Those who do not have a strong understanding of thyroid treatments may not be aware of the fact that the manner in which thyroid medication should be taken is important. Most physicians agree that the medicines need to be taken in a certain manner to obtain best results.

Some believe that the manner in which the medication is ingested can actually change the overall effect of the drug. Following the recommended method can surprisingly increase the overall benefits that can be derived from the thyroid treatment that has been opted for.

The reason why the manner of administration is so important lies in the nature of the drug.

Most thyroid medicines contain levothyroxine (available in the market under brand names like Synthroid, Levothroid, Unithroid, Eltroxin, Levoxyl). This is a synthetic version of the thyroid hormone T4. The T4 hormone needs to be first converted to the active form of thyroid hormone, T3 for it to be effective. This conversion process takes a long time and therefore diet, precautions, time and manner become extremely important.

Conventional drugs (Cytomel, Thyrolar) or natural thyroid medication that contain the active T3 hormone do not require more than a couple of hours to get absorbed in the body. And therefore the various precautions that need to be taken along with these drugs are limited. The small random studies and surveys that have been conducted on determining the best method of administration have focused more on levothyroxine.

Any thyroid treatment, including alternative thyroid treatments therefore focuses on drugs and supplements that can ensure faster absorption of the hormone into the body.

The various opinions that exist among practitioners are in the context of

* The best time to take the medicine.
* Whether the medicine needs to be taken on an empty stomach or after meals?
* The key foods that need to be avoided while the medicine is getting absorbed?
* The other precautions that need to be taken while on thyroid medication?

The general advice the physicians give to ensure quick absorption is to avoid certain things at all times. These need to be avoided totally for at least two to four hours after taking the thyroid pill.

* Calcium and iron supplements
* High fiber diet
* Antacids
* Antidepressants

Some physicians advocate that taking the thyroid medication in the morning and avoiding meals for at least 30 minutes before and after gives best results. On the other hand some other verifiable studies have indicated that taking thyroid pills at bedtime helps in better absorption of the drug. This is based on the premise that major body organs are passive during night and therefore give the drug enough time for better assimilation. Some experts suggest that the daytime meals interfere with the drug and cause slower absorption.

If at all you shift your timings, it is advisable to get your thyroid levels checked, at least within eight weeks in order to determine whether the change has given you better results or not.

References:

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/thyroiddrugs/ht/takemeds.htm

http://thyroid.about.com/od/thyroiddrugstreatments/a/bedtime.htm