T3 and food

[DotLeeds]

The patient leaflet with my T3 medication does not mention whether to take it before, with or a long time after food. Of course I took Levothyroxine for many years before anyone suggested I should take it at least half an hour before food and preferably an hour. Some brands still don’t have that on their patient leaflets. Please advise.

[Judithdalston]

Away from food/ drinks ( other than water) like levothyroxin ie an hour before, two plus hours after ( women take longer to digest food so perhaps better at 3 hours). I take mine with T4 at 6 am, then T3 dose by itself at 6 pm.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

DotLeeds

As far as I am aware, all thyroid meds - Levo, NDT, T3 - are treated the same. Take on an empty stomach, with a glass of water, one hour before or two hours after food, 2 hours away from other medication and supplements (some need 4 hours), with water only one hour each side, so that nothing interferes with absorption.

[trelemorele]

It doesn't have that info because you can take it with or without food.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to trelemorele]

Personally I would ONLY take it on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after

[jimh111]

You can take liothyronine before or after food. A few foods may reduce absorption but liothyronine is very well absorbed.

[greygoose]

Given that, if your T3 is prescribed, you're going to be limited as to how much they will give you, I think it's best to not take any chances. Take it as you would take levo, and hour before food or two hours after, so that it has the greatest possible chance of being absorbed.

We have had people on here that take their T3 with food, and test results show that it's not absorbed as well as it could be. That's not scientific research, just observation.