Coffee reduced thyroid medication absorption by the body by 30 percent. To avoid an overdose, specialists advise waiting at least 60 minutes after drinking coffee before starting thyroid replacement medicine.
It is best to wait at least an hour after taking your thyroid medication and drinking coffee within one hour. If you wish to take other medications, you must also wait at least half an hour or 45 minutes before doing so.
Levothyroxine (Euthyrox), often known as L-thyroxine, is a thyroid hormone replacement therapy medication. The pill or prescription can also be used to treat other forms of thyroid cancers and is not intended to aid in weight reduction.
Levothyroxine and Caffeine
Levothyroxine is used to treat hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid glands do not produce enough of a hormone called T4 to keep the body operating correctly. Levothyroxine is a synthetic substance equivalent to T4 and used when the thyroid gland is malfunctioning or has been removed.
If you drink coffee too soon after taking your prescription, it will cause fluctuations in your thyroid hormone levels, symptoms, and issues with regulating your dose. Most doctors advise their thyroid patients to take their thyroid medications first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and wait an hour before eating.
Coffee and other caffeinated beverages have a distinct effect on medication absorption. According to research, drinking coffee with levothyroxine reduces absorption by increasing the rate at which the medicine travels through the intestines.
Caffeine and Levothyroxine Interaction
Caffeine in coffee or other caffeinated beverages has the effect of shortening the time it takes for the thyroid medicine levothyroxine to be absorbed by the body, which can influence drug delivery. You may notice a decrease or volatility in T4 hormone levels.
Is it safe to eat after taking thyroid medication?
It is preferable to take thyroid medicine on an empty stomach at the same time every day. It is advised to refrain from eating or drinking for 30-60 minutes.
When and how should you take levothyroxine?
Take levothyroxine in the morning, preferably at least 30 minutes before breakfast or a caffeine-containing beverage, such as tea or coffee.
Food and caffeinated beverages can also prevent your body from correctly absorbing levothyroxine, causing it to operate less effectively.
If you stop taking levothyroxine, your symptoms will most certainly return.
Levothyroxine dosage varies from person to person.
To complete your dose, you may need to take many separate pills. Your doctor will advise you on the number of pills to take each day.
Levothyroxine tablets are available in 12.5 micrograms, 25 micrograms, 50 micrograms, 75 micrograms, and 100 micrograms.
5ml of liquid levothyroxine can contain 25 micrograms, 50 micrograms, 100 micrograms, or 125 micrograms.
Although initial dosages are typically the same, the final dose of levothyroxine you take, or how rapidly it is increased, is determined by your symptoms, hormone levels, age, and if you have any other health conditions.
Side effects of Levothyroxine
Levothyroxine, like many medications, can have negative effects. However, this is uncommon. Side effects should not occur if you take the correct dose of levothyroxine.
The most frequent negative effects of levothyroxine occur when the dose is higher than necessary. These adverse effects normally go away if you reduce your levothyroxine dose or discontinue the medication.
The most common adverse effects are similar to the symptoms of an overactive thyroid.
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Being sick (vomiting)
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
- Feeling restless or excitable, or having problems sleeping
- Flushing or sweating
- Muscle cramps
- Shaking, usually of the hands
If these adverse effects persist, see your doctor or pharmacist.
Conclusion
Caffeine in coffee and other caffeinated beverages can impair thyroid medicine absorption by causing the drug to travel through your intestines too rapidly. T4 hormone levels may decline or vary as a result of this.
To avoid this, take levothyroxine on an empty stomach and wait an hour before eating or drinking anything caffeine-containing.
Suppose you have difficulties managing your thyroid hormones, and your doctor suspects that intestinal absorption is to blame. In that case, you may be switched to Tirosint and Tirosint-Sol, soft gel or liquid forms of levothyroxine.
When using drugs, you must use extraordinary caution. Take them on time and according to the directions.
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Disclosure: No compensation or free products were received in exchange for writing this review.
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