Thyroid medication

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jun 12, 2015

What is your question?

SierraBravo · Jun 13, 2015

Per Lexicomp, PO Levothyroxine should be administered in the morning on an empty stomach. What is the source of your information that states it can be administered in the evening?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

I've been hypothyroid for 10 years following radioactive iodine ablation. Prior to that, I had hyperthyroidism secondary to Graves disease for 7 years.

Since I am a night shift worker, I take my daily doses of Synthroid and Cytomel when I awaken in the late afternoon at 4:00pm. I wait 60 minutes before eating.

As long as the Synthroid is taken on an empty stomach, its bioavailability will not be impacted. I cannot take my Synthroid in the morning because I have food in my stomach, which will negatively affect its absorption.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

We get the occasional pt that takes theirs between dinner and bedtime. I take it and I take it on an empty stomach in the morning as directed

AZBlueBell · Jun 13, 2015

I take mine at bedtime because I never remembered to take it in the mornings and I would end up skipping more than half of my months supply. But yes, typically and ideally it should be taken on an empty stomach.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

You can take it anytime, as long as you take it on an empty stomach to avoid binding it with food, and passing thru without absorbing. I take mine in the middle of the night, simply because I work the overnight shift. I take 150mcg per day, and always have normal values on my lab tests. I would recommend taking it around the same time each day, however.

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 13, 2015

I take mine first thing in the morning. I set it on my phone, so when my alarm goes off, it's right there, ready for me to take. I always keep a bottle of water next to my bed because I have probs. with dry mouth. Doing it this way helps me remember to take it as directed.

APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Jun 13, 2015

Does anyone take Armour Thyroid in the evening with good results?

(I take Nature-Throid ~ like Armour Thyroid)

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

I've been hypothyroid for 10 years following radioactive iodine ablation. Prior to that, I had hyperthyroidism secondary to Graves disease for 7 years.
Since I am a night shift worker, I take my daily doses of Synthroid and Cytomel when I awaken in the late afternoon at 4:00pm. I wait 60 minutes before eating.
As long as the Synthroid is taken on an empty stomach, its bioavailability will not be impacted. I cannot take my Synthroid in the morning because I have food in my stomach, which will negatively affect its absorption.

How do you handle that on your days off? I'm not on Synthroid, but I took Theodur for awhile that had the same issues. I struggled because I would sleep more normal hours for my four days off a week. I'd still take it when I woke up, but sometimes I caught myself double dosing myself if I took it in the morning when I woke up, then napped before work in the afternoon and would catch myself reaching for the bottle out of muscle memory when I woke up.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jun 13, 2015

Working shifts I had problems taking it at the same time every day and found 9pm works the best for me

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

How do you handle that on your days off?

On my days off, I take the Synthroid and Cytomel fairly late in the afternoon. I've never double-dosed myself because I am not acclimated to taking medications in the morning.

I'm not a morning person. On my days off, I've always slept in and awakened late in the morning or early in the afternoon.