Levothyroxine & Glucosamine Chondroitin - ok together?

[Bryceharper]

Today I'm starting Levothyroxine (for Hoshimoto's thyroditis) and I'm wondering if it's ok to take Glucosamine Chondroitin the same time in the morning?

[greygoose]

Not a good idea. Levo should be taken at least two hours away from other supplements/medication for maximum absorption.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Welcome to the group. If you could complete your profile it helps members understand your thyroid journey so far and be able to advise you better. Click on your image icon to start.

Levothyroxine is a very fussy hormone and doesn't like company. To absorb well it needs to be taken alone with water on an empty stomach one hour before food or caffeine containing drinks.

Could you take your supplement at lunch or dinner time instead? Either that or take Levo at bedtime.

It's ideal if you can always get the same brand of levo at every prescription. You can do this by getting GP to write the brand you prefer in the first line of the prescription. Many people find that different brands are not interchangeable.

When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins. Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

There is also a new company offering walk in & mail order blood tests in London, Kent, Sussex & Surrey areas. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...

Only do private tests on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid postal delays.

Do you know if you had positive thyroid antibodies? Many with autoimmune thyroid disease aka Hashimoto's benefit from a gluten free diet. A smaller percentage of those also need to remove dairy from their diet to feel well. These are intolerances and will not show up on any blood test.

Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting, last levo dose 24hrs before the blood draw, last T3 dose 8-12 hours before blood draw & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process)? Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day. Taking Levo/T3 just prior to blood draw can show a falsly elevated result and your GP/Endo might change your dose incorrectly as a result.

[maggiesloper]

Just to make the timing easier, I generally take mine about 3am when nature wakes me up to go to the toilet! If I don't need to wake up in the night I take it as soon as I.open my eyes and then by the time I get up and get dressed etc and ready for a culpa the 1 hr has passed