- Cytomel is a potent T3 thyroid medication that can significantly boost metabolism and support weight loss in patients who are genuinely T3-deficient, but it's not appropriate for everyone and requires careful dosing.
- Simply taking Cytomel won't produce weight loss without concurrent attention to diet, exercise, and other metabolic factors, just like any metabolism booster needs lifestyle support to work.
- T3 medication carries risks including heart palpitations, anxiety, and potential thyroid suppression if dosed incorrectly, so this requires working with a provider who understands T3 physiology.
- Some patients see dramatic improvements on T3 while others experience no benefit or side effects, making individual assessment and trial-and-adjust dosing essential to find your optimal dose.
- Cytomel is best considered as part of a comprehensive thyroid optimization plan after you've ruled out other deficiencies and hormonal imbalances that might be the real culprit in your weight struggle.
Cytomel may be one of the most effective thyroid medications on the market.
And because your thyroid plays a role in regulating your metabolism, it also happens to be one of the best for helping with weight loss.
Does that mean that every thyroid patient should be taking it?
No!
But it definitely means that it can and should be considered, especially if you are someone who is doing everything else right and still struggling to lose weight.
Before you run out and start taking it, here’s what you need to know:
How Cytomel Can Help You Lose Weight
Looking at available research on physiology, you can say with some degree of certainty that your thyroid controls about 50-60% of your basal metabolic rate (1) (pinpointing an exact amount is more difficult than you might think).
This is the rate at which you burn calories at rest and is one of the most important values when determining whether or not you will be successful when losing weight (2).
People with a higher metabolism will lose weight faster and more easily compared to someone with a lower metabolism. It’s pretty simple.
Because Cytomel contains the most powerful thyroid hormone, T3, it’s considered stronger when compared to more standard thyroid medications like levothyroxine.
So if you take it instead of levothyroxine, you are providing a much more significant boost to your thyroid and, therefore, your metabolism.
The end result? More weight loss.
But on top of this, thyroid patients who take Cytomel also see a benefit to fluid retention which is another common cause of weight gain among this population.
When you combine the increase in metabolism with a loss in water weight, many thyroid patients do see a drop on the scale when they start taking Cytomel even without diet and exercise.
Understanding how it works is fairly simple. Understanding how to use it safely is slightly more complex.
How To Use Cytomel Safely
Because Cytomel is stronger than T4-only thyroid medications, there are a few extra steps that should be taken if you plan on using it.
As someone with a thyroid problem, you’re probably well familiar with the need for thyroid lab tests which should be assessed regularly if you are taking any sort of thyroid medication.
This recommendation still applies if you are using Cytomel, but on top of the standard tests (TSH and free T4), a few extra are required.
These lab tests include:
These are not lab tests that are generally ordered by most doctors so you will likely need to specifically request them.
But when taking Cytomel, they are important to track to ensure you are never taking more than what would be considered normal or physiologic.
Again, because T3 is so powerful, taking more than you need can lead to problems such as bone loss (3) or even heart problems (4).
Don’t let these symptoms scare you because they are preventable as long as your dose is normal.
On top of these extra lab tests, you’ll also want to keep track of a few other metrics including:
- Your resting heart rate (5) – Your resting heart rate should stay under 70-80 beats per minute when taking Cytomel. If you see it increasing into the 90s or even the low 100s then your dose is too high.
- And your basal body temperature (6) – Your body temperature should never exceed 98.6 degrees. If you see it increasing higher than this then it’s an indication you are pushing yourself into a hyperthyroid state.
You don’t have to keep an eye on your body temperature or resting heart rate, but I do find them to be very helpful especially when you first start taking Cytomel and are trying to optimize your dose.
Once you determine if using Cytomel is right for you the next step is to figure out how much you need.
Cytomel Dosing For Weight Loss
Like any other hormone in the body, Cytomel isn’t going to help unless you are taking enough of it.
