Levothyroxine 25mg - Evening?

[Gemmadoo]

I have been prescribed Levothyroxine 25mg, can i take it in the evening before bedtime as I take a Vitamin B Complex with Vitamin C in the mornings and I dont want it to intrerfere.

Please advise.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Give it a try. Quite a few members take it at bedtime and find it's better for them. I take mine in the early hours of the morning when I need a bathroom trip, keeps it away from all supplements and my thyroid meds by a good few hours.

Just make sure that you take it on an empty stomach with a glass of water only, not tea, coffee, milk, hot chocolate, etc. If you have your main meal in the evening, leave 3 hours after your meal before taking your Levo.

[Gemmadoo in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you. Will give it a try.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Gemmadoo]

I take, and always have taken, my levothyroxine at bed-time. Hence I have no point of comparison with morning-takers but I feel it is fine. Around ten years ago there were a few papers which suggested it as a reasonable alternative and it does seem to have become more widely discussed and suggested.

[Gemmadoo in reply to helvella]

Thank you.

[TimD250172]

Hi Gemadoo,

I used to take mine in the mornings but then soon got annoyed with having to wait for a cuppa.

I’ve taken it last thing at night now for nearly 6 months and I find it works better for me.

I think for convenience it is better if you’re taking Vits in the morning so give it a go and see.

[Gemmadoo in reply to TimD250172]

Hi, Thank you. Will give it a try.

[shaws Administrator]

25mcg is a low starting dose unless you are very frail with a heart disease. Usually 50mcg is a starting dose with a blood test every six weeks with a 25mcg increase until TSH is 1 or lower. Thyroid hormones should be taken with one full glass of water and wait about an hour before eating. Food can interfere with the uptake of levo.

All blood test for thyroid hormones have to be at the earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levo and test and take afterwards. This helps keep TSH at its highest as that is the only thing most doctors take notice of. We need it around 1 or lower but some GPs think that 'somewhere' in the range is fine.

Always get a print-out of your results with the ranges for your own records and you can post if you have a query. At next blood test ask for B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as everything has to be optimal and deficiencies also cause symptoms.

Always get a print-out of your results with the ranges. Ranges are important for members to respond as labs have different ranges.

[Gemmadoo]

Thank you. Interesting read.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

NICE guidelines saying how to initiate and increase. Typical starter dose is 50mcgs

Note that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine

cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...

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-...

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. Watch out for brand change when dose is increased

If your first brand prescribed is Teva and you find it doesn't agree with you, ask for a different brand. Many patients really don't get on with it

[Gemmadoo]

Thank you.