Advantage of lev o at night

[Minimouse1]

Hi, can I pls ask why people sometimes swap to taking levo at night. Is it due to it just causing tiredness or are there other benefits to doing this?? If so, how did people do the change over from morning to night & what are the rules about eating too close to taking meds, as sometimes I eat late (8ish) but go to bed at 10ish.

[Judithdalston]

I have my thyroid ‘meds’ in middle of the night ( when I wake to wee).. . therefore well away from food, other drugs, supplements etc. Also found it good to be half awake, so as not to notice, palpitations when started to add T3 too. If levo. only then just switch, no need to gradually alter dose timings. Just give it a go!

[MaisieGray]

I swapped to nighttime dosing of both T4 and T3 about 11 years ago, to avoid all the other meds I take in the morning and during the day. I have found neither negative nor positive effects myself, apart from convenience, but a 2011 study found that "All patients had hypothyroidism and had been on stable doses of levothyroxine for 6 months when they were assigned to either take levothyroxine on an empty stomach 30 minutes before breakfast or at bedtime. After three months, they switched the timing of levothyroxine to the alternate time (either pre-breakfast or bedtime) for another 3 months, such that all patients experienced both schedules of levothyroxine ingestion. Thyroid hormone, TSH and cholesterol levels were measured every 6 weeks and quality of life questionnaires were assessed every 12 weeks for the 6 month duration of the study. Bedtime levothyroxine ingestion resulted in significantly lower TSH values and higher thyroid hormone levels, indicating improved absorption of levothyroxine when taken at bedtime. There were no significant differences in cholesterol levels or quality of life measures."

thyroid.org/patient-thyroid...