T3 and caffeine

[M33R4]

Planning to take T3 in the morning. That's the only time in the day I have a cup of tea. My concern is absorption of T3 if I take it close to having a tea?

[shaws Administrator]

As long as there's a gap of an hour after taking your dose of hormones a.m. if you are going to take your dose early with one glass of water we wait an hour before we eat/drinks.

Thyroid hormones should be taken on an empty stomach with one full glass of water so that the hormones will be absorbed.

[MaisieGray]

I'm not aware that it's been proven in any studies of note, that the same absorption issues exist between food/drink and liothyronine, or to the same degree, as those proven between food/drink and levothyroxine. On the contrary, a veterinarian endocrinology paper I found, regarding the use of liothyronine in cats and dogs, indicated that the absorption problems of T4 are not paralleled in T3 use. The paper stated: "Gastrointestinal absorption of ingested T3 approaches 100%, whereas absorption of L-T4 sodium is only 10% to 50% of the administered dose. This more complete absorption of T3 reflects less binding affinity of intestinal contents for T3, especially plasma proteins secreted in the bowel lumen." Whilst the paper refers to non-human experience, it might be reasonable to assume that the fact of T3 absorption being near 100% due to its lower binding affinity of intestinal contents, hold good irrespective.

[Hidden]

I agree with Maisegrey, the info on T3 is a bit confusing, packaging with mine says with or without food is fine but then some clinical advice websites say on an empty stomach. Morning is easy but I'm never sure how long to wait after a late lunch or a cup of tea before taking the second dose of T3..... Any one know?

Michael

[M33R4 in reply to Hidden]

What dose T3 do you take?

[NWA6 in reply to Hidden]

2-4hrs for food to pass on to small intestine so i guess light lunch is 2hrs, big lunch 4hrs. What about switching to decafe tea and easy on the milk so then it won’t make much difference if you’ve had a cuppa with the hour of taking the T3?

I guess it all depends on how sensitive you are? Some seem to need strict rules and some not, I have 2 friends with Hashi’s one downs her Levo with coffee, the other tea. Neither have had any problems in the last 10yrs with hyp symptoms.

[M33R4 in reply to NWA6]

I have oat milk in my tea so its relatively light tea

[NWA6 in reply to M33R4]

Oat milk would be ‘fibrous’ though so still considered a ‘food source’

I guess try it and see. Don’t worry till you have to 😀

[Hidden in reply to M33R4]

To be honest I used to be very careful to time my afternoon T3, but I've got more relaxed and take it about an hour after lunch if I end up eating about 2.30pm. I still feel it kicking in so I've decided to aim for good enough and not perfect. I'll up my game if it feels like I'm becoming lax and not getting the benefit. Still can't find definitive research on whether food or caffeine affect T3 absorbtion the way it does T4.

[NWA6 in reply to Hidden]

Yeah I can see why you’d have that mentality, making the best of a bad situation, we don’t want to be anchored to our condition. I don’t have the answers either but for me it seems like common sense that most medications (except the ones that burn your stomach lining) would be best on an empty stomach.

[Hidden in reply to NWA6]

Yep I agree

[Kalicocat]

I find if I don't wait long enough to have my coffee that I don't feel as good as I do when I wait the full hour

[SilverSavvy in reply to Kalicocat]

I agree. I usually wait an hour if I can after taking both in the morning. Caffeine before (or for!) breakfast results in me being more tired in the pm. If I just drink mint tea or water after an hour, I seem to absorb better and feel less tired throughout the day.

I have a good strong coffee about 11am with no apparent reduction in efficacy.

I did read somewhere though that caffeine on an empty stomach promotes cortisol production so I dread to think what that AND levo/lio might promote. Bouncing off the walls or just a fat(ter) belly perhaps????