# 3 weeks post op



## catmac (Jun 30, 2011)

well surgeries all done, thank god. i had it on september 15 and the surgery wasnt as bad as i expected. turns out i had papillary cancer so im pretty happy i got it out. the doctor said it was small so i wont need rai. my endo started me on 100 mg of synthroid and so far im not feeling any effects, infact i feel worse than before i got my thyroid out. im dead tired all the time, my brain fog has gotten worse (im surprised im able to type this out right now) and im still extremely depressed. i was wondering how long it usually takes for synthroid to start working? will any of my symptoms lift? and ive read online that adding cytomel to synthroid can do the trick? anybody use this combination?

thanks a lot =)


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Hi, I am glad your surgery is over, and all of the cancer was taken out. Have you had any blood work done?

I am 9 or 10 weeks post op, and not feeling very energetic either. I keep telling myself one bit of advice I saw here...dealing with thyroid disease is a marathon, not a sprint. I think I was expecting to feel great instantly!

Hang in there! I think we will fee l great one of these days!


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

I felt better than I've felt in a long time the first 1 1/2 weeks after having my thyroid removed - the past few days though I haven't had much energy. I'm on 125 mg Synthroid and a few Tums for calcium.

I don't feel bad, nothing hurts, but I simply have no sense of energy or stamina. I feel a little depressed and oddly bored or like I've lost interest in everything BUT I believe I will eventually feel more normal. A couple of days I've felt incredibly well but I can't maintain that level of energy right now.

Considering how utterly horrible I felt post surgery, I'm O.K. with the way things are now - at least I'm better than I was!!

What is Cytomel?


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Cytomel is T3.


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## CLRRN (Jun 22, 2011)

I was started on Cytomel after my second surgery (8/23) and I didn't like the way I felt but then again, I was on 25mcg 3x/day. I was up/down and felt manic but yet tired. I'm not sure if the way I felt due to 2 surgeries a week apart. I will say that I did drop a few lbs while on Cytomel. I was on it for almost 5 weeks. Towards the end, I could only handle it once a day (so I cut back knowing I was coming off of it in prep for RAI). Now i'm au naturel-on nothing and learning the true meaning of "PMS gone wild w/ fatigue". Lame humor, I know.

I realize it's a long answer for a simple question but nothing is simple w/that our friend "the thyroid". LOL I asked my endo about synthroid and cytomel and she shot me down and said no need. Hmmmm we shall see how I feel and we'll re-visit, after all, she is providing service that I'M PAYING FOR. LOL I'm thinking synthroid and a smaller dose of cytomel just might make me feel normal-or at least my new normal.

Labs drawn today..... RAI scheduled for 10/13.....count down!!!!!


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Good luck for the countdown & RAI! I am hoping for the Cytomel & Synthroid option. What I am taking is not cutting it. Best wishes!


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## SweetGirl44 (Sep 26, 2011)

catmac said:


> well surgeries all done, thank god. i had it on september 15 and the surgery wasnt as bad as i expected. turns out i had papillary cancer so im pretty happy i got it out. the doctor said it was small so i wont need rai. my endo started me on 100 mg of synthroid and so far im not feeling any effects, infact i feel worse than before i got my thyroid out. im dead tired all the time, my brain fog has gotten worse (im surprised im able to type this out right now) and im still extremely depressed. i was wondering how long it usually takes for synthroid to start working? will any of my symptoms lift? and ive read online that adding cytomel to synthroid can do the trick? anybody use this combination?
> 
> thanks a lot =)


Glad surgery is behind you and sorry to hear it was cancer. Now on top of that you still are not feeling well, that just really stinks!! I would definately ask about T3 being added. Synthroid is a T4 medication that our liver needs to turn into T3 which is the active hormone our cells need and use. So if your body is not converting the T4 medication into active hormone T3, you will feel lingering symptoms of hypothyroid. This info is from what I have read and is something I think every person dealing with thyroid issues should be aware of. Too many doctors through T4 synthroid at their patients and think their job is done. Just because your TSH is with in normal lab values, that does not mean YOUR body is getting enough of what it needs. I have also read it is best to start out slowly with T3 if you are adding it. I am taking a half pill (2.5 mg)of 5 mg Cytomel T3 one in the am along with levoxyl T4 and then another dose at 2pm. I'll be going up to 5mg Cytomel two times a day in a few days, I just wanted my body to get adjusted to it as this is the first time I'm taking it and some who took a full dose to start with had some heart palps. I hope this was helpful, sometimes you need to try a few different meds and combinations to see what will make you feel like you again. Be well and take care!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

catmac said:


> well surgeries all done, thank god. i had it on september 15 and the surgery wasnt as bad as i expected. turns out i had papillary cancer so im pretty happy i got it out. the doctor said it was small so i wont need rai. my endo started me on 100 mg of synthroid and so far im not feeling any effects, infact i feel worse than before i got my thyroid out. im dead tired all the time, my brain fog has gotten worse (im surprised im able to type this out right now) and im still extremely depressed. i was wondering how long it usually takes for synthroid to start working? will any of my symptoms lift? and ive read online that adding cytomel to synthroid can do the trick? anybody use this combination?
> 
> thanks a lot =)


Good to hear from you!! Firstly you need to have the FREE T3 test and quite frankly it is really too soon as it would perhaps be a good idea to let your body calm down and get caught up w/it's self.

This explains the FREES and how important they are.

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.
http://www.drlam.com/articles/hypothyroidism.asp?page=3

And I strongly advise you to get ferritin checked. If it is low, you can feel like total poo.

Ferritin http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/081504.htm
(should be 50 to 100; the closer to 100, the better)

Now, to answer your question. When Armour was off the market, I had to take Cytomel for 18 months. I personally did not feel well on it at all. I don't do pharmaceuticals well because of the Lupus.

But, I was doing fine on Armour and am doing just that once again. Everyone is different.

8 weeks ( T4 takes 8 weeks to build up)from the day you took your first dose of Synthroid is when you should get labs and every 8 weeks thereafter for a while until your med is properly titrated and you are in the euthyroid state which is not by the numbers but how you are feeling. Numbers do count but the ranges are only a mean average taken from a cohort!

I am sorry you had this cancer. Did you have to have radiation also?


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