The balance that you must strike is finding a dose that is not too high, as to cause unwanted side effects, and not too low, as to cause no benefit at all, but somewhere in between.
For most people, this dose will be somewhere between 5 mcg and 20 mcg per day.
This dosing recommendation is based loosely on the physiologic production of T3 from the healthy thyroid gland which is around 10-25 mcg per day.
By the way, the healthy thyroid gland also produces around 90 to 100 mcg of T4 each day, which will come into play in just a minute so keep this value in mind.
If we start on the basis that we are trying to mimic what the healthy thyroid gland produces, we will automatically minimize the risk of unwanted side effects while maximizing benefits.
This is because we already know that the healthy body can tolerate this dose.
This range of 5 to 20 mcg is just a guideline, though, as there will be people who need more or less.
For perspective, I’ve seen people use as little as 1-2 mcg of T3 per day or as high as 70 mcg per day.
If you do decide to start taking Cytomel then make sure that you start at a low dose and slowly increase your dose (titrate) over time.
For instance:
A typical starting dose may be 5 mcg which then increases by 5 mcg every 10-14 days.
It’s been my experience that this slow increase over time allows for the body to adapt to the T3 thyroid hormone which further minimizes the risk of side effects.
And in the event that side effects do occur, you can always back down on your dose to a dose that previously worked for you.
Bottom line? Cytomel does come with some extra baggage in the form of side effects but the tradeoff is that it’s much more powerful.
Here’s how it compared to some other thyroid medications:
Cytomel vs Synthroid For Weight Loss
โAs far as weight loss is concerned, Cytomel will be superior to levothyroxine and Synthroid in almost every instance.
In terms of magnitude, T3 is roughly 80 to 100 times more potent than T4 which is what levothyroxine contains.
But instead of thinking about which one is better, I think it’s more useful to think of them as a complementary pair.
While it is true that some people do benefit from using only T3, referred to as T3 monotherapy, many people do even better on a combination of T4 and T3.
And it’s this combination of T4 and T3 that I think you will really start to see significant benefits to your health and weight.
In fact, I would say the majority of thyroid patients need some combination of T4, T3, and T2 because this mimics the natural production of thyroid hormone from your thyroid gland.
And if we look at someone with a healthy thyroid gland, we see that their metabolism and weight are both normal.
From a practical standpoint, this looks like taking two different medications at the same time:
Both Cytomel and Synthroid, in this case.
This is the case for Synthroid and levothyroxine but what about NDT?
Cytomel vs NDT For Weight Loss
This one is a little different than the levothyroxine example because NDT formulations, like Armour Thyroid and NP thyroid, come with both T4 and T3 built into them.
NDT contains a static combination of both T4 and T3 to the tune of 38 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3 in each unit (termed a grain).
This ratio puts us pretty close to the 80:20 ratio that was mentioned previously when combining levothyroxine and Cytomel together, so they are very similar.
For this reason, the answer regarding which one is better has more to do with dose and personal preference than anything else.
I’ve found that some people, for whatever reason, do better on Cytomel and some do better on NDT formulations.
If you spend time on social media or the internet in general, you will find groups of people who advocate and evangelize both.
But don’t fall for the hype either way. One is not inherently better than the other even when you start throwing around terms like “natural” or “synthetic”.
The reality is that both can work and both can help you lose weight. Which one you choose is more a matter of preference, tolerance, and trial and error.
The next thing we need to talk about is side effects.
Side Effects
If you are planning on taking Cytomel then you should be aware of its potential to cause side effects.
These side effects tend to be dose-dependent so whether or not you will see good or bad side effects depends on how much you are taking.
The higher your dose the more likely you are to see weight loss but also the more likely you are to experience hyperthyroid symptoms.
For those who start taking it, here are some common side effects that you may see:
- Hair loss
- Heart palpitations
- Increased heart rate
- Increased body temperature, hot flashes, or warm flushes
- Weight loss (most common) weight gain (uncommon but does happen)
- Jittery sensation or increased anxiety
- Headaches
- Loose stool or diarrhea
Let me be clear in stating that these are the negative side effects that may occur only if you are taking more than you need.
