Taking your thyroid med with or without food?

horselady34
horselady34 Posts: 51 Member
Hi everyone,

I was just curious how do you all take your thyroid meds? I went to the endocrinologist and told him I just want to feel better and I have been waking up at 3 am every morning ( I work early ) so my meds can get absorbed and he shook his head and said he doesn't understand why I would take them without food.. He was my thyroid doc when I was a baby and we thought he retired but he didn't and found him and glad I did.. It makes sense he told me cause when our stomachs are empty we have lots of stomach acid and its very hard for your meds to get absorbed and I also told him that I had been using fiber and he said no don't use fiber cause that binds the synthroid and decreases the effectiveness so for example if your taking 50mcgs and then using fiber well after it binds together its brings it to 25 mcgs.. Sorry this is so long but I just want to know what works best for you, its differen't for everyone and I'm gonna take it with food..

Replies

  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I eat shortly after taking mine and think it does ok. I heard not to drink milk with it so I usually dont. I do drink coffee with mine though.
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    I was told (supporting literature and by my endocrinologist) to take Synthroid on an empty stomach with a full glass of water, wait one hour for any food and 4 hours before taking any vitamins/supplements.

    My husband takes his at night at least 2 hours after his last meal/snack, which was approved by his endocrinologist as he has other meds he takes in the morning.

    I've never seen a recommendation to take Synthroid with food.
  • Lizajayne23
    Lizajayne23 Posts: 123 Member
    I was told my multiple sources (docs, pharm, etc)

    Take on an empty stomach.
    Avoid eating or coffee for at least an hour after taking.
    Avoid taking fiber 4 hours before or after.
    Avoid calcium (supplements, milk etc) but I forget the time frame for this one since I do neither

    In my research, I've read that this is because there is LESS stomach acid on an empty stomach and the reason they tell you plain water is because that does not cause your stomach to produce acid. Anything with a flavor that makes you salivate is increasing your stomach acid. So if you enjoy coffee, then that first whiff is flooding your stomach with acid.

    With that said, you CAN eat or drink however, you just have to follow the same routine every day because you'll require a higher dose. So if you get up and drink coffee every day, at the same time, then you meds will adjust to fit that. The 3 most important factors are staying on the same schedule, avoiding fiber and avoiding calcium since those do the worst harm to absorption.

    I work at home and often late, so it's easiest for me and gives the meds the best shot at working to have my hubby wake me when he leaves for work to take mine, then I can roll over and sleep until coffee time. This may be an hour or four depending on my schedule. LOL
  • horselady34
    horselady34 Posts: 51 Member
    Thank you guy's for your reply's, yeah I have never heard a doctor say to never take your thyroid med on a empty stomach.. He explained it good but wow! I'm a little confused now cause I have alway's taken it on a empty stomach and now trying to take it with breakfast is going to be a change, little nervous about it cause I'm having tons of problems with my hypothyroid symptoms, I really hope he increases my med..
  • MeepleMuppet
    MeepleMuppet Posts: 226 Member
    Food reduces the effectiveness. As I discovered, so does not taking it with a full glass of water. That's all it took for me - don't eat for an hour afterward and take it with a full glass of water. I felt a thousand times better. The only thing I can suggest is making sure the endo knows exactly what you are doing so that they can interpret your lab results appropriately. By drinking a full glass of water instead of just a sip, I increased the effectiveness of the meds and got to reduce the mgs.
  • JayMri
    JayMri Posts: 241 Member
    I was told (supporting literature and by my endocrinologist) to take Synthroid on an empty stomach with a full glass of water, wait one hour for any food and 4 hours before taking any vitamins/supplements.

    This is exactly what I have been told as well as what I have read. I think it's even a warning on my prescription bottle.
  • ashleyapplewhite
    ashleyapplewhite Posts: 83 Member
    I was told (supporting literature and by my endocrinologist) to take Synthroid on an empty stomach with a full glass of water, wait one hour for any food and 4 hours before taking any vitamins/supplements.

    This is exactly what I have been told as well as what I have read. I think it's even a warning on my prescription bottle.

