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Liothyronine/ cytomel

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Posted 2/28/2020 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone been on Liothyronine? I just started it on 10 mcg and I'm on 150 mg of Armour thyroid (that I have been on for awhile) and I do not feel any benefits yet. Does anyone know how long it takes for Liothyronine/ cytomel to kick in and if anyone has had any luck on this T3 treatment.
Posted 2/28/2020 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
Please provide some background on why your taking additional t3 while already getting T3 in the Armour thyroid.

Was your t3 with armour still low, or lower than the t4 when tested?

Most people on Armour or any pig thyroid are getting higher t3 levels than t4 since the ratio is like that vs human t3/t4 ratio.

Are you treating a "reverse T3" condition?

T3 works / can feel it in less that two hours. The synthetic version cytomel It make some people jittery. The natural t3 in pig thyroid has less of a "hit" to no hit, its smooth.

Synthetic T3 alone med is usually used with synthetic T4 like synthroid for people whos bodies don't convert the 4 to 3 very well.
Posted 2/28/2020 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on Armour Thyroid/ Nature Throid for about 4 years and I really have not felt much difference. I was bumped up to 150mg and felt good for about 4 days (less hair loss and fatigue) but then crashed again by the end of the week. My T3 levels were still low so my naturopath and LLMD thought it would be a good idea to start adding the Liothyronine as it seems my T3 levels are having a hard time getting that bump up.
Posted 2/29/2020 5:25 AM (GMT 0)
My daughter is on 30 mcg and her labs finally hit decent numbers. And I can tell she feels better emotionally. She seemed to think she was going crazy there for awhile as we were going from 5 to 10 to 20 to 30. Other stuff could’ve been playing into that but we def see a difference with her reaching the correct dosage. She isn’t on any other thyroid meds though.
Posted 2/29/2020 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you. I’ve been bumped up without change for so long I’m starting to think the thyroid won’t work itself out until the lyme/coinfections go away but I need the thyroid to be working properly to get rid of the lyme so there’s really no winning
Posted 3/1/2020 1:21 AM (GMT 0)

Patient166 said...
I've been on Armour Thyroid/ Nature Throid for about 4 years and I really have not felt much difference. I was bumped up to 150mg and felt good for about 4 days (less hair loss and fatigue) but then crashed again by the end of the week. My T3 levels were still low so my naturopath and LLMD thought it would be a good idea to start adding the Liothyronine as it seems my T3 levels are having a hard time getting that bump up.

My thoughts:

1)Some Drs dont know what a proper thyroid level looks like, pretty common. I would think a NP would, but maybe not. If you post your last thyroid lab I can look at it.

2) Hypothyroid and lyme have overlapping/near identical symptoms.

3)Your thyroid and liver do most of the converting. Conversion has nothing to do with iodine, so its not that. How are your liver enzyme levels? D-limonene is the best liver detoxer there is. Thyroid people need to be 100% gluten free. I was not a believer till I did it myself. Testing and imaging proved improvements after 20 years.
Posted 3/1/2020 1:35 PM (GMT 0)

astroman said...

Patient166 said...
I've been on Armour Thyroid/ Nature Throid for about 4 years and I really have not felt much difference. I was bumped up to 150mg and felt good for about 4 days (less hair loss and fatigue) but then crashed again by the end of the week. My T3 levels were still low so my naturopath and LLMD thought it would be a good idea to start adding the Liothyronine as it seems my T3 levels are having a hard time getting that bump up.

My thoughts:

1)Some Drs dont know what a proper thyroid level looks like, pretty common. I would think a NP would, but maybe not. If you post your last thyroid lab I can look at it.

2) Hypothyroid and lyme have overlapping/near identical symptoms.

3)Your thyroid and liver do most of the converting. Conversion has nothing to do with iodine, so its not that. How are your liver enzyme levels? D-limonene is the best liver detoxer there is. Thyroid people need to be 100% gluten free. I was not a believer till I did it myself. Testing and imaging proved improvements after 20 years.

TSH: .805 (range: .450-4.5)
T4,Free (direct): .97 (range: .82-1.77)
T3 Free: 1.9 (range: 2.0-4.4)

Thank you for looking at my labs. I’m on 150mg armour and 10 mcg liothyronine. I’m aware that lyme and thyroid symptoms can overlap however I’m pretty positive my hair loss and fatigue is from the thyroid because when I had a short period of time when my thyroid got a bump these symptoms went away. My liver enzymes levels have been a little high lately since I’m on a lot of meds but normally they are within the normal range. The thyroid has been an issue a lot longer than my liver enzymes have been elevated due to the treatments/ meds I’m on for coinfections. I’m also gluten free so I know that’s not an issue!
Posted 3/1/2020 2:44 PM (GMT 0)
Patient166,

I noticed Astroman said the thyroid and the liver do most of the conversion and recommended d-limonene. I know from your other post that you are working on mold detox, too.

My liver labs have only been slightly elevated once and have been in the 20’s or teens most recently. Despite looking good on paper, I have had a terrible time detoxing for going on 4 years now. I tried d-limonene in the past, but it didn’t sit well with me for some reason.

However, I started taking TUDCA mid-January. It also helps the liver. It has normalized high liver labs for some. For me, it has made an amazing difference in my symptoms and day-day stability. Before, I had so much toxin induced pain and intermittent psych symptoms that fluctuated constantly. Now, I feel much more stable in body and psych-wise consistently. I am using the TUDCA Plus from Microbe Formulas. I haven’t tried other brands yet.

I have had occasional herxing with it, especially the first few weeks, but it was completely different. I would feel symptoms flare for a day or so and then feel better again. Before TUDCA, the feeling better part was elusive. It has noticeably made me feel better with relief, whereas glutathione, NAC, binders, and oral PC never have.
Posted 3/1/2020 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
WalkingbyFaith - TUDCA looks to be a very interesting liver supplement which I don't remember being posted here before. Where did you hear/read about this? Im going to look into it since liver function plays a role in regards to the protien used for immunoglobulins - which I'm below levels in.

Sam-e can also be good for the same liver genes as D-Limonene, but, as you know, it all trial and error. I tried Sam-e, and don't know what it did for my liver, but it made my brain feel weird. Its also a nuero-brain chemical derived from amino acids, some people feel great on it.

In my own experience, it seems even NP type Drs have limited ideas when it comes down to improving ones liver beyond "eating healthy" and no drinking. Online info isn't much better.

Post Edited (astroman) : 3/1/2020 11:25:06 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/1/2020 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
Patient166 - corn can also be an issue for some "thyroidians". I also try to be corn and corn sugar free.

Some people end up with really low TSH once they reach proper t3 and t4 levels. I have/ know someone who is at zero TSH with proper t3/t4 levels and this is how they need to be. This is rare, but I have seen it on other forums in the past. It is more common the longer your on thyroid med though.

In addition to liver health, has anyone mentioned pituitary gland "investigation"? I dont recall all the tests for that, but a CAT scan is one thing they look at.
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