If you are taking the exact amount that your body requires, which is always the goal, you should not experience these negative side effects.
Instead, you should experience these positive ones instead:
- Weight loss
- Increased energy
- Decreased hair loss
- Increased cognition and improved memory
- Decreased brain fog
- Improved sleep
Again, whether you experience positive or negative side effects has everything to do with how much you are taking so make sure to spend time optimizing your dose.
Cytomel is definitely one of my personal favorite thyroid medications because it’s far more powerful than alternatives like levothyroxine.
But this power does come with some added responsibility and it will only work if you dose it correctly.
If you can nail down both of these things, though, it will go a long way to helping you effortlessly lose that extra weight caused by low thyroid function.
By the way, if you are a thyroid patient trying to lose weight, make sure to check out this article next.
It walks you through how to use T2 thyroid hormone which, much like T3, is stronger than T4 when it comes to boosting metabolism and most thyroid patients have no idea that it even exists.
Scientific References
#1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500006/
#2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572145/
#3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7230461/
#4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3832836/
#5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8558494/
#6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8808101/
Additional references:
#1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16883675
#2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24692351
#3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3205882/
#4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3169863/
#5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3148220/
#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/402379
#7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5451035/
#8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28138133
#9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4737508/
#10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4318631/
Hello Dr. Childs,
Thank you so much for your research and writings about thyroid. It’s been an enormous help in understanding the process.
I spent 10+ years and well over $1,000 on trying to find a doctor who would help when I said either my thyroid was off or my testosterone was too high (hair loss, weight gain, very low energy, body aches all the time, depression, etc.).
I finally found an integrative medicine doctor who did a complete panel of thyroid tests. I do not have autoimmune thyroid. My B12 was low, so I’ve been doubling up on a B12 supplement for a month now and I take lots of other supplements. Everything is in the normal range except the reverse T3 — TSH=.81; T3 =3.1; T4=1.1; Reverse T3=24.
She started me on Cytomel 2 weeks ago at 5 mcg. I haven’t noticed much change other than some weight gain. I took the T3 Conversion Booster for 2 weeks before I started Cytomel. I hadn’t noticed any change, so I stopped it to see what Cytomel did by itself.
I’m concerned about weight gain with Cytomel and if increasing to 10 mcg/day will make it even worse. I’m starting the Keto diet, but I’m not confident that alone will help to lose weight. I’m 69 and have bad knees, so my exercise is limited.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thank you!
Nancy
Hi, Dr. Child’s, and everyone with this disease,
Here is the short version. I am 49 years old, diagnosed at 19. Years of Synthroid, the wanted natural so switched to NDT for years.. way better…TSH was 1.2. Not so much for weight loss, but felt better. NDT manufacture issue, production issues, can’t get it, very very disappointing. So I asked my Dr for another prescription. ( she is awesome by the way, really good to me). She prescribed 50mg of Cytomel. I tried it for 4 weeks, had both hyper and hypo symptoms. Increased heart rate, hot, but overall lethargic. Recent labs are, tsh=3.34, t3=15, t4=2.4. What now?
Hi Bridget,
What did you wind up doing? I personally would’ve tried a lower dosage of the Cytomel, since the increased heart rate can be indicative of too high of a dose.
