Managing Hashimoto’s Fatigue: My Experience with Levothyroxine
For those of you who read my blog (thank you), you might have noticed that I have been writing less and less. It’s certainly not because I have lost interest. The reason I have been writing less frequently is that I am still battling crushing fatigue. I wake up every morning feeling as though I haven’t slept at all. Naps do nothing to relieve it.
I started the keto diet in February of this year (2024). I noticed improvements in my symptoms of Hashimoto’s almost immediately. But because my hypothyroid was affecting my cholesterol and blood sugar, I decided to start taking 25 mcg of levothyroxine (synthroid) in May. This is the lowest dose you can take. I wanted to start slowly, and titrate up as needed.
At first, I noticed an improvement in my ability to function. After about a month, I found I had an increase in energy, and my brain fog had albeit disappeared. My biggest issue with taking the drug was when to take it. There are a lot of conflicting opinions on the subject.
The dosing instructions are to take it in the morning, on an empty stomach; and then wait 30–60 minutes before eating. Or, you can take it, then wait at least two hours to eat. I had read that you should take the pill at the same time each day. My doctor told me to take it whenever I first woke up in the morning, take it, then go back to bed. I usually wake up anywhere between 6:30 and 8:00 AM to pee; but since I wanted to be consistent, I started setting an alarm for 7:30 am. I set my normal wake up time for 9:00 am (I am retired). I figured that would leave plenty of time to let the pill get into my bloodstream.
Of course, once I did this, I found I could not go back to sleep; the pill jolted me awake. I woke up at different times every morning (my cat is a persistent alarm clock), so I just started taking it then. I worried I was being inconsistent, so I started taking it later in the morning, with my other medications (there were no drug reactions).
This seems to have resulted in the medication not working as well. My fatigue has increased since I started doing this. I have read multiple articles on this, and I have come to a conclusion. No one takes their medication at exactly the same time every day. Work, travel, and sleep patterns, and daily life preclude most of us from being that consistent. I have read that it’s more important to take the medication at least 30–60 minutes before eating, than to take it at exactly the same time every morning (within a window of time). There is also an option to take it before bedtime, but since I take antacids I can’t do that. So early morning it is.
I am hoping that this will improve my fatigue. I will be having labs drawn in a few days. I may need an increase in the dosage. I will be speaking with my doctor next month to see if an increase is needed. In the meantime, please bear with me. I fully intend to keep this blog going.
Writer, blogger and 60 something housewife who is exploring the keto diet. Follow me on my journey of discovery. View all posts by Janice Schroeder
Originally published at http://fromcarbstoketo.wordpress.com on August 19, 2024.
