I am so confused about this from Reading different things on the internet I figured you kind people will have a good answer for me.
I am in the states and I'm very lucky to have a doctor who understands hypothyroidism and medication is available to me. I wish it was so with the T3 in the UK.
I am on 17 mcgs of compounded T3. Although my blood tests are pretty good my doctor says they are not optimal. I am very sensitive to any medications and did not do well on Armor at all. I seem to be able to tolerate the compounded T3 only. After trying to go up to 18 mcgs having all the symptoms of sweating, anxiety, rapid heartbeat Etc I was put back on the 17 mcgs and my doctor started to explore other reasons why I could not get to Optimal levels. We are working on my adrenales but during some testing it was shown that my ferritin levels were in the very low normal range. My doctor has asked me to take chelated iron on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. I am taking a small dose and will be having blood test soon to see if I need to take more or if this is done the trick as I do feel like I have a bit more energy. Here is my problem.
I have read so many things on the internet about when you should not take your iron supplement that I have no idea when to take it so that it does not affect the thyroid medication. I'm assuming since it affects T4 medications it would also affect T3. I realize assuming is dangerous. My nurse suggested that I take the chelated iron an hour after I take my t3 in the morning. And wait another hour until I take my supplements and eat. However I have read on the internet that you should not take your iron anywhere near anytime you will be eating/taking calcium. Since I need to get out of the house in the morning and have to eat and take my supplements before I leave the house I've been taking the iron right before I go to bed which is making me a bit nauseous when I wake up in the morning. Although I have read it is best to take iron on an empty stomach.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me on when to take the iron chelate? Reading things on the internet has been very helpful especially including the site however I know it can be very dangerous as you could have multiple answers that contradict each other as you do your searches. I've even read that you shouldn't take your iron supplement anywhere near a time when you are eating or taking high fiber. Which of course I do so I am at a loss. Any suggestions? I thank you in advance.
The low normal for ferritin in the US with the test that I was given is 26 and I came up with being 31 as a ferritin level. So normal but very low normal. Luckily I have a functional doctor who knows what she is doing. Again thank you in advance.
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AlwaysGianna
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Iron should be take four hours away from all thyroid hormones, and two hours away from everything else. Except vit C, which should always be taken at the same time as iron. Do you take vit C with yours?
Thank you so much for your answer. So it sounds like taking it in the evening before I go to bed on a fairly empty stomach is a good idea. I have vitamin C in my multivitamin that which I take around 6 in the evening. I think about the multivitamin it also has calcium in it so they say you're not supposed to take it there calcium so I guess maybe a little snack with the iron before I go to bed night be the best answer. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer this I hope others will tell me what they do also if they are able to take the time to do so. Actually want to thank everyone on this site because I have learned so much. It's funny they always talk about T4 when talking about iron supplementation I'm going to take it but for the life of me I have never found anything on the internet that talks about T3 and when you should take your iron supplementation. I learned so much from you Gray Goose even though I don't post alot I am learning a great deal so I thank you all very very much.
I'm sorry, why do you think you need a little snack with the iron? I said two hours away from everything except vit C - which should be taken at the same time as the iron. So, the vit C in your multi-vit won't do.
Besides, as has been said on here many time, multi-vits just aren't recommended, for many reasons:
* If your multi contains iron, it will block the absorption of all the vitamins - you won't absorb a single one! Iron should be taken at least two hours away from any other supplement except vit C, which is necessary to aid absorption of iron, and protect the stomach.
* If your multi also contains calcium, the iron and calcium will bind together and you won't be able to absorb either of them.
* Multi's often contain things you shouldn't take or don't need : calcium, iodine, copper. These things should be tested before supplementing.
* Multi's often contain the cheapest, least absorbable form of the supplement : magnesium oxide, instead of magnesium citrate or one of the other good forms; cyanocobalamin instead of methylcobalamin; folic acid instead of methylfolate; etc. etc. etc.
* Multi's do not contain enough of anything to help a true deficiency, even if you could absorb them.
* When taking several supplements, you should start them individually at two weekly intervals, not all at once as you would with a multi. Because, if you start them all at once, and something doesn't agree with you, you won't know which one it is and you'll be back to square one.
