Levothyroxine newbie..

[Thyroid_Babe]

Hi All - I am new to this Forum. I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid in December 2024 and I am now one month into my Levo treatment. I am trying to navigate this condition and all the information available out there. I am totally confused as to what to eat or not and becoming anxious about it all, not wanting to take anything that may be cancelling or inteferring with the medication. So much conflicting info on the internet and no real support offered by the NHS apart from their website. I don't want food to become an enemy.. Any recipe books you can recommend for a newbie? Many thanks.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Welcome to the forum Thyroid_Babe,

So we can offer better advice, can you tell us more about your thyroid condition, eg when you were diagnosed, ongoing symptoms, current medication & dosage, plus blood test results (with ranges in brackets) for:

TSH

FT3

FT4

Plus any antibody and key vitamin tests (ferritin, folate, vitamins D and B12)

If your GP is unable to complete all the above (eg if TSH is within range, some surgeries may not be able to access FT4 and FT3 tests), you could look to do this privately, as many forum members do, for a better picture of your thyroid health:

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

We are a friendly and supportive group- keep posting and asking questions. I (like so many others here) managed to turn my health around by following advice from members.When I joined the forum I knew nothing about thyroid health until I started reading posts by SlowDragon and others!

Go easy on yourself- the most important think re diet is having optimal key vitamins- but you need to check these first (and share results with us) before considering any supplements.

Many members, myself included have benefited from being gluten free. Whilst still eating gluten, you can ask your GP for a coeliac test. Whilst I’m not coeliac, eliminating gluten really helped reduce many adverse symptoms, so it may be worth considering a GF trial for a couple of months.

[Thyroid_Babe in reply to Buddy195]

Buddy195 Thank you for your reply.. I was diagnosed in November/December 2024. Feeling very tired and suffering from extreme cold and pain in my right leg. TSH were on 12 after rapidely increasing/big jumps since the summer. Currently on lowdose dose (25mcg) of Levothyroxine as told I would benefit from the treatment. Blood test due next month to check progress. Symptoms persist and I guess dose may need adjusting upwards. Tested positive for T4 antibodies but not given the value. I am on high dose of Vitamin D as deficient also as prescribed by GP and 3 monthly B12 injections following bowel sugery in 1996. I am trying to eliminate gluten little by little. I am finding the change of diet difficult and also not having milk/caffeine first thing in the morning as I have been told to leave 4 hours from the time of taking Levo and first milky drink. I have switched to Almond milk but I have noticed that all a.m available are fortified with calcium so herbal tea for me now to wake up. A bit depressing but I will get used to it :). I am reading as many posts from other members to build my knowledge. I see similar queries from mine from others so I am not on my own!

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Thyroid_Babe]

Can I ask your age (roughly!) as 25mcg is below the usual starting dose of 50mcg Levothyroxine, usually reserved for older patients or those with other health conditions. This will be reason you still have adverse symptoms- likely you will need steady increases to reach an optimal level.

We recommend 2 hours between taking Levo and having milk products. Some members find it easier to take Levo at bedtime, not in the morning, so if you like a milky drink first thing, it is perhaps a change you could try.

From personal experience, I wouldn’t trial eliminating both gluten and dairy at the same time- it’s hard to work out what (if any) change is beneficial. If you are trialling GF - this needs to be 100% elimination of all gluten for a couple of months.

On your next blood test, ensure that this is before 9am (as TSH highest early morning) and take your morning Levo after the blood draw (patient to patient tip!)

My biggest advice is to keep reading replies and posting- ask lots of questions; we are here to help and support 🦋

[Thyroid_Babe in reply to Buddy195]

Buddy195 I am close to 60 years old so this may explain the careful approach to this treatment. Can you safely change the time of your medication (albeit by 2/3 hours) with ref to the blood test? I was advised to take it at the same time everyday. Presumably this is OK as a one off. .. also both GP and pharmacist recommended taking Levo first thing in the morning. I will consider changing this to evening as it would make my life easier! Can I also ask, is insomnia a common symptom with other members and, if so, do you have any advice on how to improve this to ensure a better night sleep? I find that I am having to take a nap in the afternoon in order to be able to function during the day. Possibly a vicious circle as I find it difficult to fall asleep at night. Thanks

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Thyroid_Babe]

Yes, it’s completely fine to adjust the time of your Levothyroxine medication.

