Cytomel once a day: Hi there just wondering if... - Thyroid UK

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Cytomel once a day

Gardenofeden profile image
15 Replies

Hi there just wondering if anyone takes their cytomel goes once a day I ask because I don't really like taking it more than once a day sometimes I forget I do have an alarm set to take my second dose but sometimes my pills are not with me on hand so then I miss the dose when I was supposed to take it....just wondering if anyone had success with cytomel taking it once a day? thank you so much

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Gardenofeden profile image
Gardenofeden
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shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Yes.I do once daily and am healthy and well. I will give you a link which you will find helpful and this doctor's patients only dosed once daily whatever they were prescribed. Read the whole page. An excerpt :

And finally, why do I specify that the typical patient use one full dose of non-timed-release Cytomel for life? Because extensive testing has shown that this is safe, effective, and most economical—when used within the context of our entire protocol.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

Jazzw profile image
Jazzw

I'm glad shaws replied. :)

I take my 3 grains of NDT once a day too. Not quite the same I know - but it means I get all my T3 in one hit. And I'm also doing well.

greygoose profile image
greygoose

I take all my 75 mcg of T3 at bedtime. Suits me just fine. :)

Gardenofeden profile image
Gardenofeden

It makes me wonder why some doctors tell us to take the dose twice or more each day?

I am currently taking 15 mcg of cytomel total each day along with 100 mcg of synthroid...i had a total thyroidectomy 16 yrs ago...when i was taking 12.5 cytomel with 100 synthroid my results were as follows:

My free t3: 5.2 (3.5-6.5)

Free t4: 19.5 (10-25)

Tsh...completely surpressed.

The goal is to get my free t3 in the top 3rd of range (5.75-6.5)

Reason being, is i still feel cold at times and a bit water retained.

I may need 20-25mcg each day of cytomel to rid of symptoms.

Should i remain on 100 synthroid throughout my dose increase of cytomel???... since some say it should be in the top quarter of it's range (20-25)...i am at 19, so close enough i figure.

Thx😊

Heloise profile image
Heloise in reply to Gardenofeden

Since you want to increase your total hormone, you would probably get quicker results just adding more cytomel to your 100 synthroid. Your may see your 19 go down with the addition of more T3 but I wouldn't worry about the range for T4 in that case.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to Gardenofeden

This is a link with lots of info although it's now archived as Dr Lowe died. Some links within the topics may not work but the gist of all are excellent. He took 150mcg of T3 in the middle of night as nothing interfered with its uptake:-

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

Gardenofeden profile image
Gardenofeden in reply to shaws

Thank you.

So for someone like myself, who lacks a thyroid gland, would you agree that at least 25 mcg of cytomel added to my 100 mcg synthroid is reasonable?..assuming my free t3 doesn't go higher than top of range?

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to Gardenofeden

I am not medically qualified and the doctor/scientist who treated patients and not the blood test says in the link above:

"Dr. Lowe: With most patients, I use thyroid function tests (TSH, free T3, and free T4) and thyroid antibodies only for a patient’s initial diagnosis. Afterward, I follow the practice, in principal, of Dr. Broda Barnes—that is, measuring tissue effects of particular dosages of thyroid hormone rather than remeasuring TSH, free T3, and free T4 levels.

My reason for this different protocol is simple: the TSH, free T3, and free T4 tell us only how the pituitary and thyroid glands are interacting. Of course, the test levels may also tell us something of the influence of thyroid hormone over the hypothalamus in its secretion of TRH, another hormone that influences the pituitary gland's secretion of TSH."

If you decide to add T3 I'd add 1/2 tablet for at least a week being aware of temp/pulse no overstimulation, then the other half. If at any time you are overstimulated drop down to the previous.

I wish you well in your new regime.

Gardenofeden profile image
Gardenofeden

Oh...i didn't think my ftee t3 was top of range...it is 5.2...shouldn't top of range be at least 5.75-6.5?

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to Gardenofeden

It's how we 'feel' which is the best test when on thyroid hormones. Dr Lowe (RIP) had good advice to give:

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

Gardenofeden profile image
Gardenofeden

I thought the clear sign of thyroid hormone resistance is a high tsh, no???

Mine has always been less than 0.01

Gardenofeden profile image
Gardenofeden

My free t3 is 5.2...that works out to be only 57% of range.

This is definitely not top of range or am i missing something?

Other folks are telling me it needs to be 75%-100% of range to see symptoms subside.

Gardenofeden profile image
Gardenofeden

Ok but i thought if it truly was hormone resistance then i would be experiencing a whole host of other hypo symptoms which i am not.

My hair is no longer falling out in clumps, my skin and nails are nice, i am not overweight and i am not constipated etc....i am just a bit cold and feel a little water retained.

If i am resistant to hormone therapy then what tests do i demand my endo to do?

Thanks!😊

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I always thought the advice about Free T3 being in the top quarter of the range was aimed specifically at people on Levo only. Ditto with Free T4 in the top third of the range.

The pattern of blood tests with NDT, T3 or some combo of meds would probably be quite different to those with levo only. I think it would be impossible to expect the results of someone on 50mcg T4 and 25mcg T3 to be the same as someone on 75mcg T3 only or 100mcg T4 and 10mcg T3 or someone on NDT.

Maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick.

Gardenofeden profile image
Gardenofeden

Cytomel *dose not goes

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