hello everyone, i would like to know if anyone ever heard of taking levothyroxine in a weekly regimen.....
I read that it can be so eefective as the daily intake, and seems to be a little odd that i didnt see anyone saying the opposite....whats your thoughts on that topic
It's usually termed "effective" by doctors who think their patients aren't taking their levo as they are still complaining of symptoms when the GP thinks they shouldn't be. The idea is that the "lying" patient takes the whole week's dose in front of the GP or a nurse so it's obvious if they are lying about taking the dose.
Having said that, levo is slow acting and has a long half life, so if you are forgetful or busy, it would probably be just as effective to take the whole week's dose it one go. If you decide to test the theory, let us know how it goes.
This is not a good idea if you understand thyroid physiology. The whole system works off of feedback loops: not just TSH, but the deiodinase enzymes that perform conversion adjust themselves based on current T4 supply. T4 would be extremely high after taking a weekly pill, then fall lower and lower each day. Conversion should then be low right after the weekly pill, then speed up later in the week. I don't imagine you'd feel well or have consistent energy levels.
Not the best analogy, but imagine turning on your heater only once a week during winter. You'd feel warm at the beginning of the week, but probably freezing by the end of the week. I'd prefer to keep the heat on throughout the week, even if I had to agree to a lower daily temperature.
Here's a good explanation of the feedback loops: tiredthyroid.com/blog/2014/...
What a timely question, I just read this yesterday. I prefer daily but weekly can work.
Even if it were to be effective and acceptable to some people, I am not at all convinced that it would be acceptable to everyone. I believe some people notice changes resulting from small changes to levothyroxine both quickly and clearly. Such people may not find it a good route to follow.
Recently diagnosed with Hypothyroidism - six weeks on Levothyroxine
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Are my symptoms normal after five weeks on levothyroxin?
Levothyroxine /4 weeks/ period?!
6 weeks into Levothyroxine 25mg