Ok, post total thyroidectomy 5.5 years. Relatively have done OK on just synthroid However recently T3 free T3 was Low Dr. wants me on Cytomel along with Synthroid. I tried armor and my body rejected it horribly. However I have a lot of intestinal issues and I have in the past had SVT and Iโm also on atenolol. Is this a good combo? And after two doses of cytomel, I canโt quit going to the restroom… โโ๏ธ. It was an immediate response after taking a few doses each time is that normal
Hi Dr Childโs,
After a bad reaction to new Naturethroid I have yet to find a thyroid medication that will work for me over the last six months or so. Tried NP, compounded synthetic t3/t4 and then armour. All seemed good for the first few weeks and then started to feel worse and lose hair as I upped the dose. It was suggested that I may have a cortisol problem now so trying just cytomel dosed 3 times a day. The hair loss is slowing down but canโt tell if I am taking too much or too little because not feeling great. Ringing in eats, looser stools, muscle pain(feel warmer)and brain fog. Feel a little hyper but tired at same time. How do you tell if you are underdosing or over dosing since some of symptoms are the same? I started at 2.5 mcg 3x a day about 4 hours apart and then raised to 5 mcg for the first dose and 2.5 mcg for the last two doses.
I know that synthroid needs to be taken on an empty stomach, and wait an hour before eating. Does cytomel need to be taken the same way?
Hi Susan,
I recommend it, yes.
I am taking 75mcg synthroid and 15mcg of Cytomel was added twice daily. Wow…I have my life back!!!! I went from 166 lbs, tired all of the time to 150 lbs (I am 5โ8โ). The ENDO who was treating me moved to another state and my new ENDO wants to decrease me off of Cytomel because she doesnโt believe in it. My T3 and T4 are normal but my tsh is suppressed at 0.008, but I feel like my own self is back! No more depression, I actually have energy to exercise. I am currently looking for a new ENDO.
I am confused. There are reputable studies that state t3 medication can cause heart failure. Other reputable studies state it has improved heart failure in people. Which one is it??
I have been on Synthroid 100 and t3 15 mcg, along with progesterone and testosterone for three years and still have the 50lb weight gain and still have outrageous cholesterol numbers along with very high C-reactive protein. My rt3 went from 15 to recently 24. Dr. told me how easy this going to be to fix. Ha. Left my doctor. With the refills I had, went off Synthroid, taking synthetic t3 10mcg and slowing going to increase and see if weight comes off. I am finding the only diet that is beginning to work is a low fat and low carb diet. I have lost two lbs. if weight comes off and inflammation and cholesterol numbers return to normal, will wean myself off t3. My Dr. stated I will be on for rest of my life. I do not believe that is true if you have no vitamin deficiencies and hypo symptoms caused by high inflammation, vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances and poor diet.
In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with my thyroid, symptoms began during perimenapause and perhaps imbalance of hormones along with high inflammation from a poor diet caused hypothyroidism
My selenium, iron, sugar all normal.
Hi Demarie,
The answer is both because it has nothing to do with the medication itself and everything to do with the dose ๐ If you use the right dose it’s helpful and if you use the wrong dose it’s harmful.
I have a few basic questions about Cytomel:
Should it be taken with food or on an empty stomach (or does it not matter)?
If taking it more than once a day, how many hours should there be in between the first and second dosage?
Can it be taken in the evening or will it keep the user awake?
I’ve read that labs can be screwy following Cytomel and that they’re not necessarily the best way of determining dosage. Is monitoring your morning temperature and watching your pulse rate (as you mention in your article) and paying attention to symptoms sufficient for determining dosage?
Thank you.
Hi Dr., I have been on synthroid (112mcg) for 16 years and I still have symptoms, so exhausted, pain everywhere and the weight piles on no matter what diet I am on. My calorie intake is anywhere from 900 to 1700 calories a day. So frustrated. No one listens and says loose weight. I know that. Iโm doing something wrong. Help.
Question: I have been on levothyroxine and cytamel for many years. I still have hypothyroid symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, and muscle and joint pain. I believe I need more T3 but when I increase I get jittery and anxious feelings. I also believe I may have adrenal problems. Does the body use T3 differently throughout the month, because some weeks I feel better and other weeks I feel terrible. Will the T3 supplement help regulate this better and will it cause any jittery or heart symptoms like increasing cytamel does? Thank you!
