Increase in levo

[jwoodward5]

My daughter has increased her levo from 75 to 100 in past 7 days today she has sevwre tummy ache like a burning feeling could this be the tablets? Anyone else had this and did it ease off? She very uncomfortable

[Aurealis]

I think it’s unlikely, I’ve never heard of or experienced anything like that. I’d guess she’s caught a bug of some kind or has some other problem perhaps?

[jwoodward5 in reply to Aurealis]

I hope its not the tablets

[jimh111]

There's a small possibility the new tablets have fillers that disagree with her. She could skip her tablet for a day and then resume the next day. She can then see if it is the tablet and if so get her doctor to prescribe a different brand. Skipping levothyroxine for a day will have a very small effect as we build up many days worth due to the long half life of levothyroxine. Alternatively if she has some of the old tablets she could make up 100 mcg from these.

[jwoodward5 in reply to jimh111]

Ill check the brands she has thanks

[Anthea55]

Is she mixing brands? This can upset some people. See this page from Thyroid UK and go down to about 4 paragraphs from the end.

thyroiduk.org/tuk/treatment...

Another option is to try taking levo with food as suggested by Dr Ken Blanchard. There was a recent discussion on here about it - see this link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Hope that helps.

[jwoodward5 in reply to Anthea55]

Yes when i look shes now on different brand im getting sick of pharmacies just giving out different ones and not asking which brands u prefer ill jave to make sure in future .

[silverfox7 in reply to jwoodward5]

Yes looking like that now. May be take an antihistamine an hour before whilst she gets a new supply as that should stop the interaction. May sure she gets her tried and tested bland added to both her doctors notes and the card the pharmacy hold of her details. May be ask the doctor to name the brand on her next prescription to may sure.

[BeeTx]

My belly burns every day after I take my Levo. Been on it 20 yrs. It helps to drink a good bit of water. Blessings to your daughter.

[jwoodward5 in reply to BeeTx]

Really poor youx

[Anthea55 in reply to BeeTx]

That's really interesting, BeeTx

When I picked up the email this morning saying that you had replied, I also had one from Irina1975 in response to the discussion about taking levo with food which I gave a link to above. She's also had stomach ache after taking levo for years.

Here's the link and her reply is about half way down the post.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I hope she doesn't mind if I copy it as well since the original was about a month ago and may be missed. I think she has a very valid point.

"It's midnight here and am browsing thru posts. Found this thread interesting because i"ve been taking levo since 1984-setting my alarm for 5am taking the med on a empty stomach then going back to sleep. ALWAYS wake up about 7am with a stomach ache. Have thought it might be medicine and couldn't figure out which one but now I am on very few meds which I take later in the day. Have come to the conclusion it's the levo. As a nurse we have been taught never to take thyroid with food but now I've started eating a small amt with levo as I am very tired of the morning stomach ache. Sometimes facts get ingrained in medicine and the original reason for the rule becomes lost in time. It's just the 11th commandment-"Don't take thyroid with food." I would love to know the original rationale for these directions. Might it be that the pharma company that made the first levo pill coated it so well it needed stomach acid to dissolove? Are we all forced to take this med in ways that make many uncomfortable because one Big Pharma company chose to manufacture it in a way that made absorption more difficult? Just a thought!! I don't eat a huge breakfast but I often take it with a scrambled egg. Could the manufacturing process be driving needless discomfort? Interested in what others think. Maybe it's time Big Pharma accommodated us instead of the other way around. Just thinking outside the box. "

[jimh111 in reply to Anthea55]

Levothyroxine needs stomach acid to dissolve but a little food shouldn't be a problem. Maybe absorption will be reduced by five or ten percent but as long as you are fairly consistent the absorption rate will be factored into your dose. I take mine less than five minutes before my morning porridge, no problems. Just avoid coffee, it can have a big effect on levothroxine absorption.

[Anthea55 in reply to jimh111]

Thanks, Jimh111

In my opinion 5 minutes before food is near enough to 'with food' and certainly very different from an hour or more. I take mine while I'm preparing food.

[mistydog in reply to Anthea55]

For years I took levothyoxine after my breakfast and morning tea because no one ever told me otherwise.

[Redditch]

I don't think so, I can't tolerate the fillers but dose is irrelevant and they cause itching not burning tummy.

Sounds like gastritis if it's burning, I hope she feels better soon

[Hashihouseman]

......or it maybe her natural antihistamine system is sensitive to higher levels of free t4 passing through the gut..... could try an over the counter antihistamine like ranitidine to see if that stops it, if so it could be evidence of a levothyroxine side effect

[ShootingStars]

Anything is possible because everyone is different. Reactions vary. How is she taking it? For fullest thyroid medication absorption: on a completely empty stomach (first thing in am or fasting (ideally 4 hours, or minimal of 2) on an empty the stomach without food or drink besides water, then waiting one hour before food, coffee or other drinks?

I take my T3 and T4 first thing in the am. My stomach usually feels warm, slight burning like when you have an empty stomach, hunger pangs start and you feel like you should eat something. Same thing when I take my afternoon T3.

[jwoodward5 in reply to ShootingStars]

She is taking with water at least an hour ir two before food

[india07]

I am on 100mcg Levo and used to have a really bad stomach after taking first thing. GP switched me to liquid levo and have no problems x

[jwoodward5 in reply to india07]

Do u need to wait an hour before food with liquid?

[ShootingStars in reply to jwoodward5]

According to the prescribing information, you still take it on an empty stomach, but you only have to wait a 1/2 hour. If it was me, I'd do trial and error. Try it waiting only 1/2 hour, test bloods and see if your levels remain the same, but that's just me.

rxlist.com/tirosint-sol-dru...