Re: absorption problems --AND CYTOMEL QUESTIONS

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I typed in Cytomel into my search engine and started reading. Some

of the websites state that cytomel is an anabolic steroid? It is

used for hypothyroidism, and I have been reading the recommendations.

It doesn't mention taking it with other hormones like armour? But my

understanding is that people do take it in addition to armour to

supplement T-3.

If anyone is taking cytomel, could you please advise.

Thanks,

> > Questions, questions.....

> >

> > I checked the box of benadryl---no mention of thyroid disease.

It

> > warned for glaucoma, prostate, and emphysema. I stopped taking

it

> > for now.

> >

> > I feel good, the problem is that I have increased the armour by

at

> > least 1/2 grain every week! I would start going hypo. and

increase.

> > I was at 7, now have decreased to 6 and feel good. I have split

> > doses a lot more than I did. My concern is that I am not

converting

> > as I should be. I have ordered cytomel online and will try. I

> > understand it is a steroid, but is for hypothryoid. I'll try it

and

> > hopefully be able to reduce armour amount. I am ok at 6 grains.

> >

[Guest guest]

What you found was a body building/weightlifting reference site.. Body

builders are using T3 as a way to reduce body fat and get ripped for

shows... It's causing them harm though, but, as with the use of steroids

to build muscle.. a percentage simply don't care.

They also sell different preparations that are supposed to stimulate

thyroid function, again, to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat...

For the treatment of low thyroid Cytomel (synthetic T3) is used to

increase T3 in the system for folks that are on synthetic T4 only meds

(like Synthroid) and some folks that are really poor converters will add

it to their Armour. Personally, I think you're better off supporting your

body and finding what you need to do to get it to convert as best you

can....

If you aren't able to convert adequately you will forever be dependent on

taking T3 during the day.... Picture yourself, dependant on continually

adding T3 to your system and getting your car breaking down and your

spending the night... your body is not going to be able to convert your

stored T4 to the T3 that you need... You are gonna be one sick puppy by

the time they find you.....

I'm not real thrilled with having to multi-dose my natural (generic

Armour) but my body is still trying to fix itself.... I'm getting better

though.. I can tell by how I feel before I take my first morning dose...

My conversion rate must be getting better during the night, the longest

period of time that I go without dosing. But I still get the 'sleepies'

if I miss a dose during the day... so I'm not all the way there yet....

Topper () *who was a lifter before all this thyroid mess -but I

didn't do drugs to do it!*

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 12:45:58 -0000 " susanlstonesifer "

writes:

> Hi,

>

> I typed in Cytomel into my search engine and started reading. Some

> of the websites state that cytomel is an anabolic steroid? It is

> used for hypothyroidism, and I have been reading the

> recommendations.

> It doesn't mention taking it with other hormones like armour? But

> my understanding is that people do take it in addition to armour to

> supplement T-3.

>

> If anyone is taking cytomel, could you please advise.

>

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

Hi

I am just a newby here, but i took Cytomel for 5 weeks because

someone convinced me (i know i am naive) that i wasnt converting and

that Ctyomel would reach the parts T4 didnt reach?? I was only on 1

grain armour at the time because i was waiting on urine results so

didnt want to increase, consequently i became very hypo and

miserable. Anyway i took Cytomel for 5 weeks and lost a decent amount

of weight, but it made me hyper. My blood sugar was all over the

place, i couldn't tolerate coffee even half a cup. My muscles ached

and i had a headache constantly. Also by the afternoon when it was

getting out of my system i had a mini-crash. Realised that this was

not good at all i went back on ol reliable Armour last week and had

loads of problems (including a trip to A and E ) suffice to say i

honestly believe it messed up my system, and here i am a week later

just starting to feel good.

Another lady on the Thyroid UK website used a small amount as a

supplement to her Armour and also ended up in A and E with exactly

the same symptoms. " Thyroid on speed " is what a friend described it

as. I was seduced by the fairly rapid weight loss but wont touch it

again on its own. Use with caution.

Sheila F

Use with caution.

> > > Questions, questions.....

> > >

> > > I checked the box of benadryl---no mention of thyroid disease.

> It

> > > warned for glaucoma, prostate, and emphysema. I stopped taking

> it

> > > for now.

> > >

> > > I feel good, the problem is that I have increased the armour by

> at

> > > least 1/2 grain every week! I would start going hypo. and

> increase.

