Timezones

[Fenioux]

I am travelling to Sri Lanka for 3 weeks what is your advise on taking levo when travelling through different time zones. Thank you.

[MMaud]

I'm not expert, but my feeling would be to continue to take your levothyroxine medication as usual. My understanding is levothyroxine works by building up, over a few weeks, to a therapeutic dose, rather than having a defined impact, per dose.

My feeling is mis-timing, delaying or bringing forward a single dose (outbound and coming home) isn't likely to be noticeable or harmful. Obviously if you are very sensitive indeed to your levo, you might notice something, but 2 doses shifted over a period of 3 weeks doesn't seem much to me.

I have experimented taking my levo in the morning and in the evening and the switches were unnoticeable to me.

I will be travelling to SE Asia in the new year for a couple of months and have no concerns about doing as I suggest, so I will be interested in the feedback you receive from others.

Enjoy your trip to Sri Lanka. I loved it as a country and as a people - not to mention the divine food!

[Fenioux in reply to MMaud]

Thank you.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Fenioux]

Research has shown that we can also take a 'once a week dose' of levothyroxine :-

endocrineweb.com/news/parat...

healio.com/endocrinology/th...

You could keep to your same routine abroad as you do in the UK.

[Fenioux in reply to shaws]

Thankyou. I am a newbie with Hashis so it is all a learning curve at the moment. After blood tests (which I posted previously) the GP prescribed 25mcg levo with blood tests again in 6 weeks to assess. Am still querying my ferrite, FOLATE and especially my vit D levels.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Fenioux]

Why do they prescribe the lowest dose when finally diagnosed? Unless you are very frail with a heart disease 50mcg is a starting dose with 25mcg increments every six weeks until TSH is one or lower but many think or seem to believe that if it reaches somewhere in the range (about up to 5) we're on sufficient.

It is a big leaning curve for all of us as few doctors or endocrinologists seem not to refer to any clinical symptoms (which all doctors used to diagnose and prescribe for) in these 'modern times' and it all relies nowadays upon the TSH. The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower but I think it's rare that any professional is aware of this.

[Greybeard]

The advice about taking it on an empty stomach and waiting a hour before eating and drinking is the most important bit.