Cytomel with Synthroid

[klminmd]

The multiple Endocrinologists and Physicians Assistants be grudgingly allow me to take 5 mil of cytomel. I want to take 25 mil. The most recent has told me it doesn’t last long in the body and wants me to take only Synthroid. As well, the practitioner told me I could take Synthroid 2 hours after sleeping and take it with another medication. I have doubts about this advice. Does anyone have any experience with cytomel or taking Synthroid or levothroxine 2 hours after eating or taking it with additional medications?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

klminmd

Advice here is to always take your Levo on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after food, with a glass of water only, no tea, coffee, milk, etc, and water only for an hour either side, as absorption will be affected. Take any other medication and supplements 2 hours away from Levo, some need 4 hours.

Whether you take it upon waking or before bed or during the night if you need a bathroom trip is up to you, just be consistent.

As for Cytomel, it has a half life of approximately 24 hours, so what you take today there will be half of that amount left tomorrow.

Whether you need 5mil or 25mil we can't say, we'd need to see your test results, including reference ranges, for

TSH

Free T4

Free T3

to be able to pass any comment.

If you have any current results, feel free to post them and we can comment.

If you have any results for when you were on Synthroid only you can post those also, it will give us an idea of if, and how much, Cytomel you may need.

Always advised here, when having thyroid tests:

* Blood draw no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, an increase in dose of Levo or to avoid a reduction then we need the highest possible TSH

* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the blood draw. This is because eating can lower TSH and coffee can affect TSH.

* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. Adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.

* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it can give false results (most labs use biotin).

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with phlebotomists or doctors.

[RedApple Administrator]

klminmd, Yes, thyroid medications can be taken two hours after eating. Two hours is generally regarded as long enough for the stomach to empty, so you would be taking it as per the usual advise to 'take on an empty stomach'.

However, it is not recommended to take it with any other medications, as these may negatively interact with, and/or block the absorption of the thyroid hormones. (You can take both levothyroxine and liothyronine together if that suits you).

If you post your latest thyroid blood test results, i.e. TSH, FT4, FT3 with respective ranges, members can add their thoughts regarding the liothyronine (cytomel) dose.

[greygoose]

The most recent has told me it doesn’t last long in the body

Depends on one's definition of 'long'. (Also one's definition of 'last'???) It doesn't hange around as long as T4, no. But, then, it doesn't have the same job.

The half-life of T3 in the blood is about 24 hours. But, that's ok, because 24 hours later, you're going to take some more (if not sooner). And, it's also ok because it doesn't do anything in the blood, just cruises around, waiting to be taken up into the cells. And, then, what gets into the cells stays there, doing its job, for about three days. So, I wouldn't exactly describe that as 'not lasting long', would you? I think he's confusing it with aspirin.

[shaws Administrator]

T3's work is to saturate all of our T3 receptor cells, it then sends out waves throughout the day.

We take our full dose of T3 dose with one glass of water when we awake and wait one hour before we eat, the T3 saturates all of our T3 receptor cells. I had severe palpitations on levothyroxine (T4) but T3 resolved that and I've been on T3 only since.

I shall give you two links - the first by one of TUK's Advisers:-

thyroiduk.org/further-readi...

endocrineweb.com/conditions...

[Batty1]

Can you say RUN .... how in the world do these people get medical degrees.

[Suzi_]

My pharmacy tells me to take synthroid, levothyroxine 50 mcg on empty stomach. I take both my cytomel, liothyronine 5 mcg together. I am in USA

[palberts01]

HiMy endocrinologist has me take 5 mg Cytomel along with 175mcq Tirosint (purest T4 without any additives) in the morning 1 hour prior to breakfast on empty stomach. 5mg Cytomel about 1 pm. She has me do split doses to see how I handle. I’ve done fine bloodwork tomorrow