Something to chew on…

[ktr19]

I’ve been thinking…

Since many of who have Hypo symptoms also have slow metabolisms and slow absorption issues, as I appear to have as well… is it possible to chew our thyroid meds as we are taking them so that the stomach and then the intestines can more easily absorb it all?

Or is it possible to break it up into a powder, sort of like the BC powdered headache stuff that works so quickly?

Just some food for thought….

[Totie]

I don't think I am the norm when it comes to hypo..

I have a fast metabolism & absorb things quickly....things just don't last in long in my metabolic system....

I use or burn it up quickly what it is you want to call it..

[Red_Star]

If you want to try this, you would take the apple cider vinegar water at the same time as levothyroxine to help with absorption.

[nat649]

wow very interesting mite try the apple cider vinger which one is a good make and do i take with the levoth or wait 3hr like i do with other vit thanks Nat form uk.

[Red_Star]

Alcohol depletes B vitamins mainly thiamine (B1) which is needed for stomach acid production so that is why it is on the list...twice lol.  

[ktr19]

Wow, well the only thing that I’m certain on in that list, beside my hypothyroidism, is age lol…

And isn’t it funny that alcohol is listed twice?  Hmmm…guilty as charged from time to time I guess!

[Red_Star]

Yes it is rather finicky lol. You can take apple cider vinegar mixed with water on an empty stomach or before meals. You could give this a try to see how you go. Just wanted to add more info from the Stomach Acid article which is interesting....

"Risk Factors and Causes of Low Stomach Acid

Allergies
Anemia
Adrenal fatigue
Alcohol
Atrophic gastritis
Heartburn
Gerd
IBS
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hives
Candida and other Yeast
Bacterial Dysbiosis or infections in the Gut
Adult acne
Eczema
Alchohol consumption
H. plylori infection
Stress even in children
Age. HCl production decreases wtih age

Diseases Associated with Low HCl

Asthma
Diabetes
Osteoporosis
Arthritis
Hepatitis
Eczema
Acne rosacea
Dry Skin
Psoriasis
Parasites
Gallbladder disease
Herpes
Hives
Hypothyroid
Hyperthyroid
Thyrotoxicosis
Autoimmune disorders
Lupus erythematosus
Myasthenia gravis
Pernicious anemia
Celiac disease
Sjogren 's Syndrome"

[ktr19]

Awesome… I periodically use the natural unpasteurized apple cider vinegar when I’ve eaten too much and it definitely helps since I assume since the rest of my digestive tract is slow that I don’t produce enough acid in the stomach.

I just worry about taking anything in or around the time I take my Levo since it is such a finicky medication!!!

[Red_Star]

A good article is from Gallbladder Attack - Stomach Acid.  A few excerpts...

"If you're nervous about trying supplemental hydrochloric acid, you can do a trial with 1-2 TBSP of organic apple cider vinegar mixed with 1/8 to 1/4 cup of water after a meal. If it makes you feel better and does not hurt, you most likely would benefit from taking 500 - 1000 mg. of Betaine HCl with your meals."

"How to Increase Your Own HCl

Bitter greens like kale, collards, beet greens, arugula, etc. may help to encourage the release of your own stomach acid. Lemon, olive oil and ginger help as well. Try adding some ginger to The Beet Recipe, but only if you are in maintenance mode with your gallbladder and no longer in pain. Spicy ginger could upset the balance if you haven't been pain-free for at least a couple of months.

Zinc and Thiamine B1 are necessary components in the manufacturing of stomach acid. Beet greens contain both. So does Nutritional Yeast. Food sources of zinc include collard, chard, pumpkins seeds, figs and wild salmon. Thiamine B1 is found in brown rice, spinach and peas."

[ktr19]

That is interesting…I do take vitamin C but as with the rest of my supplements, well after my Levo.

And I may look at betaine HCI …But I also wonder if apple cider vinegar may work too since it has acidic properties and appears to be beneficial for other things as well?

[Red_Star]

Acella's NP thyroid can be absorbed sublingually (under the tongue) which is an option. I've read Armour and Naturoid both have too much cellulose due to reformulation which binds the desiccated thyroid so it is mentioned you need to chew them or crush them first. You can mix it with honey or syrup.

You may need to increase stomach acid with betaine HCI (hydrochloric acid) with pepsin supplements for better absorption.  Vitamin C also helps with absorption which i found interesting.

From the Endo Society: "Absorption of thyroid drug levothyroxine improves with vitamin C"

"Certain medications and digestive diseases interfere with the absorption of levothyroxine, but often malabsorption occurs for unknown reasons, Licht said.

Past research has shown that taking an acidic substance (hydrochloric acid) at the same time as the levothyroxine tablet may enhance the drug’s absorption. Therefore, the authors studied whether simultaneous use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) would improve dissolution of the levothyroxine tablet and thus absorption.

They studied 11 patients (eight women and three men) who were taking higher-than-average doses of levothyroxine but not reaching their target TSH levels, as found by two different blood tests. None of the patients had factors that interfered with levothyroxine absorption, such as celiac disease or use of calcium or iron supplements or antacids. For 6 weeks, patients took 1 gram of vitamin C with their levothyroxine pill. They diluted a vitamin C tablet in about 7 ounces of water.

After six weeks, all 11 patients had decreased TSH levels, with an average reduction of about 69 percent. Nine of the patients achieved the desired level of TSH."