Vegetarian and under active thyroid

[Annejules]

Hello I am a head and neck cancer survivor. And yes my treatment has also messed up my thyroid. I have read lots of information on this forum with great interest and I have a couple of questions. Firstly, I am a vegetarian and I am only just getting back to my normal diet which includes tofu and soy. (Sadly I still can't eat most beans) I read hear that it isn't a good idea to eat soy with levothyroxine. Secondly I have lost a lot of weight, due to my treatment and it's after effects. Will I lose more now I'm on levothyroxine, which I started at Christmas. I am now on 100mg each day and due my next blood test tomorrow. Any advice?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Annejules

From btf-thyroid.org/thyroid-and...

Soya

Soya interferes with thyroxine absorption, therefore if you are taking thyroxine you should try to avoid soya. If you wish to take soya, there should be as long a time interval as possible between eating the soya and taking the thyroxine.

If you continue to eat soy and the absorption of Levo is affected, then your dose of Levo should be based on your test results/symptoms so you'll need to keep your eye on things.

Always be consistent with how you take your Levo. Take your Levo on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after food, with a glass of water only, no tea, coffee, milk, etc, and water only for an hour either side, as absorption will be affected. Take any other medication and supplements 2 hours away from Levo, some need 4 hours.

As you are vegetarian it would be a good idea to test nutrient levels, particularly iron/ferritin and B12.

Secondly I have lost a lot of weight, due to my treatment and it's after effects. Will I lose more now I'm on levothyroxine, which I started at Christmas.

Is there any difference in your weight in the 3 months since Christmas?

I am now on 100mg each day and due my next blood test tomorrow.

We always advise the following when doing thyroid tests, be consistent so that you can compare results accurately:

* Blood draw no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, an increase in dose of Levo or to avoid a reduction then we need the highest possible TSH

* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the blood draw. This is because eating can lower TSH and coffee can affect TSH.

* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. Adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.

* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it can give false results (most labs use biotin).

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with phlebotomists or doctors.

[Annejules in reply to SeasideSusie]

Wow, that's a lot of information! Thank you.I have managed to put on 2 kg since I finished my treatment in July, I am now 53 kg. I haven't noticed any weight gain since starting the Levothyroxine but I don't have scales at home and only get weighed at the doctors or hospital. I have been taking the tablets first thing but I'm thinking that may not be best now.

So am I right that if I eat or drink or take the Levothryoxine before the blood test tomorrow, it may skew the results? Will it show higher levels than in reality?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Annejules]

So am I right that if I eat or drink or take the Levothryoxine before the blood test tomorrow, it may skew the results? Will it show higher levels than in reality?

Yes, all explained in my reply above. Water only before the test.

[greygoose]

Actually, I disagree with that article that SeasideSusie linked to. It's not that soy interfers with the absorption of levo, it's that it impedes the uptake of thyroid hormone at a cellular level. So, you will still be absorbing your levo in the gut, but it won't get into the cells. That means that you can have very good levels in the blood, but you will still be hypo. So, it doesn't matter how long the gap between taking the levo and eating the soy, it will still affect you.

Soy is a very bad thing to eat, anyway, and you won't get many nutrients from it because it contains a substance that inhibits the absorption of those nutrients. It is not a health food.