# Cytomel



## my3gr8girls (Mar 18, 2016)

So I got my lab results back and have been talking to my endo this morning. The new lab results are in my signature below. He wants to give me Cytomel 5 mcg per day and switch me to an 88 mcg levo tablet (currently taking 75 five days a week and 100 mcg two days). Is taking Cytomel once a day enough? It seems like most people take it twice a day.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I take Cytomel only once a day.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

I take it three times a day (but I'm on a higher dose)--some people find they have to build up to it. I started out on 5mcg, but I had to split it and take it twice a day (morning and late afternoon), otherwise it would make me jittery. It has a shorter half life than T4 so some people get a boost an hour or so after taking it and then it wears off after 4-6 hours or so.


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## my3gr8girls (Mar 18, 2016)

So do you think I should break the 5 mcg tablet and take it twice a day to begin with or try taking 5 all at once to see how it goes before trying to split it?

Should I expect any negative effects when starting it?


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## my3gr8girls (Mar 18, 2016)

Octavia said:


> I take Cytomel only once a day.


What time do you take it and how much do you take if you don't mind me asking? Do you also take T4? If so, do you take them at the same time?


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I take it with my Levothyroxine first thing in the morning. I take 5 mcg daily. I recently asked for an increase, but my doc wants to take labs again in a few months and go from there.


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## my3gr8girls (Mar 18, 2016)

Octavia said:


> I take it with my Levothyroxine first thing in the morning. I take 5 mcg daily. I recently asked for an increase, but my doc wants to take labs again in a few months and go from there.


Has it helped you out at all? Any negative effects?


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

To be honest, I'm not really sure whether it's helped me. It certainly hasn't hurt, and I have zero side effects, but the reason I asked for an increase in Cytomel is because I'm on the lowest possible dose (I think), my labs show me in the bottom of the range for Free T3, and I am ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS cold and tired. So, so, so cold. (Like, I scolded a grocery store manager last week for the arctic temperatures. Why should I wear a winter coat to grocery shop in the northern hemisphere in August? But I digress...)

Nurse practitioner did a bunch of labwork, and my Ferritin was very very low, which could be why I'm always cold and tired. So I'm now taking an iron supplement, hoping that will help.

...but none of that helps you with your Cytomel question. Sorry.


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## my3gr8girls (Mar 18, 2016)

Actually, it does help! It makes me worry less about having side effects from the 5 mcg cytomel! It seems like they should let you try upping your dose. I haven't even started taking it yet, and my endo said we can increase it as needed. He just wanted to start low just in case I was very sensitive to it. It seems like some people take quite a lot of cytomel, like multiple doses of 25 mcg throughout the day!


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## my3gr8girls (Mar 18, 2016)

I took the first Cytomel dose today at 10 am (about 6 hours ago). So far I don't have any complaints. I can't tell if I really feel any different, although it already seems to be helping with the constipation a little. I actually have been feeling pretty darn good for the last couple weeks even before starting the Cytomel, but there are a few lingering issues and the low FT3 indicated I could be helped by trying it so we'll see how it goes. I have a script with 90 pills so I guess I'll take this dose for a while and if all goes well, increase a bit. I keep in close contact with my endo by email and text so he approves dose changes pretty readily.


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