Levothyroxine - Switching to night : Hi Was... - Thyroid UK

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Levothyroxine - Switching to night

4 Replies

Hi

Was increased to 100mcg Levothyroxine 10 days ago. So far feeling better than I have in 2 years. Fingers crossed it lasts.

My question is, I started on levothyroxine in October and have always taken it in during early hours when I wake. But as I'm now sleeping better, I'm not really waking in the night so been taking it upon waking but then I'm missing my morning caffeine before the school run haha.

Wondering if I can switch to taking it in the evening before bed? And do I then skip tomorrow mornings dose and take it tomorrow night or do I take one tonight but that means 2 doses approx 16 hours apart? Or any better suggestions.

Thanks again.

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4 Replies
tattybogle profile image
tattybogle

i would just take it tonight (as well as this mornings dose) then continue tomorrow night etc the slight 'extra' will sort itself out naturally over a few days . Or take 50 a.m then 50 bedtime for one day only , then the next day take it all at bedtime ?

Whatever you choose .. you can realistically expect at least a few days of feeling 'a bit weird' while you system adjusts to what you're doing , and you may find it slightly interferes with sleep for the first few days too , but give yourself a few days to get use to it .. i thought it made it hard for me to get to sleep for the first few times i tried it at bedtime ,, but now i sleep fine and i wake up if i forget to have it.

Batty1 profile image
Batty1

I set my watch alarm to wake me in the morning to take my pills (5am) and go back to sleep.

in reply to Batty1

I tried that but can never get back to sleep lol

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

In case it helps, I'll repeat a load of links which I have previously posted:

It is often suggested that bed-time dosing results in slightly better absorption. It also seems slightly closer to the pattern healthy people have.

I have always taken my levothyroxine at bed-time.

For that reason, I cannot compare with taking in the morning.

Before diagnosis, my sleep was badly disturbed. Typically, I would fall asleep fairly easily. Then wake up after something like half an hour to two hours. Once woken I'd be unable to get back to sleep - often till dawn, or at all.

Once I started on levothyroxine, my sleep slowly improved. By the time I was taking an adequate dose, bad nights were unusual - just an occasional night where I might wake up for a while. Now, after years, I sleep very easily and deeply and rarely wake at all. If I do, I get back to sleep quickly.

We have some who prefer it; we have others who prefer other times. See our poll:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Some papers which discuss taking levothyroxine at different times - such as bed-time.

Levothyroxine Replacement and Ramadan Fasting

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/237...

Effect of L-Thyroxine Administration Before Breakfast vs at Bedtime on Hypothyroidism: A Meta-Analysis

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/320...

Morning vs. Bedtime Levothyroxine Administration: What Is the Ideal Choice for Children?

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/303...

A Crossover Study Evaluating Effect of Timing of Levothyroxine on Thyroid Hormone Status in Patients of Hypothyroidism

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/313...

Effect of Timing of Levothyroxine Administration on the Treatment of Hypothyroidism: A Three-Period Crossover Randomized Study

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/300...

Alternative Schedules of Levothyroxine Administration

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/256...

Thyroid Diseases and Ramadan

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/228...

Pharmacotherapy: Hypothyroidism-Should Levothyroxine Be Taken at Bedtime?

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/213...

Effects of Evening vs Morning Levothyroxine Intake: A Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Trial

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/211...

Timing of Levothyroxine Administration Affects Serum Thyrotropin Concentration

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/195...

Effects of Evening vs Morning Thyroxine Ingestion on Serum Thyroid Hormone Profiles in Hypothyroid Patients

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/172...

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