CYTOMEL Reviews (LIOTHYRONINE SODIUM)Average Rating: 3.5 (279 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare CYTOMEL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on CYTOMEL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR CYTOMEL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | hypothyroid, Synthroid didn't work | Have been taking 75 mcg for 20 years. All EKGs, stress tests, bone density normal. | F | 58 | 20 years | 2/24/2006 | 5 | Hashimoto's Thyroiditis | I noticed that ratings have dropped significantly the last 2 or so years. Prior to that, Ratings were in the 4 to 5 now 1 to 2. What gives? Has the drug been tested lately for quality? | I am on NDT plus Cytomel. Recent refill MFG Pfizer. Medicare appears to have removed thyroid hormone replacement drugs other than Synthroid from its formulary, so cost is a challenge. T4 only did nothing for me except make my TSH come out normal on lab tests, so, I am sticking to the regimen that has worked for me for 15 plus years regardless of cost. I take the NDT Mid-morning and the Cytomel early afternoon. Knock on wood, so far I have avoided Diabetes. | F | 70 | 15 years 25mg 1X day | 5/6/2022 | 4 | hashimotos thyroiditis | I have a t4 conversion issue so synthroid was not working. begged endo for cytomel and felt fabulous! no side effects until last year. weight gain, forgetfulness, hair falling out,shortness of breath and heartburn | I loved cytomel and had NO problems at all...until last year and my last blood test showed low t3! How can that be? Im practically mainlining the stuff! Ive gained at least 20 lbs and I eat like a bird! I sound hypo and my dr just upped my meds to 75mcg. I feel a little better, but just a little! This is crazy! What do I take now? | F | 56 | 14 years 50-75mcg 1X day | 6/1/2013 | 5 | hashimoto | Love it.I take Cytomel only 60 mcg. Did very poorly on Synthroid. Experienced massive hair loss. As soon as I was given Cytomel only my hair loss stopped within a week. I can function normally. When my hypothyroid gets worse and I need to increase my dose I start loosing more hair . I adjust my dose and hair loss stops. It's a life saver. Love it, love , love it. | F | 54 | 10 years 60mcg | 9/15/2015 | 5 | hypothyroidism | If I take too much over time I feel hyper so I just drop back on the dose. It does suppress TSH and T4 so most doctors want some addition of T4 if they are even willing to give you T3. Over the 10 years that I have used T3 I found the compounded formula to be easier to adjust than Cytomel although it is always a good back up if the compound formula looses its strength. | In addition to hypothyroidism I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. With CFS patients it is fairly well established that they have problems converting T4 to the active form T3. The T3 is what goes to work in many body functions, not the T4. Most doctors only test T4 and TSH and can miss if you are hypothyroid. Insist on having your T3 tested. If using T3 it is best to supplement with T4 to maintain a balance in the thyroid chemistry. Other important condsiderations that many doctors do not know of are the interaction of thyroid hormones with a protein pump inhibitor like Prilosec or Omeprazol. A PPI will reduce your thyroid function. So do some SSRI like Cymbalta. If you are taking any other drug do a search of that drug and how it interacts with thyroid medication. Wait for the eye-opener your doctor does not know about! Always take T3 4-6 hours from calcium which seems to be in all our foods and iron as they compete for the same receptor sites in the body and they win out over the T3 usually. If you are female you most likely already know the biggest challenge is HRT as it interfers with the use of cytomel or any form of thyroid medication. It takes time and patience to get the dosing right and it is important that you have blood work done every 6 months in the beginning so you do not go hyper or stay undermedicated. Feel well. | F | 60 | 10 years | 1/2/2010 | 5 | Hashimoto's | Immediate improvement from depression and crying stopped; returned sex drive; improved energy; slow yet steady weight loss; hair stopped coming out as much. | Had read "The Thyroid Solution" (highly recommend!) and taken it to my endocrinologist