Im thyroid-less and I split my 100mcg Synthyroid and 10mcg Cytomel between these times in parentheses (4:15am and 11:15am) and then once a week I add in another 50mcg Synthyroid (this 50 is recent addition) Ive been splitting my medications this way for the past 4 years.
Additional health issues:
Psoriatic Arthritis and possibly Allodynia Fibromyalgia (Not diagnosed) I have horrible pain just being touched (sad) and debating if this is even worth pursuing.
Medications/ Vitamins: (addition to thyroid) I take all the below starting around 4 pm.
Vit D3, K2 and Mag Citrate
Super B- complex (igennus)
Iron ( low ferritin) Take every other day
Prilosec , Estridol
Problem:
Im fine during the day (alert but tired) my pulse is steady and its not UNTIL bed time for some reason (I cannot figure out why) but I have terrible anxiety attacks during my sleep that wakes me up I feel wired but when I look at my fitness watch my pulse is in the low to mid 50s and then the panic attack shoots my pulse to 70 and I experience tongue numbness and restlessness.
What really irks me is as soon as I take my first dose of thyroid meds at 4:15am WITHIN 30 minutes Im sound asleep for 3-4 hours no issues .... rinse and repeat every night almost the same issues (I stop eating and drinking coffee by 6 pm and GO to bed at 11 pm) I do have constant pain between the joint pains and this touching pain that causes my skin to feel like it has a bad sunburn (it does cause agitation) the pressure of lying down and moving creates some agitation from this burning skin sensation and obviously joints.
I don’t know what to do (Should I) take my last set of thyroid meds at say 9pm and go to bed .... my only issue is my stomach pill that I take at 4 pm everyday.
Thanks again and hopefully someone has a solution... I don’t want to bother my endo because you all know he will say your over medicated (par for the course) never under always over and I don’t want to fight about meds. I’m due for blood test in the next 6 weeks anyway and I hardly think Im over medicated.
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Batty1
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That’s likely too long at 18 hours between last T3 at 11am and 4am
At least split the T3 so it’s two doses 12 hours apart
But personally, I find 3 doses split at 8 hour gaps gives best results ...for me that’s 20mcg split into approx 10mcg at 7am, 5mcg 3pm and 5mcg at 11pm
5mcg before bed gives wonderful sleep for many patients
I take stomach pill for Gerd thats why I struggle so much to take meds constantly have to think about things not being absorbed and not getting the much needed thyroid meds.
I will keep T4 the same and just split out the last T3.
Actually I sat down and wrote out the carb/fiber/calories of everything I eat everyday and its just crazy everything has carbs and i’m torn on what to cut ...... So with those tears out of the way I have cut out ALL Junk food about 3 weeks ago and I never have been the pasta, potato or bread person (my family can’t understand how I survive without bread) lol so cutting those out really can’t they don’t really exist in my menu and if so very rare. I also cut back on my portion amounts and stopped drinking ice tea except with dinner.
Im beginning to think my slowwww digestion is to be blamed for my Gerd and its a family affliction since every person in my family has it (no kidding).
Do you think my low stomach acid could be behind my recent sleep disturbance? If so why do I sleep for hours after my thyroid meds? i take my PPI at 4pm about hour before dinner and the dreaded time required from thyroid meds.
I have terrible anxiety attacks during my sleep that wakes me up I feel wired but when I look at my fitness watch my pulse is in the low to mid 50s and then the panic attack shoots my pulse to 70 and I experience tongue numbness and restlessness.
Have you ever done a saliva cortisol test? You might be producing more cortisol at the end of the day than you should be.
YES, about 2 years ago and it was supposedly fine. I take my first thyroid dose at 4:15am and fall back to sleep until 7am or 8am at this point Im up for the day.
Im usually restless starting shortly after going to bed and I fall alseep around 2am Im up and anxious and restless worse then when I went to bed.
Maybe this is important: I have to force myself to eat Im never hungry and certain food repulse me.
4.15am - Take some or all of your T4 and half of your T3.
8am - Take your Vitamin D3, K2 and your B Complex
2pm - Take the remainder of your T4 and T3.
Prilosec - Take it just before your evening meal.
Mag Cit - Take it about an hour or two before bed.
Iron - Take it at about bedtime.
I was told some years ago that it is best to take vitamins in the morning and minerals in the evening. The reasoning behind this is allegedly that vitamins are "stimulating" and minerals aren't. I don't know if there is any proof behind this.
There are some exceptions to the above rule.
People should take iron and vitamin C together, but apart from everything else ; and should also be taken four hours away from thyroid hormones. I would suggest evening or bedtime.
The only thing I haven't mentioned so far is your Estridol. I think it should be taken at least four hours away from your thyroid meds.
If you don't like the above timetable, then tell me what you object to and I'll try and change it - but I make no promises!
I take the estradiol same time as the stomach pill.
Another thing: Im on a different brand of T4 and T3 (not by choice) Doctor ordered wrong one and then ordered the correct T4 but the pharmacy won’t release the (Synthyroid) which is what Ive always been on until my next refill in late October.
Im going to definitely follow your schedule as this is do able.
It just occurred to me to ask. Prilosec is a PPI which will reduce your absorption of everything - food, drugs, hormones and supplements. I wondered why it was prescribed?
For me if I didn’t take it I would be in severe pain.
I did as you recommended and I think I will split my 2nd dose of thyroid and take it before bed..... I slept good and took my 4:15am dose as normal fell right back to sleep again.
Do you think the different thyroid meds could be the issue behind my anxiety attacks during sleep?
For me if I didn’t take it I would be in severe pain.
There are good reasons for taking PPIs when people take certain drugs that irritate the stomach e.g. NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen, but if the only reason you take it is because your stomach acid is low and you get severe indigestion and/or acid reflux then taking extra acid rather than shutting off what you do produce may actually help.
For more info than I could possibly give, you should download this free e-book from Chris Kresser - you only have to provide an email address :
It explains why so many of us have problems with stomach acid, heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion, and how to deal with it. I thought it was well worth the effort of reading it.
And it is also worth searching the forum for references to vinegar and betaine.
Do you think the different thyroid meds could be the issue behind my anxiety attacks during sleep?
I can think of a couple of reasons.
1) If the anxiety started suddenly then yes, obviously the change of brand may have caused a problem.
2) It may be cortisol related, and you are producing too much or too little. And/or the pattern of your cortisol output is "deranged" and is not being produced at the times it ought to be.
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