Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Thyroid Cancer, Nodules & Hyperthyroidism (Expert Forum)
Taking of levothyroxin(levothyroxine) together with other supplements
Answered by
Mark Lupo, M.D. - Thyroid Nodules, Thyroid Cancer, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Thyroid Ultrasound
Thyroid & Endocrine Center of Florida
Sarasota - FL
Questions in the Thyroid forum are answered by Mark Lupo, MD. Topics covered include Goiter, Graves Disease, Hyperthyroid, Parathyroid/Calcium Problems, Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Nodules/Cysts, Thyroiditis, Thyroid & Pregnancy, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Thyroid Tests, and Thyroid Surgery.
Taking of levothyroxin(levothyroxine) together with other supplements
by eniko, Dec 29, 2005 12:00AM
I am a 33 years old mother of two, and I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism shortly after I had my second daughter. I basically started gaining a lot of weigh, almost day to day. That scared me so I had myself examined and diagnosed, that is how I got on a thyroid replacement: levothyroxin (levothyroxine) 112 mcg/day. How high is that dosage considered? That was two years ago. My second question is: didn`t I just have a postpartum hypothyroidism that goes away on it`s own? If that`s the case do I really have to be on medication for a lifetime? My other concern is that: being a stay at home mother I don`t have too much chance to work out or exercise, but I am still determined to loose some weigh so I started taking Chromium Picolinate 200 mcg every day for helping metabolism. Can these two medications be taken together? I always make sure to take the Chromium tablet a few hours apart from the levothyroxin (levothyroxine). Thank you so much for your information.
Doctor's Answer
by Mark Lupo, M.D., Dec 30, 2005 12:00AM
, Dec 30, 2005 12:00AM
It is possible you had transient post-partum hypo - if the antibodies are positive the likelihood of long-term replacement is higher. I usually keep young women on replacement until they are done with reproduction to avoid hypothyroidism during pregnancy. If you are done with reproduction, then one way to test is to cut the tab in half for 5-6 weeks and recheck the TSH to see what the requirements are - if TSH ok then stop altogether and recheck 5 weeks later. By the way, 112 is a medium dose -- average for females. Ok to take with chromium -- as you are doing (a few hours apart). Regarding the weigh, I have found that regular exercise is key -- good luck finding time for that - several gyms have day care.
More important than the dose that you take -- where are your numbers?
Saw in another post from the doc that he felt treatment should get the TSH down to 1.0 at least.
Is your TSH in a good place? How about your Free T-3 and T-4 numbers?
Yes, exercise makes a difference. Is it because exercise helps oxygen intake and distribution that it makes a BIG difference in how we feel?
Seems that we hypo's also need to be VERY careful of the carbs we eat. For instance, if I eat bread, it must be whole wheat, and no more than 1 slice a day (and none at all). Most of my carbs come from fruits and veggies, and oatmeal (high fiber).
It's made a difference -- altho, I still have weight to lose.
Actually, I did find that increasing exercise did mean that I had to have my dosage upped. So, if you start really exercising and have symptoms, you may need additional blood tests. ~ Maureen
MedlinePlus Drug Information