Morning vs. Night Medication?

blairwithredhair

Hi everyone,

Does anyone take their meds at night? Did you find anything different when you did so?

Thanks!

Fuzzipeg

I did take my liquid levothyroxine at night for a while. I was having trouble with my throat which made getting to sleep more problematical, at first I split the dose, the luxury of liquid, then made a full change. After a few weeks the problem subsided and I reverted to mornings. I don't have the same need to delay breakfast as much as someone on pills has.

As long as a time lapse of two hours has passed after food, I have read that this is acceptable. Your own doctor would have their take on this. I wonder if while sleeping and making no other demands on one's body, would this facilitate uptake for those who's needs are possibly more sensitive, as mine had been.

RebuildingMyself

I take mine in the AM. I have an alarm set at 5:30 specifically to take my pill and then go back to sleep until I get up at 7am.

BadgerFaced

I usually take it first thing when I get up. I find I'm really sluggish in the mornings though and have a hard time getting out of bed. When I would take it before bed, if I didn't go to bed right after taking it, I would be up for some time unable to sleep. I'm thinking of splitting my dose but I dunno.

mom2pandc

I take mine at night. When I first started back on synthroid, I began suffering from terrible insomnia when I took it in the mornings. I figured if it was going to keep me awake 12 hours after I took it, then I'd take it at night and be more awake during the day! It works well for me and the doctor didn't seem to mind when I told him I'd rather have insomnia during the day

editorgrrl

I take Synthroid & Cytomel. They have to be taken with a large glass of water on an empty stomach (at least 2 hours after eating or drinking anything but water) and at least 4 hours after taking any supplements (vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.). You can't eat or drink anything but water for an hour after taking them.

Synthroid can be taken any time of day, as long as it meets all the above conditions. I take mine in the morning, then wait an hour before breakfast. (I often eat within two hours of bedtime, so I couldn't take it then.)

Cytomel is trickier. It has a short half-life, so you have to take it several times a day. My endocrinologist wanted to prescribe it 3x a day, but that would mean nothing but water for a minimum of 6 hours every day! We compromised on taking 2 pills in the morning (with the Synthroid), then one dose in the afternoon.

I set a timer for 2 hours when I finish lunch, and eat or drink nothing but water. I take the Cytomel, then set the timer for another hour. When it goes off, I cheer! That's 4 hours a day of nothing but water. I keep my pills & a glass of water on my bedside table, and take them whenever I wake in the middle of the night. It's such a luxury to wake the next morning and not have to wait for breakfast.

The reason for all this waiting is to enable your body to properly absorb the meds. I might be able to "fudge" it by waiting 30 minutes rather than an hour after taking them, but for me the risk of hypo symptoms just isn't worth it. YMMV.

pmollet29

I take mine in the morning right when I get up so I can eat an hour afterwards.

shvits

I take synthroid and cytomel in the A.M. and more cytomel at 1 P.M. I found if I take it at night I am awake forever. I am very sensitive to medication, so you may not have this problem. I do wait an hour after taking my meds in the A.M.

Fuzzipeg

I have read, quite a few people do have benefits from splitting their doses. This is all about finding what is right for you.

NexStar3

I take mine at bed time. That way I have had nothing to eat for several hours and won't be eating in my sleep either. Never been kept awake by taking it at night but I suppose I am already asleep when it kicks in. My Doc said it was the best time to take it.

ChelleBelle2708

I have just changed my Levothyroxine to night time as I was struggling with sleep. I also take Lyothyronine (T3) in the morning, and a 1/4 tab again around 1pm - this seems to be working well for me now. I'm actually starting to feel tired around the normal time in the evening and *touches wood* I've slept in my own bed for the past two weeks with no issues!

blukitten

I take my westhroid pure in the morning when I first wake up and then wait to eat until an hour afterwards. Works good for me

duckykissy

I took mine at night for a while but I found that it was just too hard to keep it at a regular time. And sometime I would also just forget. For me waking up and taking it, having a slow morning getting ready, and then eating an hour later is just easier and more consistent.

ElizabethKalmbach

I take mine first thing in the morning after my workout. My bed time routine varies too much for me to be able to remember to take anything consistently, so the best thing for me is morning - because drinking coffee will ALWAYS BE MY ROUTINE.