Liothyronine for Underactive Thyroid User Reviews (Page 2)

• CMa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 11, 2021

Liothyronine "I have had hypothyroidism for years preceding menopause, and it was worse during menopause. Doctors always prescribed one of the big three, like Levothyroxine, with combination T3 and T4. I had bad reactions to all. It was only after I did the research that I found this T3-only option. Luckily, my current doctor let me try it (Nov. 2020). Two hours after taking one 5 mcg pill, I felt better. My mood lifted and my mind was clearer. I had the energy to complete a workday. It has been a godsend. We have slowly increased my dose... two pills, three pills, and four pills (20 mcg) a day. Any more is too high for me. While initially I had the occasional headache when I first woke up in the morning, that is gone now. No other side effects. No weight loss, but holding steady. I work out a lot (now I have energy) and try to stay under 1,000 calories/day to maintain. No hair regain, but no big hair loss either. Female - 54 yrs."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 2, 2012

"I have had hypothyroidism for almost my entire life. I have been on Synthroid and generic levothyroxine and never felt much better with all symptoms remaining. I finally got an endocrinologist to listen to me, and he lowered my dose of Synthroid and gave me liothyronine. My depression lifted in 2 days, my cholesterol dropped 40 points, and my energy level has never been this good. I am having a little difficulty with insomnia. I still struggle to lose even 1 pound, but I'll still take the difference that I feel."

• Ran...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2019

Liothyronine "Upon 5 days of taking Cytomel at a dose of 5 mcg per day, I had burning rashes on my chest up to my ears. Was taken to the ER 3x for tachycardia, heart failure, thyroid failure, sweating, confusion, arrhythmia, panic attacks, nausea, pain, twitching on the left side of my body, and more. Thyroid failure continued after stopping the medication, still to today not recovered. It is 10 months after the fact, and I have permanent damage. Tachycardia, nervous system, thyroid dysfunction, hair loss, excessive weight gain, 4 hours of functionality per day at most. I lost the ability to work and function like a normal person at 43 years old. I cannot exercise nor do simple chores without raising my heart rate excessively and blood pressure. I had perfect blood pressure and heart function prior to taking Cytomel."

• SCa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 12, 2019

"Took for hypothyroid and high cholesterol. My only low value was T4 0.61. T3 and TSH were normal. Started on 25 mcg, a month later 50 mcg, 3rd month 75 mcg. Weight gain at the end of month 3, 8 pounds! Not happy! I can see my arms are flabby now, weren’t before! So frustrated I could scream. Read something saying you can overwhelm receptors with too much and actually gain weight. So I cut it back. Still wearing the 8 pounds! I’m going off cold turkey. I don’t care! It’s making me worse! After I take it, within an hour I start to get very sleepy! Like seriously? Then at night I can’t sleep! Makes me sweat like crazy, yet no weight loss. My luck! Happy for those whom it helped. But sympathize with those that gained. Anyone else gain, and at what dose? Thanks."

• Thy...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 6, 2023

Liothyronine "Cytomel is amazing. I was on Synthroid (levothyroxine) for a while, and I still felt terribly hypothyroid. Then got into Armour Thyroid and became a functioning human again. Then added Cytomel to my Armour, and now I can say that I have my life back. It’s a shame that doctors are hesitant to prescribe T3 medications like Cytomel and Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) like Armour. Synthroid barely ever works for anyone, and they make it so hard to get the medicine that actually helps. Big Pharma wants to keep us all sick and on ineffective medicines. I had to go to three different endocrinologists before one allowed me to start taking Cytomel. Take control of your life, people! Pro tip: if you feel jittery and hyperthyroid on one dose of Cytomel, and then after decreasing it, you feel hypothyroid, you need to multi-dose the higher dose. That means you need to take more than one dose a day! It being spread out will keep you from being jittery and hyperthyroid."

• Cat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 5, 2018

Liothyronine "I have a little more energy on Cytomel. I was born with hypothyroid. I relented on going on Synthroid in 2002 in hopes of losing weight and went off in 2015. My last dose was 200 mcg. I never felt energetic on Synthroid, and it didn't make me thinner. I took a blood test in 2015 and found my reverse T3 was high, and my doctor put me on Cytomel. I lost 5 pounds when my meds were changed (not a significant amount in the scheme of life, but I overeat, so I can't really blame the drug), and I have noticed no ill side effects. I'm happy."

• The...
• November 11, 2019

Liothyronine "I've been on Synthroid for 9 years now. I have been on a roller coaster ride the whole time with my dosage, from 150 mcg a day down to 125 mcg, always fluctuating depending on symptoms. Now I have just seen a new endocrinologist to try to have my thyroid removed due to large nodules and Hashimoto's thyroiditis and all the non-stop issues stemming from the thyroid, so the new endo puts me on 5 mcg of Cytomel, and I have the opposite reaction from it. I had some tightness in my chest, blurred vision, and it knocked me out for nearly 7 hours after taking it. The first and second doses were the next day. Not really knowing if that's an adverse reaction from it, but I stopped taking it. I don't understand how a medication that is supposed to reverse fatigue and boost my energy does the exact opposite. I am now currently taking 137 mcg of Synthroid and need to have the thyroid excised so the autoimmune response will be lessened, so I can be less symptomatic and have somewhat of a normal immune system."

