Does anyone know if taking Vitamin B Complex and Omega 3 Fish Oils interfere with taking Levothyroxine for an underactive thyroid?

[truely73]

[Moggie]

Simple answer is to never take anything within two hours of taking your levo and with supplements I like to increase that to four hours.

Moggie x

[truely73]

Thank you for your answer, is there any reason why I should not take them at the same time? Do you know the results of taking them at the same time, because I have been for the last 9 months or so? x

[jbowhey in reply to truely73]

Yes- oils interfere with levothyroxine absorption. I was taking vit d oil, fish oil, and magnesium-screwed up my blood work and I felt like crap for a while.

My morning protein shakes were a problem too as I wasn't spacing it apart from my meds enough. Protein and fat (oils count as fat) interfere with absorption. I now take them at night.

[Moggie]

If you are taking supplements and fish oil anywhere near your levo you could well be stopping the levo absorbing into your system correctly. Levo needs an empty stomach for ideal absorption which is why doctors and endo's now recognise night time dosing as the best way to go (if you can adjust to it).

Do you feel your levo is working well for you and you have no remaining symptoms, if so then don't worry to much but if you are still feeling ill then this could be why.

Moggie x

[truely73]

Thank you so much for that, I am seeing my doctor this afternoon and will mention this to him and see what he suggests, because as you correctly said my symptoms have all returned with a vengence and my bloods have all come back saying that my level is fine on the dosage I take, so maybe it is something as simple as changing when I take my supplements and my levo. No-one has ever mentioned taking it on an empty stomach to me though as I always take it after my lunch so I will try it on an empty stomach. At my wits end with it all I have to say!! Just want to be back to being me!!

Thank you again you have been amazing and if I can ever help back please ask!!

Vicki xx

[sassicat in reply to truely73]

High truly

You say that your symptoms hav returned with a vengence? Did this happen suddenly? If so when and what brand of thyroxine do you take? I've been taking Eltroxin for 15 years and then very suddenly - when starting a new box- I couln't toletate it anymore snd Im feeling really awful. Its as though the medication hsd changed and my body can't use it! Hope you got on ok at docs.

[shaws Administrator in reply to sassicat]

There have been problems recently with Eltroxin:-

healthunlocked.com/search/E...

[truely73]

P.S. I will let you know how it goes.

How do you know all this info?

Vicki x

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to truely73]

I thought it told you on the patient information leaflet. Inside the packet, normally your doctor / consultant will also tell you (mine certainly did and they have checked again each time I have been back since my first consultant's appointment) but I know two people who are both taking levo after being found to be under active during routine blood tests , both of whom had the levo prescribed by their GP and both of whom took - or maybe still take - it with their breakfast and wash it down with a cup of coffee!

I take mine with a glass of water when I waken or when the alarm goes off so I have it by 6.15 at the latest then I have breakfast at 7.30 - 8.00. I take an A-Z multivitamin at tea time because it has iron in it and I want to leave a long gap between that and my thyroid meds.

[Perri in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I am glad I read your answer here, I was taking my Levo at 6.30 with water, then having my breakfast at 7.30 with multi vitamin & fish oil supplement & have still been feeling tired & achey & functioning below par, will try the supplements with dinner tomorrow & see if that makes any difference. I was given 50mg of levothyroxine to start when diagnosed in july & have had 2 blood tests since then & still on same dose & feel terrible, also have much heavier, prolonged periods since I started taking levo - but I am 54 & doctor said it could be menopause - has anyone else noticed heavier periods with Thyroid medication?

[Moggie in reply to truely73]

That's very sweet of you.

No GP's dont normally tell you anything. In fact it was me that informed my GP when you should and shouldn't take your thyroid meds and her reply was "that makes sense", so I'm not to sure if your doctor will even know. Just wonder if my GP has ever passed that information on to other thyroid patients.

