Meanwhile, this'll be interesting

[annathepiper]

I have a shiny new endoc, since my old one moved down to California to be closer to family there. Today was my first appointment with the guy. I told him I was more or less feeling adequate, modulo a few niggling annoyances that have been with me really ever since the whole thyroid removal in the first place--e.g., periodic mental sluggishness and recurring weight issues, even though I walk 3-4 miles a day and my T4 levels keep reporting as "normal"--and the first words out of his mouth were to suggest trying me out on some T3 along with my regular Synthroid dosage.

For a while now I've been wondering whether I'm one of those people who need to do that mix, and it was a bit of a relief to hear that suggestion come out of him so solidly. So he sent me home with a prescription for 5mcg of Cytomel, and I'll be starting that tomorrow along with the Synthroid.

Let's see what this does, and whether this stabilizes my pokey metabolism. Yay, new med to take twelve days before I go on a two-week vacation! ;)

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Who's the new endoc? One is curious...

(One is also curious... you walk from that first bus stop in town down to your work?)

I did find that if I took an extra half-tab of T4 on days that I was doing heavy work (like Moving Day) I didn't tend to hit a wall late afternoon/early evening like I did when I didn't do such things... so perhaps the T3 taken at a judicious time will help things along.

Things I've seen bandied about various ThyCa lists: Make sure you're waiting half an hour before eating after taking T4, and avoid calcium the first couple hours... dunno if you knew that or not, but figured I'd check... either of these things will interfere with the T4 doing its thing.

Good luck with it!

[annathepiper]

Dr. Kenneth Gross at the Polyclinic, on Capitol Hill.

Indeed, I get off at the first stop whatever bus I'm on and walk to the Times from there. If I'm on the 312, I'll get off at the Convention Center and go down 9th; if the 522, 6th and Union, and head over from there.

I was advised to take the T3 right along with my T4, so that'll be easy to work into the routine. :) And I knew about calcium and the timing of eating, yes. I arguably eat my morning cereal a little too close to when I take the T4, but I asked the endoc about that yesterday and he sort of hand-waved that off and told me not to change anything else I'm doing yet, since he wants to see how the T3 will treat me.

And thanks!

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

What I'll do is take T4 as soon as I'm vertical, and then take BP meds and do anything else at the other end of my morning routine. This generally gives me enough separation... I've also found that vanilla flavored rice milk ("classic", not enriched) makes an acceptable and reasonably calcium-free substitute on my cereal... then I'll do milk and or calcium-rich things usually for dinner.

OTOH, the doc is being smart and only changing one variable...

[annathepiper]

Yeah, I like the "just change one thing and see what that does" plan.

It's too early to tell yet, of course, but so far I feel rather good this morning despite sleeping poorly during the night. Fingers crossed. :)

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

If you don't mind sharing, who are you seeing now and where? I've had bad luck with my doctors, and I want to find a new one; it's for relatively similar issues (I'm hypothyroidic, etc.). So I'm curious....

[annathepiper]

Dr. Kenneth Gross at the Polyclinic, on Capitol Hill.

[starfallz.livejournal.com]

Hope it works out!

[annathepiper]

Thank you very much. :) So far I feel pretty good this morning, though it's too early to really tell. But I'm hopeful!

[ssha.livejournal.com]

I failed to realize/remember that you'd had your thyroid out. I'll also have to look into the possibility of adding the T4 to my Synthroid when I see my new endoc.

[annathepiper]

T4 is Synthroid, hon. T3 is Cytomel.

[ssha.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. I don't know them by the number codes, just the drug names. Anyway, Isaw the new endoc for the first time today. I'll let you know how things turn out.

[annathepiper]

They're more like abbreviations than codes, just because they're shortened forms of the longer actual names of the hormones: thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Synthroid and Cytomel are both brand names, for a specific maker's version of 'em. T4 and T3 are just easier to say, too. ;)

Good luck with the new endoc!