Levothyroxine- morning or night? : I have read a... - Thyroid UK

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Levothyroxine- morning or night?

j4brett profile image
8 Replies

I have read a few stories around 'when is the best time to take levothyroxine?' and I wanted to know the opinion of people within this forum.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

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j4brett
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Marz profile image
Marz

Scroll down to RELATED POSTS where you will find 10 more posts similar to yours ! Experiences shared ... Also there is a SEARCH facility at the top of this page ...

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toMarz

And:

Some papers which discuss taking levothyroxine at different times - such as bed-time.

Levothyroxine Replacement and Ramadan Fasting

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/237...

Effect of L-Thyroxine Administration Before Breakfast vs at Bedtime on Hypothyroidism: A Meta-Analysis

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/320...

Morning vs. Bedtime Levothyroxine Administration: What Is the Ideal Choice for Children?

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/303...

A Crossover Study Evaluating Effect of Timing of Levothyroxine on Thyroid Hormone Status in Patients of Hypothyroidism

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/313...

Effect of Timing of Levothyroxine Administration on the Treatment of Hypothyroidism: A Three-Period Crossover Randomized Study

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/300...

Alternative Schedules of Levothyroxine Administration

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/256...

Thyroid Diseases and Ramadan

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/228...

Pharmacotherapy: Hypothyroidism-Should Levothyroxine Be Taken at Bedtime?

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/213...

Effects of Evening vs Morning Levothyroxine Intake: A Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Trial

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/211...

Timing of Levothyroxine Administration Affects Serum Thyrotropin Concentration

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/195...

Effects of Evening vs Morning Thyroxine Ingestion on Serum Thyroid Hormone Profiles in Hypothyroid Patients

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/172...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Levothyroxine should always be taken empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after

Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime

verywellhealth.com/best-tim...

markvanderpump.co.uk/blog/p...

Did you get 25mcg dose increase in levothyroxine?

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 is in top third of range and FT3 at least half way through range

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

If normally taking levothyroxine at bedtime, adjust time of dose before blood test. Eg if testing early Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose until after blood test. Take Monday evening dose as per normal

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

I take mine in the early hours of the morning when I need the bathroom, that can be anywhere between about 3am and 6am. Very convenient as it keeps it away from food and other medication supplements.

Why not experiment and see what suits you and whether you notice any difference.

Wolfiesmom08 profile image
Wolfiesmom08 in reply toSeasideSusie

I do the same thing. I wake up feeling better than when I used to take it at 7 am then have to wait to eat or drink. My body wakes up on its own around 5 am, I take my meds then drift back to sleep for an hour or so. It’s great thanks to your advise a few years ago 👍

Lalatoot profile image
Lalatoot

I take mine around 6am then again around 4pm and the last dose around 10pm.

Catseyes235 profile image
Catseyes235

I happily took thyroxine as soon as I woke at variable times for 30 plus years - never any problem with it, felt fine and no worries. After joining this site I read about this timing debate and last year my instructions said to not eat and avoid calcium ie milk for half an hour after taking. Probably this is what

I do normally as don’t tend to jump out of bed and eat, but I do consciously wait for a cup of tea which is no great hardship. As I am a late night snacker, mornings suit me best! Hope that helps.

Izmir profile image
Izmir

Hi. I take mine in the morning for a simple reason: it makes me start my day with a glass of water as it’s advices by many health experts. Otherwise, I don’t think that the doctors dictate any timing for Levothroxine.

Best wishes.

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