Do I need T3 as well as T4?

[jen]

i am taking levothyroxine and liothyronine,but the liothyronine is hard to get hold of and i have not had any for 2 weeks .i'm fine when i'm on them but now i am starting to feel ill again.what is cytomel? is that like t4

[yale]

Hi every one I am 25 years old and I got pregnant 4 years ago before that i was always 130 lbs after i had my son i loss all the baby weight but after 7 months i started gaining alot of weight and i was feeling the worst so i went to a doctor and he found out that my tsh was 254 and put me in levox .75 in less than a month i loss all the weight for few months after 5 or 6 months i started gaining weith again and my tsh was 3.13 so i started taking alittle more of my medice (100) thinking that maybe if my tsh levels were very low i could loss the extra weight but nothing i still manage to gain 1 lb a week even tho my tsh level is .36 so now i am 155 lbs and
i am very worry how much more weight am i going to gain . can some one help me to understand why if my ths is low i am not lossing weight or what am i missing? thank you for your time
-yale-

[yale]

well I just want to update every one at there that is feeling bad today
I started going to a homeophatic doctor
1 month ago and he did some blood test, urine test and he said that my blood was very toxic, but not only that he send me to a holistic dentist too.
I started natural medice and a detox as well and as soon as i started taking it i feel great not 100% but much better than before so i just came back from the dentist and he is going to clean all my teeths from all the metals I have, but the interesting part here is that he said because i have an infection in my teeths that was the reason of my thyro condition
but also told me with the right treatment my thyro will work again!
I just want to tell you all of you
DO NOT GIVE UP THE DOCTORS ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU THEY ONLY WILL PRESCRIPBE MEDICINE BECAUSE THAT IS ONE WAY TO MAKE MORE MONEY AND THEY WILL NEVER TRY TO GO TO THE ROOT OF YOUR PROBLEM. OUR BODY IS TELLING US SOMETHING AND I THINK WE SHOULD SEARCH OF WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT AND GIVING MEDICINE IS ONLY GOING TO FIX IT TEMPORARY NOT PERMANENT.
PLEASE SEARCH FOR OTHER OPTIONS!
I HAVE LOSS 5 LBS BECAUSE MY HOMEOPHATIC TOLD ME WHAT SHOULD I EAT AND WHAT NOT TO EAT , AND ALSO DOING THE DETOX IS HELPING, AND I RUN 10 MINUTES 3 TIMES A DAY, MY SKIN IS LOOKING BETTER THAN EVER. SO I ENCORAGE EACH OF YOU FOR A HEALTHIER LIFE!

[robin]

ATTN ANN in Lincoln--- I would like to know what doctor Ann goes to. I am in Scarmento area, and would like to change doctors. Please advise!!!!

[JILL]

Ann wrote:

<quoted text>
You stated previously that you had a lobe removed.? Do you still have residual thyroid function. I had a total thyroidectomy 1 year ago do to graves disease as well as hashimotos thyroiditis and failure to respond to anti drugs, and have had my ups and downs and am considering t3 as an option with my hormone replacement, and if it is that big of a change for people with residual function I hope it could do wonders for me. My energy levels have recently plumeted. Anybody with total thyroidec have info on t3?

I TOO HAVE HAD A THRYOIDECTOMY IN JULY THEY PUT ME ON CYTOMEL THAT DAY I FELT GREAT MY FEET WERE WARM PAIN IN MY LEGS WENT AWAY HAD ENERGY THAT I HAVENT FELT IN YRS MOOD EXCELENT I TOOK MY YOUNGEST TO AN AMUSEMENT PARK 3 DAYS AFTER SURGERY THATS HOW GOOD I FELT. WHEN THE PATH REPORT CAME BACK GOOD THEY SWITCHED ME BACK TO SYNTHROID IN ABOUT 4 DAYS I THOUGHT I WAS GOING NUTS FELT AWFUL UP ALL NIGHT SWEATS CRANKY HURT EVERYWHERE CALLED THE DR TOLD HIM HE SAID HE NEVER REALLY USED CYTOMEL BUT IF IT WORKED FOR ME I COULD GO BACK ON IT , IT TOOK A FEW DAYS AND I WENT BACK TO FEELING GOOD AGAIN SO FOR ME IT WORKS WELL SYNTHROID WAS AWFUL FOR ME. I TAKE IT IN THE AM AND THE PM. GOOD LUCK

[Carolyn]

Diana wrote:

Yes, take the cytomel morning and afternoon. I have been fighting this for 9 years I just finally found a doctor that gets this. We lowered the synthroid and did twice a day cytomel 10 mcg am and 5 mcg at 3pm. It works on fatigue and hopefully weight, we'll see. I have had the same doctor problems for years. Keep at it...good luck

Diane, who is this doctor in Colorado Springs who understands to supplement with T3? I've been hypothyroid for 30 years and have only ever taken synthroid. When I've spoken to doctors about the T3 no one wants to help. I'm moving to the Springs this summer and would love to go see this doctor.