> > > I was at 7, now have decreased to 6 and feel good. I have

split

> > > doses a lot more than I did. My concern is that I am not

> converting

> > > as I should be. I have ordered cytomel online and will try. I

> > > understand it is a steroid, but is for hypothryoid. I'll try

it

> and

> > > hopefully be able to reduce armour amount. I am ok at 6 grains.

> > >

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

I just got this picture of me stranded in my car!! I hope not!!, but

I got the message. I always carry armour with me in my purse, just

for that reason (at least 30 tabs.)

Let me ask you this, aren't I already dependent on the armour? I

wouldn't dream of not taking, and now multi-dosing, for even one day.

I know my body NEEDS the armour or I will be a sick puppy. So, by

adding additional medication to support thyroid functioning, isn't

that ok?

> What you found was a body building/weightlifting reference site..

Body

> builders are using T3 as a way to reduce body fat and get ripped for

> shows... It's causing them harm though, but, as with the use of

steroids

> to build muscle.. a percentage simply don't care.

>

> They also sell different preparations that are supposed to stimulate

> thyroid function, again, to increase muscle mass and reduce body

fat...

>

> For the treatment of low thyroid Cytomel (synthetic T3) is used to

> increase T3 in the system for folks that are on synthetic T4 only

meds

> (like Synthroid) and some folks that are really poor converters

will add

> it to their Armour. Personally, I think you're better off

supporting your

> body and finding what you need to do to get it to convert as best

you

> can....

>

> If you aren't able to convert adequately you will forever be

dependent on

> taking T3 during the day.... Picture yourself, dependant on

continually

> adding T3 to your system and getting your car breaking down and your

> spending the night... your body is not going to be able to convert

your

> stored T4 to the T3 that you need... You are gonna be one sick

puppy by

> the time they find you.....

>

> I'm not real thrilled with having to multi-dose my natural (generic

> Armour) but my body is still trying to fix itself.... I'm getting

better

> though.. I can tell by how I feel before I take my first morning

dose...

> My conversion rate must be getting better during the night, the

longest

> period of time that I go without dosing. But I still get

the 'sleepies'

> if I miss a dose during the day... so I'm not all the way there

yet....

>

> Topper () *who was a lifter before all this thyroid mess -but I

> didn't do drugs to do it!*

>

> On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 12:45:58 -0000 " susanlstonesifer "

> <susanlstonesifer@h...> writes:

> > Hi,

> >

> > I typed in Cytomel into my search engine and started reading.

Some

> > of the websites state that cytomel is an anabolic steroid? It is

> > used for hypothyroidism, and I have been reading the

> > recommendations.

> > It doesn't mention taking it with other hormones like armour?

But

> > my understanding is that people do take it in addition to armour

to

> > supplement T-3.

> >

> > If anyone is taking cytomel, could you please advise.

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

[Guest guest]

Oh Dear,

Thanks for the warning................................

Is any taking cytomel and doing ok? In addition to Armour?

I will be carful,

Thanks,

> > > > Questions, questions.....

> > > >

> > > > I checked the box of benadryl---no mention of thyroid

disease.

> > It

> > > > warned for glaucoma, prostate, and emphysema. I stopped

taking

> > it

> > > > for now.

> > > >

> > > > I feel good, the problem is that I have increased the armour

by

> > at

> > > > least 1/2 grain every week! I would start going hypo. and

> > increase.

> > > > I was at 7, now have decreased to 6 and feel good. I have

> split

> > > > doses a lot more than I did. My concern is that I am not

> > converting

> > > > as I should be. I have ordered cytomel online and will try.

I

> > > > understand it is a steroid, but is for hypothryoid. I'll try

> it

> > and

> > > > hopefully be able to reduce armour amount. I am ok at 6

grains.

> > > >

[Guest guest]

As long as your thyroid is not producing enough hormone you will always

be dependant on adding, by taking Armour... But... in an emergency

situation... when you don't have meds.. when your day is running late and

you don't get home on time.... we do have T4 in our body tissues.. that

is the storage hormone and is the largest component in Armour... It is

designed to build up in our body tissues as a reserve as well as what is

converted into the T3 that our bodies use.....

When our body needs more T3 we start converting the stored T4....

If you were to set up your supplements to be using a higher percentage of

T3 and got to feeling good that way.... you might not be getting enough

T4 stored as a reserve... so... when you don't have access to the T3

(remember, it's 95% used up four hours after taking it) You might find

yourself going hypo.... cause there isn't enough in your tissues for your

body to convert...

