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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Phillipa on July 15, 2007, at 16:04:35
I know you must be sick of the thyroid questions. But when the cytomel was added cause TSH hight the endo told the nurse to let me try cytomel. And I'm so tired now I can barely move and I have to ride. Couldn't yesterday too tired. And thunderstorms now. So has anyone take cytomel and synthroid together and what dose and did it work? Thanks Love Phillipa
Posted by tendency on July 15, 2007, at 20:43:58
In reply to Anyone helped by cytomel with synthroid I'm crashi, posted by Phillipa on July 15, 2007, at 16:04:35
Yes, I currently do and have never felt better.
Remember? I posted on this already. But I'll re-elaborate! :-) You MUST find a competent endo that REALLY knows what they're doing...I know..can be hard to do but I went through two endos that were terrible and life was MISERABLE.
But I digress..What worked for me, and what my endo typically recommends, was to take ~80% of body weight in synthroid and then 10-15% of the synthroid dose as cytomel. So, for instance, if you weigh 100 lbs. you'd take 80mcg of synthroid (ONLY USE NAME BRAND - NO GENERIC!) and 10-15mcgs of Cytomel (again, no generic).
How are you dosing? T4 (synthroid) should be taken all at once upon rising (aim for same time each day). T3 (cytomel) can be taking one of two ways a) all at once with T4, or, b) in two doses, half with T4 in the AM and the other 1/2 4 hours later. BID is, I'm told, typically the preferred method of T3 dosing as it has a short half life.
Finally, get total T3 and T4 blood tests done. This is CRITICAL. The only way to know if the T3 and T4 doses are correct is through systematic blood work. You want the results of these two tests to come back in the high-normal range of the reference scales.
When are you crashing? Is it before you take your AM dose? Mid-afternoon? All day?
I can't tell you the difference proper treatment of thyroid has made in my life. I'm no longer 'bi-polar' (in fact my endo pointed me to a colleauge of his at UCLA that has had great luck treating bi-polar by treating the thyroid) meaning no mania. Moods are very stable. No more brain fog. Mentally clarity is vastly improved as is my cognition in general. Sex drive is way up..(you've got me going now..) very interesting to note is the entire synergy of what is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This includes the thyroid and the sex hormones. These are all interdependant and what happens, often, over time, is that a dysfunctional thyroid will cause the adrenals and sex organs to overcompensate leading to adrenal burn out and a decrease in sex hormones. This is a devastating 'triple-whammy'.
Finally, it's amazing what an augmentary (did I just pull a Bush?) effect the thyroid has on supplements and drugs. Many supplements that didnt work for me before or worked sporadically now work at much lower doses and far more consistently. Same goes for prescription meds.
Remember - the thyroid regulates the metabolism therefore energy level of EVERY cell in the body. Every cell in the body has receptors for thyroid hormone so you can see the UTMOST criticality of making sure this system is functioning properly.
Ok, I'm off my soap box. Good luck!
Posted by Phillipa on July 15, 2007, at 21:21:56
In reply to Re: Anyone helped by cytomel with synthroid I'm crashi » Phillipa, posted by tendency on July 15, 2007, at 20:43:58
Tendency I have about 2-3 hours after taking cytomel only 5mcg so that is low and then feel so tired I can hardly make it into stores. This endo says to take the synthroid 88mcg (down from 125mcg when taking it with breakfast for 9 years and it was always fine) with the 5mg of valium when I wake-up after 4-5hours of sleep. And that it's fine to take the cytomel with breakfast. Funny the pdoc I saw here took me off antidepressants said I think its physical sent me to his friend an internist only BP, pulse, heart and lung check pronouned me healthy. Why does it have to be so hard to find a doctor that cares today? They hear you're on psychatric meds and you're crazy. What do you think of armour? Do you like the combo of cytomel and synthroid? Love Phillipa ps how come when I google endos in Charlotte NC I come up with only a few and their specialty is diabetes?
Posted by Phillipa on July 17, 2007, at 23:09:37
In reply to Re: Anyone helped by cytomel with synthroid I'm crashi » tendency, posted by Phillipa on July 15, 2007, at 21:21:56
Endo took me off cytomel today and it is better already. It must be like an add med as it lasts a few hours and then you crash. Glad to be off it. Now just the synthroid 88mcg 7 days a week and see the Nurse Practioneer on Tuesday I would like a scan of the thyroid as one has never been done. My neice always gets one and knows she has hardly any thyroid left. What happens when it's all gone? Love Phillipa
Posted by zatar on July 19, 2007, at 18:41:25
In reply to Anyone helped by cytomel with synthroid I'm crashi, posted by Phillipa on July 15, 2007, at 16:04:35
> I know you must be sick of the thyroid questions. But when the cytomel was added cause TSH hight the endo told the nurse to let me try cytomel. And I'm so tired now I can barely move and I have to ride. Couldn't yesterday too tired. And thunderstorms now. So has anyone take cytomel and synthroid together and what dose and did it work? Thanks Love Phillipa
I don't think it's a simple matter of T3 replacement:
http://www.ncf-net.org/forum/99gold.htm
-zatar
Posted by Phillipa on July 19, 2007, at 21:27:11
In reply to Re: Anyone helped by cytomel with synthroid I'm crashi, posted by zatar on July 19, 2007, at 18:41:25
Zatar I have hasimotos thyroiditis. I went off the cytomel as it wasn't helping so now just synthroid. I think a spider bite I got while sleeping triggered my autoimmune sytem and since it likes my thyroid it raised the TSH . Took augmentin amoxicillin for five days and was so tired. Went off that the nurse at the endos said since your thyroid is off again good time to try cytomel so I did. Just didn't work out. What a bummer as my last thyroid TSH was at 2.5 and the aim is l Love Phillipa
Posted by tendency on July 21, 2007, at 1:39:07
In reply to Re: Anyone helped by cytomel with synthroid I'm crashi, posted by Phillipa on July 17, 2007, at 23:09:37
Glad you're feeling better. This, in a nutshell, is why it's soooo important to get a first-rate endo. There are so many ways to treat hypothyroidism, hashimotos etc. etc.
I know people that do just great on synthroid alone (sounds like you may be more in this category) some people that do great on just cytomel others that swear by armour and the list goes on.
It took me almost 4 years to arrive at where I'm now - a long, often painful process. However, I'm glad I've seen it through.
Hang in there!
This is the end of the thread.
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