confused

[Tonic143]

please tell me when is the best time to take thyroxin i have always took mine in the morning is it a stimulant i have been on it since 1986

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Tonic143,

Anyone who says that levothyroxine is a stimulant doesn't understand.

The first clear improvement I got from levothyroxine was actually sleeping better. And I have always taken mine at bed-time.

Not everyone prefers bed-time dosing, but quite a lot do.

[Natj123 in reply to helvella]

I always take mine bed time too, I find it easier because I can’t get up without having a coffee!!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Tonic

The best time is what suits you. Just make sure you take it on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after food, two hours away from other medication and supplements (some need four hours).

I take mine in the early hours of the morning when I have to get up for the loo.

[Bob00752 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for this thought. I’m hypothyroid and also diabetic T2. As a bloke in his late sixties, I’ve come to the same conclusion - if I’m always up in the early hours, then that is the best time as it distances the levothyroxine from anything with calcium, caffeine and whatever else the medical experts say shouldn’t be ingested anywhere near the levo! Awaiting my next bloods in a few weeks to see if this has improved things.

[Tonic143 in reply to SeasideSusie]

thank you for your suggestion i am trying your way now i did not know that you should not take other tablets or food with lev i have been doing it all wrong for a lot of years but i was never told i will see if i feel a difference in time i think i will

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Always take Levo on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after. Many take on waking, but it may be more convenient and possibly more effective taken at bedtime

verywell.com/should-i-take-...

Also many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable. Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.

Personally I found it significantly better taking at bedtime

A poll from on here a year ago

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[shaws Administrator]

This is a past post:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Sands46]

I was advised first thing in the morning on an empty stomach..wait 20 mins before taking any other meds

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Sands46]

Sands46,

I have never seen any proper evidence that we should take levothyroxine first thing. It seems just to be an assumption that has existed - possibly on the grounds of convenience.

Given that many people have a cup of tea or coffee and breakfast - which both interfere with levothyroxine - it can be a very inconvenient time to take it.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Sands46]

Advised by a GP probably.

Endocrinologist specialising in Thyroid advised me to try taking at bedtime. I was sceptical that it would be different, but it was. Certainly more convenient as well

But we are all different. Some try it and don't prefer it.

[lady_eve]

I take mine in the morning, an hour before anything other than water. I tried taking it at bedtime, but since I cannot stay awake and functioning long enough after supper to guarantee anything like an empty stomach, it just wasn't practical for me. I also make sure that I don't take any supplements which might interfere with absorption at the same time of day as the levothyroxine.

As others have said here, I guess it's just what works best for you. There's certainly no harm in trying both approaches and seeing how it goes.

[heav]

Yes you are doing the right thing by taking it first thing in the morning, and wait 20 mins, before eating.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to heav]

heav,

Twenty minutes isn't nearly long enough to avoid interference between food and drinks such as tea or coffee and levothyroxine.

There is plenty of advice that for iron supplements and levothyroxine, the interval should be four hours. Many, many breakfast cereals and some other well-known breakfast foods are either fortified with or inherently contain significant iron compounds.

[heav in reply to helvella]

20mins prior is my Doctors advice, when I said I was waiting for an Hour, I got told that 20mins is long enough to absorb into my system, which to me makes sense when you think about it, as you would still have some levels in your system from previous days.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to heav]

heav,

Afraid your doctor is wrong - as are so many. I quote one line from one investigation of some patients who had absorption issues. There have been many others which identified issues - but that very clear statement here is why I chose to quote it:

Based on these results, we obtained full suppression or normalization of TSH by postponing breakfast for at least 60 min after T4 ingestion.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/748...

[heav]

Ok. But if you don’t have an absorption issue, then 20 mins should be all you need.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to heav]

heav,

Sorry - but simply not true.

I don't often quote the British Thyroid Federation, but ...

Calcium

Some calcium rich foods and supplements interfere with levothyroxine absorption. A gap of 4 hours between the two would be adequate to ensure there is no significant impact on blood thyroxine levels. If you are trying to lose weight and using lower fat milk (i.e. semi-skimmed or skimmed) note that these remain high in calcium despite being lower in fat.

Soya

Soya interferes with thyroxine absorption, therefore if you are taking thyroxine you should try to avoid soya. If you wish to take soya, there should be as long a time interval as possible between eating the soya and taking the thyroxine.

Iron Tablets

Some medications such as iron tablets (ferrous sulphate) can interfere with the absorption of thyroxine. Some doctors recommend a two-hour interval between taking thyroxine and the iron. Follow the advice or your doctor or pharmacist. Be aware that some multi vitamin tablets contain iron.

btf-thyroid.org/information...

Milk, yoghurt, cheese all have fairly high calcium content.

Some people use high soya products for breakfast (e.g. when trying to avoid animal milks). Much bread contains significant soya.

Fortified cereals, black pudding and some other breakfast foods contain significant amounts of iron.

Although not mentioned on the above link, but protein foods (such as eggs), cereal foods (such as bread or flaked maize or wheat) also affect levothyroxine.

[heav]

So you've done your own research or are you just taking the word off another researcher, who is to say that they are right?. Unless you yourself have done your own research, don't put me down.

Do you have a degree, or are you one off those people who always think they are right.