d15299a959dbb33



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Quote:
Dosage and Administration

cytomel Tablets are intended for oral administration , once-a-day dosage is recommended. Although liothronine sodium has a rapid cutoff, it's metabolic effects persist for a few days following discontinuance.

[magpieannie]

My daughter had sleep issues on t4 only. Now she is on dessicated  (which has t3 and t4 in it, plus t1, t2, calcitonan, and selinium: more closely resembles human thyroid hormone) and sleeps soundly through the night now! She has been on the brand called Nature-Throid for 10 weeks and is doing great!