Cytomel

[Guest guest]

The only thing with cytomel is that it isn't a drug you can stay on

long-term, so I've been on it for a couple of months and my GP thinks she

won't keep me on it more than a few more months total. But certainly right

now it's making a difference all-round.

, I have been on synthroid and cytomel for years. My endocrinalogist

intends to keep me on it, and I am amazed that your doctor is not. My

rheumatolgist was also very pleased when my endo guy put me on the cytomel. For

what it is worth, there is no way you HAVE to go off the cytomel unless your

bloodwork comes back with your TSH, T3 and T4 tests out of whack.

in Poulsbo, WA.

[Guest guest]

At 08:57 PM 12/1/03, you wrote:

>, I have been on synthroid and cytomel for years. My

>endocrinalogist intends to keep me on it, and I am amazed that your doctor

>is not. My rheumatolgist was also very pleased when my endo guy put me on

>the cytomel. For what it is worth, there is no way you HAVE to go off the

>cytomel unless your bloodwork comes back with your TSH, T3 and T4 tests

>out of whack.

I don't know... I looked at the entry in her Physician's Medication

Reference or whatever it's called, and it certainly seemed to indicate that

long-term use wasn't advisable. But maybe in particular circumstances, it's

okay. I have no idea, obviously. I just know that my GP doesn't think it's

advisable for me. But thanks for some additional information, which may be

helpful to the various members of our group who were interested in both

effexor and cytomel, and in thyroid issues!

[Guest guest]

Cytomel is a synthetic Thyroid hormone.

Please check out Dr. 's web site: http://www.wilsonssyndome.com for

more info on thyroid therapy.

Low thyroid function can cause a host of symptoms that disappear when

adequate levels of Thyroid hormone are achieved.

Dr. 's approach is evidence-based. Each person is different and it

is possible to test within normal " official " ranges and still have symptoms

of low thyroid function. Apparently how the body is utilizing the hormones

is the key. Some of us don't convert and/or utilize them properly and so

need more to obtain a theraputic effect.

It would be better to stay on Cytomel or other thyroid supplementation for

the long term if needed than to take something like Effexor long term.

[Editor's Note: Cytomel is an important hormone med in certain thyroid condition

treatments. Generally speaking, it raises base metabolism.

Effexor is an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) used to treat

depression and other pychiatric conditions. In a search of the literature, the

two drugs do not appear to have any relationship regarding synergistic usage,

cross-tolerances, cross-resistances, or other unique relationships. If someone

has been prescribed both, by the same M.D., to produce a third, unique effect,

it would be interesting to hear of the situation: Anyone out there been so

prescribed?

D.]

At 02:46 PM 12/1/2003 -0500, you wrote:

>Can anyone please tell us exactly what Cytomel is and how it works with

>Effexor?

>

> S.

>

>[Editor's Note: , I guess I somewhat anticipated your question;

please see my post #33832, " Cytomel-What Is It? " . Let me go a little

further, here: its use is largely in performance enhancement (about which

there has been considerable negative publicity), but it has its place in

thyroid therapy as well. It is unknown exactly how in might work with

Effexor (an SSRI; perhaps Effexor might make one more attentive to one's

well-being, so in the absence of a thyroid condition, they'd have the great

good sense to steer clear of a powerful anabolic steroid like cytomel).

Those who need Cytomel to better regulate their thyroid may--I say may--not

suffer the full range and degree of detriments that someone who needs it

not would reap. Effexor would not benefit in any useful way by adjunctive

use of an anabolic steroid.

>

>If a steroid is required in PA, prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone,

et al, are the choices. The anabolic steroids are simply not used, unless

someone knows something about this that I don't, but in any case, the

biochemistry of anabolic steroids in PA makes no sense to me.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Re: [ ] Re: Cytomel

> Generally speaking, it raises base

> metabolism. Effexor is an SSRI used to treat

> depression and other pychiatric conditions. In a

> search of the literature, the two drugs do not

> appear to have any relationship regarding

> synergistic usage, cross-tolerances,

> cross-resistances, or other unique relationships.

> If someone has been prescribed both, by the same

> M.D., to produce a third, unique effect, it would

> be interesting to hear of the situation: Anyone out

> there been so prescribed?

Well, this isn't a third, unique effect, but my

situation (which is what started the cytomel

discussion) certainly does apply to the above

regarding " synergistic usage " ...

My GP prescribed Effexor for me, and at a higher

dose it was making my heart race, so we cut the

dose; but then the depression was worse, so she

added cytomel to the mix. I *believe* her decision

to do so was based on some recent studies indicating

that cytomel and certain SSRIs can have a

synergistic relationship. (Sorry, it's a bit hazy...

we discussed it at length that day, but I was in

tears half the time so I don't remember the

details.) At any rate, I do remember from that

conversation that there is certainly some documented

evidence out there now that cytomel can work

synergestically with Effexor, and possibly other

SSRIs. (I don't know if it's cytomel specifically or

other drugs in its class, though.)

[Editor's Note: Thanks, ! That's very interesting to hear about. Always

something new, eh...I'll see what I can find in the literature about this

" synergy " , and report back. Thanks for seting me straight.

D.]

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/2/2003 11:43:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,

tljohnson@... writes:

At any rate, I do remember from that

conversation that there is certainly some documented

evidence out there now that cytomel can work

synergestically with Effexor, and possibly other

SSRIs. (I don't know if it's cytomel specifically or

other drugs in its class, though.)

I have been debating whether to start the Zoloft or not. I know one of my

concerns was that I read that it can slow your metabolism. I am already taking

synthroid and that is why I am worried. I can just expect that because SSRI's

do slow the metabolism and cause weight gain is why you were give cytomel. I

guess they can alway increase my Synthroid.

