Levothyroxine and foods

[Maggiemay12]

Have been advise by a kinesiologist to take my part off my Levothyroxine at 9 am and the rest at 3pm ,problem is taking breakfast in morning as I know I can't have my cereal as I use rice milk with it so have to leave a few hours between this ,any advice how to make this work .

[shaws Administrator]

I am afraid she/he is wrong. The recommendation is one dose per day. It is long-lasting and there's no need to split doses.

You have the option of taking one full dose at bedtime with one glass of water, as long as you've last eaten about 2 hours before. Or first thing when you get up.

P.S one dose of levo taken today only would take about six weeks altogether to go from your system.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

[Clutter]

Maggiemay12,

There is no advantage in splitting a Levothyroxine dose. Levothyroxine is a storage hormone and it takes about a week to absorb and convert the T4 to T3. You can take Levothyroxine 1 hour before or 2 hours after your breakfast.

[Maggiemay12 in reply to Clutter]

Even if you take milk in your cereal is it ok to take after an hour

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Maggiemay12]

2-3 hours after food and/or 1 hour before. I shouldn't think an hour after milk is a good idea.

[Clutter in reply to Maggiemay12]

Maggiemay12,

Cereal with milk 1 hour after Levothyroxine is fine. It's calcium supplements which need to be taken 4 hours away.

[Maggiemay12 in reply to Clutter]

Some people I am told fine it works better for them not getting a full boost off levo and prefer it in divided dose .

[shaws Administrator in reply to Maggiemay12]

Maybe they are confused in that Levo isn't the same as Lio (liothyronine). As Clutter says it is a storage hormone so doesn't convert to lio instantly. Levothyroxine is a 'storage' hormone and it is only when it is converted to T3 (liothyrone) that then enters our receptor cells we begin feel better.