I was diagnosed with Hypothyroid in early Jan. 2013. and put on Levothyroxine 50 mcg (which was increased to 100 mcg in February. I have started off with a TSH level of 212, which has reduced in stages to 44, 5.1, and most recently to 1.6. so we are going in the right direction.
In the latest test I was also diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. and have recently been started on Metformin,(3 x daily) and Simvastatin.1 x daily at night.
Are both types of Diabetes directly related to Hypoth., or is it just Diabetes 1? Articles I have read don't make this very clear.
Does anyone else who has this combination of ailments have any advice regarding the timing of taking medications ? I currently take my Levo. at about 5.30am - or as soon as I wake in the morning, then have my breakfast etc at about 7.45am
Any other advice gratefully received !
Heather.
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fattyharbuckle
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Hi Heather, love the username! I'm going to leave comments about hypo and timing of meds to the other super knowledgeable folk on here, I'm hyper so ill-equiped in that department. I wanted to give you this link about prescription drugs and the nutrients they deplete, both your drugs are on it:
I don't know anything about Statins, but apparently yours depletes Coenzyme Q10. Does any one else know about this?
The Metformin I do know is linked to B12 and folate deficiency. You have to really investigate this because hypo's are usually already low in these two. Was this mentioned to you when you were prescribed the Metformin? Might be an idea to get them tested now and find out what your levels are. Have you had your vits and minerals checked? The key ones are B12, folate, iron/ferritin and vit D.
A selection of studies for you on Metformin and B12 (there are many more on pubmed, just search under "metformin B12"):
...sorry to read of your present predicament. Useful advice above and I'm sure more will follow. Just wanted to say - that after much reading on this forum and beyond - it does seem that raised Cholesterol and Diabetes can be linked to undiagnosed or under-treated Thyroid....but like you I am not sure about the Type 1 or 2. Hope you feel stronger soon.....It sounds as if your treatment is working well for you....CoQ10 is much needed in the body and can be depleted by Statins.
The more your learn about hypothyroidism, the less you realise GP's appear to know.
Yes, your TSH is reducing in the right direction. If you feel better it may be the right number for you but if not, you may need a higher dose of meds to lower it further.
High cholesterol with hypo is a clinical symptom and you shouldn't have been given simvastatin until it was clear it was due to something other than hypothyroidism. Cholesterol is a a very important part of our metabolism and is required most importantly by your heart. I cannot find this link at present. This is another link - excerpt
If you have an underactive thyroid, treatment may be delayed until your thyroid function is restored to normal. This because an underactive thyroid can lead to an high cholesterol condition which could naturally drop when normal thyroid function is restored. Also, statins can cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
As regards diabetes 2 - I am not sure but one expert has said that if our hypothyroidism is under-treated diabetes as well as other diseases can develop.
You can take your levothyroxine when you wake with 1 glass of water and wait about an hour before breakfast. Some people find it easier to take at bedtime but don't eat anything two hours beforehand.
Someone who has diabetes may give advice but you don't take supplements until 4 hours after levo, so I would do the same for your metformin
Always get a print-out of your blood tests from the surgery for your own records complete with the ranges as labs differ for some reason. It makes it easier for comments when you have the ranges as your can post your results in a new question.
Before your thyroid gland blood tests, take your dose afterwards if it's a morning test and have it as early as possible a.m. If you take a night dose miss this till after your blood test next day.
Vitamin B12, and Vit D are usually low in hypo so get your GP to do these blood tests and at the same time iron, ferritin and folate.
I think we have to be very careful here not to attribute everything to the thyroid as such. There is much evidence to suggest that Type 2 Diabetes can be cured through diet. Fat accumulates in our liver and pancreas which stops our insulin working correctly, when the fat is reduced blood sugar levels reduce to a healthy level once again. Personally I am convinced Type 2 can be healed via a healthy diet.
