Best time to take thyroxin?

I am sorry about your insomnia. My husband has an under active thyroid and is on a dose of 175mg. He was having side effects of breathlessness, palpitations and becoming very hot, which would wake him up at night. Though he also had these symptoms during the day as well. After many doctor's appointments to try and confirm that the Levothyroxine is causing this, he has been advised to split the dose and take 100mg in the morning, just as you do, with water and wait for half an hour before eating, and 75mg at night. This does seem to be helping with the side effects and he is sleeping a lot better now. I can't advise you to make any changes and I know how difficult it is to get a GP appointment but does your medication state that you take it in the morning or does it just say to take it daily?

Wy not go ask at the pharmacy, they are brilliant with giving advise, they may even ring your surgery and find out for you.

I usually wake in the night to go to the loo, so take mine then with a drink of water. Am also on Adcal calcium tablets, so take them in the afternoon as I understand should not be taken similar time to thyroid medication. Pharmacist said that was fine how I take them.

I’ve been on thyroxine for under active thyroid for many years. On pharmacist’s advice I take it first thing with water before morning cuppa at least 1/2 hour later. Take Adcal at lunchtime and with evening meal. Stopped taking statin recently cos (mistakenly?) it seemed to give me indigestion which has now stopped. Will start them again soon and see. I’ve never heard of link between thyroxine and insomnia although have been an insomniac for years.

Chat to your GP.

But it's perfectly fine to take at night. As long as you do it consistently

I too take my tablets on a loo break during the night as I know they should be taken on an empty stomach and not with milk.

I am seeing the endocrinologist in February as I struggle with tiredness and feel the tablets are not doing what they are supposed to do and I have been taking them for over 20 years.

I take my levo' on waking and leave at least half an hour before my cuppa. I have no trouble sleeping. I agree that you should have a word with a pharmacist.

I have been taking them for nearly 30 years. I take them in the morning, with 4 other medications and have never had a side effects. Sleep, well that has never been a problem as I can sleep for Britain. Suggest you speak to your GP, maybe get some blood tests done. Good luck.

For 25 years I've been taking 125mcg levothyroxine in the morning straight after cereal with milk, along with another medication and a load of other diet supplements. No trouble sleeping for first 10 years but have since then.

Thyroid UK website may have information on this. I'm afraid support for thyroid sufferers in this country is non existent with outdated methods of treatment and diagnosis. I know people who have had to split their doses, but don't do anything until you have spoken with GP. Insomnia is a side effect for some people with that medication.I am not a doctor and I advise you to check with GP before altering anything, especially if you are on other medications.

i take mine in the morning but cant sleep at night due to other issues,

I’ve been on thyroxine for 35+ years but have never heard of having to take them half an hour before food. I’ve been on it so long that I never read the leaflet that comes with them. I actually take them with my morning cereal along with another tablet that must be taken with food.

I guess that as my blood levels are ok, it’s not worth me changing anything. I don’t get insomnia, I sleep pretty well nowadays.

I suffer from insomnia, and have recently increased my doses of Thyroxin and Carbimazole, which has made it worse.

I also suffer from awful breathlessness, so that is interesting about your husband, Canalboatgrandma. I am seeing my endo again in January, so plan to insist we discuss this properly, as in the past he has brushed the breathlessness aside, but it is really affectingly life.

I have been told (by friends, rather than medics) that you should take thyroxin first thing, with water and no food (ie no tea, coffee or breakfast) for an hour afterwards. It's not exactly practical if you have anything to do in the morning, though.

Doodledog - I assume if you’re taking carbimazole and thyroxine you must be on ‘block and replace’ therapy for overactive thyroid. I was on carbimazole for a number of years, then referred to endocrinologist who put me on the ‘block and replace’. It made me feel much worse and I eventually had to get thyroid removed as it was extremely enlarged and was interfering with swallowing and breathing.

I now take thyroxine as I have no thyroid. I take in morning before I get up, with my coffee. From my reading, it doesn’t matter that much what time of day you take as it lasts quite a long time in the body. But it’s absorbed less well if taken with food,

Yes,*Farmor15*, I have recently been diagnosed with Graves, and my levels are fluctuating. The idea is that I try to get them to stabilise with the drugs, but I feel worse than before I started.

I do sometimes have trouble swallowing, but the breathlessness is getting me down, as I an unable to do things that I am used to, and feel that my life is shrinking.

I keep my Thyroxine by the bed with a glass of water. I take it as soon as I wake up, whether that's 5am or 7am, and then I put the 2 packets (I take 75 mcg) under my pillow in case I go back to sleep and am too groggy to remember.

I do 20 mins or so of yoga stretches under the duvet for my arthritis, and then get up so about 30 mins or more has passed before I have a cup of tea or any food.

I was the same SueDonim, I’ve been taking Thyroxine for over 40 years and took them whenever it suited me, after breakfast, after lunch, last thing at night - whenever I remembered! A discussion like this a year ago or so informed me of the proper procedure since when I’ve taken them on first waking. My counts have improved and I’m taking fewer tablets now so it’s much more efficient.

My leaflet says to take them first thing in the morning an hour before food, same as my hypertension tablets, so I always do, wake at about six, take them with water and then sleep for another hour, or listen to the radio or read.
I don’t have insomnia problems.