Thyroid Medication and Iron Suppliments!!! OH NO!!!
So I met with my Surgeon and Bariatrician today and new medical info is out that Thyroid medications and Iron should not be taken together as Iron binds the thyroid medication. So now, we cannot take Calcium and Iron together and we cannot take Thyroid medications within 12 hours of the Iron. Time to reassess how we take our meds again!!!!
- Jackie
*** Special clarification from last post... I don't mean binding up as in constipation I mean medication binding as in not absorbing the correct amount of Synthroid because of the Iron.
- Jackie
*** Special clarification from last post... I don't mean binding up as in constipation I mean medication binding as in not absorbing the correct amount of Synthroid because of the Iron.
It is my understanding after my appointments today that there is a NEW study out that states that Iron is not to be taken within 12 hours of Thyroid meds as Iron acts as a binding agent to the Thyroid medication, thus you don't absorb the full amount of Thyroid med if you take them outside of the 12 hour guideline. Calcium still is at a 4 hour gap...the change is with Iron only. You still have to take Thyroid meds in the AM on an empty stomache and not eat or take other meds within 1 hour of the Thyroid med (exception Calcium is 4 hours) which throws off my schedule...so I will try again...lol
I have to talk to my Endocrinologist. The last she told me is that we actually only have to wait 2 hours, not 4 since things go through our systems faster so we don't have to wait as long. SO we have to separate our Iron, calcium and iron all by 2 hours. I usually try to wait 4 hours if I can but 12 hours, that seems nuts since within 2 hours, 4 tops they are long out of our systems.
The other, is that there has been research out for quite sometime that thyroid meds work best if taken on an empty stomach at bedtime, again away from iron and calcium. It doesn't have to be taken in the morning. I have been taking my synthroid at night 2 hours apart from my calcium and iron and my levels are perfect.
The other, is that there has been research out for quite sometime that thyroid meds work best if taken on an empty stomach at bedtime, again away from iron and calcium. It doesn't have to be taken in the morning. I have been taking my synthroid at night 2 hours apart from my calcium and iron and my levels are perfect.
I have not heard of the study about Thyroid meds at night and apparently neither have my PCP, Surgeon, or Bariatrician. So, the only information they have given me is what I shared with you, Thyroid meds in AM on an empty stomach, and no meds or food within 1 hour of the Thyroid med. The calcium I have always been told 4 hours, and the Iron was new as of today for me at 12 hours based on a new study. Beyond that I am sharing what I was told and as always nobody should change what they do as far as their medical regiment without discussing it with thier doctor. So if yours tells you something else, by all means do what your doc's say. As for me, all three of mine are on the same page with what I shared, and that is what I will do... Synthroid in the AM on an empty stomach, no foods or meds within 1 hour...calcium not within 4 hours of Thyroid meds or itself. and Iron not within 12 hours of Thyroid med. It is doable...just not convienent.
The binding is done by the Iron and the Iron may be out of the system in 4 hours but the Thyroid med is what is at issue and is still in your system for longer than 4 hours...So, Iron processes and absorbs into your system fast, Thyroid meds slow and you don't want the Tyroid med to not be absorbed because the Iron has bound the medication in the Thyroid med. That is my understanding.
As far as meds going through our systems faster so we don't have to wait so long, I have never heard of that, since the absorbtion rates for medications do not change just because we had bariatric surgery. We absorb at the rate everyone else does based on the time it takes the medication to break down, or we Malabsorb it because it does not break down for entry into our system fast enough because our digestion is different. But absorbing faster, I have a difficult time believing that one.
I have said it before and I will say it again, this is public forum for sharing information.
CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR WHO KNOWS YOUR SPECIFIC SITUATION BEFORE YOU CHANGE WHAT YOU DO. DON'T MAKE CHANGES BASED ON WHAT YOU FIND ON A PUBLIC AND UNREGULATED FORUM. ALSO REMEMBER THAT DR'S ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO DIFFERENT OPINIONS REGARDING HOW TO HANDLE THINGS SO MY DOC COULD BE TELLING ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN YOUR DOC.
Best of luck,
Jackie
The binding is done by the Iron and the Iron may be out of the system in 4 hours but the Thyroid med is what is at issue and is still in your system for longer than 4 hours...So, Iron processes and absorbs into your system fast, Thyroid meds slow and you don't want the Tyroid med to not be absorbed because the Iron has bound the medication in the Thyroid med. That is my understanding.
As far as meds going through our systems faster so we don't have to wait so long, I have never heard of that, since the absorbtion rates for medications do not change just because we had bariatric surgery. We absorb at the rate everyone else does based on the time it takes the medication to break down, or we Malabsorb it because it does not break down for entry into our system fast enough because our digestion is different. But absorbing faster, I have a difficult time believing that one.
I have said it before and I will say it again, this is public forum for sharing information.
CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR WHO KNOWS YOUR SPECIFIC SITUATION BEFORE YOU CHANGE WHAT YOU DO. DON'T MAKE CHANGES BASED ON WHAT YOU FIND ON A PUBLIC AND UNREGULATED FORUM. ALSO REMEMBER THAT DR'S ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO DIFFERENT OPINIONS REGARDING HOW TO HANDLE THINGS SO MY DOC COULD BE TELLING ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN YOUR DOC.
Best of luck,
Jackie
The differnence is that I am getting information about thyroid medication from an Endocrinologist which I trust alot more than a PCP, surgeon or whatever a bariatrician is - if that is a nutritionist, then my Nutritionist agrees with my Endocrinologist. Endocrinologist specialize in thyroid and have alot more information and experience with thyroid and thyroid medications. I choose to trust the experts. The reason you have never heard about the synthroid in the pm, is because you don't use an Endo. Many of us on here take it at night.
As far as absorbing faster, I can't explain it technically but from it was explained to me is that medication has to get to a certain part of our digestive tract before we can absorb it and since our digestive tract is shorter, it takes less time. This is the reason we can't absorb time released or slow released medications, they go through our systems too fast and they haven't finished the time released process when it is already out of our system.
As far as absorbing faster, I can't explain it technically but from it was explained to me is that medication has to get to a certain part of our digestive tract before we can absorb it and since our digestive tract is shorter, it takes less time. This is the reason we can't absorb time released or slow released medications, they go through our systems too fast and they haven't finished the time released process when it is already out of our system.
I take my Multi-Vitamins with my calcium so I don't think that matters if you continue to take them at the same time as two of your calcium doses...Unless your multivitamin contains Iron. In that case...you may have an issue. There are options of Multi-Vitamins without Iron in them, and since you are supplimenting Iron separately it should not be a problem to use a Multi-Vitamin without Iron.
Most Active
Recent Topics