what's the reason for waiting to eat after taking thyroid med

[lee747]

I have been on thyroid for a year now and I have never waited longer than 30 mins (thought that was the time I was supposed wait) before eating. Have I made the med ineffective by doing so? Dosage has recently been increased. I have never had a stomach ache during this year. Thanks


This discussion is related to levothroxine and gastric problems.

[nicolew08]

I was born without a thyroid,

it depends on my mornings, but i usually dont eat a while after taking my meds.
it just depends if i eat breakfast or not..i do feel diff if i havent taken my pill for the day...but if i eat right after taking it i dont really feel all that different...so....

[Thypatient]

It's my understanding this medication takes longer than most to absorb into the body.  Also, that the food itself can absorb the medication before the body has a chance to.  So the medication might be benefiting the food you eat before benefiting you.

I don’t eat or drink anything for two hours after taking the med first thing in the morning.  My endo was firm on that instruction.  I believe it was because I no longer have a thyroid to pick up any slack.  But I’ve read of others who had a TT, got no instruction like that and are doing fine.  So I don’t know…?  I do know I’ve always done this and it works for me.

[AR-10]

I would tend to believe the manufacturer, and the instructions on the insert the pharmacy provides.

The way Melbury is taking the meds is fine, but it requires a  larger dose, and if you're not eating the same thing every day, absorbtion rates will vary.

Food and other drugs interfere with how much of the medication is absorbed. That doesn't mean the meds wont work. It means you may not be getting exactly the same amount of drug every day.

[Melbury]

My endo told me it doesn't make any difference just as long as you do take it.  I eat within about 10 mins of taking my dose in the morning.  He also said it didn't matter about only taking it with water.  So who knows what to believe?

[assured]

My understanding is that foods can interfere with the absorption of the medication.  I always wait at least an hour before having anything other than water.  You might want to talk to your dr. or pharmacist about it to find out if it's really a problem or not.

Cindy