# Cytomel dosage problems



## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

Salvia test showed weak adrenals dr ordered 50 mcg cytomel. This seems high to me and i'm having constipation problems. Any comments or suggestions appreciated,


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Nanaallen said:


> Salvia test showed weak adrenals dr ordered 50 mcg cytomel. This seems high to me and i'm having constipation problems. Any comments or suggestions appreciated,


What other lab tests have you had run? Any thyroid labs? Please post results with ranges.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

That is an absolutely HUGE dose of Cytomel.

If you could post your labs for us to peek at (with ranges), that would be great.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

RAI 22 yrs ago. Synthroid 19 yrs WP thyroid 3yrs [email protected] salvia test flat line at bottom of chart. FT4.direct 1.33. 0.82-1.77. RT3.serum. 19.9. 9.2 -24.1. FT 3.serum 3.1. 2.0- 4.4
Estrogen 60 age74. <40. Testosterone 58.2. 7.0 -40.0. All other labs good


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Wow. Have you been on Cytomel up to now, or are you just now starting it? I would be very, very, very hesitant to take a dose that high, especially with your Free T3 result you posted above.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

Only on the cytomel for 2 weeks, having assorted problems, trouble falling asleep, constapation etc started researching and thought dose really high for starters. Rx for 90 days and cost a lot if money, don't know what to do, just stop or try to get lesser dose, don't know what dose should hsve started.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

Is there any other way to correct adrenal problems? Dr said HCL was dangerous


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I agree with you--your dose is way too high. For example, my Free T3 was low, but in range, and my doctor started me on 10 mcg of Cytomel to "supplement" my Synthroid. That turned out to be too much for me, and I settled on 5 mcg. Please talk to your doctor about this incredibly high dose...it's dangerous. I've never seen anybody on here who takes 50 mcg, let alone starts on 50 mcg. In the meantime, I think you should trust your gut and stop taking it. If money is a concern (and when is it not?), you could break the Cytomel into quarters, which would give you about 12.5 mcg per dose, but that's really hard to do, and the up & down of an inaccurate dose won't help you stabilize. I think you're better off getting a new prescription, even if it's for a generic version of the drug (Liothyronine).

I'm sorry I can't help you with the adrenals...that's something I know nothing about, but others here do. They'll be along.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

50 mcg of Cytomel sounds dangerous. Cytomel is a really potent medication. I was so afraid of it I cut my first doses in half for 2 weeks. I think you need a second opinion.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Lord have mercy! The usual starting dose is 5 mcg. and even that causes some patients to start out on 2.5 mcgs.. with very small increases of 2.5 to 5 mcgs. every 8 weeks.

If you take that, you may end up in the emergency room. Either the pharmacist made a mistake or the doctor did.

Humble and very experienced opinion.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

You know, the more I think about this, the more I think that the 50 mcg dosage should have raised a red flag for your pharmacist. I wouldn't take it if I were you.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

Thank you all for this help. I really appreciate it. I am going to stop taking it. Tried to call doctor but office closed till Tues. Can I just stop or do I have ease off, like every other day ?


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

Thank you all for your responces.I am stopping it immediately.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Glad to hear it! Please keep us posted...I am very curious!


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Me too and a little worried.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

Shoild i be worried about my health I have noticed being a little shaky and constipated and a headache but I don't think any of that is serious do you


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Just keep an eye on it. Cytomel has a relatively short half-life (two and a half days, meaning that half of the drug has left your system within two and a half days), so you should be fine. But if you start to feel really bad/weird, don't hesitate to go to the ER.

From this website...

http://www.rxlist.com/cytomel-drug/clinical-pharmacology.htm

Liothyronine sodium has a rapid cutoff of activity which permits quick dosage adjustment and facilitates control of the effects of overdosage, should they occur.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

I called Pfizer yesterday and they assured me I should not have a problem, according to them the maintenance dose is 25-75 mcg so 50 mcg should be fine. However I have stopped taking it and wait to talk to Doc., if i continue I plan to cut in half, which should give me less than 25mcg as pill is very small and does not cut well. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and support. Nanaallen


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

The maintenance dose may be 25-75mcg, but the majority of people on those doses didn't start on them that way, they eased up into them. Most good docs who know Cytomel start patients off on 5-10mcg doses. It's potent stuff!

