A Question for Lazymoose..

[medicmommy]

Hiya!
Hey, I was reading a recent post and you mentioned melatonin was bad for thyroid hormones. Could you elaborate? (I didn't want to hijack the other person's post). I've been using it fairly regularly for sleep issues...~MM

[LazyMoose]

Thyroid med also depleates magnessium.

[medicmommy]

Yup. Calcium and parathyroids checked religiously. Everything there is good as long as maintain about 1500-2000 mg of calcium/day. I'm still doing bone rebuilding from severe depletion during a hyperparathyroid time.
I'm taking the levo in the AM on an empty stomach an hour before breakfast and leave the vitamins and minerals to later.-I didn't realize that excess calcium would deplete the Mag. Interesting. Maybe it depletes potassium too -it would explain why I seem to need potassium supplements as well to prevent muscle spasms. Hmmm...Thanks again for the info! ~MM

[LazyMoose]

Oh.......Thats what citrate does to some people.

Get the Mag Glycinate by KAL then. I found its better than citrate, more relaxing and easier on the stomach. Vitamine Shoppe on line has this.

As far as calcium, I know thats popular here..but have you had a calcium test? To much calcium depletes magnesium.

If you still need the calcium, take that separate, but away from thyroid meds.

[medicmommy]

LOL. I forgot about the message thing. Thanks for the info. I can't take anymore magnesium than I am already before going to bed (I take cal/mag citrate liquid supplement before going to bed.) It has a pretty profound laxative effect (sorry, TMI) that doesn't allow me to sleep in as it is. I'll try the valarian root though. Thanks! ~MM

[LazyMoose]

Have you tried a high quality Magnessium before bed? That the best non-drug sleep helper I found. I'm sill looking for something to add to that. A good quality Valerian root extract before bed also helps me- and no grogginess in the AM. I have not read about or noticed and bad side effects either. And low T3 levels promote anxiety based insomnia, I rarely had REM sleep on T4 meds.

A gulp of straight lemon juice (sour) before bed also helps. As do digestive enzymes before bed if you eat late. I ignore the rule of not eating late as I will wake hungry, I'm a grazing machine, but that's me.

[LazyMoose]

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamineis) is a hormone produced by the pineal gland somewhere in the brain. So it is naturaly produced by this gland when its dark.

On most sleep products that contain melatonin, it says on the package do not take if you have an endocride disorder. So thats a good enough reason for me. I researched it once on the web, forgot the details, but since it did not make me more sleepy, I just dropped it anyway.

Its apparently a hormone that can mess with thyroid hormones. For the same reason to avoid soy- as it mimics estrogen. All hormones work together, its a push - pull kind of deal.

You know about the Personal Message option here ?  Almost missed this.