Cynomel doseage?

[Mex13]

Hi, I currently take nature thyroid (similar to armour thyroid etc) 2 grain / 130 mg but am about to run out and am in Mexico on holiday. I understand I can use cynomel instead but don’t know what dose to take and whether I should take levothyroxine as well for the T4... I am prescribed 175mcg of levothyroxine but don’t take it normally A’s prefer the T3/T4 non synthetic mix. Would hugely appreciate advice on the correct dose please 😊

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Last I remember reading about purchasing Grossman Cynomel was that you cannot simply buy it over the counter within Mexico.

Also, it has not been available for some time now. Of course, you could strike lucky and find the only pharmacy in Mexico which will both supply without prescription and has some in stock!

Two grains of desiccated thyroid contain about 18 micrograms of T3. Not at all clear whether you were intending to take both levothyroxine and liothyronine - or liothyronine only.

[Mex13 in reply to helvella]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I guess I won’t be finding cynomel then! Am in a small resort town so I’ll ask but will probably get stuck just taking levothyroxine until I get back to England which is a set back. In answer to your question about whether I planned to take both levothyroxine and cynomel, the answer is I am not sure - would appreciate your guidance there. Normally I take nature thyroid which has t3 and t4 but my supplier isn’t allowed to ship to Mexico.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Mex13]

I am not the best person to ask but, in your circumstance, I would probably have tried something broadly similar to the desiccated thyroid you have been taking. E.g. 100 micrograms of T4 and 20 micrograms of T3 - but others might well make different suggestions.

If you don't find any available, I guess it will be levothyroxine-only.

And definitely worth asking - you might even find out more than any of us know! You could show that what I read was totally wrong.

[Mex13 in reply to helvella]

Well I will certainly ask and let everyone on here know if I do find some! Or an equivalent... otherwise you are right, I’ll be stuck with levothyroxine only until I get back 😳 Thanks for your reply!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Mex13]

It would be great if you would let us know regardless what you find or don't find!

[Mex13 in reply to helvella]

Yes, will do!

[Mex13 in reply to Mex13]

Hi, well it’s not good news unfortunately. I went to about four different pharmacies here in Puerto Escondido. One said they could order cynomel for me, took my money and told me to come back tomorrow. I was excited but after what you said I thought I’d wait until I had the stuff before posting here. I went back and they returned my money - clearly they weren’t able to get it. My Spanish is unfortunately fairly basic so I couldn’t understand what they said but it was along the lines of the supplier didn’t have it... I am on levothyroxine until I get back to England and hope the six days or so without t3 doesn’t bring back all my horrible symptoms.