Time to leave between Iron and Levo

[mistygrey]

Hi

Can anybody tell me how many hours to leave between taking my Levo to taking iron supplements? The doctor has put me on 3 iron tablets a day now and I currently take my T4 in the morning at 630 am. I also take T3 around 330pm so struggling to squeeze 3 iron tablets in unless I can take two tablets of iron at once and the other on its own?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Standard advice is a four hour gap after levothyroxine before iron. To some extent, the iron can "catch up" with the levothyroxine.

[mistygrey in reply to helvella]

Thank you I might struggle with the 3 tablets a day 😱

[JOLLYDOLLY]

Hi misty grey,

In answer to your question, I would leave at least six hours if not more. The reason being is that the T4 does not get absorbed if iron is taken too soon.

I tend to take my thyroid meds in the morning before breakfast and my iron before I go to bed. Leaving about seven hours between.

Hope this helps.

Take care

[thyr01d]

Hi Mistygrey, I think I answered this before but perhaps to someone else. My endocrinologist, who has a special interest in this, says to leave 4 hours but also told me not to take as much iron as I was prescribed because not much can be used by the body and too much is harmful. If you like I can dig out my file and look up the amount he said is the maximum a body can absorb in a day then you could compare with how much you are taking.

[mistygrey in reply to thyr01d]

Hi

Yes that would be great, I've been leaving 4 hours

Let me know how much the Endo recommended I am on quite a high dose at the moment as my levels were rock bottom

[thyr01d in reply to mistygrey]

Hello again, please could you ask me again in a week or so's time? My note isn't where I thought it was so I'll have to search.

The amount my GP prescribed was 10 mls twice a day of ferrous fumarate which contains, per 5ml, 45mg of elemental iron, the equivalent of 140 mg of ferrous fumarate. What I actually take is 10 ml once a day, in other words 90 mg of iron. I take that thinking I was following the endocrinolgist's advice but now I think I may have it wrong.

Sorry, on reflection I don't think this has been any help, I'm afraid you'll have to consult a medic.

[Paula101]

I too was struggling to fit in my iron & now I take it just before bed. Much easier.