When you say you have weak adrenals, did you do the 24 hour cortisol test? What were your results (with ranges)? If they are low, there are other options besides HC, but you may have a mix of highs and lows, so something else might be more appropriate.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

My saliva test on the chart the came back to me was a straight line just above the bottom of the chart all the way across


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Honestly, I can't say much about them without seeing the numbers and ranges. There are many labs who do adrenal testing and each uses their own ranges.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

I see we are taking the same drug, but I take 2 a day of 130mg.

12/ 2014

The chart says AM 0.149 0.100 - 0.900 2 noon 0.158 0.100 - 0.300

3. mid PM 0.121 0.060 - 0.190 4. late PM 0.062 0.040 - 0.100

different lab 5/2013 AM 2.7 3.7-9.5 noon 1.7 1.2-3.0 evening 1.5 0.6 - 1.9 nite .05 .04-1.0

I never wrote this down in a list with the ref. numbers before, it appears that only the morning is low, but I believe that still indicates an adrenal problem, does"t it?


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Hi there. You're taking two x 130 mcg a day of a levothyroxine drug? That's quite a bit. (It's twice as much as many people without a thyroid take.) Are you taking it on a completely empty stomach? With a full glass of water? And are you waiting at least 30 minutes before you eat anything?

If you are taking that high of a dose, I have to wonder if there's an absorption problem.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

I had RAI 22 yrs ago, took synthroid/levothyroxine for 19 years, changed to NDT 3 years ago started on Armour and had trouble, changed to WP thyroid by RLC labs 2 yrs ago because it only has 2 inactive ingredients. started at 1/1/2 to equal synthroid dose, by selling and t4-t3 tests am now a split does of 4mg of WP, basically feel pretty good. I take the 2mg pill under my tongue before breakfast and the 2nd one in mid-afternoon.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Oh, okay...sorry, I clearly misunderstood something you wrote!


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

> 1. AM 0.149 0.100 - 0.900
> 
> 2. noon 0.158 0.100 - 0.300
> 
> ...


I put your numbers above for reference, but it looks like you are low, low, okay, okay, so you've definitely got some adrenal issues going on. Do you have trouble getting up in the mornings and feeling fatigued?


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

Yes i can't seem to wake up good and usually need nap in late afternoon. Any suggestions as to what might help besides cyomel snd HC?


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

For low cortisol across the board docs usually prescribe hydrocortisone. Since you've got normals in the evenings, you might try Thorne Adrenal Cortex. It's an over the counter herb that supplies adrenal support similar to HC, but not nearly as powerful. There are some good Facebook groups for adrenal issues, if you're on Facebook. One is FTPO-Adrenals, which is part of the Stop the Thyroid Madness site. They have some good admins who are experts on adrenal issues.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

I can't figure out how to respond on the FTPO site


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

You have to make a request to join; there should be a button at the top of the page so you can make a request. It's a closed group so all of Facebook can't see what we post.


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

I could not find a button I did fill out a form I think, before my first post
I believe I am a member and therefore can post.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Nanaallen,

If you are on Westhyroid, which is 38 mcg levothyroxine (T4) and 9 mcg liothyronine (T3) for each 65 mg (1 Grain) of the labeled content of thyroid.

You absolutely should NOT be taking 50 mcg of Cytomel. I am not even sure if you should be supplementing with Cytomel at all.

Do you have current thyroid labs that you could share - with ranges please?


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## Nanaallen (Mar 26, 2015)

If you can see #26 in string, labs from 12/14 another person has said that lab Cell Science is not acceptable anymore? My WP is made by RLC labs but is slightly different in inactive ingredients.


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## digifem (Sep 25, 2014)

That sounds insane. With that level of adrenal fatigue, there's no way you could possibly handle that amount of Cytomel well, and taking it will further stress your adrenals. You NEED to treat your adrenals before bumping up the T3. I have adrenal fatigue, not flat lined, but stage 3, and had to take pregnenolone for a couple of months before I was able to take T3, and I'm still only on 5mcg.

Read this for starters, but I'd suggest doing some deeper research and finding a new doctor asap. If you're in the US, try this list of doctors.


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