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Diabetes and Hypothyroidism

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Cassie51

Cassie51

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi, does anyone on here have Diabetes Type2, (Metformin controlled), and Hypothyroidism. I find it so difficult to get the diet right. What is good for Diabetes is sometimes not good for the Hypothyroidism, and the same the other way round. Any tips regarding how this is dealt with? Thankyou
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.

I'm T1 so can't comment. I have hypothyroidism and just have tablets to correct the level. These are monitored yearly. No advice about changing diet. Will have to study this!🙂
 
Thankyou for your reply. I am on tablets (Levothyroxine) 50mcg. Will keep researching 🙂
 
I'm on 100mcg ( have been on 150 then 125 but currently 100). It all seems to be a bit finger in the air to get the (i think) t3 and t4 levels right.
 
My thyroid failed many moons ago, and I take 175 micro gm. I assume that my check ups for that were just absorbed into my annual diabetes checks.
I don't understand why it would affect a diet for type two - Metformin doesn't control it, by the way. I do sometimes have wild thoughts that Metformin is used as a punishment for being so wicked as to 'catch' type two, but conspiracy theories aside, diet is the most important thing on the way to normal numbers.
 
Been hypothyroid for years, 112.5 mcg Levothyroxine a day. Only even vaguely dietary thing is not to take the tablets washed down with anything containing dairy products and not to consume anything with dairy for about half an hour later. So down they go first thing with water before I have a wash and dress, when I'm ready for my first cuppa.

Can't imagine how that interferes with watching carbs?
 
The only thing I know is that it should be taken on an empty stomach and breakfast should be 30-60mins later. It should not be taken with caffeine (coffee or tea) so with water. I can't find any mention of dairy products. The only thing I have found is it can come out in breast milk so problem if you are breastfeeding babies.

@trophywench Where did you get dairy restriction from?

I'm taking with other medication which apparently not meant to do so I will have to change. (GP said take all together!)
 
Cassie51 said:
Hi, does anyone on here have Diabetes Type2, (Metformin controlled), and Hypothyroidism. I find it so difficult to get the diet right. What is good for Diabetes is sometimes not good for the Hypothyroidism, and the same the other way round. Any tips regarding how this is dealt with? Thankyou
Click to expand...

Still going, I have T2 and hypothyroidism. I take 100mcgr Levothyroxine (T4) and I have just increased my Liothyronine (T3) to 50mcgr a day.

In terms of when I take them; I naturally wake every morning around 4am, so take my T4, plust 0mcgr T3, with the balance about 4pm. I then just go back to sleep.

Levothyroxine should be taken about an hour before eating or drinking, and not with diary produce (it inhibits absorption).

I don't have any difficulties accommodating my diet with both conditions, although I have since been instructed by the Endo I see to adopt a gluten-free diet, which I did a couple of years ago.

What is it tthat you fine had to accommodate? Once that's clearer I (and I'm sure others too) will try to help you a bit more specifically.
 
My GP. You are right about the no food either, I'd forgotten that, been so long since I've eaten breakfast anyway!
 
Hi @AndBreathe . I'm getting confused now.

My T4 level was low and my T3 level was high. I was told that the T3 is the driver for the T4. So when I take levo the T4 level rises. The T3 level then drops because it is not calling for so much T4 to be produced. So my GP alters my dose to bring them both mid range. I was told to take with my other meds.

So tonight I find out take with water which I was doing.
Take with 30 to 60 mins before breakfast. (perhaps that why @trophywench gave up breakfast!)
I take it I can then have milk with the breakfast?
I still don't know where this no milk restriction comes from. Nothing on NHS web site other than no caffeine that I can find and nothing on the medicine leaflet. I see there is a calcium supplement restriction on the Liothyronine. Is milk considered a calcium supplement? I know it contains calcium.

I have not come across taking both T3 and T4.

