Cytomel shortage

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

I went to the store today to get a refill on my cytomel (5mcg) and

they had 2 pills. The pharmacist called another store and sent me

there to pick some up. I was thinking they'd have much more, but when

I got there, they sold me 4 pills!!!!!!

Bizarre! The first pharmacist told me she only had a couple of

patients that used cytomel, and that they don't order it that often,

which prompts me to wonder how fresh the stock is. I asked her to

make sure to order it for her couple of patients because although we

can live without it, it's not fun to do so.

Anybody else out there missing their cytomel? If the pharmacy doesn't

stock that much of it because of low demand, and if it has a good

shelf life, I wonder if it would be a good idea to just get a big

stock of it and keep it at home. Does anybody know how long cytomel

stays potent?

Joanne

Dx Pap Carcinoma 1/29/03

TT 2/11/03

RAI 150 mCi 4/28/03

Synthroid 150mcg, Cytomel 5mcg

[Guest guest]

I had the same problem with Cytomel when I went from 25mcg to 5 mcg--no one had

the 5. Said she needed to special order it because so few people used such a

small dose. So the doc made me fill 160 pills although I wouldn't even use

close to that many so I would have a few. As for shelf-life . . . I have no

idea. I just know the pills were special ordered and it took me about 5 days to

get them in. Aggravating when I needed them that day. Now I know . . . though

.. . . and I'll have my doc write out the prescription early enough to special

order.

beth

Cytomel shortage

Hi everyone,

I went to the store today to get a refill on my cytomel (5mcg) and

they had 2 pills. The pharmacist called another store and sent me

there to pick some up. I was thinking they'd have much more, but when

I got there, they sold me 4 pills!!!!!!

Bizarre! The first pharmacist told me she only had a couple of

patients that used cytomel, and that they don't order it that often,

which prompts me to wonder how fresh the stock is. I asked her to

make sure to order it for her couple of patients because although we

can live without it, it's not fun to do so.

Anybody else out there missing their cytomel? If the pharmacy doesn't

stock that much of it because of low demand, and if it has a good

shelf life, I wonder if it would be a good idea to just get a big

stock of it and keep it at home. Does anybody know how long cytomel

stays potent?

Joanne

Dx Pap Carcinoma 1/29/03

TT 2/11/03

RAI 150 mCi 4/28/03

Synthroid 150mcg, Cytomel 5mcg

[Guest guest]

I have a whole bottle left I can send you. I didn't really use it much. I

used about 4 pills altogether. I get my scan Mon. Question: Am I going to

need to use the cytomel after the scan to help me wake up again? Can you use

cytomel and the synthroid together? And if so how much? The dr's goin to put

me back on 175 synthroid. Also, should I cut the synthroid in half and take

half in the morning and half at night so my system can gradually get use to the

medication again?

Thanks,

Kelsey

[Guest guest]

Can't help you here as I have never been on synthroid. But, I do know you can

take cytomel with it. My doc will have me on both for a couple of weeks to help

me " wake up " from being hypo.

beth

Re: Cytomel shortage

I have a whole bottle left I can send you. I didn't really use it much. I

used about 4 pills altogether. I get my scan Mon. Question: Am I going to

need to use the cytomel after the scan to help me wake up again? Can you use

cytomel and the synthroid together? And if so how much? The dr's goin to put

me back on 175 synthroid. Also, should I cut the synthroid in half and take

half in the morning and half at night so my system can gradually get use to

the

medication again?

Thanks,

Kelsey

[Guest guest]

BrownCoffeebean1@... wrote:

> Question: Am I going to need to use the cytomel after the scan to

> help me wake up again? Can you use cytomel and the synthroid

> together? And if so how much? The dr's goin to put me back on 175

> synthroid. Also, should I cut the synthroid in half and take half

> in the morning and half at night so my system can gradually get use

> to the medication again?

Kelsey,

My endo prescribes Synthroid and Cytomel together for 10 days after

a scan, with instructions to taper the Cytomel as I start to feel

better. I've never needed to continue the Cytomel for more than a

week. I take my whole dose of Synthroid in the morning with half a

Cytomel tablet and take the rest of the Cytomel in half-doses if I

need it in mid-afternoon and early evening. When the a.m. Cytomel

starts making me feel jumpy, I stop taking it. When I stop running

out of steam at lunchtime, I stop taking that dose, and when I'm

able to stay awake until dinnertime I drop the last one. By day 7

I still feel a little tired but I'm functional and off Cytomel.

Everybody's metabolism is different, but this system has been working

for me for 14 years. Talk to your doctor and see what he suggests.

ellen

--

mailto:ellen@...

[Guest guest]

> I have a whole bottle left I can send you.

Thank you for your kind offer, but the drugstore said they'd have a

fresh supply on Monday afternoon. I've got enough to last until then.

Question: Am I going to

> need to use the cytomel after the scan to help me wake up again?

It will definitely help you wake up again, and rather quickly if you

take it with the synthroid and then taper it off when you're feeling

better.

>Can you use

> cytomel and the synthroid together?

Yes, you can take both of them together, but not everybody needs to.

Some folks just don't do well on T4 alone (like me, for example) and

we take a dash of cytomel to help our T3 levels. All of this is very

individual, and you and your doctor will discover what works for you.

If you do well on just synthroid, good for you! No need to take the

cytomel if you don't need it. I would far prefer to take just one

medication, but, sigh, I feel like crap if I do. :-(

> And if so how much?

That's between you and you doctor to figure out. Everybody's

different, and dosages have to be tailored to each patient.

> Also, should I cut the synthroid in half and take

> half in the morning and half at night so my system can gradually

get use to the

> medication again?

You system will gradually get used to the medication anyway, because

of the rather long half-life of the T4. It takes awhile (6-8 weeks)

for your body to fully absorb the meds. Make it easy on yourself,

take your full dose in the morning (or whenever you normally do)and

slowly re-enter the world of non-hypo people!

You'll start feeling better in a couple of weeks if you're taking

cytomel with it.

Joanne

>