for his opinion. Was already on synthroid (at 200mcg) and added 5mcg of cytomel. He explained later that out of his entire practice only five patients were taking cytomel and of those five it was only really helping two of us. I could not believe the phenomenal difference...if I run out/don't refill on time I can tell within two-three days as I become moody and suicidal. Others around me could (and can still) tell the difference within the same time frame if I stop taking it. It and my doc helped save my life. | F | 44 | 10 years | 7/12/2007 | 4 | Graves > RAI >Hypo | If there were any, they were superior to what I was experiencing earlier!! | Diagnosed with Graves in early 2001. Hyperthyroidism was great (yes I'm Type A). Problem was my body was burning up and in Texas this is not comfortable. Had the RAI and transitioned to Hypothyroid. My Internal Medicine guy (an extremely sharp guy) listened when I told him Synthroid just wasn't cutting it. He recommended an Endocrinologist (she's sharp too) who gradually reduced the Synthroid to 100mcg and immediately placed me on 5mcg Cytomel tablets twice a day. That was literally "just what the doctor ordered" and helped tremendously. She also encouraged me to develop patience for this process and I've been on this regimen for about 10 years. I perform the blood test once a year and we shoot for the lowest value in the tolerance range possible. Yes, weight is a battle but I learned to eat and exercise better. Also, I get cold, even in Texas. I tolerate that so I know what to expect with everything else associated with this battle. I can tolerate Colorado ski slopes, I can tolerate this. Another benefit of keeping my weight down, I don't have to take meds for high blood pressure or diabetes. It's bad enough having to rely on thryoid medication, I would hate to think what those would make me feel like. Good luck to you all! | M | 54 | 10 years 5mcg 2X day | 12/31/2010 | 5 | Hashimoto's, total replacement | None in particular that could be attributed to Cytomel | 15 mcg first thing in AM, feel great all day, even workout in evening. Tired at 10 - 11 PM. | M | 56 | 8 years | 2/26/2009 | 5 | thyroid cancer | when started on 20mcg taken 3 times daily, cramp in back,. memory blanks. | feel fine except have reached menopause weight piling on now not so much energy starting to feel very cold all time must go to doctor to see if dosage should be changed | F | 52 | 7 years | 3/6/2009 | 5 | hypothyroidism | My doctor added cytomel to my Synthroid since my TSH levels and T3 and T4 were all inconsistent - had significant fatigue, dramatic weight gain (15 lbs in one month!) and puffy neck and face. | Cytomel has made a HUGE difference! I can focus and have clarity all day, I have lost all the weight that I gained and my blood tests are ALL within normal range - this T3 supplement did the trick and was able to decrease dosage of Synthroid. My doc has me take the Synthroid at bed time and the Cytomel first thing in the morning to aleviate false high TSH levels - I have the BEST doc in WORLD ;-) | F | 45 | 7 years | 6/6/2007 | 4 | Grave's/Hypo | A burst of energy and concentration for 4-5 hours followed by slight crash. | I took this as part of combination therapy with 100 mcg Synthroid. This is the same combination of Thyrolar 2 - though I did not find that medicine effective. Had to go off Cytomel recently due to hyperthyroid symptoms though tests were normal. Warning: Cytomel negatively combined with the supplement Coenzyme CQ10 to give palpatations. Currently on 175 Synthroid. Will add 5 mcg Cytomal if Dr. allows. I've needed constant monitoring of meds. since 131 treatment at age 17. | M | 43 | 7 years 25 mcg 1X day | 7/24/2010 | 2 | graves | 60 pound weight gain when taken with the sythroid. | Iv been on it since I was 26 and I am 33 now. I hate it all and wish that I could loose the weight.. | F | 33 | 7 years | 4/23/2007 | 5 | hashimoto's | initial 25 mcg. dose too high (dr. wouldn't listen to my recommenation of 5 mcg.) rapid heart rate, nervousness, trouble sleeping, chest pain. Side effects went away when dose was reduced to 5 mcg twice a day. | I am feeling 200% better now that cytomel was added. Much more energy, sex drive better, itching 90% gone, lost weight, more