Cynomel vs. Thyroid-S

[leonardo]

Hello All,

I've tried both - Cynomel and Thyroid-S for 4-6 week stretches and thought I'd share my experiences and results with you before asking you for your suggestions and observations:

On Thyroid-S (2 grains per day):

- Pulse on waking - 60
- Pulse during afternoon - was about 80
- Temps - not measured during afternoons - but waking temps was about 98.4
- I lost about 2 pounds and people began commenting on my scrawny appearance
- I also experienced some hair fall
- Serum Cholesterol fell from 300 to 198
- TSH - .008
- Serum Free T3 - 6.83
- Serum T4 - 2.17


On Cynomel - (1.25 tablets per day):
- Pulse on waking - 60
- Pulse during afternoon - about 70
- I've gained back the weight I'd lost and I feel like I look better
- No hair fall - hair is thicker than a persian cat's tail :)
- Serum Cholesterol has risen back to about 246
- TSH - .011
- Serum Free T3 - 5.59
- Serum FT4 - 1.09

Now some questions:

1. Any thoughts on why cholesterol fell on Thyroid-S while rising on Cynomel?
2. Also, my metabolism feels distinctly slower on Cynomel. Do I need to increase dose or play around with some other variable (ex: Aspirin)?
3. Should I go back to Thyroid-S, stay on Cynomel or add in something new to the mix such as Cynoplus?
4. Should I be concerned about the rise in Cholesterol?
5. Anything else I'm missing here?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Birdie]

A first suggestion might be to use both since they are at hand. You could use the Thyroid-S, 1 tab in the morning. Or 1/2 tab in the morning. Then you could try using the cynomel in 1/4 tab doses. You might start using 2 doses of cynomel spread out. 1/2 tab cynomel total to start.

I'm surprised the Thyroid-S would affect your hair that way. It might help us to understand if you gave us more info. When did you start it? How long did you use it? What else were you doing? Was your diet exactly the same with both forms of thyroid? How long were you on cynomel alone? Also, what were you eating? What are your supps?

 

[Dan W]

Regarding the cholesterol, a person's day-to-day variations may be as much as 50 mg/dl, so it's possible it was just a normal variation. You could try testing again if convenient/affordable.

And I like Birdie's suggestion of using them both: it will give you some T4 (which Peat found was helpful) in the Thyroid-S, along with the pure T3 in the cynomel spread through the day.

 

[leonardo]

A first suggestion might be to use both since they are at hand. You could use the Thyroid-S, 1 tab in the morning. Or 1/2 tab in the morning. Then you could try using the cynomel in 1/4 tab doses. You might start using 2 doses of cynomel spread out. 1/2 tab cynomel total to start.

I'm surprised the Thyroid-S would affect your hair that way. It might help us to understand if you gave us more info. When did you start it? How long did you use it? What else were you doing? Was your diet exactly the same with both forms of thyroid? How long were you on cynomel alone? Also, what were you eating? What are your supps?

Thanks for the ideas Birdie.
I started Thyroid-S mid-November 2012 and kept it up for a month. I was doing the rest of the suggestions as recommended by Ray Peat and interpreted by Danny Roddy in the Peat Whisperer including:
1. Milk
2. Gelatin
3. Eggshell Calcium (sometimes)
4. some meat from ruminants
5. Supplements of Vit. A, E, and K
6. Lots of Orange Juice
7. Some rice (I need it to fill my stomach sometimes)

I've been on Cynomel alone for the last 4 weeks.

Diet has been the same on both.

Thanks again.

 

[leonardo]

Regarding the cholesterol, a person's day-to-day variations may be as much as 50 mg/dl, so it's possible it was just a normal variation. You could try testing again if convenient/affordable.

And I like Birdie's suggestion of using them both: it will give you some T4 (which Peat found was helpful) in the Thyroid-S, along with the pure T3 in the cynomel spread through the day.

Thanks Dan. Are there any downsides to using only T3?

 

[Dan W]

I'm basing the idea of T4 also being useful from a quote by Peat on Danny Roddy's site:

When I used only Cytomel, any little stress would make me suddenly hypothyroid, and my heart would stop several times in a minute; when I started using some thyroid, USP, that contained both T4 and T3 it stopped happening.

Maybe our thyroids maintain a more steady supply of T3 (from T4 conversion) than is achievable through supplementation. Or maybe there's another reason it benefited him.

 

[Jenn]

I use just cynomel. I am not familiar with the other. The instructions I got were take a little nibble a few times per day or break it up into 6 pieces so as to not take more than a little bit at a time. I notice an immediate difference in body temperature (20 minutes) when I have a little nibble. Sometimes T4 supplementation is wasted, if the liver isn't strong enough to do the conversion to T3 on its own. Everyone is a little different.