I have had total thyroidectomy on tues and received amazing care at Hinchingbrooke hospital And am healing well
I’m am taking 150mcg thyroxine at 6 am before any tea coffee etc and waiting 1 2 hour before eating and drinking I have read that caffeine is not helpful for absorption
I am taking Calcium Adacal 2 tabs at 10 with breakfast and again at 2 pm followed by 1 tab with food in the evening
I am also prescribed vit D once per day In the morning Does this sound ok to you all?
I’m vegetarian and have read that there seems to be a lot of foods to avoid ie soya and some legumes and calcium rich foods which seems to restrict my diet some what Any advise would be welcome
Thanks
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bluemerlin
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Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.
Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.
Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine. Teva contains mannitol as a filler, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet. So if avoiding Teva for 75mcg dose ask for 25mcg to add to 50mcg or just extra 50mcg tablets to cut in half
Are you currently taking Teva?
Teva, Aristo and Glenmark are the only lactose free tablets
Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).
Levothyroxine is an extremely fussy hormone and should always be taken on an 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
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap. Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
levothyroxine must be FOUR HOURS away from calcium supplements
There are some foods and drinks that do not mix well with levothyroxine:
drinks containing caffeine, like coffee, tea and some fizzy drinks, can reduce the amount of levothyroxine your body takes in.
Leave at least 30 minutes after taking levothyroxine before you drink them.
calcium-rich foods, such as milk, cheese, yoghurt and broccoli, can reduce the amount of levothyroxine your body takes in.
Leave at least 4 hours between taking levothyroxine and eating calcium-rich foods.
soya in food and supplements may stop levothyroxine working properly. If you regularly eat soya or take soya supplements your doctor might need to do extra blood tests to make sure you're getting enough levothyroxine.
kelp (a type of seaweed) can contain high levels of iodine, which sometimes makes an underactive thyroid worse. Do not take supplements containing kelp if you're taking levothyroxine.
I’m taking The accord brand and regularly take multi vits up until a week before op Shall resume them in a couple of days as feeling a bit nauseous on the newly prescribed thyroxine I note this should wear off as my body gets used to it
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least annually
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).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
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