stamina. My sister is now on cytomel and doing much better. | F | 45 | 5 years | 8/12/2007 | 5 | Thyroid cancer, | Weight loss, occasional rapid heart rate | This is my miracle drug. Had total thyroidectomy and was put on Synthroid. After several weeks I had no improvement from the hypo symptoms, and was near suicidal from extreme hypo induced depression. My oncologist prescribed Cytomel and within hours of my first dose I was feeling Human again. This drug saved my life. | M | 49 | 5 years 25mcg 1X day | 3/19/2010 | 4 | Hypothyroid/thyroid cancer | Added to synthroid. As long as I take a small dose I don't have palpitations. Otherwise cytomel helps with fatigue. | F | 36 | 5 years | 6/3/2014 | 3 | underactive thyroid | Endless list, depression, weight gain, period problems, fatigue, memory loss so bad couldnīt even remember every day words. Used to drive my car and not know where I was or where I was going! Since taking Cytomel all of my symptoms have improved to some degree but I could do with more help. | I take 12 mg of cytomel plus 100 mg of thyroxine daily. I have just started taking provera (progesterone) for multiple uterine polyps and it has helped my depression and loss of appetite. I donīt feel so overwhelmed. I believe that I have the polyps as a result of my underactive thyroid. The combination of my meds means that I am feeling better than I have been for the last 30 years. | F | 44 | 5 years | 6/21/2009 | 5 | Hashimotos | I've used successfully a generic brand (Paddock/Perrigo) for years with no side effects. These particular brands were dairy-, gluten- and starch-free, though, a must for Hashimotos. I learned through thyroid websites that Pfizer's Cytomel contains a kind of wheat starch as a filler, so I've stayed away from it and other generics, such as SigmaPharm and Mylan. I panicked when Perrigo recently was discontinued, but Mayne Pharma is making what I hear is a generic that is also dairy-, soy-, gluten- and starch-free. I'm starting it soon and will report on its effectiveness. The only other alternative is compounding. I've had no problems and no side effects with the generics that had no fillers that I would react to. | Others' side effects may be from fillers used in manufacturing, especially those with Hashimotos. This is a miracle drug in my experience. A dramatic life changer for the better. | F | 69 | 4.5 years 25 mcg 2X day | 4/9/2018 | 5 | Hypothyroidism/Resistant depression | Increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, hot flash, 30 pounds weight loss | Before, I was on Synthroid 137 mcg and never felt right. I was always tired, depressed, gained so much weight even if my hormone levels were normal. Finally, I convinced my endocrinologist to prescribe Cytomel 25 mcg and decreased my Synthroid to 125 mcg. I feel great, I have energy, not depress anymore, more alert. My quality of life is so much better. My DR says that my T3 levels are a little high but he said that my pituitary gland seems to adjust and is working really well. I also take DHEA 100 mg to prevent adrenal insufficiency. | M | 44 | 4 years 25 mcg 1X day | 7/28/2023 | 5 | in addition to synthroid | none ...but i want to switch all together to cytomel, 12.5 2xaday becaquse i know i would feel so much better! | F | 58 | 4 years .5 2X day | 5/31/2010 | 5 | hypothyroidism | mood changes lose weight | excellent | F | 29 | 3 years | 7/19/2002 |
CYTOMEL (LIOTHYRONINE SODIUM): Liothyronine is used to treat an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). It replaces or provides more thyroid hormone, which is normally made by the thyroid gland. Liothyronine is a man-made form of thyroid hormone. Low thyroid hormone levels can occur naturally or when the thyroid gland is injured by radiation/medications or removed by surgery. Having enough thyroid hormone helps you stay healthy. For children, having enough thyroid hormone helps them grow and learn normally. This medication is also used to treat other types of thyroid problems (such as certain types of goiters, thyroid cancer). It can also be used to test for certain types of thyroid disease. This medication should not be used to treat infertility unless it is caused by low thyroid hormone levels. (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)