Changing from morning to evening

[Hamble]

HI there. Someone suggested changing taking thyroid meds from the morning to the evening, so this evening I've just tried it and am hyperventilating. Anyone else had this?

[Heloise]

Hi Hamble, I've been here quite awhile and haven't seen this complaint. You haven't said what you are taking or your dose so it's hard to say. Did you already take a morning dose as well? Perhaps someone else will offer an opinion.

[Caesard]

Hello, I have tried and switched a few times between a split dose (t4+t3) and morning only; I've noticed better sleep on the first time going from morning to split. No other effect....

[Dabdab]

Hi, I take my levothyroxine in the evening and don't have any problems(150/125 alternate days).

[silverfox7]

I thought of starting a similar post myself today! I am taking Thyroid S and have been taking it on a morning all at once (1.75 grains). I haven't slept well for years and it's really been getting me down as the last year has been a bit of a strain as well so 6 days ago I changed to taking it at night! Fantastic, sleep like a baby until today! I took the plunge or rather had the idea a few weeks ago as I saw a chart showing when TSH, T3 and T4 were at their highest. Thought I had taken copy of it but it appears not. Well T3 was overnight so my logic thought that made it a good idea to take it at bedtime.

This morning woke at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep. My first night I woke at 1 butveent straight back to sleep.

So no other problems though I've been doing more around the house but more in the way of sorting through things and binning what I can do feel as though I could may be up my dose a little but my basal temp was 36.9 today which is my norm but not experienced Hamble's problem but any thoughts, suggestions, experiences like Hamble says would be welcome.

[BadHare in reply to silverfox7]

Being wide awake for 2-3 hours in the night was normal for me, for as long as I can remember. I now use it as a sign that I'm undermedicated with THs, as opposed to being too wired to sleep as a symptom of too much,

[helvella Administrator in reply to BadHare]

On levothyroxine-only, but absolutely agree about better sleep when on appropriate dose, and taken at bed-time. (Don't know what would happen with morning dosing as I have never done that.)

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

For me, being awake during the wee hours means I have too much thyroid in the system

[BadHare in reply to Hidden]

I can't get to sleep on too much, but have a >2 hour wide awake period on non or insufficient.

[dovey62]

I started taking my levo 50 at night I take it around 10pm after my last meal at 5 so I know it's completely digested in my stomach..plus I sleep a lot better..only if it's windy...(not sure why)..lol

[BadHare]

I take mine as early as possible after 4am. Taking it afternoon or evening leaves me wired when I'm trying to sleep. I've taken half a T3 when I've needed to stay up very late.

[Binkie]

Hamble were you anxious or just a direct reaction to meds. I think its safe to say night dose make not be for you and go back to usual times. Hyperventilating is awful, i hope you got some sleep xx

[Syd35]

I tried changing to nights but quickly became apparent mornings suit me better, all the symptoms and tiredness seemed more pronounced when I took at night for some strange reason. Guess we're all different!

[DaizeeFoo]

I have taken my Levo last thing at night for nearly 4 years now. I did get screamed at by the Dr who said I must not take it at night, it must be the morning. And I do mean screamed at.

Still taking it last thing at night.

[LAHs]

Well, you do need an empty stomach and who has that after the biggest meal of the day. Plus, you need the T4 and T3 for energy so why waste it on sleep. I realize that is not a very medical opinion but it does seem logical.

I know when my T3 gets used up, it's about 9:00 - 10:00 pm, It forces me to go to bed and fall asleep within minutes. If I take my NDT at 5:00am then I fall asleep at 8:00pm, I seem to get 15 hours of normal wakefulness out of my meds. If I took them before bedtime I guess I would be asleep all night and all day!

[silverfox7 in reply to LAHs]

Until recently I would have agreed with you but when I looked at the chart which showed when T3 was at its highest I thought it made sense to add my T3 to this time and I worked wonderfully well for a few days. I've not been doing that long enough to be certain it's working better but I certainly doesn't feel any worse. But it could also be a very personal think or just that we are all different but I feel if I don't try I shall never know.

[Heloise]

Hamble, you still haven't said what you take but there are some opinions if you are on T4 like Synthroid or levothyroxine, it goes into storage and theoretically you could take your dose for the entire week at one time during that week. I don't think I would care to do that and would never do it with T3 which is active. Breathlessness can possibly be due to being over medicated.

[J-rowles2]

I have taken mine late at night and have never had a problem don't think it works that quickly to be honest.

[LAHs in reply to J-rowles2]

T3 does, it works within 20 minutes and peaks a couple of hours later - and dies our considerably after 6 -8 hours. The rest is patient specific, my T3 is all gone after about 15 hours.

[silverfox7]

As a follow up from saying I'm trying the same I've just had my second night of interrupted sleep after taking NDT at night. It yesterday e enung I read the article by Mary Shomon and she was talking about this very subject and as others have rightly said taking T4 at night doesn't/shouldn't make any difference as its storage but they don't imagine it would work with T3. This article was wriien in Rotterdam as I recognised on of the authors my late bus ad used to work with and he's stayed with us in the Uk so if I can find an address I think I shall ask about whether they have tried trials with T3, NDT. he will have retired by now but I r noticed on other papers that may be his son has followed in his footsteps but will see what I can find out. I shall then let you know if I do either way. Yesterday and today I have hospital visits and I'm petrified of the places so may. E that has changed things for me but I'm also toying with a slight dose increase and see what happens!

[Hamble]

Thank you all for your replies and interesting comments. I am on Levothyroxine, 125 mcg. It kind of made sense to me that if I feel tired when my thyroid levels are low then I should take it in the morning, as LAHs says, why waste it on sleep? Also I didn't realize it had to be taken on an empty stomach. By taking it in the morning (or whenever I manage to stumble downstairs) this would be the case. I'm not sleeping very well at present, or rather I'm having trouble getting off to sleep (2 - 3 am) and yes, it could have been anxiety. I definitely don't think I'm over medicated. Thanks again. Hope all is well with you all.