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Has anyone tried time released T3?

Hi everyone!
I am about to start replacing my cytomel with a time release form of T3. I read an article online by Dr. Lowe which said that cytomel is better than time release, which makes me nervous. My own Dr. doesn't like cytomel because of the ups and downs it causes with temperature, etc.
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499534 tn?1328704178
My dr uses a local pharmacy and compounds all T3 into time release for her patients. Even her office mgr is on time release T3 and is doing great.....and she is a hashi patient. I always tell her how jealous I am of how well she is doing.
It does save for all the ups and downs and stays consistent in the body.
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Avatar universal
dr.wilson does it...you ever been to his webite ??
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Avatar universal
Please be careful.

At this current time there are no time-release or slow-release T3 formulas approved by the FDA in the United States (not sure about other countries).  That's an important thing to denote.  The reason is because a drug not approved by the FDA might not be up to safe standards and regulations.  In other words, you could be getting and paying for pills that might either have variations from one pill to the other; might not have the right or adequate amount of med; or might have fillers that don't need to be listed in the ingredients.  My understanding is that all this can and has caused problems for thyroid patients.

Hopefully, for the sake of those going through thryoid cancer who could use such a formula, that approval will come about soon.  But that it's not there yet is probably for a significant reason - the bugs on these kind of meds still need to be worked out.  In the meantime....play it safe.

Also, for the sake of your own health, please steer clear of websites, books and drs that would recommend unsafe therapy treatments.

Take care.
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone
I took my first round of time released T3 yesterday and I did pretty well on it so far. I definitely did not have any hyper symptoms and I took a second dosage before bed and I could still sleep. I did start getting hot and sweating in the evening, otherwise no side effects.
I am aware of the fact the the FDA has not approved the T3 SR but I trust my doctor and the compounding pharmacy he uses has a really good track record. I take estriol as well, which the FDA has not approved. Sometimes the FDA is a bit behind and we have to do the best we can. There are risks, it is true, but I am weighing the risks against the benefits and I think the benefits come out on top in this case.
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499534 tn?1328704178
So glad to hear that so far so good......yes I agree with taking the risks that our trusted doctors recommend. I know my dr is a highly reputable dr here in Florida and is an internal medicine dr. She would never recommend or us a medication that doesn't have proven results. The most important of all is if it works for you safely, and you can get back to feeling well! :)
Please keep me informed at how you do as I am contemplating the switch myself if I cannot get regulated better on my current medication.  :)
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Avatar universal
Hi Laura
I will keep you updated for sure. One thing I already notice is that I can take more T3 with the time released version, whereas with the cytomel I have to take less because it hits all at once. This is a good thing because I feel I generally need more in my system.
Which meds are you on right now? Armour?
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393685 tn?1425812522
I am so interested in the time release T3 medicine. It seems to have just surfaced within the last few months here at MH and people are constantly asking about it.

I spoke to the compound pharmacy about a month ago about it too and heard very similiar information as you have posted.

I haven't been back to the doctor yet that cares for my meds - but I surely will be bringing this up to her to discuss on March 5th

Who knows... maybe this is the optimal med to use??
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590177 tn?1288425854
I'm on a combination of T4 and slow-release T3 from a compound chemist. I have never tried cytomel so I don't know if it feels different. My doctor gave me the SR T3 because he says it gives you constant dose throughout the day, like a normal thyroid would. I take mine at 7:20am and 6pm.  I do feel that it interferes with my sleep a bit...as in I sometimes stay up until 11pm...whereas before I used to go to bed around 9:30 -10pm. Also, I get some heart palpitations especially with my night dose (about 1hr after taking med), and my hair falls out more. I did feel more 'awake' the first 2 weeks on it but now I'm tired again.

I feel that the T3 has helped me in reducing depression immensely. So I'm happy about that :-)  

Were you on cytomel before? Do you also take T4?

