• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

T3

digital dog

Senior Member
Messages
646
I would like to try a tiny amount of T3. I want the smallest pill.
Does anyone know where I could buy this online? Or does anyone have one pill I could cut up and try? So sick of spending money on things only to throw them away.
X
 

Paralee

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
USA
@digital dog ,the T3 here is usually sold as "Cytomel" and I think the 5 mcg. pill is the starting point but not sure about that. I think the generic name is liothyronine. Some people can't even feel 5 mcg., but I'm not one of those normal people. Good luck.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
In the US, T3 is a prescription med. Can you get it over the counter in the UK? It may not be a good idea to take T3 unless you have been tested (T3 test, not TSH test) and found to be low.
 

Paralee

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
USA
@Little Bluestem , true the tests are very necessary, but once you get your symptoms figured out (some people have a hard time with that because of multiple problems), there are some that can tell with experience what's going on, and too much T3 will definitely tell you to pull back when it's too much........yeah, thinking about it, at least know where you're starting at and get your tests done when possible. It should be at least the Free T3 and Free T4.

Also, if going up, there's that approx. 3 day period of not knowing for sure while your body adjusts. Not everyone will have these, but some do.

There are some psychiatrists that will add a little T3 to see how their patients do, but surely they use testing.
 

Groggy Doggy

Guest
Messages
1,130
Especially when one goes into atrial fibrillation.
My mother got AFib and she never took any thyroid meds. IMO in the US, the EP Cardiologists are just too lazy to figure out why we get AFib; and they could care less about understanding the relationship of ME to AFib (we are fatigued because we are deconditioned; we just need more exercise). So if the EP Cardio can find anything to blame, IE cytomel, they will do that, and continue the years of avoiding the responsibility of helping their ME patients with AFib.
 

Groggy Doggy

Guest
Messages
1,130
I would like to try a tiny amount of T3. I want the smallest pill.
Does anyone know where I could buy this online? Or does anyone have one pill I could cut up and try? So sick of spending money on things only to throw them away.
X
I tried many generics, and none worked. I recommend the brand name Cytomel.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
My mother got AFib and she never took any thyroid meds. IMO in the US, the EP Cardiologists are just too lazy to figure out why we get AFib; and they could care less about understanding the relationship of ME to AFib (we are fatigued because we are deconditioned; we just need more exercise). So if the EP Cardio can find anything to blame, IE cytomel, they will do that, and continue the years of avoiding the responsibility of helping their ME patients with AFib.
My comment wasn't about me personally going into AF. It was a warning about taking thyroid medication (Cytomel, liiodothyronine, T3) without knowing the status of one's TSH. I posted this in another thread, which digital dog has already seen:

The big problem with taking T3 when it is not necessary is the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). AF isn't due to the direct effect of T3, but it's due to the low TSH which comes as a result of thyroid hormone replacement. I found a good explanation written by an endocrinologist:
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/transcripts/1586_ask-a-thyroid-expert

Rose5: I was diagnosed with Hashimoto thyroiditis by an endocrine physician. I am on Armour® Thyroid 90 mg by a wellness doctor. The endocrine physician who diagnosed me felt I should not be on any medication, but was OK with low-dose Armour® Thyroid 30! Now he is worried about atrial fibrillation. My blood work has been monitored. Does Armour® Thyroid cause atrial fibrillation over the long term? What other recommendations do you have for this diagnosis?

Suman_Jana,_MD: Atrial fibrillation is from too much thyroid hormone (T4 and T3) leading to low TSH. So, if your TSH is not low, the risk of atrial fibrillation is not high. Compared to T4, T3 has a high potency to suppress TSH. In Armour® Thyroid, there is a relatively higher percentage of T3 than we really need. Armour® Thyroid is made from thyroid gland extract from pig and cow. Now, animals need more T3 than humans. T3 helps them with more thermogenesis (body heat production). Since animals don’t wear clothes, they need to preserve body heat by generating more heat production.

Jack_in_Florida: Does overcompensating on thyroid medication contribute to potential atrial fibrillation episodes? Can you comment also on target levels for T3 uptake, T3, free T3, TSH, T4 and free T4 for those on thyroid replacement therapy? (I have no thyroid gland.)

Suman_Jana,_MD: Atrial fibrillation is from too much of thyroid hormone (T4 and T3) leading to low TSH. So, if your TSH is not low, the risk of atrial fibrillation is not high. Compared to T4, T3 has a high potency to suppress TSH. TSH levels should be above the lower limit of normal.
 

Groggy Doggy

Guest
Messages
1,130
My comment wasn't about me personally going into AF
Thanks for the information. Sorry, I need to do a better job of prefacing my comments, as to who they are intended for (which was not you in this case). I wonder if there is an acronym for that? (a thought prevoking posting that sparks an idea but whose response is a general comment that is not targeted at the original poster; but still somehow give credit to tag the original poster)