Thyroid meds, some things you should know

I am an advocate for natural healing. Not big on OTC or prescription medications. I understand that sometimes we need them. Some of them have been pretty life saving for people.

What the problem is, is that medications are used like M&Ms these days. They are doled out to anyone and everyone whenever a complaint is spoken or your “numbers” are high. The doctors are giving the same medications to everyone most of the time.

WE, are not all alike. One person’s high blood pressure can be caused by something different than another. So why give the same medication?

There are many reasons why someone has high blood pressure, cholesterol, arthritis, autoimmune issues, etc.  Getting to the bottom of the WHY our system is doing what it is doing is the key to getting healthy. Throwing medications at it will not fix the root cause of the issue. It may take away the symptoms but not get the the cause.

Most medications are not meant for long term use. Most meds are to get over an acute issue, find the source of the problem, then move on.

While I am on the subject, just because your family has a history of something does not make it so that you are destined to have the same thing. Most metabolic dis-eases are the result of lifestyle choices. So, it is only human nature to follow what you have brought up to do. If your family ate poorly, smoked, lacked movement you may also do the same. It's just what you have been conditioned to do. It follows right into the path of that person getting the same dis-eases as their family members.

I know there are a lot of people out there on thyroid medications. I wanted to bring up a couple of things about this. Many have had issues with the medication. They keep changing them or they go on other meds because of side effects. I am not going to get into that today.

I would like you to know a couple of things about taking the medication if you or if someone you know takes thyroid medication and are having issues with it.

There are some issues with taking certain foods and vitamins with thyroid medication.

Here are a few tips for you.

1. Take them in the morning and consistently.

2. Take levothyroxine  30-60 minutes before any food for maximum absorption

3. If you take NDT (Armour Thyroid, Nature-Thyroid) take this with food.

Your diet is especially important to this medication

• If you have a high fiber or soy diet think of taking your medication in a gap between eating those because they will impede absorption.

• If you drink coffee or any other caffeinated beverage wait at least one hour after taking your medication. Caffeine significantly inhibits the absorption.

  1. Mineral interactions:

  • Iron and Calcium: These can severely affect the absorption of thyroid medication. It’s best to take any supplements containing iron or calcium at least 4 hours before or after your thyroid medication.

  • Magnesium and Aluminum: Found in some antacids such as Mylanta and Maalox, these types of heartburn meds can also interfere with thyroid medication absorption. Keep a similar gap as with iron and calcium

    1. Drug interactions:

• Bisphosphonates (used for osteoporosis like Fosamax): These should be taken several hours apart from thyroid medication to avoid reduced effectiveness of both drugs.

• Antidepressants: Some antidepressants can increase the body’s metabolism of thyroid medication, necessitating adjustments in dosage.

• Blood Thinners (ie warfarin): Thyroid medications can enhance the effect of blood thinners, potentially leading to bleeding risks. Monitoring and dosage adjustments may be necessary.

• Antacids (ie Maalox, Prilosec etc.): These alter pH in the stomach reducing effectiveness of thyroid pills, all of them. Space your thyroid medication about two hours away from acid blockers.

1. Fruit

• Grapefruit: Like many other medications, grapefruit and grapefruit juice can alter the metabolism of thyroid medications. It’s wise to avoid grapefruit altogether when on thyroid treatment.

This is really something to take into consideration when taking thyroid medication. A few things we don’t even think of can alter the absorption and workings of the medication. As always talk to a qualified doctor if you are having any issues with your medication. Keeping these in mind you are now armed with some good information to help you along should you or someone you know is taking thyroid medication.