Hi Krista,
Yes, estrogen/progesterone levels from your cycle can impact how thyroid hormone functions.
Hello Dr.Childs.My name is Ramona,coming from a Eastern European country where thyroid problems are kind of common ,guessing because of Chernobyl( ,because I remember taking iodine supplements in school for that).So ,in 1996 I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism,put on a treatment ,that I had to stop in 1999 when I came in US ,because my tests did not show anymore that I have any problems.Weight gain it was always a problem ,a constant battle since then .Fortunately,after 21 years ,I found a dr (when I was not even looking for a thyroid consult),that told me I should be on the treatment for hypothyroidism and she gave the lowest dose of Cytomel .I started the treatment yesterday and today I kind of started to have some sort of a headache which comes and goes and warm flashes .I know that this are side effects of meds ,but ,my question is : should I give a little more time fir my body to adjust to the treatment,ask for a even lower dose or ask the Dr for a different medication ?!?
This being said ,I am going to thank you in advance,because I know your answer will be very prompt,and for ,being there for all of us ,in need of all this information .
Thank you!
Can you explain about adding T3 to T4? If your T4 is 1.4 to 1.6 then it’s okay to add T3 to it? My TSH is 1.4. Will this affect the T4 levels? I get body weakness and swelling if I reduce my T4 but my T3 is 2.6. I have little thyroid tissue left and reducing T4 does not result in more conversion to T3 for me but even less T3. In fact, my thyroxine has to be 10 and T4 at 1.9 to get my T3 levels at 3.8. My thyroxine is now 8.8 and T3 is 2.6. I have to assume that lowering T4 does not stimulate everyone to convert to more T3?
Hello! I truly appreciate you encouraging your readers to let you know about their experiences – I hope you read this a few years on from your original post!
I am currently on 90 mcg of T3 (75mcg SR and 20mcg of regular – with 65mcg upon waking up and the remaining 30 in the afternoon around 2pm). This is increased over the past few years from lots of trial and error, and more recently my Dr tired me on an additional 25mcg of Levo, but the depression was not good and my eyebrows and hair started to come out so I got off of it (tried it a few times before, higher dose and it was awful – weight gain, joint pain etc). My issues are, since being on a high dose of T3, worsened hormonal imbalance (including no libido at all!), easy weight gain which wonโt budge at all (never have been able to lose weight anyway but could always maintain), adrenal issues, on and off bad brain fog. But I do have mostly decent energy throughout the day and finally my eyebrows are starting to grow in at this dose, but fall out when I raise it. My FT3 is always in bottom quartile/half still, but RT3 is โlowโ as is my FT4 and obviously TSH. Iodine is always โlowโ at like 11, but I have similar side effects like when I take levo so I take it very sparingly (why is that?!). Is there anyway this higher dose of T3 is affecting my Iodine levels. I eat very clean, do intermittent fasting (not so much that it affects my adrenals), and exercise frequently but donโt over exercise. Do not have ravenous hunger, in fact itโs the opposite a lot of the time. Does this sound like thyroid resistance?
Anyway! My Dr bases my dose on my symptoms which will great, but Iโd love a second opinion on if this seems like I am going in the right direction.
Thank you for any and all advice! I would appreciate any suggestions or insight!
Best, Alexandra
I have been just miserable for the past couple years. I am in menopause now, 50 yrs old, and used to just take Levothyroxine which seemed to help some symptoms but not all. Now I am on Progesteron/Estrogen/Testosterone and 90 mcg of Armour. My newest blood tests show my TSH is only 0.2, my T4 free is only 0.8, and my T3 Free is only 3.2. I have 20 lbs I can’t shake through diet and exercise (weightlifting/HIIT), and I am exhausted, hair falling out, brain fog, low mood, high stress, insomnia, and moody. Do you think I should ask my doctor to try Cytomel and lower my current Armour dose? I also just started to take Berberine so will see how that goes.
