Time gap between medications and T3

[jjlily]

I am on the following prescription medications and would like to know if they need a time gap before/after taking T3-

Enalapril [high blood pressure]

Aspirin "

Co-codamol [chronic knee pain ]

Ad-cal with vit-d [osteopaenia] I know this one needs 4 hours

Omeprazole[stomach protector]

fibrogel[diverticulitis]

lactulose solution[diverticulitis]

asthma inhalers

I also take Cod liver oil capsules and Centrum multi-vit/mineral.

thanks for your help

Jill

[Marz]

...oh dear that's an awful lot of medicine to take. I see from your profile that you have recently been diagnosed. Having followed this forum for 18 months or so I have learnt that most of the conditions you are suffering with are connected to Thyroid problems and people often experience an improvement once they are correctly treated.

Am afraid I do not know about how to spread the doses but someone will pop up and help you. Maybe also helpful if you post your latest thyroid blood test results so we can advise you. Don't forget to include the ranges. If you have already done this in an earlier post then I am sorry.....I'm two hours ahead here in Crete and its almost bed-time !

I am sad that you have had to wait so long for a diagnosis when you are suffering with so many other things that could well be connected. Do hope you soon feel better......

[jjlily in reply to Marz]

Hi marz thanks for your reply I am really hoping that i can reduce the number of meds I am taking I am starting to feel a difference with taking T3.so am hoping for good things.Seeing Gp tomorrow so should have a new set of bloods to put up.

How lovely to live in Crete.

Thanks for your good wishes Jill

[Marz in reply to jjlily]

...will look out for your post !

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

A huge problem in answering this question is that there has been little research to find the answers.

A lot of the time what you see written up is based on the assumption that T3 is affected similarly to T4. Maybe not exactly the same, but by the same things and in the same direction. That is quite possibly a reasonable starting position but, when all's said and done, it is still a guess!

In general T3 seems to be better and more quickly absorbed than T4. Which might be working in your favour.

I'd love to say "Ask your pharmacist". That is, after all, what we are repeatedly told to do by pharmacists and doctors (and others). Maybe you should do so? Though you obviously have to be prepared for disappointment and might not get useful information, you just might strike lucky.

Rod

[jjlily in reply to helvella]

Hi Rod The hospital pharmacy had checked all my other drugs for contra-indications. The only one they said when pressed was the Ad-cal.Iam seeing my Gp tomorrow so will ask him .Thanks for your reply

Jill

[greygoose]

Could you not take the T3 sublingually?

Hugs, Grey

[jjlily in reply to greygoose]

Hi Grey Can you tell me what difference it would make by going into the body by a different route That could be quite interesting.

Jill

[greygoose in reply to jjlily]

If you take it sublingually, it by-passes the stomach straight into the blood stream, so there is nothing for it to bind to - if, indeed, T3 does bind. I've been told it doesn't but I don't know how much scientific evidence there is for that. I don't know if there's any scientific evidence for the efficacy of taking it sublingually either, all I know is it works for me and I don't have to worry about when I last ate or took a tablet.

But, be aware, this is only for T3, levo needs to pass by the stomach for the stomach acids to dissolve the tablet fillers and release the hormone.

Hugs, Grey

[Clarebear]

We could do with a reply from bobbin2

[Jackie]

Hi Jill I take 4 pages of drugs. it is tricky. Thyroid drugs best taken away from other meds. the proton pump inhibitor is best taken first thing.Lactulose evening Asthma first thing and evening, but Ventalin as needed.Minerals and cod liver oil with breakfast. co codomol as needed, not if not needed any only as many as on the packet. Some calcium and D is meant to be taken with food, some away from food, see the packet.Most of them are not time specific so as far as possible follows instructions, proton pump take altogether, regardless , and first thing, that ,of the list is the most important regarding timing. Most people with high BP it is higher Pm so afternoon for that would be fine too.Thyroid drugs follow the usual instructions ie away from food if possible. I cannot do this entirely as my Cardiac pills take priority, lots of them, however, I have frequent TSH, T4 and Free T3 done, and the timing certainly does not effect my levels.

I hope that helps.

Best wishes,

Jackie

[jjlily in reply to Jackie]

Hi Jackie thanks for the info

Jill

[shaws Administrator]

This is part of a reply from Dr Lowe re food and to read the whole answer go to January 30, 2002 :-

Dr. Lowe: As a rule, our patients take thyroid hormone only once per day. An advantage of this one-per-day schedule is that it’s easier to find a window for good intestinal absorption—when the stomach or small intestine doesn’t contain food.

Most of our patients wait at least one hour after taking thyroid hormone before they eat. Or they wait at least two hours after eating before they take thyroid hormone. The two hour wait is a rough estimate of the time it takes for food to pass through the stomach and small intestine. It’s worth noting, however, that several factors can increase the time a patient should wait before taking thyroid hormone.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[jjlily in reply to shaws]

Hi shaws Thanks for that link. Lots of interesting info on his website.Jill

[shaws Administrator in reply to jjlily]

Yes, it is a very informative site. Unfortunately Dr Lowe died last year and some of the links within these may not be accessible due to some probate problem.