Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 22223

Shown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

T3 added to mix-comments please

Posted by S. Suggs on February 18, 2000, at 5:51:42

Hello everybody, the parnate has been doing great. I've had some issues with hypothermia and getting sleepy later in the day. For the hypothermia, I suggested (from a previous poster) that he add T3 (cytomel) to the mix (parnate and lithium). He agreed, no problem.

He started me at 5 mcg for 10 days and to increase to 10 mcg if no response and if that does not work we'll go to 25 mcg.

Of those out there with experience with T3, what was your experience? I hope all are doing well and blessings to all!

S. Suggs

 

Re: T3 added to mix-comments please

Posted by Cam W. on February 18, 2000, at 7:30:34

In reply to T3 added to mix-comments please, posted by S. Suggs on February 18, 2000, at 5:51:42

> Hello everybody, the parnate has been doing great. I've had some issues with hypothermia and getting sleepy later in the day. For the hypothermia, I suggested (from a previous poster) that he add T3 (cytomel) to the mix (parnate and lithium). He agreed, no problem.
>
> He started me at 5 mcg for 10 days and to increase to 10 mcg if no response and if that does not work we'll go to 25 mcg.
>
> Of those out there with experience with T3, what was your experience? I hope all are doing well and blessings to all!
>
> S. Suggs

S. - We have used liothyronine (Cytomel) in some people who were partial responders to Lithium. In some cases it worked like a charm, in others seemed to do little, if anything. The literature says that there is a 50-65% response rate to Cytomel in treatment-resistant bipolar cases. Liothyronine has no mood stablizing effects of it's own, but does seem to augment the traditional mood stabilizers, in a number of cases. Hopefully someone with first hand experience will also respond. Good luck - Cam W.

 

Re: T3 added to mix-comments please

Posted by Noa on February 18, 2000, at 8:07:56

In reply to Re: T3 added to mix-comments please, posted by Cam W. on February 18, 2000, at 7:30:34

I take cytomel, 12.5 mcg per day, as well as synthroid (t4), 25 mcg perday. When I added them, and I really don't remember which was added first, I think it might have been the cytomel, I do remember significant mood improvement within a week. I also had extreme sleepiness at the time, which turned out to be from the sleep apnea, but the thyroid meds definitely helped my mood.

Lithium can cause hypothyroid. Did you check your t3, t4, and tsh levels?

At the moment, I am waiting on blood tests to see if I need an increase in my thyroid meds, because I have been sleepy and very low on energy for the past couple of weeks. Everything tires me out. I am wondering if the lithium, which I just started 2 months ago, might have upset the balance.

Good luck.

 

Re: T3 added to mix-comments please

Posted by S. Suggs on February 18, 2000, at 10:31:16

In reply to Re: T3 added to mix-comments please, posted by Noa on February 18, 2000, at 8:07:56

> I take cytomel, 12.5 mcg per day, as well as synthroid (t4), 25 mcg perday. When I added them, and I really don't remember which was added first, I think it might have been the cytomel, I do remember significant mood improvement within a week. I also had extreme sleepiness at the time, which turned out to be from the sleep apnea, but the thyroid meds definitely helped my mood.
>
> Lithium can cause hypothyroid. Did you check your t3, t4, and tsh levels?
>
> At the moment, I am waiting on blood tests to see if I need an increase in my thyroid meds, because I have been sleepy and very low on energy for the past couple of weeks. Everything tires me out. I am wondering if the lithium, which I just started 2 months ago, might have upset the balance.
>
> Good luck.

The doc did a series of thyroid test on me, totaling around 6 specific thyroid test (t3 and t4 of course) and all came back "normal". He recently read / went to a seminar re: bascially, when thyroid test are "normal" but may not be normal. The ranges are set up that some people have a thyroid issue, but the test do not indicate so. In my case the T3 was added for the hypothermia. Best wishes and blessings,

S. Suggs

 

Re: T3 added to mix-comments please

Posted by Noa on February 18, 2000, at 12:45:44

In reply to Re: T3 added to mix-comments please, posted by S. Suggs on February 18, 2000, at 10:31:16

When my first thyroid tests were done, I had a "borderline" TSH level, and normal t3 and t4. But, my doc said that elevated tsh, even if not out of the "normal" range, could indicate slight, subclinical hypothyroid, and in any event, studies have shown that it is an indication that thyroid meds can help the patient respond better to antidepressants. I guess this is an example of why having an experienced psychopharmocologist interpret the lab results is important. To a general internist, my results might have looked passable.

 

Re: T3 added to mix-comments please

Posted by Chris A. on February 18, 2000, at 14:21:44

In reply to T3 added to mix-comments please, posted by S. Suggs on February 18, 2000, at 5:51:42

My consulting psychopharmacologist recommended adding T3 when I saw him in August. To quote him "Recent studies showed that combining T4 with a low dose of T3 produced better improvement of mood in hypothyroid patients than T4 alone. The investigators thought that this was because some hypothyroid people had a defect in their ability to convert T4 to T3 in the brain." He suggested I might get somewhat better results by switching from .125 mg of thyroxine to .1 mg of thyroxine plus .025 of Cytomel (which I did). I wish I could say it was a cure, but I wouldn't say it has done any harm, either. My pDocs prefer my TSH to be kept at about 1 - no higher than 2. I was slightly hypothyroid long before being dx as bipolar. Taking Lithium was never a problem. We just followed the TSH closely and bumped the replacement dose up as needed. I hope this is the boost you've been looking for.
Chris A.


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