Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

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Need help: When do you take your thyroid medication?

moopity
moopity Posts: 54 Member
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Hi,

I have Hashimotos/hypothyroidism. My doctor tells me that after I take my medication, I need to wait a FULL hour to eat. This is bad news for me because in the morning, which is when I take my medication, I don't want to wait a FULL hour to eat. I want to eat right my breakfast and have my coffee right away!

I could consider changing the time I take my medication to the evenings, but the T3 gives me too much energy and makes sleep difficult. I'm definitely a morning medication person.

So, given the above, my questions are:

1) WHEN do you take your medication?

2) HOW LONG after eating do you take your medication?

I know everyone is different, but I'm hoping I can still take my medication in the early AM. I understand many of you might chew your Armour in the morning (per stopthethyroidmadness.com), but my doctor said the new Armour formula is not meant to be taken in this way.

I would love to hear from you guys about your experience and how it might relate to my situation!

Thanks very much!

Replies

  • Cindy873
    Cindy873 Posts: 1,165
    I've been on thyroid meds for 6 years. I usually eat within 20 minutes of taking my pill (and occasionally I forget and take it right after I eat). My labs always come back in the ideal range, so it must be working okay! (I've only needed a dosage change once in the last several years).
  • sphares
    sphares Posts: 15 Member
    I take my meds first thing in the morning and wait at least 30 minutes before eating. At first it was hard because I would eat as soon as I got up, now I can find a few things to do around the house and before I know it, I can eat.
  • Elizabeth_M
    Elizabeth_M Posts: 562 Member
    When I am working, I do wait at least an hour or two because I take them (T4s) at 6 am and by the time I have the kids ready and at school and me at work it's 8 am and then I have time to breathe and eat in PEACE.

    When I am on vacay (like this summer) - I wait about a half hour, then I take my T3 and then I eat. I figure I would much rather eat right away, but I don't want to screw anything up just for the satisfaction of eating right away. I want to make sure all those meds get right in there!
  • SKHaz1
    SKHaz1 Posts: 145 Member
    I take mine in the morning and wait for 30 minutes before I eat...sometimes its 20 minutes, sometimes less. But like others have said my labs have always come back normal.
  • moopity
    moopity Posts: 54 Member
    Thank you for all of your feedback. Sounds like many of you have had success with waiting 30 minutes. That seems a lot more doable than a full hour. My labs have been wonky lately, and maybe if I'm consistent with the 30 minutes, we'll see some improvement.

    Thanks again!
  • MmmDrop
    MmmDrop Posts: 160 Member
    I take mine in the morning, and wait a whole hour before coffee or anything. But I've heard quite a few people say that they'll set their alarm clocks an hour before they normally get up - take their meds - then go back to sleep for an hour.
  • maryluna52
    maryluna52 Posts: 5 Member
    I do exactly that. Wake up basically one hour earlier than I need to. My meds and water are on the nightstand. Take my Armour (swallow, don't chew), and then wait at least one hour before eating or coffee. I have read just about everywhere that this is important for the medication to be absorbed in your system. Also heard not good to take at night. My levels are right, I just have to try to figure out now how to loose all the weight I have put on.
  • debbylee22
    debbylee22 Posts: 456 Member
    I take it at midnight, or whenever I get up in the night.
  • heygina
    heygina Posts: 78
    I take my synthroid and then I don't eat for another hour or so, but if I'm home I'll wait only the 20 minutes it says to on the bottle because it takes that long to get downstairs to make the coffee anyway. HTH!
  • tecallahan
    tecallahan Posts: 732 Member
    I take Armour -- I always wake up for bio reasons around 4-5am and that's when I take it. I chew it up and rinse it down. Then go back to sleep for an hour or two and get up and eat. But even if I take it late, I usually only wait 30 mins before eating -- just make sure you aren't eating anything heavy in calcium and don't eat walnuts -- they block absorption.
  • JessyJ03
    JessyJ03 Posts: 627 Member
    I take my meds as soon as I wake up. I don't wait too long before eating either sometimes 20-30 minutes sometimes I eat right after. It doesn't seem to matter.
  • jazzylopez
    jazzylopez Posts: 43 Member
    I set my alarm at 4am take my pill & go back to sleep :smile:
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    I take mine at night, preferably giving myself a full two hours to digest any food before taking it, and then I go to bed. I'm not on T3 though. I'm only on T4 medication.