• Ter...
• December 6, 2015

Liothyronine "I was on Cytomel for a couple of years. Then my dose got increased along with my Synthroid medication dose. I began having tremors, heart palpitations, and tachycardia. It was a terrifying experience! My symptoms almost entirely went away when going off this medication, but I feel as though my heart was dramatically affected and I don't know yet whether or not it was actually even damaged."

• Anonymous
• October 5, 2014

"My doctor prescribed a dosage of 5 mcg along with my Synthroid. My blood work always comes back with my TSH too high and my T3 too low. This seems to work on my tiredness, but since I have been taking it (3 weeks), my whole body seems to be aching. I don't know if it is in my joints or in my bones."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2017

"I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid, was given sertraline, felt lethargic, sleepy, moody. Seen another doctor who added liothyronine. I'm no longer lethargic. I can't thank my doctor enough. I'm getting back to my old self."

• Doo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2018

"I am taking this as an adjunct for severe depression, but my T3 levels were below normal as well. I was on 25 mcg for two weeks and now at 50 mcg for a couple of days. It's like I can finally see a glimmer of light at the end of a tunnel. I'm not out of the woods yet, but there is definitely something different that's going on. Thank goodness my psychiatrist was willing to let me try it."

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2022

"After 10 years of using various dosages of Armour, I never recovered my energy level. TSH all over the place and T4 always the same on the bottom of the 'normal.' T3 also on the bottom of 'normal.' I had no energy, and every part of my life was a giant effort to participate in. In all that time, T3T4 NEVER changed. Obviously, the conversation process was broken. I begged my primary to give me Liothyronine, and she started with 5 mcg. WOW, my brain woke up. I did not think I was depressed, but I realized there is more than physical stuff going on. We moved the dose to 10 mcg, and the light got a bit brighter. I knew I needed more, and she would not hear of it. I had to change insurance and primary docs and am now on 25 mcg and a lower dose of T4, and finally, my T3 is moving into optimal range. When I started taking Liothyronine, my heart raced a bit, but I knew my Armour was too strong, so we reduced it. Problem solved. I'm going to ask to use T3 only at 50 mcg because I need my life back."

• Jou...
• May 4, 2022

Liothyronine "Was on generic liothyronine for about 5 weeks because Cytomel wasn’t available. Felt like a windup toy whose spring had unwound-horrible muscle pain, weakness, couldn’t think, and constant background pain. Today, finally got my Rx of Cytomel. The difference is remarkable. Within 1 hr, my muscles started relaxing. Three hours later, and my mental acuity is back. There truly is a difference between generic and brand name. I would never have known that were it not for my shrewd doctor. This is like a miracle drug that restores my life. I take 5 MCG, 2x daily Cytomel and 50 MCG 1x daily of Synthroid."

• Fio...
• May 12, 2017

"Cytomel was great for me until it wasn't. Due to a pharmacist error with my Cytomel, I'm now disabled for life due to thyrotoxicosis. My regular dosage is 15 mcgs daily for 3 months. I was given 150 mcgs daily. I also was taking 75 mcgs T4 daily. I assumed I was dying and started to get my affairs in order. On the 4th refill, the pharmacist caught his mistake and called my doctor. Because to this day there's been no data of any person having an overdose of T3 Cytomel for at least 3 months, my doctors have done their best. The American Thyroid Organization has no data on it either. I and many others have looked worldwide. So I'm asking for help on this site from anyone with info. I can't accept that I have permanent brain damage and such a compromised immune system. Thanks."

• Too...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 18, 2020

"I was on levothyroxine 100 mcg and doing just okay. Then I added 5 mcg Cytomel for the first time, and it was like the lights went on in the room. I could see clearer, think clearer, and had more energy than I had had for a very long time. I did feel extremely sleepy, though, and had to take a nap for a few days. I just feel so much better having added the Cytomel. Strange how it affects people so differently."

• Sie...
• July 22, 2021

"This is a very complex hormone. I started taking it a few years ago, due to the inability to convert T4 into T3 - it seemed like a miracle worker. Although, I was on a very strict diet. I did lose weight, but never could get my body back to what it was pre-Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I also noticed lots of sweating, water retention, mood swings (especially when the dose was incorrect; it changes often due to what you eat, etc.), hair loss; although, I noticed it growing back in after about 7 to 8 months, it was very thick. I also had an increase in appetite throughout the years, with less absorption capabilities when not eating very low carb. It's a tricky situation because the energy people speak of is actually like being in a manic state; that's what I experienced."

• Use...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 10, 2022

Liothyronine "Cytomel gave me the worst side effect symptoms of my life in just 3-4 days. I got severe water retention, chest pain, rash on my body, and dehydration. I just took time afterward to negate the side effects of this drug. Can't wait to flush this out of my body and will never take it again."

