In trying harder to avoid taking levo near to food/caffeine/supplements etc, I’ve found some days I’ve ended up missing my dose for a day or two and then catching up say three days later, with three days worth of doses.
I just wondered if the experts on here could tell me if it’s ok to take levo like this please? I’ve been taking it almost 25 years and have always struggled to find the empty stomach window since finding out that is when it should be taken. I am a snacker!
I don’t feel any different for taking it more adhoc and have been doing this now for around 2-3 months.
Thank you very much in advance.
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CornishChick
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I usually have a glass of milk and snack before bed and am often asleep around 10pm, have thought about it, but enjoy my bedtime snack and also hope it helps me sleep! Unfortunately won’t work for me, but thanks for replying.
Why not just take your dose everyday and if it lands on a fuller stomach some days it won't be absorbed so well but that is just life. Better to get some than none at all.
I took it when I woke for 20 odd years and had a cup of tea and breakfast shortly afterwards. After reading so much on here about taking on an empty stomach, I tried to avoid that. I don’t feel any different doing it either way, so maybe you’re right!
I'd suggest taking your dose of thyroid hormones when you awake - with one glass of water and wait an hour before eating. You therefore are free all day to do what you want and eat when you want and dose of thyroid hormones aren't interfered with food.
or
when you go to bed - stomach has to be empty. If having a blood test next a.m. miss this dose and take after blood test.
Thank you for your suggestion. Unfortunately I have to get up and eat breakfast straight away so I get out the door in time-I have two little ones to get to school. I suffer with insomnia, so can’t set my alarm any earlier than 645am, as I’ve sometimes been awake for hours in the night. Equally, I need my protein snack before bed as it’s meant to help you sleep. Hence why I’m finding it hard to find a window when I’ve not eaten/taken supplements.
Do you regularly have to get up in the early hours of the morning for the bathroom? If so take your Levo then, that's what I do.
Some people take their Levo once a week under medical supervision, so what you are doing isn't necessarily going to cause a big problem as T4 is a storage hormone.
Thank you. I don’t generally get up for the loo, I’m currently taking antihistamine to knock me out because the insomnia got so bad. Another reason I can’t take it at night, because of clashing with that. Do you think I should speak to my GP about taking it maybe once a week, is it a GP that would do the medical supervision please?
I doubt your GP would agree to once a week dosing, that's generally for those who aren't compliant or have some other reason they need supervision with their dosing.
What do you do when you wake? Is it feasible that you take your tablet immediately upon waking (leave it on your bedside table with a glass of water). Do you immediately jump out of bed or lie there for a little while? Do you have breakfast immediately upon rising or do you shower and dress first? Feed the cat/dog? This is where you may have an hour without eating or drinking anything but water.
Thank you for the advice. I usually wake up to the alarm and get up within 5 minutes to get everyone up and out the door for school, so no chance of taking it on waking. I’m unfortunately one of those people that can’t function without a cuppa and breakfast, so I always do that first to get me going. My alarm about kills me at 6.45am, so I don’t fancy moving it any earlier.
Is your lunch hour the same time every day at work? If so, you could set an alarm one hour prior and take it then. Just can't snack for a while prior. I, too, have always taken thyroid meds as soon as I awake, then eat 45-60 mins later. However, I do understand your insomnia issue and dragging in the morning - I have had that happen off and on over the years and it's NO FUN! I find if I take a couple magnesium glycinate and a zinc in the evening, it helps with sleep. When that's not enough, I take some CBD gummies at bedtime. They also have valerian root and lemon balm in them. Those have been very helpful for me! It seems to me like the insomnia and the constant need for snacking is what really needs dealt with here. If you're feeling hungry all the time, maybe what you're eating isn't sustaining you. Perhaps you need to talk to a nutritionist and/or a sleep specialist. You may be suffering from low adrenals and high cortisol and need some hormone testing.
Photo of Garden of Life 10mg CBD sleep gummies with valerian root and lemon balm.
Did you know that lemon balm is contraindicated when hypothyroidism is present? It's one of the things I considered, and discounted, when looking for a sleep aid.
Thyroid disease: Don't use lemon balm. There is a concern that lemon balm may change thyroid function, reduce thyroid hormone levels, and interfere with thyroid hormone-replacement therapy.
Ah, no I didn't! This is my first time using it. Thank you for the information. I'll have to start buying the CBD without it, or just see how my labs look. Thanks again!
Thank you so much, that’s really useful. May I ask where you buy them from?Yes the insomnia is a massive issue for over a decade now. I have tested my cortisol and DHEA twice now. My cortisol seems quite low in an evening and my DHEA is virtually non existent. I have uploaded both tests I think, both were very similar. I believe from what I’ve read that my cortisol is dropping in the night then at 1-2am, my body releases adrenaline to compensate, and I am awoken suddenly and am wired but tired. Going off topic but desperate to get off the antihistamines and sort my insomnia but don’t know what to do.