This is an issue that I had to do some serious thinking on myself... I

was concerned that my multi-dosing was leaving me dependant on the T3

that I was taking in and that I wasn't building up my T4... but that fear

subsided when the two times that I tried to increase my dose up to 3

grain per day that I went hyper... The first time I showed symptoms in

less than a week, but pushed through, thinking that it would pass.. but

it didn't.. I backed down my dose.. then leveled off again at 2 1/2

grain..... then I tried to go up again... that time it took a month to

start going hyper.... So I'm sure that I have good T4 levels..... It

just seems that I can't go 3 grain....

One of these days I'll have enough money to go for labs... I'm really

curious... after more than a year and a half.. How my levels look. So far

I'm adjusting doses solely on symptoms and basals...

I've made my own pill boxes, so that I can sort out my doses.. 16

compartments per day for the thyroid, adrenal, vitamins and other supps.

One of the boxes is pocket size... I don't even go to the store without

that box in my pocket....

I'm not paranoid about it... I just know that if I keep pretty close to

my schedule I keep feeling good.. if I muck it up then I start to feeling

bad... .so... I make sure that I don't skip... that includes meals too...

Now that I know the trick for losing weight.. I take my meals with me to

make sure that I don't skip.... With the success I've had.. not one

person has given me grief for stopping what I'm doing cause my alarm goes

off, signaling it's time to go eat (I went on a service job this

weekend... the gal I was working for was my boss at my last job... she's

not seen me for about a year... boy... was she surprised!)

Topper ()

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 13:08:27 -0000 " susanlstonesifer "

writes:

> Dear ,

>

> I just got this picture of me stranded in my car!! I hope not!!, but

> I got the message. I always carry armour with me in my purse, just

> for that reason (at least 30 tabs.)

> Let me ask you this, aren't I already dependent on the armour? I

> wouldn't dream of not taking, and now multi-dosing, for even one

> day.

> I know my body NEEDS the armour or I will be a sick puppy. So, by

> adding additional medication to support thyroid functioning, isn't

> that ok?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Are there two s here responding on this thread? (Just a foggy day for me

here!)

Anyway, I took just Cytomel for a month last May-June. 25 mcg. It brought my

TSH

down quite a bit (frees weren't tested until a couple of months later AFTER I

had

educated myself!), but by about a month later, I was probably hyper, or perhaps

just

unbalanced in relation to T3/T4. I insisted my PA add T4 (Synthroid.) This was

before I had done any self-educating or had even heard about Armour.

The T4 helped balance me and with the combination of the two, for the first time

in

several years, I didn't feel depressed. Had been on several different

antidepressants

over a 7 year period, but they just never completely worked until I got that T3.

Had

been on straight T4 before.

I honestly don't know if I was hyper on this combination at all. I have a

feeling I was

undermedicated all the way around. Don't even know if I know what it truly

feels like

to be hyper. It's just that my stress level increased even more in the coming

months

(new, very stressful job, deaths, ending of an unhealthy long-term relationship,

continued sick feeling all the time with related job pressure to be at work when

scheduled, worsening adrenal balance, etc.) Then I got a bug/flu/cold in

December

and I was flat on my back sick for almost 2 weeks. It was all downhill from

there.

Finally lost that job in mid-January. Got on Armour on February 4. And at this

point,

I don't know if what I continue to feel (fogginess, episodes of depression,

fatigue,

cortisol problems, poor sleep, low motivation, etc.) is from not enough Armour

or if

it's my adrenals. Sent my saliva samples out Monday for adrenal, estrogen/

progesterone/testosterone testing, so we'll see. But it's been a difficult 80+

days on

the Armour. Lots of dificulty increasing the dose. (And going from Synthroid

75/

Cytomel 37.5 to 60 of Armour is definitely going to make one hypo.) Now whether

this is due to undermedicating with Armour, lack of available T3, my low

ferritin level

or worsening adrenals, I'm at a loss to say for sure. Perhaps it's a little of

all of them.

But I'm currently up to 2.5/150 on the Armour. See doc again tomorrow.

In a big round about way -- sorry -- I guess I'm trying to say that Cytomel

alone

probably isn't a great thing. I truly believe that finding one's optimal dose

of Armour

should be the first priority, medication wise. Improving diet (frequent meals

are

soooo important for keeping those adrenals healthy or healing them), exercise in

moderation, good support systems, etc, are important too, of course. But

finding

that Armour dose first is #1. If some symptoms still persist, but one generally

feels

quite good, THEN think of adding either T4 or T3 to see what helps. I just

don't feel

that either one alone is the answer for the majority of TD people out here. I

have

some of my Cytomel left over from the pre-Armour days and have been VERY

tempted to take it just to see what happens. But I don't think I will in light

of the

consistency issue. I don't WANT a quick fix if it's going to hurt me in the

here and

now. There's been enough pain and suffering already.

