Drug & supplement interaction

Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation + Liothyronine

Liothyronine brand name: Cytomel.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Liothyronine in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

Know someone interested in this? Share
Interaction report

Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Liothyronine

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Liothyronine and Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — research on Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation alongside specific medications may be limited.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation at all — not against Liothyronine, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation is a treatment rather than something you take. Tell whoever provides it which medicines you use, and ask your prescriber whether it is appropriate for your health and treatment. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation safety at a glance

Transcutaneous Ele... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated, but it should be avoided by people with pacemakers and used under guidance.
Pregnancy Use caution Use during pregnancy is not well studied and should only be done with medical supervision.
Breastfeeding Not established There is little research on its use while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Liothyronine and Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Liothyronine May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so having Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation while taking the medicine can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Trouble sleeping Additional detail

    Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation

    “Insomnia and temporary hand paralysis have been reported in one person each in a clinical trial.”

    Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in insomnia.

    1 source cited
    1. 104742. Song Y, Xue X, Han H, et al. Efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with diazepam for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome: A double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial. J Int Med Res. 2020;48(4):300060520910052. PubMed

    Liothyronine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Liothyronine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Itching Additional detail

    Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation

    “Itchiness, skin redness, and swelling have been reported rarely in clinical research.”

    Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in rosacea.

    6 sources cited
    1. 104735. Chen J, Tu Q, Miao S, Zhou Z, Hu S. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting after general anesthesia: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Surg. 2020;73:57-64. PubMed
    2. 104741. Szmit M, Agrawal S, Gozdzik W, et al. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation reduces postoperative analgesic requirement in patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair: A randomized, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Med. 2021;10(1):146. PubMed
    3. 104742. Song Y, Xue X, Han H, et al. Efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with diazepam for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome: A double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial. J Int Med Res. 2020;48(4):300060520910052. PubMed
    4. 107054. Xie J, Chen LH, Ning ZY, et al. Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with palonosetron on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Chin J Cancer 2017;36(1):6. PubMed
    5. 107056. Kabalak AA, Akcay M, Akcay F, Gogus N. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation versus ondansetron in the prevention of postoperative vomiting following pediatric tonsillectomy. J Altern Complement Med 2005;11(3):407-13. DOI
    6. 107060. Xiong Q, Min S, Wei K, et al. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with dexamethasone and tropisetron prevents postoperative nausea and vomiting in female patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a prospective, randomized co

    Liothyronine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Liothyronine. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation but not commonly for Liothyronine: swelling.

Effects for Liothyronine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

From our Q&A

Questions About Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation or Liothyronine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation or Liothyronine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Liothyronine

This page covers Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Liothyronine page lists 38 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Tiratricol (major), Acetyl-l-carnitine (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate) and Ascophyllum Nodosum (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 26 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Liothyronine page

“Liothyronine (Cytomel) is the active thyroid hormone T3, and it does not tolerate interference well. Of the 38 supplements and herbs on file, 21 act on thyroid function itself, some amplifying the hormone and others blunting it, iodine-rich seaweeds able to swing either way.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Liothyronine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Liothyronine Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation
Steady interest

#1,395 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Liothyronine
Top half

#879 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Liothyronine records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Treatment approach

About Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation

What is Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation?

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Indigestion and functional dyspepsia
  • Constipation and bowel motility
  • Pain relief
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Post-operative recovery support

Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation (TEA) is not a herb or supplement but a non-drug therapy that applies mild electrical pulses through skin pads placed over traditional acupuncture points. It is being studied mostly for nausea, digestive problems, and pain, but the evidence is still early and mixed. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before trying it, especially if you have a pacemaker or other implanted device.

Not applicable (this is a device-based therapy, not a plant or supplement) · Skin-surface electrode pads connected to a small electrical stimulator unit

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation record says about it on its own.

Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation: dosing

There is no single standard "dose" for TEA. Settings vary widely between studies and devices, including the placement of the pads, the strength of the electrical pulses, the frequency, and how long and how often it is used.If you have a TEA device, follow the manufacturer's instructions for pad placement, intensity, and session length. Do not turn the intensity up to a painful level.

From our Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Liothyronine

What Is Liothyronine Used For?

Brand name: Cytomel

Liothyronine (available as tablets under the brand names Cytomel, Liomny, and Liothyronine Sodium, and as an injection under Liothyronine Sodium and Triostat) is primarily used to treat hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) across all its forms — whether the cause is in the thyroid itself, the pituitary gland, or the hypothalamus, and whether it was present at birth or developed over time.

The oral tablets are also used alongside surgery and radioiodine therapy to suppress TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) in people with well-differentiated thyroid cancer, and as a diagnostic agent in thyroid suppression tests. Liothyronine sodium injection is specifically indicated for myxedema coma (a life-threatening form of severe hypothyroidism) and may be used in patients who are allergic to thyroid products derived from pork or beef.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Liothyronine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Headache 885 reports
Fatigue 849 reports
Nausea 585 reports
Dyspnea 559 reports
Hypertension 467 reports
See full Liothyronine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation References

The 8 references that drive our Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Chen J, Tu Q, Miao S, Zhou Z, Hu S. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting after general anesthesia: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Surg. 2020;73:57-64. PubMed
  2. Szmit M, Agrawal S, Gozdzik W, et al. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation reduces postoperative analgesic requirement in patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair: A randomized, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Med. 2021;10(1):146. PubMed
  3. Song Y, Xue X, Han H, et al. Efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with diazepam for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome: A double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial. J Int Med Res. 2020;48(4):300060520910052. PubMed
  4. Ma D, Han JS, Diao QH, et al. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for the treatment of withdrawal syndrome in heroin addicts. Pain Med 2015;16(5):839-48. PubMed
  5. Xie J, Chen LH, Ning ZY, et al. Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with palonosetron on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Chin J Cancer 2017;36(1):6. PubMed
  6. Kabalak AA, Akcay M, Akcay F, Gogus N. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation versus ondansetron in the prevention of postoperative vomiting following pediatric tonsillectomy. J Altern Complement Med 2005;11(3):407-13. DOI
  7. Xiong Q, Min S, Wei K, et al. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with dexamethasone and tropisetron prevents postoperative nausea and vomiting in female patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a prospective, randomized co
  8. Xuan JL, Zhu YW, Xu WH, Zhao H, Chen JDZ, Wu GJ, Gong L. Integrative effects of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation on abdominal pain, gastrointestinal motility, and inflammation in patients with early-stage acute pancreatitis. Neurogastroenterol Mot PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Having Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation While Taking Liothyronine: Common Questions

Is it safe to have Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation while taking Liothyronine?
We do not list a known interaction between Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Liothyronine. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Liothyronine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Does Liothyronine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Liothyronine has documented interactions with 38 supplements in our database — Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation is not one of them. The Liothyronine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Liothyronine and Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.