Have taken pregnenalone for quite some time to help DHEA but it’s made no difference to my DHEA levels or sleep.
You’re right though, the more tired I am, the more I snack. I think I have some undiagnosed blood sugar issue too which makes me want to snack. I have been tested many times and especially during pregnancy, when my need to snack was absolutely essential to me feeling anything like human. It felt like blood sugar, but all urine tests always came back normal, so that issue goes undiagnosed.
My lunch isn’t ever really at the same time, but I could try harder to do this. If I have supplements with breakfast, this should give 4 hours-I’m sometimes eating lunch by 11am!
I do take magnesium citrate at night as I take high dose vitamin D, but that and absolutely everything else I’ve tried have ever made any effect on my insomnia. I am happy to try the gummies though, it’s one thing I haven’t tried. I honestly think I can’t be helped by lavender, valerian etc, I need something to stop my body releasing adrenaline at 1-2am. It’s a dreadful Illness and I’d say the antihistamine has saved my life, although it’s not my preferred option, I’d rather get to the root of the cause! My friend on here had similar insomnia issues and it cost her her life, so I’m very keen to resolve that issue also.
The first one has lemon balm and valerian added and the second has melatonin added.
Have you ever just tried taking DHEA straight? I take 5mg every morning with my supplements. Found a clean version on Amazon.
Maybe you could start keeping a food journal, or at least reviewing all the ingredients in your food and making sure there's nothing added that causes food cravings such as MSG and added refined sugars.
I used to do antihistamines for sleep, also, but they completely stopped working for me all of a sudden! If you use magnesium glycinate, you can take it at higher doses than other types of magnesium. It doesn't cause diarrhea like other forms.
I hope things change for you soon. Insomnia is plain AWFUL!
Ahh thanks for the info. I’m in the uk so unsure how to get pure DHEA. Was following advice from Dr Myhill who used to recommend DHEA then said pregnenalone is better. I’ll have a look on Amazon, is that uk?
Have tried melatonin, that did nothing, neither did LTryptophan.
Do you mind me asking if you’ve also got low DHEA? I know it’s the anti-aging hormone. I’ve always looked young for my age, but now I’m rapidly aging beyond my years! I’d love to know how to get my DHEA up. Have you tested yours and seen improvement with anything?
Antihistamines have worked for me for maybe 2 years, they have given me my life back. I would normally not even want to take paracetamol for anything but with insomnia, I would literally do or try anything!
Thank you very much for pointing that out. Is it Dehydroepiandrosterone I’m looking for, I can’t see it on that list, but I do understand it’s only available elsewhere. Does that mean it’s illegal to buy it from eg USA? Is that the same with eg melatonin? Do you know why? Is the UK extra cautious on these things, or eg USA very relaxed?
Did anyone ever get prosecuted in the UK for possessing DHEA would you know?
Thanks for the advice. Back to the drawing board unless you have any other ideas for increasing DHEA please? Thank you.
I thought Amazon.com delivered internationally - you'll have to check. They have high-grade supplements that are filler free, like Pure Encapsulations, Thorne, Metagenics, etc. My DHEA was tested along with all other hormones with my family doc. He's a doctor of osteopathic medicine who practices Integrative and Functional medicine. He recommended I take 5 mg. Mine was only slightly below normal. It's not a controlled substance in the US, but testosterone is - go figure. Perhaps you can get a prescription for it there??
Melatonin has never helped me either. I only added the CBD w/ melatonin because the administrator said lemon balm is contraindicated in thyroid disease. The combo if CBD and melatonin could possibly help.
This is the best I've felt in 4 years! I have both Hashimotos and Lupus. since I started seeing this doctor, I've just gotten slowly and progressively better. But in the last 6 weeks, there's been a huge upward progression. The things I've done in the last 6 weeks are, turn off the Wi-Fi in my house, start taking the CBD gummies at night, started eating about 50% of my meals as whole-food plant-based meals. Fatigue is WAY down and muscle weakness is almost gone. I'm very pleased!
I hope you start getting good sleep, too! You might try turning off your WiFi, too, if you have it. At least at night. Will take 2-4 weeks to see if you sleep/feel better.
I set my alarm for 4:00a each morning and keep my Levo in my bedroom and take it and then go to bed for an hour so when I get out of bed I have my coffee then
I tried that when I did CT3M, I was either already awake or never got back to sleep! I’m in a deep sleep from 10pm-1 or 2am, then if anything wakes me, I can’t get back off. Thanks for the suggestion though!
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