Hello Dr. Childs,
Everything that you state and cite makes sense until I read something like this from an endocrinologist, ” The latest research by Joseph Meyerovitch, MD, of Schneider Medical Center, Ramat Hasharon, Israel has shown that treating borderline low thyroid levels is associated with increased risk for death in people over the age of 65 years. The death rate was 19% higher in patients taking levothyroxine, according to an analysis by Dr. Meyerovitch. The study also found a dramatically increased risk for dementia, heart failure, chronic renal failure, and cerebrovascular disease in the patients who took thyroid hormone. The research was presented at the 2018 meeting of the Endocrine Society in Chicago.”
Is there a rebuttal or evidence to the contrary? Thank you.
Sincerely,
Catherine
Hi Catherine,
You’re confusing subclinical hypothyroidism with true hypothyroidism. These are completely different conditions so I wouldn’t argue at all with the results of that research. But the point is that that research has nothing to do with what I’m recommending here.
Hello Dr. Childs,
Please forgive my ignorance. I am just beginning to research and learn about thyroid issues.
If a postmenopausal 52 year old patient who had already made lifestyle changes by perfect eating (organic only, no sugar 1300 calories or less per day), working out five days per week (weightlifting and cardio), taking bioidentical hormones (estradiol .05 patch, progesterone 100 mg day 1-14, testosterone 1.25 day) with a 1.1 free T4, 2.8 Free T3, TSH 1.39, RT3 11, ferritin 129, insulin 10.5, with the main symptom being 15-18 pounds overweight with water retention and weight loss resistance (not being able to lose 1 pound) …..would you think this to be more likely solved by taking T4/T3 or focusing on perfecting any sex hormone imbalances?
If you have time to answer this question, thank you in advance.
Are you familiar with Paul Robinson’s research on using T3 (alone) successfully to cure hypothyroidism, plus his Circadian T3 Method, which includes improving adrenal function?
(Paul Robinson: Recovering With T3 and The CT3M Handbook.)
(Website: http://recoveringwitht3.com.)
Would you be interested in learning about his phenomenal work by working on my case? I am having trouble finding an open-minded endocrinologist who is not wedded to Synthroid.
Hi Jane,
Yes, I am familiar with his work. I’m not accepting patients so that isn’t an option but using T3 can be very effective for many people.
Around October 2020 I was on 30mg NDT and 4.5 LDN and my doctor added cytomel 5mg. I dropped 10 pounds (I weighed 138, 5’3) in the first 6 Weeks. Over the following months I lost another 8. I got down to 120 and holding. I crossfit 5 days a week. But about a month ago we went to 60 Ndt and 10 cytomel. I gained 5 pounds, now at 125. Not too worried, but thought it odd.
How do we find providers that are open and well educated on these very complicated thyroid and resistance issues that causes a lot of Americans. Do you have a list of providers that you could recommend that can do Telehealth or in some large metro areas around the county? I specifically live in the DFW Texas area.
Thanks,
Stephanie Sharp, BSN, RN
Hi Stephanie,
Unfortunately, I don’t have a list and I don’t believe one exists (as far as I know) but I did create the resource which you can use to help you find a competent thyroid doctor: https://www.restartmed.com/how-to-find-a-doctor-to-treat-your-thyroid/
I am currently taking 150mcg of T4 and 5mcg of T3. What should be the right dose of T3? My symptoms regarding fatigue, low energy, anxiety, depression, all of them improved since T3 was added, but I continue gaining weight. Could it be that I need more T3. Thank you for your article Dr. Childs. Looking forward to your answer
Hi Faridys,
The dose that any person needs of T3 is highly individualized. I’ve seen people do well on 5 mcg and others who need 75mcg per day, it really just depends on the person, their situation, their history, and so on. It’s possible you may need more T3 but it’s also possible that you are missing something else that is contributing to your symptoms.
100 percent!
Could the balance or the percentage of T4 to T3 being taken end up being closer to 50/50 if the TSH has gotten so low you canโt go any lower? For example, 37.5 mcg of Levothyroxine to 25 mcg or even more of T3?