And patience..... yes, I hate the word and know it's a lot easier to preach than

to

practice.... is so important. Especially when one is feeling so very crappy day

in and

day out. But if there's no consistency in what one is medicating with, changing

after a

week or two, mixing meds, etc., it's just going to be that much harder to figure

out

what truly works in the long run. And the long run is what we're all in this

for.

Patience and consistency. It seems to be the key to a lot of health challenges.

It took

time to get here so it's going to take time to get back. (Sorry if this all

sounds

preachy! It's just where I'm at in my head.)

Janet

[Guest guest]

Hi Janet,

Yes, there are " s " so that is why I signed off as S. and

got lazy.

Thanks for sharing, I am taking this all in.

S.

> Hi ,

> Are there two s here responding on this thread? (Just a foggy

day for me here!)

>

> Anyway, I took just Cytomel for a month last May-June. 25 mcg. It

brought my TSH

> down quite a bit (frees weren't tested until a couple of months

later AFTER I had

> educated myself!), but by about a month later, I was probably

hyper, or perhaps just

> unbalanced in relation to T3/T4. I insisted my PA add T4

(Synthroid.) This was

> before I had done any self-educating or had even heard about Armour.

>

> The T4 helped balance me and with the combination of the two, for

the first time in

> several years, I didn't feel depressed. Had been on several

different antidepressants

> over a 7 year period, but they just never completely worked until I

got that T3. Had

> been on straight T4 before.

>

> I honestly don't know if I was hyper on this combination at all. I

have a feeling I was

> undermedicated all the way around. Don't even know if I know what

it truly feels like

> to be hyper. It's just that my stress level increased even more in

the coming months

> (new, very stressful job, deaths, ending of an unhealthy long-term

relationship,

> continued sick feeling all the time with related job pressure to be

at work when

> scheduled, worsening adrenal balance, etc.) Then I got a

bug/flu/cold in December

> and I was flat on my back sick for almost 2 weeks. It was all

downhill from there.

>

> Finally lost that job in mid-January. Got on Armour on February

4. And at this point,

> I don't know if what I continue to feel (fogginess, episodes of

depression, fatigue,

> cortisol problems, poor sleep, low motivation, etc.) is from not

enough Armour or if

> it's my adrenals. Sent my saliva samples out Monday for adrenal,

estrogen/

> progesterone/testosterone testing, so we'll see. But it's been a

difficult 80+ days on

> the Armour. Lots of dificulty increasing the dose. (And going

from Synthroid 75/

> Cytomel 37.5 to 60 of Armour is definitely going to make one

hypo.) Now whether

> this is due to undermedicating with Armour, lack of available T3,

my low ferritin level

> or worsening adrenals, I'm at a loss to say for sure. Perhaps it's

a little of all of them.

> But I'm currently up to 2.5/150 on the Armour. See doc again

tomorrow.

>

> In a big round about way -- sorry -- I guess I'm trying to say that

Cytomel alone

> probably isn't a great thing. I truly believe that finding one's

optimal dose of Armour

> should be the first priority, medication wise. Improving diet

(frequent meals are

> soooo important for keeping those adrenals healthy or healing

them), exercise in

> moderation, good support systems, etc, are important too, of

course. But finding

> that Armour dose first is #1. If some symptoms still persist, but

one generally feels

> quite good, THEN think of adding either T4 or T3 to see what

helps. I just don't feel

> that either one alone is the answer for the majority of TD people

out here. I have

> some of my Cytomel left over from the pre-Armour days and have been

VERY

> tempted to take it just to see what happens. But I don't think I

will in light of the

> consistency issue. I don't WANT a quick fix if it's going to hurt

me in the here and

> now. There's been enough pain and suffering already.

>

> And patience..... yes, I hate the word and know it's a lot easier

to preach than to

> practice.... is so important. Especially when one is feeling so

very crappy day in and

> day out. But if there's no consistency in what one is medicating

with, changing after a

> week or two, mixing meds, etc., it's just going to be that much

harder to figure out

> what truly works in the long run. And the long run is what we're

all in this for.

>

> Patience and consistency. It seems to be the key to a lot of

health challenges. It took

> time to get here so it's going to take time to get back. (Sorry if

this all sounds

> preachy! It's just where I'm at in my head.)

>

> Janet