I am aware some will say "but the thyroid has to be medicated properly before we can lose weight", of course thyroid medication is of primary importance but we must not hide behind this when we could be utilising an insulin resistant diet to reverse the condition. Please read Syndrome X by Jack Challem for guidance.
I know many again say they cannot lose weight but there are also many here who have succeeded by either following an insulin resistant diet or the paleo diet when these are strictly adhered to, and that is the crux of the matter, being constant on what one eats and not falling off the bandwagon, or at least if one falls off, getting back on again.
I suspect that no-one 'hides' behind anything if they really want to lose weight. What would be the point?
As you say, many may well have succeeded. And many also have failed, despite doing their best. What we must all try to avoid is the 'it worked for me, and if it doesn't work for you, you're doing it wrong' mentality.
Unfortunately many hypothyroid patients have heard that time and time again from their GPs. 'Hypothyroidism is simple. One little Levothyroxine pill and it will be fixed'. Those who do not recover with that one-size-fits-all pill, are frequently accused of not taking the tablets. One person on this forum had to go through the indignity of going to the surgery to be 'supervised' by the doctor to make sure she took the tablets. She still did not get better.
If it were true that everyone will respond in an identical way, Thyroid UK support would not exist. We are all individuals with different variations on a theme, and we have to acknowledge that we ARE all different.
There was a Food Hospital program on Channel 4 recently where several overweight women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes managed to reverse it through change of diet. I watched the program especially to see if thyroid was mentioned at all. Predictably, it wasn't.
Think it might still be available to watch on this link
I understand what you are saying marram, but sadly, as far as food is concerned, although I agree with you not in every case, denial is too often a powerful defence. Yes we need to be compassionate and understanding but sometimes tough love is also needed to cut through to honesty, which in the long run is kinder and can lead to improved health. I only mentioned this as it is a view that is often avoided when seeking answers.
I was diagnosed Type 2 a month ago; my HBA1 -112 (my sister is hypo)
Taking supplements 4 hours after your Metformin gets a bit tricky because you have to take one Metformin 3 times a day with your meals. The diabetes nurse advised taking the metformin either just before or during the meal but not after, because people tend to forget to take it then. So I have been taking my metformin just before I eat and my supplements after my meal (for better absorbtion into the blood stream).
I suppose you could leave at least a 2 hour gap between the two but I have to avoid stomach probs, so I like to take any meds/supps on with food. Ok, I could take my supplements with a snack, but since I've been on Metformin and Atorvastatin my appetite has decreased, I'm naturally eating smaller portions at meal times and find snacks are just too much to take now.
I'm seeing a dietician tomorrow so I think I'll put the question to her, I'll also ask if she knows anything about this syndrome X.
So, to sum it up, the supplements needed for Type 2 people taking Metformin and Atorvastatin (for the cholesterol) are CoQ10, Folic Acid, B12, D3, Magnesium.
It's o.k. to take supplements 2 hours apart but, like you, I like to take them with food. Re cholesterol some members have found that thyroid hormones did reduce their levels when they were on optimum medication.
Re statins lots of negative reports are being submitted and this is one doctor who isn't afraid of stating the fact:-
I was diagnosed with low Thyroid and Type 2 Diabetes in Dec 2012 and medicated with the usual suspects - Metformin, Lovothyroxine and Simvastatin.
One year on I've lost over 30 lbs (15 kgs) and have been taken off Metformin (Hb1Ac down from 52 to 36), so diet and exercise do work. Lovothyroxine has been remeasured and the dose increased from 50 mcg to 75 mcg, so maybe the low thyroid had quite a major role raster than just a bit part.
I had some minot muscle aches on Simvastatin, alleviated by me discovering and taking COQ10 supplement. However the doctor did listen to my moans and switched me to Pravastatin. Pravastatin isn't as effective as Simvastatin but my last cholesterol result was under 2 with HDL over 55%. Pravastatin is water soluble whereas Simvastatin is lipid (fat) soluble. This may mean less muscle pain for some people, however I think it still lowers your COQ10 so you may need to supplement that. I still do but a lower dose than before.
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