Hi Carol,
Yes, in certain situations that may be helpful and/or necessary. Typically, you wouldn’t want to stay at that ratio for long due to the potential for side effects but there are some people who have been at those ratios for decades with minimal to no issues.
Hi Dr. Childs,
I apologize if I am repeating a question here but currently I am on it 20 mcg of cytomel and it is really helping me. I was previously taking a combo of Tirosint and cytomel and it was not helping me well enough. I would like to try to stay on this for a while as long as my body is handling it well. I plan to continue to explore any other issues I may have in case that may also be contributing to my fatigue symptoms. I wanted to know what recommendations you give for monitoring basal body temperature and heart rate monitoring. I check my basal body temperature every morning because I have a Ladycomp and I do family planning so Iโm covered there but Iโm curious about heart rate monitoring. Should I wear a heart rate monitor? How often and when should I check my heart rate?
Thank you So much your website has been incredibly helpful and educating myself on my condition.
Hi Paige,
I always recommend keeping track of both basal body temperature and resting heart rate when using T3. The heart rate can be tracked by something simple like an apple watch or pretty much any wearable device nowadays. Body temperature is also pretty easy to track using ovulation apps and basal body thermometers.
Hi Dr. Childโs,
My body is so super sensitive to hormones. I was on nature throid before and felt swollen so Iโve started Cytomel half a tab of 5 mcg and already a few days in and I feel swollen as well is this normal will it go away and is it possible to increase your thyroid naturally with supplements? Thank you!
Hi Melanie,
Sometimes, those types of symptoms will fade over time, but not always. And, yes, it is possible to improve thyroid function naturally when using certain thyroid supplements. T2, for example, is a thyroid hormone and it is available over the counter: https://www.restartmed.com/product/essential-t2/
There are many others as well and you can read more about how they work here: https://www.restartmed.com/thyroid-supplements/
Hi Melanie,
I highly recommend Dr. Wentz (Thyroid Pharmacist). Sheโs a functional medicine Pharmacist who has Hashimotoโs. Look her up. She provides a great deal of information that you might find useful.
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/
Hello. I have a history of Gravesโ disease (dx in 2005, also elevated TSI antibodies) and I guess Hashimotoโs (hypothyroidism dx in 2014, of which Iโve been dealing with ever since; elevated TPO antibodies). I just transitioned from levothyroxine to liothyronine about 2 months ago. My TSH in March, after being on 100 mcg of levothyroxine, was 3.5. I decided to switch to liothyronine because I felt the levothyroxine was making my blood pressure high, and I was experiencing other strange symptoms with it. My doctor started me off with 5 mcg of lio, and when I re-took my labs a few days ago, my TSH was 29, and my other hormones were in the abnormal range (my doctor still does the useless thyroid panel, which tests for T3 uptake and total t4, but I imagine FT3 and FT4 are abnormal).
Does this simply mean I have to increase the dosage of lio for it to work properly? I canโt believe my TSH came back so high; itโs like I never took any medication these last couple of months.
Hi Joy,
Did you go from taking 100 mcg of levothyroxine alone to 5 mcg of liothyronine by itself? If so, you were severely underdosed which is why your TSH increased.
Yes, I did. I maybe thought that, because T3 doses that people start out on are such a small amount that T3 only was a more powerful drug than T4. And Iโm not dealing with an endocrinologist, so I think my PCPโs knowledge in this area may be limited.
I wanted to also ask you, since I started out with Gravesโ disease and eventually switched to hypothyroidism (spontaneously; no RAI or surgery to render my thyroid non-functional), is there any hope that with great diet and exercise, I can return to a normal thyroid state?
I take Armor thyroid which has T3 would Cytomel be better for me?
Hi Gene,
Possibly, it depends on how you are feeling, though. Some people do great on Armour thyroid but others need additional T3.