    I say, whatever you do, the important thing is that you do it consistently. If you're going to eat, do the same thing before your tests that you do every day so the doctor can get a clear picture of what your body is doing with the medication.

    I too, am very hungry in the morning. It bugs me to read all the stats about how people who eat breakfast are more likely to be a healthy weight, when I know I'm super hungry right when I wake up. I also find that when I take my medication in the morning, I find myself using the bathroom at work during inconvenient times, whereas when I take it at night, I have to go in the morning BEFORE work. The medication clearly affects my digestion, and if I'm going to, uh... you know, I want to do it at home.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    Most days I try and wait an hour, but my doctors told me 20-30 minutes AT LEAST. I wake up hungry and it stinks waiting.
  • freeone17
    freeone17 Posts: 18 Member
    I take my synthroid as soon as I wake up in the morning with a full glass of water. Then I wait the recommended one hour to eat. It's torture because I'm starving when I wake up, but I'm afraid if I don't follow the directions perfectly, the medication might not work.
  • jadesign19
    jadesign19 Posts: 512 Member
    I take it around 9pm or later. I usually have dinner anywhere before 6 pm. This works for me since ive been waking up at 5:00 to run. I'm on synthroid. I just had my labs done and I'm happy with results. This way I can take my multivitamin in the morning and not worry about side effects. I don't do dairy anymore, except an occasional sprinkle of shredded cheese. No soy and low carbs.

    Nighttime works for me:yawn:
  • hygienequeen1
    hygienequeen1 Posts: 3
    I also take armour. I set my alarm an hour before I need to be up. I take my pill and go back to bed for another hour. This works out since I HAVE to have my coffee the moment i get up.
  • lainey486
    lainey486 Posts: 10
    i take mine currently at 6 am, then go back to sleep till 9 am, as a college student, I get to sleep in during the summer. I will probably take it at 5am starting in august, and go back to sleep for an hour and half.
  • Anniel88
    Anniel88 Posts: 150 Member
    I had to change my routine when I started taking my meds. Now I take my meds first thing when I wake up in the morning then I shower and get ready for the day. By the time I get downstairs it's already been 30+ minutes, so I just grab my coffee and eat after the hour mark.

    Since I've been taking my meds for about 10 years now, I've gotten used to this routine and now sometimes I'm not hungry for a few hours after I wake up. At first it was torture to not eat when I first woke up.
  • cmillv
    cmillv Posts: 18 Member
    I take mine at 2am. I set my cell phone alarm.
  • MtnKat
    MtnKat Posts: 714
    I take Levothyroxine at 5:30 am when I first wake up, then I go for a run, walk to work and eat breakfast. I'm not hungry when I first get up so it doesn't bother me that much.
  • debbylee22
    debbylee22 Posts: 456 Member
    I've switched to taking mine between 4-5 am now. Plenty of time for an empty stomach & no need to wait on my coffee when I get up at 6 am... perfect. (I get up naturally at that time)... :blushing:
  • Sister_Someone
    Sister_Someone Posts: 567 Member
    I've taken to keeping my pill bottle next to my bed and taking the meds as soon as I wake up -these days usually between 9 and 10- and then wait forever to eat my first meal, let's say after 1 pm, but usually between 2-3. It's not something I do on purpose, I just never eat breakfast.
  • ALCandy
    ALCandy Posts: 3 Member
    Hate to tell you this but I take mine in the morning. It is in a daily meds container on my nightstand with a glass of water. I set my alarm and when it goes off I take my meds. I may get up or I may go back to sleep, it depends on my day. But since it usually takes me about an hour to get dressed and all, I find that this has worked ok for me. :drinker:

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