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T3 and Patients' Experiences: Improved Life

Notes

  • Not all hypothyroid patients who try T3 experience an improvement in their health, although the vast majority of those who post at alt.support.thyroid do. The purpose of this compilation is to show that there are a lot of us who need T3 supplementation in addition to T4 to feel well, and that symptoms can seriously affect our lives even when our numbers are in range and we're on T4 only.
  • Some people may have more than one entry because they focused on a different aspect of how T3 affected them each time.
  • Unless otherwise specified, all posts were posted to the newsgroup alt.support.thyroid. Instructions on how to access this group and its archives are at www.altsupportthyroid.org/findus.php.
  • For space reasons, only the most relevant segments of each post are included here.
  • Because of the size of this compilation, it is divided into several parts, as follows:

Definitions

  • T4 and T3 are thyroid hormones.
  • Synthroid and Levoxyl are brands of synthetic T4 (thyroxine).
  • Cytomel (US and Canada) and Tertroxin (UK) are brand names of synthetic T3.
  • Thyrolar is the brand name of a synthetic T4/T3 combination.

"BL" November 3, 2001

I'm on T4 and T3, and hate to think what would happen if my GP refused to prescribe T3 for some reason...this stuff keeps me alive!

"JOYHTON" September 4, 2001

...my endo added Cytomel to my Synthroid prescription at my request and I am feeling much better.

"GR" March 8, 2001

I found that T3 and T4 (Cytomel and Synthroid) helped where T4 alone didn't.

"PB" February 25, 2001

Re. T4 (Synthroid, Levoxyl) — when on that alone it seemed that I would get a little hyper in pursuit of the correct dosage that would help me feel as well as possible. Now I am taking a combo T4/T3 and finally feel I am on my way to wellness without crossing that line to hyper.

"H2OU8N4" February 25, 2001

I started off on Unithroid (T4), but am now on a combination of Levoxyl (T4) and T3 (compounded by the pharmacist). My ratio of T4 to T3 is 5:1, and I feel much better since starting the combination, though I've read posts from folks who do okay on just T4 alone, so it's never one size fits all.

"Lucy (UK)" December 5, 2000

I asked my Dr for T3 after reading about it on this wonderful NG and I felt much better in a few short weeks. I couldn't believe the difference it made to how I felt.

"Nancy N" September 26, 2000

Here's an update. It has been almost a year since the last post I had....I did get the Sr. Developer job with the more than double salary increase that I was up for when I posted that. I have since gotten a job as Training/Staff Development Coordinator and Technology Help Desk Coordinator at a University. I love my job and I know there is no way I could handle this job without my Cytomel. I still feel great taking .125 Synthroid and 15-20 mcg Cytomel daily. I take the extra five mcg Cytomel on days when I have an extremely stressful day, like if I am teaching two classes and working on schedules for Help Desk staff all at once. On average days I just take 15 mcg and that works for me. It has been over two years now since starting the Cytomel and have had no ill effects, in fact only feel human for the first time that I can remember.

"Suchman" September 10, 2000

I started T3 therapy 8/22 and am feeling better. My next visit is scheduled for 10/5. Dr. Zaidi is an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA, and he has an office somewhere down there. He told me that after reading the NEJM article he immediately began using T3 with his patients (with great success).

"C&E" August 26, 2000

I recently read about, and ask my Dr. to try cytomel. I felt better within one hour of trying it. I forgot to take it the other day and really noticed a difference. I was just taking synthroid 0.15 we backed it down to .125 and added the cytomel. it is great.

"SH" June 28, 2000

Well, in spite of my misgivings I went ahead with the full dose of 25 mcg cytomel today plus 88 mcg of levoxyl. Felt great until about 7:00. Four people complimented me on my clothes which were not new...makes me suspect they could tell that I looked better and focused on the clothes since they didn't want to say "wow — you're awake". I found that I was laughing more, was more social, and was able to spend less time trying to follow the ideas of others and contribute more ideas of my own. No signs at all of going hyper — I can hardly wait until day three.

"Monica" May 6, 2000

I was put on T3 after my thyroidectomy and took 30mcg a day, 10mcg three times a day. It made me feel great and much more alert and full of energy than I had been with my own thyroid.

"Rosey" January 29, 2000

I started T3 almost a month ago. For the first two weeks, I really didn't feel much of a difference. For the last two weeks, I have been feeling better and better. I suppose it was a gradual change from the start, but it took a while for me to have a clear feeling that it was helping. Certainly there was no night and day difference when I took the first pill!

"NV" December 20, 1999

I was doing "okay" for years on just Synthroid. Then I added Cytomel after reading about it on this newsgroup. My life has completely changed — so this is what it's like to go through life awake....I won't give up my Cytomel for anything.

"db" December 11, 1999

Like many of you I have been through the wringer with this thyroid crap.

With a new nodule on my already subtotally removed thyroid it's hard to tell what will happen....but for the moment, and in the recent past, I have felt great (or at least a great deal better). all thanks to Cytomel.

ask for it. demand to try it. I only take 5 mcg a day, it's all I can tolerate, apparently. but that 5 mcg helps tremendously!!

the point is for newcomers, it does get better. less than 6 months ago, members of this group persuaded me not to jump off of a bridge. glad I didn't now...so hang in there.

"ElaineP" November 26, 1999

Ok, I'll control myself this time and not go into a tirade about doctors like yours, but it does get me sooooo angry. If I were you I'd try the next town over, or the next. Don't give up, don't let them win. You have a better life out there. Travel as far as you need to. I started on T4/T3 last week and I can't tell you how incredible the difference is. I've been on Synthroid alone for the past 12 years and have never felt "normal". I've felt "better", and "ok", but not normal like I do now. Last night (Thanksgiving) while my relatives were saying it was time for a nap (after dinner), I wasn't tired and couldn't understand why someone would want a nap at 7pm. (How quickly one forgets!)