Your dose of 25mcg is way too low for someone approaching 60… usually reserved for people much older! Your GP must be super cautious!

Re insomnia, I suggest a magnesium supplement early evening to help you relax/ unwind/ sleep better. I take magnesium glycinate as this is easy on the stomach, but other types are available. I suggest putting ‘magnesium’ in the forum search engine to find lots of links on this subject. (also look up timings of Levo- as many members prefer a night time dose!) Highly likely that your restless sleep is due to you being under medicated thyroid wise- so do push for an increase asap.

[Thyroid_Babe in reply to Buddy195]

Buddy195 I agree. Many thanks for your time and advice, it is much appreciated

[greygoose]

It's not really about food. Although I agree there is a lot of conflicting 'advice' on internet, but most of it is rubbish.

I imagine you're really thinking about advice to avoid cruciferous veggies? Well, you can forget that. It's a myth. A nice bowl of cabbage soup from time to time is not going to do any harm. So, enjoy your Brussels sprouts and broccoli and don't give it a second thought.

Nothing you eat is going to improve your thyroid function, that's for sure. But nothing is going to make it worse, either. But if you have Hashi's it might cause you to be gluten or lactose intolerant. That would mean that eating gluten or dairy will cause symptoms - not hypo symptoms but symptoms of gluten and/or lactose intolerance. So, if you have Hashi's, it's a good idea to try cutting these things out - one at a time, not both together - for a few months to see if those symptoms go.

Apart from that, unfermented soy is not a hypo's friend. Not because it affects the thyroid itself but because it can stop thyroid hormone from getting into the cells where it's needed. So best avoid soy flour, soy protein, soy milk, etc.

And, for your general good health, it's best to avoid artificial sweeteners and highly processed seed oils. But that's the same for everybody.

One thing to be aware of, whilst we're on the subject of food, having low T3 - i.e. being hypo - will affect your production of stomach acid. Low stomach acid will mean that you will have difficulty digesting food and absorbing nutrients. Which is why we suggest testing vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin, and taking supplements where necessary.

So don't stress about your diet, eat good clean food that you enjoy and don't worry.

[Thyroid_Babe in reply to greygoose]

greygoose Many thanks for your advice. I had not realised about sweeteners. I am B12 deficient also from a previous health matter and have 3 monthly B12 injections. I will ask for the levels to be tested as well then at my next blood test. I suppose it takes a bit of time to find the right balance. Just a lot to think about at the start.

[greygoose in reply to Thyroid_Babe]

Well, you can't think about it all at once. One step at a time should be your motto.

If you're having B12 in jections there's no point in testing B12, it's not going to give you any useful information. Are you also taking a daily methylated B complex to keep the B vits balanced?

Artificial sweeteners are terrible things. And they won't stop you putting on weight or losing it if that's why you're using them, and could make things worse because the brain is not that stupid and could start craving sugar.

[Thyroid_Babe in reply to greygoose]

greygoose Thanks. I am not sure I am absorbing B12 correctly which could explain pain in my leg - a sign of deficiency. I am missing part of my small intestive so no longer able to absorb this vitamin naturally. No sugar cravings I am happy to report but I will definitely be cutting sweeteners off my diet going forward. I will add Vit B complex also as suggested to see if this works for me. Should I be looking at Magnesium also?

[greygoose in reply to Thyroid_Babe]

If you are having B12 shoots, the intestine doesn't come into it. The B12 goes directly into your blood, so shouldn't be an issue.

Don't bother looking at magnesium, just take some. Testing magnesium will not give you any useful information due to the way the body handles magnesium. But most people are deficient because soils are depleted. Try taking some and see how it makes you feel. It's water soluble so as long as your kidneys are functioning correctly, any excess will be excreted.