    This is what I was told too. I take mine at 5:30, go to boot camp from 6-7, and then come home and eat breakfast/have my coffee. I've noticed that I feel much better if I do it this way as opposed to waking up, taking it, waiting 30 minutes, and then eating.
  • shvits
    shvits Posts: 249 Member
    I take meds with a glass of water when I get up in the morning and wait one hour before eating. I used to take them with food, but that is no longer recommended. When I started meds 40 years ago there was no recommendation to wait or drink with water. Things change and so did I .
  • survivor1952
    survivor1952 Posts: 250 Member
    I would question him again. My endo gave me the same instructions as other people here are saying. Always on an empty stomach, wait before taking supplements, etc. Check all available websites too. Maybe he explained it incorrectly to you. No use in taking it if your body is not going to absorb & use it properly. Good Luck!
  • horselady34
    horselady34 Posts: 51 Member
    Thank you! I asked him again and said it did not matter and I am so
    Confused.. He said as long as I dont take it with fiber its ok.
    My levels came out showing I am getting to much & I am only on
    50 mcgs and dont understand why I am having hypo symptoms,
    I think I am just going to go back to taking it on a empty
    Stomach...
  • MeepleMuppet
    MeepleMuppet Posts: 226 Member
    It's tough because we need to be able to trust our doctors but sorry to say, he's wrong on this. These thyroid meds are some of the oldest on the market so it's very possible he's giving you outdated advice, thinking that if the med hadn't changed, the recommendations hadn't changed either. Taking the med wrong will effect your TSH test results so once you start taking it differently and make that your routine, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get tested again in 8 weeks (my doc's been adjusting mine and she has me come in 8 weeks after every dose change.) Doc wants my TSH levels at 0 because of cancer, and I'm currently on 112 mgs.

    No food three hours prior, no food an hour after, FULL glass of water, no antiacids or supplements for four hours after - it really doesn't take long to start feeling better if your dosage is correct. Please keep us updated because it is also true that everyone is different. Oh I really hope this helps!!
  • horselady34
    horselady34 Posts: 51 Member
    Awww thank you! My tsh is 0.01, I'm gonna start taking it on a empty stomach instead of changing my routine right off the bat! I don't know why I feel so hypothyroid, I mean I have been running on the treadmill just about everyday, exept I give myself 2 days off but the rest of the day's i'm always working out.. here are my lab results

    TSH - 0.01
    T4 - 8.8
    Free T4 - 1.82
    Free T3-4.
    Total T3 - 1.5
  • MeepleMuppet
    MeepleMuppet Posts: 226 Member
    I felt the same way. Then I started taking my med with a full glass of water instead of a sip and started feeling better immediately. Actually ended up with too high a dosage since I had basically increased the efficacy of the med. Hopefully that's what happens to you and the low dose ends up being perfect! FR sent if you're interested. Good luck!
  • lorcart
    lorcart Posts: 406 Member
    My instructions were take it 30 min. before food or 2 hours after food. It's critical to also take with a FULL glass of water as everyone else has said. As far as the fiber, as long as the 30 min./2hr rule is followed, I think fiber is a GOOD thing. Our issues with our thyroids often cause us to have high cholesterol as well. Fiber is crucial to combat this!
  • toothpastechica
    toothpastechica Posts: 250 Member
    I've never been instructed to take it without food...and honestly from the research I have done...its mostly the iron and calcium that reduce effectiveness (most dr.s, research, pharmacists all agree to not take synthroid or other thyroid replacement within 4 hours of vitamins/supplements that include either of these) and that time of day and consistency is more important then if you eat 5 minutes after or 2 hours after.
    If eating is causing issues for your body to absorb it then you will be given a higher dose, as long as you ALWAYS eat soon after or NEVER eat soon after, your prescription will be able to change to reflect that...

    I usually take my pill when I first get up, and then start my morning routine, so its usually probably about 10 minutes after that I have breakfast. I wouldn't be able to consistently remember to take a pill if I was having to constantly wait hours to eat after...I would be passing out if I don't eat soon-ish after waking up....and taking it at night doesn't help since I already take my vitamins and other suppliments at night...