aguilaroja
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- Joined
- Jul 24, 2013
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- 850
PoisonedApple said:...I can't even get my naturopath to prescribe me anything for it, despite the fact that she thinks my theory of thyroid resistance is "reasonable." She did put me on 800mgs of acyclovir 3x/daily to help me with all of the opportunistic viruses I have. I ordered some T3 the same night I first posted here, and it came. My only real worry is that it's fake. HOWEVER...
I took it for the first time today (25 mcg) and I know it's too early to rule out the placebo effect, but it feels like someone put new batteries in me! My body aches are SO reduced, my hands are still cold but not BLUE ice cubes, my mind is clearer ...
I hope that it's working,... keeps working!...this is VERY encouraging. I have a psychiatrist appointment next week and I plan on disclosing my theory and what I've done (checked the law, they can't "tell" on me), and (if this actually works for longer than just today) ask if I can have a "legit" RX for it since it's often given for treatment-resistant depression....
First, it is very encouraging to hear that there has been a quick and noticeable response to T3. The "concern" about a placebo effect is a worthy and thoughtful one. As a side thought, my observation is that the limb and body temperature improvement steers away from placebo effect probabilities in my experience.
There are plenty of people who do well with added T3, even without a gratifying early response.
Second, T3 (cytomel/liothyronine/cynomel) is short acting, so the daily total is best DIVIDED up THROUGHOUT the day. My experience is that dividing things into at least 4 times per day is best. (see Dr. Peat's essay below) You can split 25 microgram tablets, if that is what you are using. Most people I have know that do the T3-only route have worked up from smaller amounts than the one you chose, except for the "Wilson syndrome" approach (too long to discuss in this post, and not one I am suggesting).
Third, the usual guidelines about adequate protein, salt, fruit/glucose source, minerals, other nutrients apply. Improving metabolism may utilize nutrients more quickly than you have been used to. If there are ups and downs, in addition to adjust the dose, be mindful of supportive nutrients.
Fourth, it is the case that some thoughtful psychiatrists use thyroid supplementation beyond the dogmatic numbers, but things depend on the treatment approach of the practitioner. Among those that use thyroid, the tendency is still to use predominantly T4 (levothyroxine/Synthroid. See, for instance, the Whybrow group article below.
Fifth, ending on another positive, since you are in North America, it is getting to the sunniest time of year and is a particularly good season for boosting thyroid function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25600111
Mol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan 20. doi: 10.1038/mp.2014.186. [Epub ahead of print]
Levothyroxine effects on depressive symptoms and limbic glucose metabolism in bipolar disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled positron emission tomography study.
Bauer M, Berman S, Stamm T, Plotkin M, Adli M, Pilhatsch M, London ED, Hellemann GS, Whybrow PC, Schlagenhauf F.
"administration of supraphysiologic thyroid hormone improves depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder by modulating function in components of the anterior limbic network."
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/thyroid.shtml
"Since T3 has a short half life, it should be taken frequently. If the liver isn't producing a noticeable amount of T3, it is usually helpful to take a few micrograms per hour. Since it restores respiration and metabolic efficiency very quickly, it isn't usually necessary to take it every hour or two, but until normal temperature and pulse have been achieved and stabilized, sometimes it's necessary to take it four or more times during the day. T4 acts by being changed to T3, so it tends to accumulate in the body, and on a given dose, usually reaches a steady concentration after about two weeks.
"An effective way to use supplements is to take a combination T4-T3 dose, e.g., 40 mcg of T4 and 10 mcg of T3 once a day, and to use a few mcg of T3 at other times in the day. Keeping a 14-day chart of pulse rate and temperature allows you to see whether the dose is producing the desired response. If the figures aren't increasing at all after a few days, the dose can be increased, until a gradual daily increment can be seen, moving toward the goal at the rate of about 1/14 per day."