[skr]

Please review my web site at www.thyroidvoice.com .I should have never had thyroid surgery.I can not take cytomel due to allergic reaction.Com pounded t3 works for me.

[Miranda]

I was born with out a thyroid. I am 25 years old. I started to take synthroid when I was 2 weeks old, then switching to levothyroxine when I was 17. My docs always told me that my levels were fine, but I have never felt *fine* I always feel fog-headed,a dn I have the worst memory int he world. My question is, if I was born without a thyroid( ex. NO HORMONE WHATSOEVER) why wouldnt my doc prescribe a T3 to me? Do you think it will help?

[sheryl]

I had a total thyroidectomy 4 years ago and have was initially back on Synthroid 0.150 by one doctor, then placed on t4 with increasing dosage but it made me very jittery. I have been on Armour Thyroid (90 mcg) for 2 years. Recently my I was told my thyroid levels are so low that my pituitary gland my not be working. I explained I take Armour once per day and I had missed a dose. I wonder if this could be the problem.

[Karla]

Who is your doctor and where do they practice?

Lea wrote:

<quoted text>
I have been taking levothroid and cytomel for about 3 years now. I take 5mcg of cytomel at 10:00 a.m. and another 5 mcg. no later than 2:00 p.m. It has helped immensely. Less fatigue, etc. My doctor also mentioned that cytomel, while definitely not an antidepressant, does seem to help with depression. Sure enough, I tried going off of it for about 2 months, and I experienced a lowering of mood and energy. I felt awful. It is important to take the meds exactly as prescribed and not skip dosages. Luckily, I have a very enlightened doctor who keeps up on the latest research.

[just like you]

what they need to look for in the blood test is your relative level of t3 and t4. I was on synth and my t4 levels were fine almost high but I was not converting it well after 10 years and my t3 was low. I also started gaining water weight out of no where. We cut t4 way down and added t3 twice daily. then my t3 and t4 were right in my blood work.
Hope it helps and remember always carry it with you in case your schedule changes or you forget!

Jerry wrote:

My doctor never did sit down and ask me how I felt, just relied on test results. I don't think I need test results, how I feel is the best indication of what is good for me. I now feel great, ordered cytomel overseas without a prescription and stopped taking levothyroxine and now take Armour Thyroid. I don't take cytomel anymore, only 2.5 grains of Armour Thyroid. I feel that most doctors don't know anything about hypothyroidism except what they read and I am able to read and diagnose for myself. How I feel tells me everything I need to know about how to treat hypothyroidism symptoms and as long as I can get my meds without a
prescription I will continue this technique.

[Karen]

How were you able to get Cytomel from overseas without a prescription? I took it over 18 years ago and did great on it but my doctor moved away and I've been through countless other MDs who refuse to give it to me because I am in the "normal" range. Help!

Jerry wrote:

My doctor never did sit down and ask me how I felt, just relied on test results. I don't think I need test results, how I feel is the best indication of what is good for me. I now feel great, ordered cytomel overseas without a prescription and stopped taking levothyroxine and now take Armour Thyroid. I don't take cytomel anymore, only 2.5 grains of Armour Thyroid. I feel that most doctors don't know anything about hypothyroidism except what they read and I am able to read and diagnose for myself. How I feel tells me everything I need to know about how to treat hypothyroidism symptoms and as long as I can get my meds without a
prescription I will continue this technique.

[Fran]

I am a 53 year old female that had my Thyroid removed 3 years ago. Have been on Levoxyl since, various levels. I have been losing my hair steadely since then. My Endo has dismissed the idea that Levoxyl is the cause although I have read that is most definetely is. Most recently (passed year) I have been gaining weight rapidly approx 18 lbs in a year with no life style change. I have been tired, bloated with muscle aches and pain. I finally blew up at my dr and insisted on switching to Armour Thyroid. He refused to prescribe, instead put me on .5mcg Cytomel, 1/2 in the morn, 1/2 early evening along with my .75 Levoxy. I took my first dose today. I'm so glad to read about all the good results with Cytomel. I am hoping to have the same.
Has anyone had experience with hair loss? Has the Cytomel helped in that regard. I feel I can work hard and do something about the weight gain but what can you do about losing your hair?

