Wellness

[dulwich]

Dr recently reduced my daily thyroid meds dosage then had new b/w done and he said all looks good.  I am now on Levothyroxine 75mcg.

However, since new dosage I seem to be hot all the time, also put on a bit of weight too though no change in my routine or eating.

Told Dr this but he said b/w good so to take my thyroid pill Mon to Fri, skip Sat and Sun for a month, see how I feel, then get new b/w done.  All this told to me yesterday.

Has anyone else experienced this direction to  ‘skip’ meds - just wondered.

[ahoymate]

Not skip but cut in half a tablet one day a week, vs. taking the whole tablet. If you are questioning your MD, maybe consider a 2nd opinion from another MD, perhaps an endocrinologist, they specialize in this.

[Sooner]

The last refill I got said to take on empty stomach and wait 4 hours before eating  food with calcium or iron .  So if I take it when I get up, no cereal.   

With the four hour and empty stomach issue, I'd like to know when one is supposed to take the danged thing?  I'm going with the wait 1 hour thing and figure I haven't died yet . . . 

[dulwich]

@ahoymate I only thought about this today as I had not heard about being able to skip daily meds -  I do trust my Dr but did wonder if anyone else has done this - I can always ask my Dr this question too but did not think about it yesterday!  Thank you for reply.

[Laura14]

@dulwich   Call the pharmacist.  He or she is the best expert on pharmacology.  It's who your doctor calls if they want to give you a correct answer.

Thyroid meds are crazy touchy including dosage, brand name, ingredients, etc.  It's highly personalized to your body and can take some time to get it right. 

Give the pharmacist a call and I guarantee they will have the best experience and advice for you to double check what's going on with you including dosing tweaks and/or possibly switching manufacturers which could be all you need.

And don't worry. They can do nothing without the okay of your physician so you're not going behind anyone's back.  Just expanding the village with a more experienced specialized medical person in this area.    

[dulwich]

@Sooner  Mine are always on empty stomach then wait 1 hour never had 4 hours !

[ahoymate]

I've spoke with my MD about taking Synthroid before bedtime. She said not a problem as long as I haven't eaten.

The pharmacist had a fit. Best to speak with the MD who knows this best.

[Icegoddess]

@dulwich , the wait 4 hours is specifically for Iron or Calcium supplements.  I wouldn't worry too much about milk or yogurt.  The reason is that Calcium and Iron (and it also should've said Soy) interfere with your absorption of the medicine.  Same with other foods within one hour.  Coffee, in particular, has been shown to interfere with absorption.  

All that being said, even the FAQ on Synthroid's website says consistency is more the key.  If you consistently drink your coffee before the 1 hour wait or consistently eat something with calcium in it, your meds can be modified to account for it. 

If you're really concerned about it, some people take their meds at night before going to bed, as long as you do it on an empty stomach.  Someone was asking about when they should be taking their meds, but I don't remember who it was.

EDT:  Yes, I have seen directions to skip a day from people in a thyroid group I follow.

[Peaches McPhee]

Actually, yes!  I take levothyroxine 6 days a week, skipping Sundays.  Have been on this regime for years.   Works for me (and my blood).  

[Icegoddess]

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@ahoymate wrote:

Not skip but cut in half a tablet one day a week, vs. taking the whole tablet. If you are questioning your MD, maybe consider a 2nd opinion from another MD, perhaps an endocrinologist, they specialize in this.

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@ahoymate I have seen as many complaints about endocrinologists as I have about PCPs.  I thnk they must spend more time training on diabetes than they do on thyroid disorders.