The thyroid is a small gland at the base of your neck that produces hormones to regulate your body's energy use. Hypothyroidism is the condition of your thyroid gland not being able to produce enough thyroid hormones. It is treatable in most people with thyroid hormone replacement medication and lifestyle modifications.
Read on to learn more about Cytomel, how it works, and how to get a Cytomel prescription online.
What is Cytomel?
The thyroid gland produces two hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). In a healthy thyroid gland, the inactive T4 hormone is released into circulation and then converted by the body into the active T3 hormone. Often, treatment begins with T4-only formulations.
However, if your body has a hard time converting T4 to T3, or you take an interfering medication, standard T4 medicines may not be sufficient. For patients who do not feel completely normal taking a synthetic preparation of T4 alone, the addition of T3 may be of benefit.
Cytomel is a prescription medicine used to treat the symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and enlarged thyroid gland (nontoxic goiter). It is the most commonly available brand-name version of liothyronine (synthetic T3).
Fillers in Cytomel include gluten, cornstarch, and sucrose.
How does Cytomel work?
When you have hypothyroidism, your thyroid doesn't make enough thyroid hormone to maintain the proper metabolic rate of body tissues. Cytomel helps to restore adequate thyroid levels, so tissues and organs can get back to normal function. Cytomels's active ingredient is liothyronine sodium.
Cytomel dosage and treatment
For Cytomel to work most effectively, you should take it the same way every day. The amount of medicine that you need is exact, so the way you take it can affect how much medicine your body absorbs. Always take your medication exactly as your doctor prescribes.
Instructions typically say to take Cytomel by mouth once a day on an empty stomach. Take your medication 30 minutes before or two hours after you eat to optimize absorption.
The recommended starting dose is 25 mcg daily. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed, likely not exceeding 75 mcg once a day. Compared to T4-formulations, T3-formulations like Cytomel are short-acting, and symptoms may appear again as the medication wears off.
Clinical studies of Cytomel
Several clinical studies find adding T3 to T4-only treatment may improve mood, energy, concentration, and even bodyweight. Indeed, results from one study of 14 hypothyroid patients showed that substituting synthetic T3 for synthetic T4 at equivalent doses reduced body weight and increased thyroid hormone action on fat metabolism. However, it did not show significant differences in heart rate, blood pressure, exercise tolerance, or insulin sensitivity.
Side effects of Cytomel
The most common side effect of Cytomel is nausea.
This medication may also cause more severe side effects, including:
- Headache
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Nervousness
- Increased sweating
- Heat intolerance
- Diarrhea
- Menstrual changes
Contact your doctor right away if you experience any side effect that bothers you or persists. You can also report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Can you get a prescription for Cytomel online?
To legally get a prescription for medication, you first need to consult with a doctor. Then, your doctor can send the prescription to a pharmacy to fill.
Paloma Health offers virtual consultations with thyroid doctors. You meet with a doctor from your computer or smartphone to get a comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and prescription for medications like Cytomel, if appropriate.
Schedule a free call with a care advisor to determine if Paloma Health might be right for you.
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