[Lynne]

Had my thyroid destroyed with radioactive iodine 27 years ago. I've been lucky to have been on synthroid and cytomel but now only synthyroid because of a new doctor. I can't get him to understand how terrible I feel without cytomel. Why are doctors so happy with numbers they don't listen to patients? I felt better immediately when I started the cytomel years ago.

[Elizabeth]

I am in the exact same boat, Lynne! My endoMD treated me 10 yrs ago with RAI for Graves and it has been a numbers game ever since. After finally getting my blood levels normal (after 2 back to back babies) I complained that I was exhausted and he smiled politely at my tiny children and said, "of course you are, you're a new mother! Come back in a year..." Same thing again the next year! Until finally, 3 years ago, I happened to see his new nurse practitioner who HEARD ME and recommended I combo my synthroid with cytomel. I was skeptical at first, but after much research, gave it a try and finally felt HUMAN for the first time since I was nuked! Now the nurse prac. has left and I got the MD again in May'08 who immediately pulled my off the cytomel because my TSH was 0.0 and "due to the long term effects". Now I've had 2 repeat level checks, each time lowering my synthroid (in hopes of getting my TSH to return). I am barely functioning and now yesterday he's dropped me to 100mcg (down from 150 in May) and I am in tears! I am abslutely certain that I am failing in the absence of cytomel and I am considering leaving "the best endoMD in the state" for a second opinion. He only cares about the levels and is only treating me based on such. I cannot find any research about the long term effects of the absence of TSH, and I never had any side effects at all on cytomel. I found comfort in your post because I am struggling!!!

[Desperate]

I just ran into the same problem. I feel fatigued, kind of mentally foggy at times and losing my hair. I have been on the same dose of Synthroid for several years so it is not that my levels are going up and down (I have them checked regularly). I read about Armour a natural thyroid hormone. Talked to my endocrinologist and she refuses to prescribe it. I finally gave up and told her I would go with the synthetic one (Thyrolar) and se refuses as well claiming that would put too much T3 on my body. At which I laughed since she only checks my TSH and Free T4 levels. How in the world would she know if I need T3??? And she didn't even offer to check my T3 levels and see. I am shopping around for a new endocrinologist but based on what I read here I don't have high hopes.
After learning how bad the synthetic form is and how it is causing my hair loss I stopped taking it altogether.
I also read my hypo could be autoinmune or transient (which means it was due to certain conditions but non permanent). It occured to me that she guesses it was autoinmune. She didn't do any specific tests other than check the levels. How did she reach the conclusion it was autoinmune?

[Mike]

Two years ago I was feeling awful and had gained 20 lbs. in a matter of weeks, my doctor ordered a TSH test, it came back 125! My mom and sister both have thyroid problems, I never considered I did being a man. I've been on 100mcg of levothyroxine for 18 months, the weight won't come off and I still feel awful. My TSH is 4.5-5.0 now. Do you think I need some Cytomel-I'm not getting any better! My Dr. has never tested my T3 or T4. Thanks, Mike

[sharryn]

i am taking 200mcgs of thyroxine and still gaining weight and feeling cold and tired. my t4 is still only 9.8 do oyu yhink i should try t3?help!!!!

[Mike]

I've been on 100mcg of levothyroxine for two years now, my TSH number was 125 in February 2007, I just had my tests done again: TSH:1.37, T3:1.22, T4: 7.8, I still have no energy, can't lose the 25 pounds I've put on, alot of classic symptoms-do you think I need to talk to my doctor about going on Cytomel? Thanks!

[Edwin]

I've been on the T3/T4 combination for about 5 years now. I had been on ~175mcg T4, and switched to 137mcg levoxyl + 10mcg cytomel (5 mcg split into 2 doses) after asking my endocrinologist about trying it out. It was only after switching that I felt "normal", my TSH leveled off near 1, and my dosage of T4 stable.
Another benefit of the T3/T4 is that you can hold the dosage of T4 stable and fine-tune the T3 dosage since the effect is rapid (unlike fiddling with the T4 dosage every 6 weeks, which is an unbearably long time to wait for results).
If you feel lousy on T4-only I would definitely recomend trying out the T3/T4 combo. As a general rule of thumb T3 is about 4 times as strong as T4; so if you start with 10mcg T3 (common), you'll need to take about 40mcg less of T4.
Another thing I found is that the "recommended" range of TSH was way too high for me. "Normal" seems to be around 0.5-1.5. Anything above 2, and I felt symptons of being hypo.