It was a different story when I saw an endo - he was the one that told me milk needed to be kept four hours away from thyroid meds due to the calcium that is added to it (calcium and iron needs to be kept four hours away from thyroid meds) but if I hadn't seen him I would never had known.

Still you know now and can adjust your timings to see if it helps with the symptoms.

Moggie x

p.s. Just a little tip when you are using this site - if you use the "reply to this" button next to a persons name they get an email to say you have replied to them, it stops people missing your replies.

[Hidden in reply to Moggie]

Hi Moggie, i've been wondering about milk for a while now. I have porridge every morning and usually have breakfast around 1 1/2 hours later. So this could really affect my absorption? I'm now on 100% Armour.

Thanks. X

[Moggie in reply to Hidden]

The only way you will know is to change either your breakfast time or your meds time to see if it helps. I never even gave milk a thought until my endo made a special point of telling me. When I got home I looked on a milk carton and was amazed at how much calcium they put in it.

Moggie x

[Hidden in reply to Moggie]

Thanks for this Moggie. I take all my other meds at night to be well away from the Armour, so i can't really switch which would have made life easier.

I love my porridge lol! I'll give toast a go for a week and see if i feel any brighter. Xx

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Moggie]

Moggie, the people I know who take it with their breakfast must both be slightly under. Neither of them had had any symptoms when they were given it - I have to say that I find that quite amazing when you read on here about the people who are feeling really ill who can't get the thyroid meds they need!

I thought it was quite strange that neither of my friends had any idea how it should be taken - they seemed to regard taking levo as to taking an aspirin or a multivitamin!

I also wondered if people who get it when they became really ill take it differently - or are people who have had it prescribed by a consultant more likely to have been told how to take it?

Must say my pharmacist went into great detail about the when's and whys when I got one of those 'health check' things they insist on doing there so I suppose in tht respect their health checks are worth it even if you don't feel like having them done.

Liz x

[Hidden in reply to Moggie]

I didn't know they added calcium to milk, wouldn't surprise me 'tho as they add titanium oxide to the skimmed off blue variety to make it whiter (like in paint) apparently 'harmless' 'tho - just 'in the processing'.

I'll ask my brother (dairy farmer) but I'm sure he doesn't add it - mind you he'll give the poor cows supplements if they have 'milk fever' (lack of calcium) any milk is poured away if they're poorly, testing is very strict. (from the farm - don't know about in the bottle 'tho) J

[Moggie in reply to Hidden]

Milk contains 1 part in 10 of calcium naturally and it looks like certain milk is also fortified with more, especially soya milk. I know the link below is American but we do tend to follow their trends don't we. I also didn't realise how much calcium they put in breakfast cereal products.

specialtyminerals.com/speci...

Moggie x

[Hidden in reply to Moggie]

I'd expect soya milk to be fortified (for those little soyas) not sure of it's worth - although I'm afraid I was told to put my son on it... he's a counsellor now

Farmers discovered that cereals made piggies fatten quicker, however as kids are happy to eat cardboard at least they're getting some vitamins/minerals (but banned in Denmark, along with marmite!)

Calcium can't be absorbed without Vit D ('apparently' & of course I can't find the link of proof!)

I hate milk, I know where it comes from! however it's very good for calves and mostly good for growing children too (although providing free milk for school kids is long gone) I prefer butter and cheese! (yoghurts just remind me of the filter sock after a few days - yuk!)

Sorry Moggie - feeling a bit dafter than usual - Jane xx

[Kathy21]

I have been on Eltroxin for 27 years and have only recently found out to take on its own. In spite of a healthy life style still slowly put on Waite and cannot loose more than about six pounds. Also our Phamacy say they cannot get Eltroxin any more and I am being changed to Levothyroxin. I alternate 100 and 125. Right now I am on 100 Eltroxin and 25 levo. When I started on levo my neck round my thyroid gland really hurt, don't know if changing meds had any influence. I also have an insulin pump, rosuvastatin lanoprazole and Alverine.