Why Cytomel?

[RedCandle]

My Endo told me that 1 week after my TT (while pathology makes a Dx over their findings) I will be placed on Cytomel. Then if it's not cancer then I will be placed on Synthroid. Does anyone know why post-op TT patients are initially placed on Cytomel? I am aware that Cytomel is just T3 while Synthroid is T4, but I still don't understand. Also, how does Cytomel affect your mood? Is it sufficient or will you go hypo? Any response appreciated.

[Barb135]

I've not had a TT, and I don't know that *all* TT patients ARE initially placed on cytomel.  I think that might depend on the doctor and/or the particular situation.  

T3 is the hormone that "drives" your body temp, metabolism and a host of other functions; without it, you will be very miserable.  T4 has to be converted to T3 in order for the body to use it.  That conversion takes time, and for some of us, doesn't happen like it's supposed to.  Cytomel is a T3 only med, about 4 times more powerful than T4 meds, is fast acting and short lived, so will get into your system quickly. Most likely, your doctor is trying to prevent your going hypo by using the cytomel.  

I do hope that he doesn't give you a real high dose AND that he does frequent testing to make sure your levels don't go too high.  Being slightly hypo is, I believe, preferable to being hypER...

I'm on a low dose of cytomel, along with my T4 med and the "only" thing it does to my mood is to make me feel like I'm not dying, which is a good thing.  How it affects you will depend on your dosage and how well you tolerate the med. We are all different, so it's really hard to say......

[goolarra]

If the pathology report indicates that you need further treatment, that treatment will require your TSH to be high and your FT3 and FT4 levels to be low.  T3 is both very fast-acting and purged from your system quickly.  T4 meds build over time and take several weeks to be purged.    So, your doctors are trying to keep you comfortable on T3 until they determine the necessity of further treatment.  They don't want to give you T4 because you would then have to stop taking it and wait several weeks before further treatment was possible.  Cytomel should improve your mood and other hypo symptoms, but because it is so fast-acting, you are apt to go through "peaks and valleys" throughout the day as the FT3 levels fluctuate.  Are you taking your Cytomel split into more than one dose per day?