Liothyronine (Cytomel) is a thyroid hormone medication that can be used for a number of thyroid-related health concerns. More specifically, it's a lab-made form of the T3 thyroid hormone that's made by your thyroid gland. People of all ages can take this medication, and it's generally taken by mouth just once daily. Although weight loss is a potential side effect of liothyronine (Cytomel), it should not be taken solely for this purpose.
Liothyronine (Cytomel) is a lab-made version of the T3 thyroid hormone that's normally made by your thyroid gland. Your thyroid hormones have important functions, such as controlling your metabolism, vital signs like body temperature and heart rate, and more.
When the amount of thyroid hormone in your body is too low, taking thyroid replacement hormones like liothyronine (Cytomel) can bring your levels back to normal.
| Common Brands | Cytomel |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | Triiodothyronine (T3) |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | Lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription only |
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Side effects are typically signs of having too much thyroid hormone in the body.
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Incidence not known
arm, back, or jaw pain
blurred or double vision
chest pain or discomfort
chest tightness or heaviness
crying
decreased bone mineral density
decreased urine output
delusions of persecution, mistrust, suspiciousness, or combativeness
difficulty breathing
dilated neck vein
dizziness
excessive
sweating
extreme tiredness or weakness
fainting
false or unusual sense of well-being
fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
feeling of discomfort
feeling of unreality
headache
heat intolerance
impaired fertility
increased appetite
increased blood pressure
irregular breathing
irritability
itching, skin rash
joint swelling
limp pain in the hip or knee
menstrual changes
mental depression
muscle aches, weakness, or cramps
nervousness
pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck
quick to react or overreact emotionally
rapidly changing moods
restlessness
sense of detachment from self or body
severe headache
slow heartbeat
stomach cramps
swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
swollen lymph glands
trouble sitting still
trouble sleeping
vomiting
weight gain or loss
Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:
Symptoms of overdose
Cold, clammy skin
confusion about identity, place, and time
difficulty in speaking
dizziness
double vision
fast, weak pulse
headache
inability to move the arms, legs, or facial muscles
inability to speak
lightheadedness
loss of consciousness
nervousness
seizure
sensitivity to heat
slow speech
sweating
trouble sleeping
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Incidence not known
Feeling of warmth
redness of the face, neck, arms, and occasionally, upper chest
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Liothyronine (Cytomel) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Liothyronine (Cytomel) shouldn't be used for weight loss. It’s not recommended, safe, or effective for this purpose. Taking high doses of liothyronine (Cytomel) can cause serious or deadly effects, especially if it's taken with other medications for weight loss like phentermine (Adipex-P). Speak with a healthcare professional (HCP) if your goal is to lose weight to figure out what the best approach to weight management is for you.
Taking too much liothyronine (Cytomel) can cause heart problems, especially for older adults and for people with heart conditions. Because of this risk, the dose of liothyronine (Cytomel) that you start with might be lower than usual if you're older than 65 or if you have a heart condition.
Call your prescriber or get medical care right away if you have a rapid or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Your prescriber might lower your dose of liothyronine (Cytomel) or ask you to stop taking the medication for a week before restarting it at a lower dose.
For people who also have adrenal insufficiency (a condition of low adrenal hormone levels), it's important to start treatment for the adrenal hormone problem first with corticosteroids before starting liothyronine (Cytomel). This is because thyroid hormones can make the body process corticosteroids faster. Starting thyroid hormone replacement before treating adrenal insufficiency can cause your adrenal hormones to drop to very low levels and make you feel unwell.
Let your prescriber know about your full medical history before you start taking liothyronine (Cytomel). They might check your adrenal hormone levels to see whether this situation applies to you before you start thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Get medical attention right away if you experience signs of adrenal crisis, like stomach pain, dehydration, dizziness, high fever, nausea, or vomiting, while you're taking this medication.
For people with diabetes, taking liothyronine (Cytomel) affect how well the body can regulate blood sugar levels. This can change the required dose of any diabetes medications that you're taking. Check your blood sugar levels when you first start taking liothyronine (Cytomel), when the dose of your thyroid medication changes, when you stop the thyroid medication, and as directed by your prescriber. Talk to your care team if your blood sugar levels are unusual.
Taking liothyronine (Cytomel) at a dose that's too high for you can weaken your bones over time. This risk is higher for people who've gone through menopause. Your prescriber will check your thyroid hormone levels to make sure that you're taking the lowest dose of the medication that works well to treat your condition. This helps lower your risk for bone problems related to overtreatment.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Liothyronine (Cytomel) will not be safe for you to take.
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It's possible for Liothyronine to cause weight loss as a side effect, but it's more likely to happen if you're taking a dose of the medication that's too high for you. Don't take Liothyronine specifically for weight loss; it's not recommended, safe, or effective for this purpose. Speak with a healthcare professional (HCP) about ways to manage your weight if you're interested in losing weight.
Weight gain isn't a commonly reported side effect of Liothyronine. But the medication can sometimes make you feel hungrier or have a larger appetite as a side effect, especially if the dose is too high for you. Speak with your prescriber if you notice changes in your weight while you're taking Liothyronine. They can help figure out the cause or adjust the dose of your thyroid medication.
There isn't much evidence showing that taking levothyroxine and Liothyronine together is beneficial, so clinical guidelines typically don't recommend taking them together. But some studies found that some people have preferred this combination and some people might need both medications if one isn't enough to bring thyroid hormone levels back to normal. Speak with your prescriber if taking levothyroxine and Liothyronine together is appropriate for you.
It's best to take Liothyronine just once a day. Choose a time of day that's convenient for you to take the medication and be sure to stick with this time every day. Speak with your prescriber if you have questions about what the best time for you is to take Liothyronine once every day.
Liothyronine is a lab-made version of the T3 thyroid hormone that's normally made by your thyroid gland. It's the active form of the thyroid hormone that helps regulate many functions of the body.
Liothyronine starts to work to raise thyroid hormone levels within a few hours. The full effects of a single dose can happen within 2 or 3 days of taking the medication. But it can take a week or two for your thyroid hormone levels to stabilize at a particular dose. This is why you'll need to take a particular dose of Liothyronine for a week or two before your prescriber decides to adjust your dose. This means that it can take a few weeks to find the appropriate dose for you. Speak with your prescriber if you have questions about how long it's taking for Liothyronine to work for you.
The makers of Liothyronine don't say that the medication needs to be taken on an empty stomach, but it might be a good idea. This is because certain foods might affect how the medication gets absorbed into the body. Whether you choose to take Liothyronine with or without food, try to be consistent with how you take the medication every day. This will help keep a steady level of medication in your body.
Both levothyroxine and Liothyronine are synthetic (lab-made) thyroid hormone replacement medications. Levothyroxine is T4, which is a nonactive thyroid hormone. It gets turned into T3, the active form of the thyroid hormone, once it's in the body. Liothyronine itself is T3. Speak with your prescriber to learn more about comparing between levothyroxine and Liothyronine
