Here is a link to an interesting paper concluding that it is advantageous to take levothyroxine in the evening for those with primary hypothyroidism. Anecdotal evidence: changed over about a year ago and this winter notice I am warmer. Just as well - snow is deep and crisp and even outside.
It has been mentioned/linked/referred to several times but nostoneunturned simply blogged it today! Many will not have seen it so perfectly reasonable to do so.
That is what I thought so blogged it. Changing time of taking has changed my "perception" of the cold this winter. I used to think that apart from being hypo I, originating from West of Scotland/Ireland, might just be one of those people whose ancestors who had endured famine so descendants can have a lowered body temperature. Sorry, no links, just read it online somewhere.
Not even sure if such descendants actually feel cold, probably not.
What rubbish! He should try being hypo. Also, being cold can cause fall in production of red blood cells from long bones so I guess this would probably compound the problem. I am completely sick of being regarded as a hypochondriac just for telling it like it is. GRRRRR!
He maybe one of those people, like me, who didn't even know they were hypo. He seems to think it's no big deal. But when I went onto levo in 2008, it messed me up for the better part three years. Like my body didn't like the hormone.
No big deal? He's lucky. Obviously he has not known the years of hell some people go through. Sorry that levo messed you up. I was not right in the least until T3 was added to T4.
There should be "while" between dose and available above.
Well, I'll be honest, I'm not sure myself if feeling awful for three years had more to do with my reactions to being 'ill' for the first time in my life and not being able to deal with it.
In any case, one morning I woke up and it was if I'd woken up from a bad dream. Was the the levo finally working? I have no idea.
I've started using it at night because I can't wait an hour after taking the pill to have a up of tea with milk in it in the mornings as its not to betaken with milk I thought I read somewhere
I was told to take Levo in the morning but tried taking it at night as some of you recommend it. I had awful nights, waking very alert after very little sleep.So now I'm back to mornings,wake up cold and feel drugged but get going after a while.
The better absorption achieved by taking it at night could result in being effectively slightly over-dosed. For example, 125 at bed-time might work as well as 150 in the morning. However, this is rather speculative despite the possibility being raised in several papers.
And don't feel that you SHOULD take it at bed-time - we are all different. But I do agree that splitting might help.
One of the oddities of thyroid is the time it takes to process. Takes much longer to have its full impact than we tend to think. From memory, the maximal increase in T3 from taking levothyroxine is around 48 hours later!
Hi Beaton, this is just how I took it in the beginning as advocated by my old GP. Took 50mcg in mornng and 25mcg in evening. Did not feel any different to how I feel now though. When I started it in 1997 no one knew about taking it at least 30 mins before food though.
Hi I am the same as you beaton I tried taking levo at night but was buzzing most of the night perhaps I have been taking it for too long in the mornings - 20years ! Lol. My daughter tho takes her levo before bed for the same reason as lesleya859 with no problems !
Primary is when your thyroid does not make enough thyroid hormone for reasons to do with the thyroid itself (or lack of, after thyroidectomies). Typically Hashimoto's in the UK - but iodine deficiency could also be regarded as primary.
Secondary is when pituitary does not produce enough TSH to tell thyroid to make thyroid hormone.
Tertiary is when hypothalamus does not make enough TRH to tell pituitary to make enough TSH to tell thyroid to make thyroid hormone.
And one of the real difficulties is that with anything less than major problems of the pituitary and/or hypothalamus, they will never check and test appropriately to find that out. Hence TSH can be on floor because they are not working 100% when body does not have enough thyroid hormone.
I started to take it at night only a few days ago and it has been wonderful. Can eat my breakfast when I want to can take my supplements when I want to and as I try to not eat anything after 7pm in the evening (diet) it means I have a nice empty tummy by about 11pm when I take my levo. Sleep like a log and feel warmer ( maybe that could be because we had the loft insulated!). have also managed to up my dose from 75/100 alternate days to 100 each night. Always seemed to make me have palpitations when I tried it during the day so with a bit of luck my TSH should come down by the next blood test. I'm just a wee bit worried it's all going too well!
I used to go to bed wrapped up like a polar bear and still had iceblocks for feet. More like a normal human being now, have proper, warm feet, plus warm hands all day. Nice feeling I had completely forgotten existed, though I still regarded myself as very well treated.
I would say you could start tonight as levothyroxine has a long half life. I just switched same day, last morning dose levo on same day as first bedtime dose, still here. If you are really nervous still then you could gain confidence from taking just half your daily dose tonight, the other half in the morning, then a whole dose tomorrow night and so the change is achieved.
Nostoneunturned Thanks for your help. I think I might just try the whole thing with the t4 tonight and get it over and done with as I am not sleeping well anyway....
Please Note: this is NOT "evening", it is BEDTIME dosing. If you take it in the evening, you might well be overstimulated and not sleep well at all. You must wait until right before you turn out the light.
I've loved this report. It came out in 2007. But while it's not a new study, it's new to many and thanks for pointing it out.
I'm back on bedtime only dosage and feeling good again. I went through a period where it wasn't quite right. Now I'm taking only 85mcg at night (and increasing) and feel much bettre than when I tried divided doses and CT3M. It is important to get where you feel best, not someone else.
Parafluie, that is an interesting point you make. The title use of "evening" is never used again, but "bedtime" is used 4 times; "nightime" once; "late evening" once, so the tile does not reflect what is actually meant by what text we have. It also shows that i read it incluenced by my perceptions -even "evening" was interpreted by me as "last thing at night" as that is exactly how I have taken meds for ages.
Yes, it does leave a lot to interpetation. But for me, evening is after dinner . . . 7, 8, 9 pm <g> Even night (which is later than evening in my connotation) isn't "quite right" So, if I were to take my T3 at 8pm then go to bed at 11-12, I'd be all bolloxed up and unable to sleep.
I really appreciate your reminding us of that study. It's good to read again. FWIW, many people on Mary Shomon's About site (including, I think, Leslie who posted the first link to that site that I remember) take meds at night and there's a lot written about that.
It's specifically the T4 in thyroxine so it would apply, to some extent, to Armour too.
While taking a small dose of Armour once a day, it is probably more helpful to take in the morning. Joesmum's advice on your question is excellent. Once a person is taking more than one dose a day, a small dose taken at night can help some people, although a few people find it keeps them awake.
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