With a multivitamin, you are just throwing your money down the drain, at best, and doing actual harm at worst. Far better to get tested for vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin, and build up your supplementation program based on the results.
The idea with T3 is that it's more readily absorbed than T4, but I'm not convinced that means you can take it close to things like iron. To be on the safe side I always take my T3 just as I would T4.
Thankyou so much again grey goose for taking the time to respond.
The reason I think a little something non dairy)in my stomach would be good is that I often feel nauseous in the am. However I'll see how it goes without. Don't want to not absirb.
I have been tested and I do need vit.D and since I have the MTHFR mutation I need the mtholated folate. I don't know if you gave Douglas Lab supplements where you live but the include these things. I take a separate calcium from them also at doctors reccomendation. I take some of my suppliments 2 hours after the 3 and the rest in the evening around 5 pm. Then the iron about 6 hours later. It's been quite the slippery slope and trial and error of trying to get all these things in at the right time but I am determined to do it right and again I'm so lucky that I have a functional Doctor Who is on top of things except about the iron which I have learned from here. It will be interesting to see what my thyroid test come back as as it would be wonderful I think if I could go up to 18th and see if she's up T3 because I think that very well could be my sweet spot. Of course after my saliva testing pertaining to Adrenaline function I was diagnosed 2 years ago with stage 4 adrenaline fatigue but I am doing much better. This is quite a journey as you all know and there is no simple fix. But slowly and surely and I especially reading this site I am gaining insights into the baby steps I need to take to make this journey go a little bit faster! 04 magic pill. Grey Goose I have read so many of your posts and you seem to be quite the expert I can only imagine that you speak from your own experience which seems to have been a difficult one but your positivity and matter-of-factness shows me that the way to get through this is not to give up and go into despair which is so easy when sometimes with hypothyroidism you are standing on the edge of that Abyss and feeling quite helpless. Thank you for helping me not feel that way this morning. Gratefully from New Hampshire in the US
What's feeling nauseous in the morning got to do with taking iron at night? Just make sure you take 1000 mg vit C at the same time as your iron, and that should sort your stomach out and make sure you absorb the iron.
Why did your doctor tell you to take calcium? That is a truly terrible thing to take. Calcium should be obtained from food. And if you take vit D, that will increase your absorption of calcium from food. Then, you take vit K2-MK7 with it, and that makes sure the calcium goes into the teeth and bones, and doesn't build up in the soft tissues. Taking calcium without vit K2-MK7 could have nasty consequences, like kidney stones, or even a heart attack. You also need to take magnesium with vit D, but you probably need that, anyway.
I have had my moments of despair. The worst was the evening after an appointment with my first endo, when I realised she had no idea what she was doing, and was going to keep me sick with her ignorance. I sat and wept and howled in front of my computer all evening. Then, had a stroke of genius - lol - when it suddenly occurred to me that what I needed was a book! So, I went onto Amazon, and typed in 'thyroid' and all these books appeared on the screen! What to chose? I closed my eyes and just stabbed my finger at the screen, and what it landed on was Mary Shomon's book 'Living Well with Hypothyroidism'. Bought it, and realised to my amazement that I wasn't alone! And, that people actually talked about useless endos on line! I joined her forum, and - as they say - the rest is history. I will always believe that Mary Shomon saved my life, and I'll be eternally grateful to her, just for existing. I didn't even know what a forum was, at that point, let alone how the thyroid worked and how to treat it. And, I think there must be a lot of other people like that, out there, to whom it just doesn't occur to look for help on-line...
But, I'm rambling, again - hypo symptom? I don't know. But, just to let you know, it hasn't always been easy - still isn't - but together, we survive.
Your you a very nice and brave person Greygoose. Thank you for your suggestions. I will have a chat with my dr. Luckily for me, she is very open to ideas I present. Yes, not feeling you are alone in this does help a bit.
Especially when you have doctors who tell you that alllllllll their other patients do brilliantly on levo, and there must be something wrong with you that you don't! They make you feel like a freak, and at first I believed them. Now I know that it's just part of their gas-lighting technics. They lie!
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When using a combo, do the t3/t4 ratios need to be similar to manufactured NDT ratio? 
Is it ok to take Iron and T3 together?
Time to leave between Iron and Levo
When IS the right time to test when on T3 only?
