I am currently taking 100mcg levoxyl and would like to add T3 to see if it helps with my weight. I had to have my thyroid taken out due to cancer and I have gained some weight even with proper diet and exercise BUT I have read some people say T3 makes them ravenously hungry ???? I certainly don't need that...
Another question is..will this cause muscle wasting in me as well since I need the hormones vs. adding to existing as bodybuilders do?
I hate to keep working out..only to lose muscle and not this fat that needs to go !!
Thanks in advance,
Jen
Posted by: Minotaur
Some people need the T3 that Cytomel, Armour Thyroid and other thyroid meds provide. I'm on Armour, myself. In therapeutic doses you shouldn't lose any muscle. The doses of Cytomel usually given for thyroid replacement are are 5-25 mcgs per day. Thats very small, but T3 is 4x as powerful as T4.
Better than guessing would be to see what your blood work reveals. If you have a problem converting T4 to T3 (as shown by a low Free T3 blood test), you might need some add'l T3. If your TSH is still high and/or Free T4 low, you may need more T4. Discuss with your doc to be sure of all this.
Posted by: mjsturg1
Why does it cause people to be ravenously hungry?
Posted by: Minotaur
T4 (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, et al) will do the same thing in high enough doses. In a nutshell, they speeds up your metabolism. T3 is one of several hormones produced by the thyroid itself, as well as being converted from T4. T3 (Cytomel is synthetic T3) is 4x as powerful as T4.
You can overdose on any of those combos or versions of thyroid hormone and go hyperthyroid. Even though it's not the thyroid that's actually overactive (with an overdose you're suppressing the thyroid), you have the effects of an overactive thyroid... hunger, heat intolerance, the shakes, nervousness, etc. A very high dose can cause thyrotoxicosis... thyroid poisoning. And 'high dose' depends on the individual. I was on 300 mcg of T4 and came close to poisoning myself. That much T3 (it would equal 1200 mcg of T4) would have probably killed me by a heart attack.
Be very careful playing with thryoid meds.
Posted by: Mikhal
T3 is outstand'n dude! Minotaur is right on point. I don't know nearly as much about T3, however I'm pretty schooled up on Triacana. I don't know if you've ever tried it but it works really well at between 3 mg to 6 mgs for me. I couldn't even pretend to know what might work for you as no thyroid is outta my league. Hell, I'm always worried bout goin Hyperthyroid using T3 so I keep it no more than 100mcg for no more than 6 weeks. Triacana may be something you might find interest'n. Peace n Love
Posted by: Minotaur
I just got my latest blood test results which show that my Free T3 is twice what it should be. That means that Armour Thyroid, with its extra T3 is tantamount to my taking Cytomel in addition to what my body produces.
I just read a few tidbits that say that excess T3 (specifically Cytomel, though I think any exogenous or elevated T3), will increase SHBG, sex hormone binding globulin. This is a protein that binds with testosterone so testosterone can be transported in the blood. The more shbg, the less free testosterone. Since my T3 has been elevating, guess what's been going down... testosterone.
I'm going to have my endo switch me off Armour with its T3 and go back to a T4-only med like Levoxyl.
Amazing how intricately the hormones are bound together.
