Will taking NDT & Cytomel help with weight loss?

[Kit33]

Ok, so I struggled with my hypothyroid and weight gain for like 20 years before it was removed in 2010. Now, at a weight I never thought I'd be, depression, and many attempts at diet and exercise I'm at my wits end. Currently I take 60 mcg of NDT a cholesterol med, and 150-300 mg Effexor xr. I never needed a cholesterol med until about a month ago, not long after I started NDT. I List the effexor at a range because I take 150 most of the time and increase it if my depression is bad. A friend recently told me she had a weight issues and had gained a bunch as well. Her doctor started her on Cytomel with her current Synthroid and she lost the weight. It gave me hope but I have to say, after 20 years of this, I'll try just about anything. Does anyone know about NDT & Cytomel combined and its outcomes?

[gimel]

Your Free T4 is extremely low and your TSH high.  You don't have info on Free T3.  You need to make sure they always test you for both Free T4 and Free T3 each time you go in for tests.  Free T3 correlates best with hypo symptoms.  It seems a bit strange that the doctor would increase your Armour and add Cytomel, both T3 meds, without knowing your Free T3 level.  

Even though your meds were increased you have not had adequate time for full effect on serum levels of thyroid hormone.  Also, symptom relief sometimes lags changes in serum levels, dependent on severity of hypothyroidism and length of time at that condition.  So you will need to be a bit patient after making med changes.

Anyway, a good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve hypo symptoms.    Symptom relief should be all important, not just lab results.  Many of our members say that symptom relief required Free T4 at the middle of its range, at minimum, and Free T3 in the upper part of its range.  You can get some good info from this link written by a good thyroid doctor.  

http://www.hormonerestoration.com/Thyroid.html

So you need to always make sure they test for both Free T3 and Free T4.  Since hypo patients are also frequently too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin you need to test those also, and supplement as necessary to get those to an optimal level.  You should also find out if the doctor is willing to treat clinically, as described above.  If not then you will need to find a good thyroid doctor that will do so.  

[Kit33]

Most recent blood work was a TSH of 28.78 (range 0.35-5.50 obviously high). The FT4 is 0.63 (range 0.89-1.76) which is a bit low. My medication for Thyroid was changed from 60 mcg to 90 mcg of Armour and 5mcg of Cytomel was added as well. Since starting this 4 days ago, I've have spans of time (a few hours) that I am very lethargic. I have slept better than I have in a very long time though. Thoughts? I M desperate to lose some of this weight that won't go away no matter how long I eat well and exercise! Help!!!

[gimel]

NDT and Cytomel will work for some people.  T4 meds work for some people.  T4 and Cytomel will work for some.  NDT only works for some.  The bottom line is that it is not the type of med that matters most.  The important thing is getting your biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T3 and Free T4 up to a level that relieve symptoms.  That can be accomplished with adequate doses of T4 meds, if your body adequately converts T4 to T3.  If conversion is inadequate then T3 med like Cytomel can be added, or the patient can switch to a combo, NDT type med containing both T4 and T3.  

In addition, there are other things that can mimic hypo symptoms and also affect how thyroid hormone is metabolized.  A couple of very important ones of those are Vitamin D, and ferritin (a form of iron).  Hypo patients are also frequently too low in the range for Vitamin B12.  

So, let us have a look at your thyroid related test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report and we will give you our assessment of your testing and treatment.  Since you had a TT in 2010, and are only taking 60 mg of NDT,  I expect to see that you are woefully under medicated, if you have even been adequately tested to show that.