Vit C & Levothyroxine

[Bollieforme]

I have read online that taking Vitamin C with your levothyroxine can help with T3/T4 conversion. Wonder if anyone else has done this and if it has helped?

[helvella Administrator]

That sounds like conflation of two things!

Yes, lemon juice (and water) taken with levothyroxine appears to enhance absorption (at least in some cases).

Adequate vitamin C is, of course, necessary for health, but I am not aware of a specific impact on conversion.

[Beads in reply to helvella]

So is it worth putting a squirt of lemon juice in the water I keep by the bed for taking my levo when my alarm goes off Anything that helps......

[Hurtlocker in reply to Beads]

Try it...I have had poor poor!conversion for years....just recently I have been Brave enough to have a Gin and sugar free lemon and lime (Tesco) in the evening well before Levo at bedtime!!and Eureka!!! I have more energy next day and feel better...blood test next week!!we will see. Tried everything else.. Vit D. Gluten free.etc...you name it!!! Good luck..

[helvella Administrator in reply to Beads]

I'd have to see what the paper actually said.

I wouldn't put too much faith in the idea. After all, if they used a random selection of patients, taking a random selection of levothyroxine products, it might only have had a positive effect with some patient/product combinations - but without careful data collection and analysis, that might not have been obvious.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Like helvella, I too have read that Vit C can aid absorption of Levo but I've not seen anything about it help g conversion.

[greygoose in reply to SeasideSusie]

Wasn't there a thread recently discussing this and the conclusion was that vit C reduces conversion? I have that idea in my head because I'd suggested to someone that they try taking vit C with their levo to help with absorption, and I thought 'Ooops! Wrong again! Shouldn't have said that'.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to greygoose]

I don't remember anything (but that's nothing new for me!) and the search facility isn't a lot of help. I'd seen the study that Helvella mentions below but that's on patients with hypothyroidism and gastritis.

[greygoose in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hmmm... You're right, the search facility is no help at all! lol I did try that first. But, I still have this nagging 'memory' at the back of my mind that says, no, taking vit C with levo is a bad idea. Maybe someone else, reading this, will come up with something. But, I'm pretty sure you were involved in that discussion...

[radd]

Bollieforme,

The well known conversion encouragers are zinc & selenium but I read because Vit C is another anti-oxidant it is useful, even if not in the direct making of thyroid hormone.

ThyroidUK states "The thyroid gland needs vitamin C to keep it healthy. Long-standing deficiency causes the thyroid gland to secrete too much hormone. People with an overactive thyroid need extra vitamin C as this is actually drained from the tissues in their bodies."

As others have said it is great for helping absorption issues but don’t use the mixed ascorbate or it may become counter productive.

[helvella Administrator]

Effect of vitamin C on the absorption of levothyroxine in patients with hypothyroidism and gastritis

William Jubiz 1 , Marcela Ramirez

Affiliations

• PMID: 24601693

• DOI: 10.1210/jc.2013-4360

Abstract

Background: Malabsorption of l-T4 is a major clinical problem. Changes in gastric pH caused by several medical illnesses are associated with difficulties in the control of patients with hypothyroidism receiving the hormone. Means to correct these alterations would be of clinical value.

Objectives: Our objective was to study the effect of vitamin C on the absorption of l-T4 in patients with hypothyroidism and gastritis.

Design: Thirty-one patients with hypothyroidism, 28 females age 47.5 ± 13.5 (mean ± SD) years and 3 males age 55.7 ± 11.2 years ingested the dose of l-T4 in 120 mL water containing or not containing 500 mg vitamin C in a solution of pH 2.9 ± 0.1 (mean ± SD). Serum concentrations of free T4 and TSH were measured at the end of 3 periods of 2 months each, 2 controls and 1 vitamin C. Serum total T3 was measured in 16 of the patients, before and at the end of the vitamin C period. Serum TSH and free T4 and T3 were measured by a solid-phase, enzyme-labeled chemiluminescent competitive immunoassay All patients had gastrointestinal pathology and were not in good control when taking l-T4 before the study, and 23 had autoimmune thyroiditis or idiopathic hypothyroidism. The median l-T4 dose was 100 μg with an interquartile range of 50 μg. The protocol was reviewed and approved by our institution's ethics committee. Patients were asked to sign a written consent to participate in the study.

Results: Serum concentrations of TSH, free T4, and T3 improved while on vitamin C. Serum TSH decreased in all patients (control, 11.1 [10.5] μIU/mL, median [interquartile range]), vitamin C 4.2 (3.7) μIU/mL, P = .0001), and it was normalized in 17 patients (54.8%). The average decrease was 69.2%. Serum T4 was higher with vitamin C in 30 of the 31 patients (control, 1.1 [0.3] ng/dL; vitamin C, 1.3 [0.3] ng/dL; P < .0001), and serum T3 increased as well in all 16 patients in whom it was measured (control, 60.5 [16.5] ng/dL; vitamin C, 70 [21] ng/dL; P < .005).

Conclusions: In patients with hypothyroidism and gastrointestinal pathology, vitamin C improves the abnormalities in serum free T4, T3, and TSH concentrations. This approach is helpful in the management of these patients.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/246...

[Beads in reply to helvella]

Have they measured TSH in the same units that we get ours measured in? If so then why have they included TSH way above range as subjects in the trial? Surely ethically they should get people on the proper dose and then use them in a trial.

So in plain English, they’ve taken 23 Hashi people plus 8 non-hashi hypo people, monitored them for 2 months, tested TSH/T4/T3 (though even these people couldn’t get T3 tested all the time). Repeated this. Then added 500mg vitC to their levo, monitored for 2 months then tested again. Results being TSH down, T4 & T3 up in 30 of 31 cases? Is this how you interpret it as well?

So might be worth giving it a go.

[Onlymeandyou]

All interesting information, however where does this leave people like me? I don’t have a thyroid, it was removed due to cancer approx 30 years ago and I have not felt well since! I follow all the advice, have had hundreds of blood tests meds have been tweaked here and there, am currently on levothyroxine alternating 125 / 150 mcg , I am a 58 yr old lady with no energy and despair of ever feeling well 😥

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Onlymeandyou]

Onlymeandyou

Do please start a new thread and add your latest test results, members will see your post and hopefully be able to help you.

We need to see results, including reference ranges (these vary from lab to lab and will be by the side of your result on a print out which you can obtain from the receptionist at your surgery) for the following tests:

TSH

FT4

FT3

the above tests will give a full picture of your thyroid status.

For thyroid hormone to work properly we need optimal nutrient levels so we also need to see results for

Vit D (also include unit of measurement)

B12 (also include unit of measurement)

Folate

Ferritin

[Citrine77 in reply to Onlymeandyou]

HiI also have had a total thyroidectomy. It took me 4 years to get any balance, but I read an article on Vit C and how it could improve my symptoms and have been taking 1000mcg of it for the past 2 years and found it works for me. I do find if I stop taking it, my symptoms go a bit wobbly. So it may not work for everyone, but I would definitely give it a go. Obviously it takes a couple of weeks to get into your system nothings instantaneous 😄 I really hope it works for you.

[Onlymeandyou in reply to Citrine77]

Hi Citrine77, many thanks for your Interesting response, Do you take the bit C at the same time as your thyroid meds? It is only recently I have become aware of the need to leave 2 hours before and after meds before taking anything else or eating, am I correct in that understanding?

[Citrine77 in reply to Onlymeandyou]

I take mine in the morning as I take Levothyroxine in the evening as I find it works better for me, but you can take Vit C any time of the day, so just work out the best time to take yours.