I also read Dr Lowe's website and also made me a bit concerned. I think Cytomel might be better in the sense that the T3 is not hanging around so much and your vitamins and food will not interfere so much. So, I'm kind of tempted to ask for cytomel instead..also because you can let it dissolve under you tongue....where as with my SR T3 you can't becuase it's a powdered capsule.

Who's Dr Wilson?

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499534 tn?1328704178
Yes I am on Armour, but having a hard time regulating my levels. I am still in die off mode of hashi's though, so that may be why it is so hard to regulate. My doctor wanted to put me on time release T3 with my synthroid when I first went to her and I asked for Armour. So I am not opposed to it if Armour ends up not working for me.....I really want it to though. :)
Most of all I just want what is best for my body and to get better.
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Avatar universal
www.wilsonsyndrome.com/  is where I learned about time release.but most drug stores compound,the prob is getting the RX for it.
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Avatar universal
'Wilson's Syndrome' is not a recognized condition.  Here is a link to the American Thyroid Association for an explanation they felt necessary to put together because it gets mentioned so often when talking about thyroid disease:

http://www.thyroid.org/professionals/publications/statements/99_11_16_wilsons.html

Hope this information helps.
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone
ttmoni, I take 50 mcg of levo and 1 grain of armour with the T3. I will probably go off of the armour and stay on the low dose of levo, just to have some T4 in my system. When I took cytomel alone my T4 level went way down. I don't know if that is necessarily a bad thing but my doc said that there was probably some reason that T4 should be in the system other than making T3.
Last night I did have some trouble sleeping and had some anxiety. I had this with cytomel too, so I suppose this is something I will have to live with in exchange for the benegits of the T3 (energy, lack of depression, etc)
I did like taking the cytomel under the tongue, shame we can't do that with the time release T3. So far it doesn't feel that different from cytomel to me, which is good, I think.
I will keep you all updated with the T3 SR.
Laura what is "die-off mode"?
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499534 tn?1328704178
Liz- The hashimoto's antibodies are destroying my thyroid gland....that is why i call it dying off.
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499534 tn?1328704178
Liz- The hashimoto's antibodies are destroying my thyroid gland....that is why i call it dying off.
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Avatar universal
I am really interested in hearing about experiences with any form of T3. I have lost so much of my life listening to doctors tell me that I didn't need T3.  I had TT in 1998, but 2002, I basically became a shell of who I was. Thank God that I now have a reputable, Harvard trained endo who believes in wellness, does enormous amount of continuing education! With addition of Cytomel, my brain awoke, my energy came back, unfortunately shortly after it started causing my heart to jump, so I eventually gave up on it, went back to synthroid only and gradually ran back down, memory gone, depression back!  I have now started Armour (about 1 month ago). Initially had headaches and felt very tired, but after about 2 weeks as posts suggested that subsided. My energy has improved, my cognitive functions are better, but I am still trying to get adjusted and not sure this is the right thing for me, but I don't care what anyone says, I need T3.  I am extremely frustrated with the medical community as new things are learned all the time, they DO NOT know everything. We are the best judges of our body and the only one who really cares how we feel!! Sorry to vent, its been a very long journey!
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Avatar universal
no wilsons is not..but its very true...so many dr's say your fine..and you are not..my point was thats where I heard about compounded,..,.which my local CVS does..
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393685 tn?1425812522
I am so glad you took the power into your hands and found a doctor so willing to help you. I really am so happy for you.

After finding what works for many - it now becomes a balancing and tweeking of the meds to gain optimal preformance. So many give up - before the system starts to adjust. Many just decide to live with symptoms that could have been banished - if they would have given themselves the time needed to adjust things could of been so much better.

