Best time to take levothyroxine

[Andypandy30]

What is best time frame to take levothyroxine before food and after food and time apart from vitamins

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

An hour before or two hours after, oh and 4 hours away from vits & mins etc though not necessary with sublingual

[Andypandy30 in reply to TiggerMe]

Thank you 😊

[Revolut]

Hello Andypandy30

I am not sure there is a specific best time. My view is, take levothyroxine first thing in the day at least 1 hour before you eat or drink anything but water. For vitamins and minerals, check each one's specific interactions with levothyroxine.

[Andypandy30 in reply to Revolut]

Thank you

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to Andypandy30]

There's some evidence Levo is best absorbed at night. Something to do with circadian rhythms or something. I take mine when I get up for the loo in the night. But you could try bedtime. It depends on preference and what other meds or supplements you take.

[Capan24 in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

I have been taking my Synthroid since 2006 at 10:00 p.m. I've never had any issues with taking the med at night and I don't have to worry about food or supplements.

[greygoose]

- On an empty stomach, one hour before food or two to three hours after.

- No everyone gets on well with taking it at night, so take it when it's best for you - could even be the middle of the afternoon if that's what suits you.

- Four hours away from iron, calcium, vit D, magnesium and estrogen.

- Two hours away from all other supplements - and possibly all other medication, but check on-line - doctor won't be able to tell you!

[Gnomic in reply to greygoose]

oh I’ve just read this as was going to reply and have been taking Levo for years but had no idea that it should be 4 hours away from estrogen! Do you know if it’s the same if you rub in estrogen gel in transdermally? I have been taking them in the same hour. Thank you

[greygoose in reply to Gnomic]

Transdermally, no, because it doesn't pass through the gut. You can carry on with what you've been doing.

[Gnomic in reply to greygoose]

Thank you. Of course that makes sense 😀

[SmallBlueThing]

As long as you're fairly consistent and avoid extremes (e.g. taking a proper calcium tablet, or the 200g equivalent of cheese, in close proximity), I don't think it really matters. I scowled at a friend once, when they told me they couldn't take theirs without a cup of tea. After a bad experience due to my water supply, I'm a bit averse to tap water, so have taken my dose with a 3/4 Imperial pint mug of tepid milky tea for the past few years. The optimisers may be able to save a few micrograms with their regimes, and good luck to them. The only slot available for my next blood test was 11:30, but my levels have jumped around so much over the past year that I doubt the timing will have much bearing.

Further thoughts: I take a diuretic with my dose, plus another with my other meds at 6pm. The only supplement I take at the moment is vit D, which I also take at 6pm. The other meds include a calcium channel blocker, which does cause me problems if taken within about four hours of levothyroxine, although I've not found the side effect listed. I'm OK taking antibiotics with levothyroxine, but heard from another that they weren't. Antibiotics may need taking twice or four times per day, so can be difficult to schedule if not taken at the same time as levothyroxine. I recall reading, about a decade ago, that oatmeal (porridge for Americans, I suppose) affected absorption, even though it was taken after the dose. I take my dose in the morning, quite often at 4am if I'm awake and need a drink, allowing plenty of time until breakfast. I avoided porridge for a while due to concerns about pre-diabetes, but have been having soaked oats for a few months to check the effect on my lipid levels, and I eat them at night. It's a lot easier for a "grazer" like me to have an empty stomach, to receive yet not hinder my dose, in the morning.

[MaminaElsie]

I have been on Thyroxine for over 35 years. Various doses over the years.

The advice I got was to take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach upon waking up and not to eat anything or drink tea/coffee until after 30-45 minutes after.

35 years on, my hypothyroidism is still well controlled and apart from my family and Doctors no one knows that I have hypothyroidism as I am doing okay.

[san_ray70]

I take mine mostly before breakfast, but there are busy days I can't leave an hour or so between. It does not seem to make any difference. I have been taking 125mcg ever since I started about 19 years ago.