Anyone else on thyroid meds?

Jthanmyfitnesspal
Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hypothyroidism runs in my family, so I was pretty sure it was coming. I've just started a fairly low dose daily of L-thyroxin.

Of course, I'm hoping it is going to help me lose the few pounds that have mysteriously found me over the past few months while also making me a bit more peppy overall. I haven't done very well with my winter cut this year due to various setbacks, including my slightly underperforming thyroid.

In terms of actually taking the med, you are supposed to take it "on an empty stomach." You're also supposed to avoid taking it with some supplements, notably calcium, separating them by 4 hours. The advice is to take it right when you get up, which is pretty easy as it's a tiny pill. I've been in the habit of having tea right as I get up, and I'm trying to figure out if I have to wait 30 minutes to have that as well. (Please, no!)

So, did anyone find much of a difference going on thyroxin? How do you take it? Is it the fountain of youth that one can hope for?

Replies

  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
    Same here ,my whole family has it. yes you do have to wait 30' before drinking or eating anything other than water. i have been taking meds for about 15 years now, haven't noticed any differences at all .
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Some avoid having to wait to eat or drink in the morning by taking it before bed (assuming you haven't eaten within a couple of hours of bedtime).

    I went on a low dose a few years ago. At the time, I was really fatigued, but it was another health issue that resulted in the discovery. I'd been keeping an eye on it though, because I was the same age my mom was when hers tanked. It was certainly no fountain of youth for me, nor did it help with my weight loss efforts, but that may be because it was a small deficiency and a low dose worked it out (for now).
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I'll be curious if you feel the difference too, foot tapping, gestures, ect.

    Did you have step goals already that you mainly met, or you just got what you felt like getting?
    Be curious if the daily counts go up.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    Well, this info makes it sound like you have to drink a pint of water and avoid eating almost everything to get it to absorb:

    https://www.tpauk.com/main/article/how-to-take-thyroxine-so-that-it-actually-works/

    Taking it before bed does sound like a good approach, however, drinking a pint of water right at bedtime could be a problem. I'm going to hate giving up my tea in the morning, so there you have it!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited March 2021
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Well, this info makes it sound like you have to drink a pint of water and avoid eating almost everything to get it to absorb:

    https://www.tpauk.com/main/article/how-to-take-thyroxine-so-that-it-actually-works/

    Taking it before bed does sound like a good approach, however, drinking a pint of water right at bedtime could be a problem. I'm going to hate giving up my tea in the morning, so there you have it!

    For what it's worth, I don't drink more than 8 oz with mine, probably not that much sometimes, and it's working just fine and haven't had to make an adjustment in years.
  • LisaGetsMoving
    LisaGetsMoving Posts: 664 Member
    I take mine every morning. If I remember to take it very first thing, I'll take it with water. If not, I take it with my coffee. If I totally forget to take it in the morning and remember in the afternoon, I take it whether my stomach is empty or not. If it's early evening and I remember, I'll just wait until the next morning.

    I've been on thyroid meds for 12 years. I take Levothyroxine(T4) and Liothyrinine(T3). It didn't make it any easier to lose weight, but the large muscles in my legs don't hurt quite so much and the endless fatigue lightened... fatigue still comes and goes seasonally and may be low Vit. D related (Vit D is a hormone precursor and thyroid is part of the hormone system). Sometimes other hormones are slightly off as well when thyroid issues crop up. For instance, many women are diagnosed around menopause/perimenopause. My younger brother found that his thyroid problem presented in conjunction with a drop in testosterone. Also, insomnia! Eventually, my sleep pattern straightened out but I didn't know that hypothyroidism could contribute to insomnia. A good nights sleep is extremely important to weight loss (and mood and productivity and...).
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,203 Member
    I've been on levothyroxine for almost 20 years, having been diagnosed right after cancer treatment when I didn't recover energy as expected post-chemotherapy. I believe it's standard to start with a low dose, give that many weeks to settle in, re-do blood tests, and then re-assess. If someone needs a higher dose, it can take a while to get there. (Too high a dose is risky!)

    In case you haven't seen it, this thread is very helpful background:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10767046/hypothyroidism-and-weight-management

    It was written by a scientist in the field, himself hypothyroid, who lost weight through calorie-counting. Very science based, and IIRC somewhere in the thread, he answered a question about tea or coffee within the waiting period before eating. (I know he answered it on some thread; answer was in terms of whether that specific thing interferes biochemically with the actual absorption pathway; but I don't recall the details.)

    Personally, I always take the pills right after morning weigh-in with 12oz water, then go on with my morning routine for a while. In these pandemic times, I've been using a bit of that time for some stretches/yoga, which is a nice start to the day. I'm now on a proper dose, two pills (137mcg+25mcg to get the right level), so I don't have the extreme morning stiffness that was one of my main noticeable symptoms of being hypo. I wish I'd had the stretching routine then, frankly, as I'm sure it would've been very helpful.

    Getting treated properly was definitely a life improvement, for me. I wasn't trying to manage my weight back then (seemed the least of my problems at the time of diagnosis, really). However, I did notice a bit of slowing at a later stage, when it turned out that I needed an upward dosage adjustment, after a long period of stability.

    Good luck - hoping you'll feel much better, and get the improvements you seek!
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    I've been on 88 mcg of levothyroxin for 13 years (?) now. I take it first thing in the morning with several gulps of water, although not sure exactly how much. I do always wait at least 30 minutes before eating, and 4 hours before supplements.

    While it wasn't "jump out at me" kind of improvement, I did notice a difference, especially with my overall energy level. I also do think it made it easier for me to lose weight...again, not drastically, but enough to keep me going and lose weight before I got married.

    I have always been a kind of low-energy person, even as a kid. At one point as an adult, my mom thought I may have had low thyroid. An ob found a goiter in my early 20's, but supposedly my thyroid levels were normal. I believe when I was diagnosed, I was barely hypothyroid. However, I don't consider myself a low-energy person anymore.



  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I've decided to take it at bedtime. Then I can still drink my tea with milk first thing in the morning. (I'm often in a rush.)

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