Janet

[Editor's Note: I suspect--I'll have to do some research to be sure (and I'll do

that)--that whatever retarding of base metabolism Zoloft achieves, synthroid or

Cytomel work considerably more potently in the opposite direction in most

people. For what it's worth.

D.]

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/2/2003 11:04:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,

nazflash@... writes:

Cytomel is a synthetic Thyroid hormone.

Please check out Dr. 's web site: http://www.wilsonssyndome.com for

more info on thyroid therapy.

I haven't heard about 's syndrome for a while but I always believed I

have all the classic symtoms. I have a normal low body temp, IBS, fibro and

Hashimoto's. Thanks for sending this info because I have to see the

Endocrinologist on Thursday. I am having some trouble being regulated on the

synthroid

lately and maybe I need some cytomel as well. By the way, the ebsite can be

found if you drop one of the S's after wilson. There is only one.

Janet

[Guest guest]

Hi Janet,

Thanks for the correction on the website address.

I had many symptoms of hypothyroid function but they were ignored by

several mainstream medicine doctors since my tests came back within the

" normal " range. I finally located a progressive MD who knew about 's

Syndrome and was willing to give it a try. The results have been

miraculous, and most or all symptoms are gone. I am currently taking

Levoxyl .05mg (generic Synthroid, I think) and Armour Thyroid .25 gr. It

takes a while to determine the optimal dose, which can also change with time.

An additional note, I recently read where not enough Iodine can cause

thyroid Hormone to not be used correctly by the body. I expermiented by

taking some supplemental Kelp tablets, and it appears that the thyroid

pills are in fact working better.

The whole idea of 's Syndrome is that although one's thyroid gland is

busy producing conventionally approved levels ot Thyroid hormone, it is not

being converted and processed correctly by the body. There are apparently

a number of causes for this, but the bottom line is that evidence-based

physicians treat the symptoms with supplementation rather than just

dismissing them because one's test's results are politically correct.

Regarding the Effexor/SSRI connection, I have not heard of any biochemical

synergy between it/them and thyroid hormones, but Hypothyroid often causes

depression and fatigue. The idea for prescribing an SSRI is probably to

provide an initial lift early in the therapy, and the Thyroid

supplementation to provide a longer-term solution. I imagine that Thyroid

supplementation is orders of magnitude safer over the longer term than

SSRI's are.

I believe that Cytomel is the active form of thyroid hormone after it is

converted by the body. I can't remember whether it is T3 or T4, but the

thyroid gland produces one of them intially and then it needs to be

metobolically converted to the other form in order to be properly utilized

by the body. This is where the problem often occurs. Armour Thyroid is

natural whole-thyroid complex derived from pig thyroids. It is believed by

some to be more ideal because it has the complete Thyroid complex, but is

apparently more difficult to maintain specific levels in the body with

Armour because of differences in potency due to it's being derived from

multiple sources.

Anyone out there with more specifics on all this please join in. This is

about the limit of my understanding on the subject, from a patient's

perspective.

....

At 10:07 PM 12/2/2003 -0500, you wrote:

>In a message dated 12/2/2003 11:04:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,

>nazflash@... writes:

>Cytomel is a synthetic Thyroid hormone.

>

>Please check out Dr. 's web site: http://www.wilsonssyndome.com for

>more info on thyroid therapy.

>I haven't heard about 's syndrome for a while but I always believed I

>have all the classic symtoms. I have a normal low body temp, IBS, fibro and

>Hashimoto's. Thanks for sending this info because I have to see the

>Endocrinologist on Thursday. I am having some trouble being regulated on

the synthroid

>lately and maybe I need some cytomel as well. By the way, the ebsite can be

>found if you drop one of the S's after wilson. There is only one.

>Janet

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just to add to the whole thyroid conversation....it is not uncommon to

experience symptoms (especially depression) of thyroid degeneration before any

of the blood chemistry shows a problem. So many of us end up on

antidepressants, which we can then taper off of once the thryoid medication

kicks in. In my case, the chills and depression started 2 years before the

bloodwork showed that I needed the medication...

A

[Guest guest]

Give it a try, but be aware that cytomel just replaces T3 -- and odds are good

that your problem isn't that you don't have enough T3, but that your adrenals

aren't producing the compounds required to metabolize it into useable T4. If it

doesn't work for you, ask for a natural dessicated thyroid like Armour, which

contains both T3 and T4.

You can take quite a bit more than 10 mcg daily without any problem; your doctor

is probably starting you low and ramping you up slowly. (I started at 10 and

ended up on 125.)

If you have weird reactions to it, you may also try taking it with DHEA. I found

this necessary and useful in combination. I dosed the DHEA at about 50% less in

milligrams than I was taking thyroid in micrograms -- in other words, 10 mcg of

thyroid gets 5 mg of DHEA; 50 mcg of thyroid gets 25 mg of DHEA. The DHEA helps

support the T3/T4 conversion, and replaces several adrenal products Lymies tend

not to make because our HPA axis is so screwed up.

Sara

On Apr 18, 2010, at 3:59 19PM, bridget wrote:

> Just wondering if anyone out there is on cytomel, that is what my LLMD gave

me, 10mc or mg tabs 2x a day, and my good friend told me that I can take more

than that, but just wanted to hear thoughts of how to go about upping my dose by

myself before I get in to see my doc again. I know this is not recommended to

play around with meds, but from what I have learned this last 2 years, I don't

really trust most doctors nowadays, anyways, just wondering what is a typical

dose for a low end free t3. Both of my doctors said the dose I am on is very

very low, and I am pretty sure a lot of my symptoms are from that as well....

> Thank you so much

> Bridget

>

>

>

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