Taking T3 gives me insomnia
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I started taking a small dose of 1mcg Cynomel (T3) and the results have been great! My energy is back and I no longer have that mid day crash and my mood and thinking have improved drastically over the last week. The only issues is that it seems to give me sleep issues and insomnia on the days that I take it. Is there anything I can do to avoid this or is it something that I am missing? I would really like to be successful with my first time of thyroid supplementation. Open to any suggestions
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@Polar334 when you say insomnia, do you mean an inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep? (Different solutions potentially for either)
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@evan-hinkle Definitely my ability to fall asleep as well as my overall sleep quality. I usually go to bed around 10PM but on the days that I take my dose I stay awake in bed till probably 1 or 2 in the morning and wake up feeling like crap until I dose again. Worth mentioning that I already suffer from sleep issues which is part of the reason why I am taking thyroid in the first place.
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@Polar334 ok interesting. What’s your fat intake like? Peat has often recommended fat in the evening before bed like whole milk or ice cream as fat is much slower burning and a decent energy source for sleep.
Also, have you tried a t3/t4 combo at night? This can also be helpful as the t4 can go to the liver and again act as almost a slow burning energy during sleep.
How’s your liver health in general? Poor glycogen storage can really affect the ability to remain asleep. If you can’t tolerate black coffee without cold extremities then you can assume glycogen storage is poor.
Aspirin can help lower cortisol and before bed can bring about an earlier onset of sleep than you might normally experience if your cortisol is high at night.
When do you eat your last meal of the day typically? Further away from sleep is not typically considered optimal especially if glycogen storage is poor.
Finally, do you have any sense of your serotonin? High serotonin can adversely affect quality of sleep. Many like cyproheptadine as a serotonin antagonist, (I personally do better with Benadryl).
Of course there is so much we can look at. Diet, lifestyle, exercise, work stress, etc, so this isn’t by any means an exhaustive list, but maybe there’s something here that will hit for you?
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@evan-hinkle I think my fat intake is pretty good. I cook with a lot of butter and olive oil and eat plenty of fatty foods like bacon and steaks or meats with plenty of marbling. I do have a pint of ice cream in the freezer that I eat throughout the week as a dessert with my meals but I have never tried eating it before bed.
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I have a bottle of Cynoplus(T3&T4) laying around that I hadn't gotten around to trying yet. Would taking a dose of this at night have a better outcome on my sleep than opposed to taking the dose in the morning?
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I would guess that my liver health is in good shape as I'm pretty young and I don't smoke, drink or have a history of taking pills/prescription meds. There is one thing though. I had a recent blood test done and it revealed I had very low AST and ALT levels which my doctor said was fine but I have my doubts. I don't drink coffee but I am already pretty cold which is another reason for my thyroid supplementation. I can try drinking a cup of black coffee as an experiment to determine my glycogen storage status though.
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Would OTC Bayer aspirin suffice? I have a bottle in my cabinet that I can definitely try out and see if it helps
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I usually eat something easy to make since I am pretty tired when I come home so maybe a ham sandwich and some fruit or something like that. I eat around 8 or 9 and go to bed after that.
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I wouldn't even know how to measure something like that haha, I know Ray talks about it but I haven't really gotten into the topic as I'm kind of knew to Ray Peat in general srry. For what its worth Benadryl does put me to bed but I feel groggy and tired the morning after I use it.
lastly Thank you for taking the time out to write this list for me. I prefer to have such an exhaustive list tbh as I'm sort of at my wits end with trying to correct my sleep issues and fatigue.
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@Polar334 no worries, I’m glad something I wrote could help.
It sounds like you have a few threads you can pull on here:
Maybe try some ice cream before bed, maybe try some aspirin before bed, (commonly recommended is 1-3 if they’re 325mg each) and maybe give the t3/t4 combo a try as well. You could try a different one separately each night and see if one or any has an effect, and then from there maybe do a little research into potentially combining some of them for any further effect.
Of course none of this is medical advice, and I am not a doctor.
Update us with what you find that works, (it’s always helpful for someone to read).
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Before I forget, make sure you’re getting enough calories for your activity each day. Undereating can definitely cause elevated cortisol and be detrimental to good sleep.
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@evan-hinkle Sounds good! Ill definitely update you with what comes next.
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@Polar334
Things to try:
Αn even smaller dose (can always work your way up)
Μαke sure it’s with a meal or snack
taking the it earlier in the day
Take some quality d3 and k2 at bedtime after last meal of the day
Make sure you’re getting enough protein and calcium. Some dairy, some eggs