[sueberg]

#1059634

Hi All,

Happy New Year. Its been 3 months since my Thyroid has been removed. I have a follow up with my Endo tomorrow.

I started on 150 mg on Synthroid. Now, the doc has upped it to 200 mg, and put me on Cytomel. Is anyone taking or taken Cytromel?

My eye sight is going down the crapper! Is it old age or is TED starting?

HELP

[Bobbi]

#1176318

Hi, Sue:

Cytomel isn’t typically prescribed, because it has a very potent effect, rather immediately (even if your body doesn’t need the boost right then), and a very short life span. It can however be a help in certain circumstances. I was on it for a while — I could only tolerate half of the smallest pill once a day — but then it started to create heart issues, and I was taken off. Strangely, when I was taken off the symptoms I had been put on it to stop did not come back.

As for your eyesight, you need to see an eye doctor to determine what is going on. There can be lots of reasons for vision to change. When we are around 40, for example, most of us start needing reading glasses for near vision. That is pretty normal: our lens’ lose their ability to adjust between near and far vision. But the only person who can determine what is going on in YOUR case is an opthamologist. While I go to an optometrist to get my glasses prescriptions, I go to an opthamologist when I have questions like yours.

[snelsen]

#1176319

To add to Bobbi’s thoughts, I know it seems super obvious, but….
Try to find an ophthalmologist who is familiar with TED, thyroid eye disease.
If you can’t find a couple names through referrals, maybe your endo has some knowledge, when you call the office, say that you are a new patient, that you have Graves’, and you would like a baseline exam, for you have a few symptoms of TED or thyroid eye disease.

Regarding the cytomel, it is good that you are seeing your endo tomorrow, and again, I suggest asking more questions about the Synthroid and the cytomel.
As Bobbi says, it is used very rarely. While synthoid is metablized through out the day, cytomel is kind of like a big “dump” and can rev yourbody up for a short period of time, then it is all gone.

So you are on a big learning curve right now.

By the way, is your dose being increased because of symptoms you are having, because of the labs, or both reasons? (or neither of these reasons)
We (folks who have Graves) get VERY impatient with the slow molasses progression of all things associated with this disease. It takes AT LEAST
six weeks to two months to evaluate the Synthroid amount we are taking, before a change in dose is recommended. Takes a while for it to kick in, and if labs are done too early, it can be misleading.
So, in question form for your endo…
1. How often do you order labs at the beginning of my treatment? How long do we wait to do labs after a dose change?
2. Can I get the labs done before the appointment, so we can discuss them at that time? May I have the labs slip now, so I can get the lab drawn a couple days before my next appointment? (or can he order electronically, so when you go there, the requisition will be there.)
3. I understand cytomel is not used very often. Can you explain why I am taking it, and how I should report back to you so you are sure to get the messages?
4. Can we email?

There is a lot that I don’t know from your post, like,
why was the synthroid increased, did he explain his/her thoughts on adding cytomel? How are you feeling, was the ATD increased because you felt hyPO, and so he upped the dose?
Good luck on your appointment, hope to hear from you again. Congratulations on being this far down the road to getting back to feeling like yourself.
Shirley

[Author]

Posts