Good Luck on your journey to getting your life back after your surgery. It will happen, it just takes a bit of time and patience knowing what's best for you as an individual thyroid patient and knowing how your body acts.
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Avatar universal
When you took the cytomel, how much were you taking and how were you doing it?
It could have been that you were simply not breaking up the dose throughout the day and therefor experiencing extreme T3 spikes (hence the heart palps). Could you ask to try cytomel again but split 3 times in the day? Just a thought. I hear you on the T3 thing. I have to have it.
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775637 tn?1235507928
I have no thyroid and want more information on RT3 or needing T3 meds.
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Avatar universal
I wanted Cytomel to work more than words can describe. The Dr. initially started me out at 1/2 of 25mg. which I tolerated for a short while then all of the sudden the heart Jumping not palpitations. I would feel pretty major jolts, so it scared me. I gave it up asked for armour, continued to bring my Synthroid down from 125 to 112.  Then I when I went back to Dr asking for armour, he said lets try cytomel 5mg and divide in 1/2.  Hesitantly I tried again, and actually divided into 1/4, within a couple of hours, my heart jumped again. I just couldn't tolerate it. I have an extremely sensitive system (and that is an understatement).   I was even a little afraid to try armour, but desperate to have my life back and now know that my brain re-awoke after cytomel. I felt like the movie awakening. I felt as if I could have a happy productive future again.
    As for the Armour he started me at 120mg, but after reading posts and getting feedback, I realized that was probably too high too fast. I did ultimately get through the initial headaches and fatigue. I now have to 1/2 the afternoon dose, because if I take the full 60mg, I feel hyper and have some comparitively mild palpitations (nothing like Cytomel.) I have put in a call to request blood work to see where I am at. I am a little confused as to whether to test 2 hours after taking the armour to get T3 levels or test without morning dosage.
   I wonder about a small t4 (synthroid) in addition to Armour to try to get more consistency in levels. I missed one day and was shot the next!
    Regardless, I know I feel better even with the swings, its hard to live depressed in a brain fog with no memory.. I just want anyone struggling to know, hang in there, you have to find what's right for you to awaken your brain. Do not give up, it has taken me YEARS! Also,  I do believe its imperative to find ways to reduce your stress in order for your system to be acceptable to any changes you make.
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Avatar universal
I believe at most times  T4 or T3 med alone is no good...so they should go by  the blood tests...T3,T4 is used widly in the sports world for weight loss..and works great...but even they take it every 3-4 hrs,to stop spikes and make it more level..the half life on T3 is only a few hrs...where most sports people take it...12.5.....12.5...12.5.....etc...
but mostly its 25mcg's at a time..for  a total of 100mcgs a day.. try to get scrored tablets,and break it up though the  day for steady blood levels...this is why  most other people use liquid...
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Avatar universal
I am glad isounds like you are on the right track with the armour. You mentioned that you were tired at first on armour. Did it feel like you were more hypo at first?
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590177 tn?1288425854
Liz, how are you going with the SR T3?

I get some heart palpitations but not as bad as Kimemitch. Does anyone know if they will eventually stop? My dose of T3 through out the day is not that high (12.5mcg).

Does anyone have problem with the hair falling out? Does it stop? I used to get this when I had hyperthyroidism.

I seem to be getting really tired now. If you take T3 or Armour, do you have to take Cortisol too? Are you on cortisol forever if you start taking it?  I'm going to know my saliva adrenal test results next week.

I actually gave Thyroid Extract (It's the Australian dessicated thyroid) a try and felt OK for 5 weeks, then felt awful.. the worst I've ever felt in my life!! and could go any higher. So, that's why I'm taking combination of T4 and T3 now. Also, I did take Hysone 4mcg x2 (cortisol) for 2 weeks and did feel very AWAKE, energetic, muscles were not as weak...but also had extreme dizzyness for about 4hrs and some itchiness...I had problems looking at my computer screen at work and was scared of driving...so I stoped taking it. I heard scary stuff about cortisol so I'm scared of taking it.



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590177 tn?1288425854
sorry... meant to say couldn't go on any higher dose of Thyroid Extract .. was on 90mcg and was getting hypo symptoms... and 120mcg was making me hyper and couldn't sleep well.


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