(TBS #17) What’s the Best Way to Take your Thyroid Medication? AM vs PM? Split Dosing?
Today is lesson #17 and it's all about the best way to take thyroid medication.
Should you take your thyroid medication in the morning? Should you take it in the evening? Should you split your dose? Should you take it on an empty stomach? All of these questions and more will be answered.
First off... why does it matter when or how you take your thyroid medication?
The first thing you should know is that in order for thyroid hormone to be activated it MUST be absorbed by your body. If it isn't absorbed then you won't feel better.
When you take it or how you take it may alter how much is absorbed which may impact how you feel.
What time of day that you take your medication matters:
Newer studies have shown that taking your thyroid medication in the evening may actually help increase free thyroid hormone levels.
This is felt to be because the GI tract is more active during the morning which means that you may not absorb as much of it at that time.
In addition, many people drink coffee and caffeine in the morning which activates your GI tract.
Should you take it with or without meals?
Taking thyroid hormone with meals may result in decreased absorption of your medication as your body competes with food and energy for absorption.
To avoid this you should take your thyroid medication on an empty stomach.
You can pretty much avoid this issue entirely by taking your thyroid medication in the evening because most people don't eat right before bed!
What about supplements?
There are a range of supplements which also interfere with how well your body can absorb your medication.
These supplements include:
- Iron
- Calcium
- Sucralfate
- Acid blockers
- Caffeine
- Iodine
- Fiber
If you take your thyroid medication with these supplements then the amount that you absorb may be reduced!
And, lastly, should you split your dose throughout the day?
You don't necessarily have to do this but you may find an improvement in your symptoms by doing so.
Splitting your dose may look like this:
Instead of taking 100mcg of T4 in the morning you may want to take 50mcg in the morning and 50 in the evening.
Some people feel better by doing this.
Hey guys!
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting patients but you can learn more and get plenty of information on my blog!
You can learn more about high-quality supplements that I create (and personally use) here:
https://www.restartmed.com/shop/
More information, including links to literary studies, in the video and the full blog post, can be found here:
https://www.restartmed.com/medications-thyroid-problems/
You can find more general information on my site here:
https://www.restartmed.com/
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe on youtube or leave a comment on my podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-westin-childs-podcast-thyroid-weight-loss-hormones/id1141207688?mt=2
This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
Do you have any topics or video ideas? Please say so in the comments below!
Should you take your thyroid medication in the morning? Should you take it in the evening? Should you split your dose? Should you take it on an empty stomach? All of these questions and more will be answered.
First off... why does it matter when or how you take your thyroid medication?
The first thing you should know is that in order for thyroid hormone to be activated it MUST be absorbed by your body. If it isn't absorbed then you won't feel better.
When you take it or how you take it may alter how much is absorbed which may impact how you feel.
What time of day that you take your medication matters:
Newer studies have shown that taking your thyroid medication in the evening may actually help increase free thyroid hormone levels.
This is felt to be because the GI tract is more active during the morning which means that you may not absorb as much of it at that time.
In addition, many people drink coffee and caffeine in the morning which activates your GI tract.
Should you take it with or without meals?
Taking thyroid hormone with meals may result in decreased absorption of your medication as your body competes with food and energy for absorption.
To avoid this you should take your thyroid medication on an empty stomach.
You can pretty much avoid this issue entirely by taking your thyroid medication in the evening because most people don't eat right before bed!
What about supplements?
There are a range of supplements which also interfere with how well your body can absorb your medication.
These supplements include:
- Iron
- Calcium
- Sucralfate
- Acid blockers
- Caffeine
- Iodine
- Fiber
If you take your thyroid medication with these supplements then the amount that you absorb may be reduced!
And, lastly, should you split your dose throughout the day?
You don't necessarily have to do this but you may find an improvement in your symptoms by doing so.
Splitting your dose may look like this:
Instead of taking 100mcg of T4 in the morning you may want to take 50mcg in the morning and 50 in the evening.
Some people feel better by doing this.
Hey guys!
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting patients but you can learn more and get plenty of information on my blog!
You can learn more about high-quality supplements that I create (and personally use) here:
https://www.restartmed.com/shop/
More information, including links to literary studies, in the video and the full blog post, can be found here:
https://www.restartmed.com/medications-thyroid-problems/
You can find more general information on my site here:
https://www.restartmed.com/
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe on youtube or leave a comment on my podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-westin-childs-podcast-thyroid-weight-loss-hormones/id1141207688?mt=2
This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
Do you have any topics or video ideas? Please say so in the comments below!
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