• Luc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2022

Liothyronine "I have Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism with it. I was on Tirosint for a while and all the other T4 medications: Levothyroxine, Synthroid, Tirosint. This Cytomel makes me feel amazing and turns my brain back on immediately after taking it. Cytomel also seems to get rid of almost all the horrible joint pain and muscle aches from the other thyroid medications. It also helps to reduce my muscle stiffness and gets rid of those pesky muscle spasms. I think that all the T4 drugs actually cause more pain all over the body, but they are usually effective at getting rid of hypothyroid symptoms. I noticed this after I forgot to take my Synthroid for one day, less pain but more fatigue."

• wil...
• April 23, 2019

"I had been on Synthroid alone for 7 years and managing my hypothyroid just fine with it. I felt great and pretty much back to normal. I got switched to a new Dr. He told me to start on Cytomel (even though I had NO new symptoms and felt just fine) based on my T3 results. I trusted his judgment as a doctor and took it. Biggest mistake of my life. I started in October, and by mid-December, I was dealing with the most severe anxiety I've ever had. I was snappy towards my kids and just downright angry because of it. I lost a ton of weight when I didn't need to, and my face started breaking out like crazy. When I mentioned the weight loss and acne, he never once said it could be because of that pill and my hormones were probably out of balance and that I should be happy I am so thin! I saw my primary Dr., and she is the one who told me that this pill is more than likely causing all of my symptoms, and after looking at all my past blood work, she realized I NEVER even needed it! My T3 levels were normal."

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2020

"I was on NP when it was recalled the first time and swapped to Synthroid after going to the ER 3 times. Synthroid 50 and Cytomel (liothyronine) 5 mcg. At first, I thought it was just me, so I tried Cytomel twice with Synthroid (gave me head pressure) and once with Tirosint (in 3 months). On all 3 occasions that I took Cytomel, once I reached a 15 mcg+ dose for the week, it gave me side effects of being depressed, anxious, insomniac, palpitations, and even advanced me to menstruate a week early (all 3 times)! I want T3 so bad that I repeatedly tried to make it work. It’s just not for me."

• Go2...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 20, 2022

"After pestering my doctor to take my symptoms seriously, it was time for my amazing doctor to listen to me and learn from my example. I started Liothyronine, 25 mg, because I'm 57 and have T2D. It was as if someone had turned on the lights in my life! I could now function like other people, with the energy to exercise, do self-care, my brain would focus again, and I have done so well that despite fibromyalgia and BPD2, I am able to go back to work part-time, at my request, because I am bored, and I have too many gifts to offer the world that were hidden for too long. *Caveat: I did have to reduce the dose to 12.5 when I stopped sleeping and was walking 5 miles a day. That was too much energy! My lab work looks great. Glad my doc finally listened! Have my life back, hooray!!"

• Rai...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 13, 2024

Liothyronine "Cytomel works, but you have to make sure you are on the correct dose. Some people need a very high amount of T3 in their system, some very little. I’ve heard of a doctor who was on 400 mcg of T3 a day. I was taking 150 mcg per day, splitting it into two doses (while low carb). My hair did not fall out. It can shed for the first 3 to 6 months, but then it grows back in. I’ve always had very thick hair and Cytomel kept it that way. If you take too much or too little, I imagine this may cause your hair to shed. If you do not heal the underlying medical issue and eat poorly, you will need to take more and more over time, and your doctor may not approve the higher dose, so you’re left with hypothyroidism even on T3. You must change your diet. If you’re someone who hasn’t changed your diet (removed wheat gluten, grains, sugar, nightshades, etc.) and you feel well and slim/healthy on T3, that’s very rare, especially if you have Hashimoto's. Eat well (red meat, etc.)"

• Hyp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 8, 2022

Liothyronine "I self-diagnosed as hypo several years ago after suffering from almost every classic hypo symptom, but with 'normal' TSH labs. A non-traditional Endo finally agreed with me after testing more than just my TSH and considering my symptoms. But finding something that worked has been hard. I felt almost worse on T4 alone. Armour Thyroid helped for a while, but then I began crashing and found my reverse T3 numbers had skyrocketed. My doctor pulled the AT and started me on 25 mg of Cytomel. Within a day, my constant headaches were gone, and I felt lighter and more energetic. It’s only been a week, but I’m optimistic."

• Clc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2020

Liothyronine "I gained 25 lbs on an antidepressant over 9 months. I have tapered off, but no weight loss. Have some fatigue, low temp. Doc said, although the rest of the blood panel of tests was okay, he would like to see my Free T3 around 3. It was 2.56. I took my second dose this a.m., 5 mcg. Same both days. Anxious, dizzy, feel like I'm weak in my legs. Tearful - almost foggy. Doc said it was a low dose and I might feel better, or notice zero change. No more for me... I don't like the way it makes me feel."

• Aim...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 18, 2021

"I had a lot of side effects after being on this medicine for about a year. At first, it helped my energy level, but then I had rapidly changing moods, insomnia, sweating, anger/irritability, feeling like I might go crazy/jump out of my skin, severe bloating all over, but the worst part was the feeling of depersonalization/derealization. Scary! Lowering the dose down from 10 to 5 mcgs didn’t help. I’ll just stick with Armour without this added. Check out the list of side effects for this drug on Mayo Clinic’s site, it’s not pretty."