Thyroxine and underactive thyroid

A good friend of mine is taking it, they have recently upped her dose and she has found that she doesn't want to eat, so has started to lose an enormous amount of weight, she used to be size 12/14 now I think she is about size 8, she is looking like a little old lady! she asked if she could half the dosage, they said no, but she did it herself and she has started to eat again and feels so much better, don't know why they won't half her dose, she will disappear soon !!

I was on Levo for years and though my blood test results were fine, I felt awful. Armed with information from tpauk.com I now take natural thyroxine. It was like a light going on in my life! Take a look at their website, it’s full of helpful advice.

You could try taking it at bedtime providing you take it on an empty stomach, so an hour after eating, lots of people prefer night time dosing and have said it works better. Plenty of brilliant advice on HealthUnlocked which has a thyroid forum and experts to help and advise.

Take mine first thing with my early cup of rooïbosch, no caffeine.

I get up and take my tablets and go back to bed for another half-hour (at least) to read or have another little nap.

I think I will follow your advice Fran and take my thyroxine on waking and leaving half an hour till my cuppa.

Yes, I was told to take my thyroxine tabs first thing in the morning, with just water at least 30 mins before eating or drinking anything with caffeine. I place these tabs into a small container by my bed with my drinking mug, and usually take them when I first wake up for the morning, then have a good half an hour relax in bed before I get up for brekkie.
There are a lot of meds. that do not work together, and a chat to a pharmacist to review exactly what you are taking and how, will set you in the right direction.
I also take Vit C twice daily, and have to ensure that at least four hours have elapsed from taking my thyroxine tabs before taking one of these.
I also have a once a week Vit C tab which needs to be taken with water well before eating. This does cause me some confusion as to how to work this in with Levothyroxine. So, I now take that when I do one of loo visits during the night.
How and when we take our medication is as important as what it is.

I put mine into one of the small plastic things with the days of the week on and keep it beside the bed with a glass of water. I take before getting out of bed so that by the time I've used the loo, tidied the bed, gathered up laundry, looked at GN, gone downstairs etc. half an hour has easily passed before I put the kettle on.

Ethel my GP said tea was ok. His actual words were, ‘just don’t take it with a double espresso’

Thanks to this post I’m now getting my tablets ready the night before so I can take them as soon as I wake up, even if I get up to visit the bathroom and then go back to sleep. I’m to have a repeat test in a few weeks so we’ll see if there’s a difference.

GP is wrong unfortunately. Reason you can't take with tea is because it has milk in it maybe herbal tea is okay

Just read the post that says you must take thyroxine 30 mins before eating or drinking. My dd was told that she could take it with breakfast or tea or coffee by her gp. I usually take mine with a cuppa after all isnt tea 99 per cent water. So confusing

My husband takes Thyroxine and was told to take it first thing in the morning with lots of water an hour before he eats.

Very inconvenient!

Oh dear, I have just realized that I should take my dose Levothyroxin with water. I can't remember what was said at the time of the prescription being given. Always in a rush in the morning I gulp it down with an instant black coffee before dashing out of the door. However, I have been sleeping better and able to lose a little weight.

Thanks Farmor that is just what I do. Although I didn't take it until after my blood test last time and it came back normal. Previously every time they did a test they reduced it further and I'm on 650 mg a week which is not a lot for someone without a thyroid.

Nonnie - yes, blood tests would show if levels weren't right, whether due to other medications, taking with food etc. I think the main thing is to be consistent - taking it at the same time, with or without tea/coffee and other meds. Then when blood tests are done, dose can be adjusted if necessary.

Since I don't have a thyroid, I know it's important to take it, and find it easier to have beside the bed and take with morning coffee.

Thanks for the links. I didn't read the first one because it was about diagnosis and I don't have a thyroid gland so don't need it.

The second one was helpful because it clarified what we had seen in headlines.

Regarding the third, am I right in thinking (as Joy suggests) that if other meds interfere with Levothyroxin it doesn't really matter because our blood tests will allow our GPs to give us a dosage which compensates?

Joyfulnanna - if you're on medication for acid reflux it may affect absorption of thyroxine as it reduces stomach acid:

www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/issue/2016/january2016/drugs-affecting-levothyroxine-absorption

Though reading the article, it just means dose of thyroxine should be adjusted to compensate.

Good links tosca. I think we've all learned something from them. I have tried taking my dose split between morning and evening and also felt the benefit. I've stopped that now because I kept forgetting the evening one. However if I were a shift worker, I might take my dose in the evening. Its best to take it before your day starts whatever time that is. I agree it's hard waiting even 30 mins before tea/coffee. I have to take another tablet for my acid reflux and not eat for an hour after that so I wait until I'm at work to habe my breakfast.

These may be of help to some who take Thyroxine:

thyroiduk.org/tuk/diagnosis/getting_diagnosis.html

www.btf-thyroid.org/resources/news-archive/413-over-treatment-of-subclinical-hypothyroidism

I am on Thyroxine and also take a natural thyroid.
I still feel tired and have weight gain but I have other illnesses so I never know what causes what.

Both my parents are hypothyroid and one set of grandparents also my daughter is so I do believe that it is hereditary.
I have had discussions with my GP over taking a natural Thyroid but this is what my grandparents took and my father when he was first diagnosed. back in those days they didn't do the blood test, they took him into hospital for observations and worked it out.

I used ot be able to take Armour Thyroid and I did feel better on that one but NICE have stopped it. I don't know why.

I have read that the blood test normal is a low estimation based on healthy males and can be inaccurate for women who have different hormone changes in out bodies.

I have no thyroid since thyroidectomy about 12 years ago. I take thyroxine, 100 mcg a day- same dose since op- and feel fine. I take mine first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee. I usually don’t eat for an hour or so. It's obviously absorbed sufficiently as blood tests are fine. Apparently calcium interferes with absorption, so too much milk with coffee or tea would not be a good idea.

A lot of people take calcium supplements and if these are taken at same time as thyroxine it won’t be absorbed as well. Absorption of other meds can also be affected by calcium- if supplements taken, it’s better to take at night, I think.

Interesting Joyful I asked the pharmacist if it was OK to take it with coffee and he said it was! I'll go and ask a different one.

A question, if taking it with coffee stops it working, wouldn't that mean the blood tests would say we were not taking enough?

I was always told to take my tablet first thing in the morning with a large glass of water, leaving half an hour at least before eating. More recently the information has changed to include not consuming caffein for at least a half hour after taking otherwise the Thyroxine will not be absorbed by the body correctly. I am not bothered about breakfast as I rarely feel hungry in the morning but it means you can't just get up and have a cup of tea. I can manage the half hour, just!

OH has his supply of thyroxine in the bathroom and when he gets up to pop in there about 5/6am he takes a tablet then and so has a good hour or more with no tea/coffee/food etc before he gets up for the day.