Alcohol and Levo

[MMAndrea52]

Hi guys. I’m wondering how alcohol and levo tolerate each other?

[Stourie]

I have read on here before that quite a lot of people find that alcohol doesn't suit them now. Personally I don't seem to have a problem but I hardly drink at all. Maybe had a drink about 3 times this year and am fine. xx

[Airmed]

I’m sure they are good friends. The only problem I can think of is if you have one to many and forget your meds😂.

[MMAndrea52 in reply to Airmed]

😂😂😂

[helvella Administrator]

MMAndrea52,

We see many reports of reduced alcohol tolerance in those with thyroid issues. For me, I think that I would not wish to drink as much as I once would have done - difficult to separate other things like age from thyroid. However, there appears to be little actual interaction.

Indeed, there is at least one liquid thyroid hormone product (actually liothyronine rather than levothyroxine) which is based on alcohol.

[Baobabs]

Remember, alcohol is toxic to the body.

[SilverAvocado]

Reduced tolerance to alcohol is a hypothyroid symptom. I get this, and if I have a drink I can get a few different responses. On rare occasions it's completely fine, and I've been able to drink with able bodied peopl. But other times I couldn't even finish one, and would feel very tired and sleepy, or just have an increase in other symptoms especially joint pain. Sometimes I get a hangover-like state immediately, sometimes after just a few sips. So I usually don't bother with alcohol anymore and will just bring posh lemonade when I go out visiting.

[dang in reply to SilverAvocado]

What you’re describing sounds very similar to histamine Intolerance. Especially how you say hangover state immediately. If wine or beer specifically do that to you I’d do some reading on histamine Intolerance.

Certain meds, including levothyroxine, lower one’s tolerance to histamines by reducing DAO enzymes in the gut.

[SilverAvocado in reply to dang]

It doesn't need an additional explanation, as I am still very hypothyroid and have lots of other symptoms.

[dang in reply to SilverAvocado]

It’s not an explanation but a condition that goes hand in hand with hypothyroid/gut problems, one which is the cause of a lot of symptoms some hypos suffer (especially those with intestinal permeability) and don’t know it (since it’s widely undiagnosed). Either way you don’t seem too concerned so I’ll leave it at that.

Cheers.

[MMAndrea52 in reply to SilverAvocado]

That’s me.

[C_S-]

I just cannot drink alcohol anymore. I go bright red and feel ill. So I’ve given up.

[LAHs]

Well, I like to turn liabilities into assets. I found that I couldn't tolerate alcohol as much as I used to, soooo, I cut back buying it by about 1/2 as much and now I can afford my thyroid meds.

Full disclosure, I did try to stop drinking altogether but didn't manage that - I just couldn't do spaghetti with a cup of tea!

[MMAndrea52 in reply to LAHs]

Hi what thyroid meds u on? I had TT 14th Nov and put on levo 2 days later. I’m not tolerating it very well, bad ass anxiety attacks are the worst. I’m thinking after I come back from my hols Can I try Armour. I’m pretty certain my thyroid was healthy and did not need to come out. Also pre op I was in optimal health swimming 3x a week. Now everything is an effort and I’m an emotional wreck. Please tell me what your thyroid med is, and how it is. Thanks

[LAHs in reply to MMAndrea52]

Well, straight after a TT you should really be on T3 (Cytomel) only. This is to stop any thyroid cells growing back and putting you in the same situation. After about 3 months of T3 you then go on Levo. If Levo suits you (in other words: do you convert T4 to T3 in your peripheral organs), then you should do fine - ONCE you reach your optimal goal (i.e. you feel well).

I followed this strategy for about 5 years and I was fine. Then my brand of Levo ceased and I had to go on a different brand. No different brand worked for me, not the cheap one, not the expensive one nor anything in-between. My Endo didn't understand and started the "you have another problem" or "it's all in your head" line of "reasoning". I was getting sicker and sicker until I became desperate... long story short I changed docs to one who let me have NDT. All of my symptoms disappeared within 20 minutes. I was scared, because it was me who pushed for NDT and I wasn't sure that I did the right thing. To be honest I thought I might die, but I knew I was going to die if I stayed on the wrong brand of Levo, so I took the NDT. No I didn't start low and go slow, which is what you are supposed to do, I just went cold turkey and the result was miraculous. It's T3 that you need to function. You either manufacture it in your liver and other peripheral organs or take it from a pill, orally.

And that is my story, I hope it helps you. I am 99% fit now, I am quite old yet I still ride my bike 4 miles everyday. It would be 100% but my T3 runs out about 4:00pm so I get very tired about 9:00pm and have to go to bed then, it wasn't always like that.

[MMAndrea52 in reply to LAHs]

Thanks for that. It’s very hard for me to find the right dose. As what I feel well on they say is wrong and I’m too high insisting I lower. That lowered dose renders me very depressed. On the floor, crying all the time . .

[LAHs in reply to MMAndrea52]

MMA, I know it doesn't sound good to say this but "they" don't always know what they are talking about. Get a full thyroid panel blood test, go private. That will be your base line. Write your dose on that paper - and note how you feel on that dose. Now very slowly increase your dose, just by a little bit (cut your present pills if necessary). Stay on the new dose for about a month, taking your basal pulse and temperature every day. Be very cognisant(sp) of how you feel, esp atrial fibrillation, take your blood pressure often. Do this for about a month and if you feel no negative affects increase your dose a little bit more. Keep going until you feel well and stop if you have negative affects. Once you get to feeling well, have another blood test and mark it again that you are well at that dose (record the dose).

"They" only look at TSH and T4 and there is not much you can tell from those two and they don't have the time nor patience to get you to your optimal dose properly. Regarding the expense of private blood tests, it is expensive to begin with but you pay one way or another if you are constantly ill or too depressed to function. After you get to the right dose, you only need one test every year or eight months.

Oh, and this sounds terrible too: you don't tell your doc what dose you are taking, just humor them, get your prescription and do it your way, they don't usually correlate the number of pills with the days since you got your last refill.

[jaxie28]

Hi that is a very interesting comment. I wonder how much T3 you suggest after TT if you are not also taking levo please?

[MMAndrea52 in reply to jaxie28]

I heard straight T3 can give u palpitations and make u jittery and anxious tho. I don’t want that as that’s how I am on 100mcg Levi or over!!

[jaxie28 in reply to MMAndrea52]

Thank you that is good to know as I already suffer from anxiety so I don't think that is the option for me. I'll stick to the T4/T3 combo and see how I get on with that. Taking bloods this week so will see what this amazing forum advising me after that x