Please educate gently 🙂
 
I'm Type 2 with thyroid. I never gave it any thought, didn't realise there were any rules! Least of my worries now anyways. 🙂
 
I am Type 2 and take Levothyroxin 50mcg. I don't know what you mean by diet as i have not heard of any diet changes for that particular problem only to make sure i take my tablets 30-60 mins before eating or caffeine. I wouldn't take my meds at the same time. I was advised to have Levo early morning and metformin evening as slow release so once a day. When i was on standard Metformin i took lunchtime and evening.
 
Last edited:
Ok. My research 199 drugs interact of those 177 moderate and 22 minor.
One of my wife's drugs lansoprazole is on the moderate list (she is not diabetic but hypothyroidism) Recommended 4 hour gap between drugs!

High fibre foods affect absorption rates and should be avoided, Grapefruit should also be avoided and antacids.

Learning tonight
 
stillgoing said:
Hi @AndBreathe . I'm getting confused now.

My T4 level was low and my T3 level was high. I was told that the T3 is the driver for the T4. So when I take levo the T4 level rises. The T3 level then drops because it is not calling for so much T4 to be produced. So my GP alters my dose to bring them both mid range. I was told to take with my other meds.

So tonight I find out take with water which I was doing.
Take with 30 to 60 mins before breakfast. (perhaps that why @trophywench gave up breakfast!)
I take it I can then have milk with the breakfast?
I still don't know where this no milk restriction comes from. Nothing on NHS web site other than no caffeine that I can find and nothing on the medicine leaflet. I see there is a calcium supplement restriction on the Liothyronine. Is milk considered a calcium supplement? I know it contains calcium.

I have not come across taking both T3 and T4.

Please educate gently 🙂
Click to expand...
The basic thyroid mechanism is TSH is produced in the hypothalamus, in the brain, to signal to the thyroid to act. The thyroid, where able, produces T4 (Levothyroxine is a synthetic T4), then by magic our bodies turn a chunk of its T4 into T3, which is the most active of our thyroid hormones.

Some people, like me, can't convert T4 to T3 very well, and some, like me, need to take T3 (Liothyronine) to become and remain healthy.

In UK not too many are prescribed T3 on the NHS. At least some of that is due to cost.

Personally, I have not been told to restrict dairy produce, except within a hour or so of taking Levothyroxine. That said, many people living with hypothyroidism - especially Hashimoto's Disease find themselves dairy intolerant.

Hypothyroidism, like diabetes is a very personal condition with no one set way of managing it.
 
OMG. I was told nothing when I was first prescribed levothyroxine.

15 years pass...

Then I get diabetes Type 1 and a month later told not to take the levothyroxine within 30 minutes of eating. Nothing about milk or caffein though. Of course I had been doing both things wrong

If only I knew the questions I need to ask to get the right and sufficient information....isn't that what consultants a supposed to be for?

So now I take the Lazoprazole at 6am with water, the levothyroxine at 6:30am with water and breakfast at 7am.

I wonder what else I need to know?

Again this forum has been incredibly helpful to me. Thank you.
 
Hope there are some helpful ideason this thread that you can chat through with your GP or a pharmacist @Cassie51
 
Thankyou so much for all this information. If you are not told about when you should take your Levothyroxine you just take it once a day as stated. So, I have been taking it and having a cup of tea straight after! I now know from this thread, you have to leave it for 30 mins, and to take with a glass of water. How have I been doing this so wrong for so long. But there you are, educating and knowledge, are so important. I am usually checked on for both yearly, and so far no adjustment has been made. The metformin I take 3 times a day, and what a weird drug that is. Sometimes absolutely fine, and another day feel sick most of the day. Thankyou again for all your replies x
 
My mum, although not diabetic, was prescribed Levothyroxine over 40 years ago and never knew this, she takes all her tablets (and there are lots) in one go with a cup of tea, she is now 85!
I have been borderline for years as have lots of lumps in my thyroid which I have had scanned and biopsied, I expect to need medication at some point so will bear this in mind.
I already have BP medication that has to be taken on empty stomach with a glass of water at least 15 mins before food!
 
Yes Perfect 10, sometimes the GP's should make things clearer. If your not told, you don't know.
 
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