Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

Cytomel is a T3 only thyroid medication (the brand version of liothyronine) that is far more active than levothyroxine. Because it’s so much more active, it also happens to be much better at helping thyroid patients with Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism lose weight. Before you run out and grab it, though, or try to switch medications, there are a few things you need to know. When using it you will want to keep an eye on certain lab tests including free t3, total t3, and reverse T3. In addition, you will also want to keep an eye on your basal body temperature and resting heart rate. Because of its power, it’s important to keep an eye on these metrics to make sure you don’t accidentally take too much. As far as dosing for weight loss is concerned, most patients do best taking a dose somewhere between 5 and 20 mcg per day. Instead of thinking as Cytomel as an alternative to levothyroxine, I think it’s best thought of as a complementary option to it. Many thyroid patients see the best results when usi