What no iron and no calcium food do you eat for breakfast?

[mercat46]

I have just been put on levothyroxin (50 mcg) for hypothyroidism. The instructions say to take levo an hour before breakfast, but FOUR hours before having any iron or calcium. All the usual breakfast foods have iron and/or calcium in them, even fruit! So what can I eat for breakfast? What foods have no iron and no calcium? I've also read I should avoid soy and walnuts. Help!

[des900]

Its not a big deal at all. Even if you take soy, calcium with levothyroxine the amount of levo absorbed will be slightly less some 10%. The key is to take the levo consistently at a suitable time everyday. You can even take it with food but make sure you do it same everyday, same time. This way the problem is solved by simply adding a little higher dose when compared with empty stomach ex: if your dose is 50 mcg then take 56 mcg.

Anyway for best results especially if you have trouble converting T4 to T3 then taking it at bedtime is best.

[Vixstar2020]

22 years a ago when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism there were no studies relating to iron or calcium causing any issues while on thyroid medication. I took my pill in the morning as close as I could to the same time  everyday and waited 1 hour before I ate breakfast and ate whatever I wanted. I was taking  my multi vitamin containing iron and calcium at the same time. I had issues for many years and my dosage changed almost every time I was tested. That may have been the reason for all of the inconsistency in my numbers over the years . Finally the studies came out that iron was an issue and not to take a multivitamin within 4 hours of my Synthroid. So I started taking my multivitamin with my dinner. Then it was don't take antacids within 4 hours. In the last four years or so these studies that calcium may cause issues came out but I never changed what I ate and all I can say is I'm still alive have not had any heart issue. The hardest part is finding the right dosage for you, it took a long time for me. I am now and have for years been taking 150 MCG. Find what works for you food wise. Read more and get educated, you will for the rest of your life have this diagnosis. Eat right and exercise regularly. I control my hypothyroidism, it it does not control me :)

[Mirandazzi1]

OMG.
This is so wrong it's scary

[Mirandazzi1]

You can NOT take it with food. Ever. If you're an infant you can wash it down with a little apple sauce. That's it.

You can't take it with food. Ever. Or calcium..or iron.

[Barb135]

Nobody is talking about taking the medication "with" food - we're simply talking about eating a healthy breakfast 30 minutes to an hour after taking thyroid hormones, as it states in the instructions... There's not enough calcium or iron in most foods to inhibit absorption of thyroid medications if one waits the recommended hour after taking the med before eating.  

If one does have an issue, most doctors would be willing to adjust medication upwards to accommodate.

I've been on replacement thyroid hormones for 8 yrs and have never had an issue with absorption and I eat anything I want for breakfast, including cereal with milk, eggs, etc.  I have never had any trouble with absorption or with my thyroid hormone levels fluctuating because of it.  

[Minayaelcid]

That's not what my doctor said. He said no calcium in foods. Also he said no soy anytime.

[handsinclay]

This may help some of you if happen to get up at night to use the loo--- I do get up in the middle of the night and have my levo pill and a glass of water then, because I really enjoy having coffee & breakfast as soon as I get up.  I take my sublingual NDT while the coffee is brewing....
There is no magic for taking levo upon awakening in the morning.  The stomach just has to be empty.

Here's a study which supports taking levo at bedtime:
"Effects of evening vs morning levothyroxine intake: a randomized double-blind crossover trial."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21149757

[sleepyk]

First, let me thank everyone who mentioned not to take calcium or iron "supplements" within 4 hours of a thyroid med. I'm on my second day of one, and it does not say the word "supplements". So I was starving myself for 4 hours -- well, really 3 hours, cuz I just couldn't stand it any longer-- not finding any food label that didn't have at least 1mg of calcium or iron on it.

Secondly, about the list of foods written by Andrea -- they may be fine for people with no thyroid. But for those of us who still have a thyroid, egg YOLKS are supposedly one of the top 3 foods high in iodine, and therefore we SHOULD eat the whole egg. Unless your cholesterol is at a dangerous level.

Also, whole grains were listed there. Again, I say this for people WITH a thyroid -- whole grains decrease our absorption of iodine, which the thyroid needs. I'm not saying to never eat whole grains. I'm suggesting not to eat whole grains often, and certainly not while purposely eating a meal high in iodine, such as seafood or eggs.

[Mirandazzi1]

You can eat the whole egg...just not for breakfast!
I'm not sure why so many people are trying to fight this?
Is really simple...if you eat calcium supplements or foods with calcium in it within 4 hours of taking your meds....they won't work! You're wasting your time. You can have the iodine for lunch or dinner.

[MyNameIsS]

My dermatologist prescribed Doxycycline for my cystic acne. The warnings regarding iron and calcium intake while using Doxy are virtually identical to those given for the thyroid meds discussed in this thread.  My GO TO calcium and iron-FREE food I take to help with any nausea is the #InkaChips brand of Plantain Chips... They are all natural, no trans fat and gluten free...AND they are delicious.  They are manufactured in Peru, but I find them at Gelsons Grocery Store in Los Angeles.  The number for their US Customer service is 800-808-0858.  Hope this helps.    

[Rachel2033]

I agree, Barb.
Personally I wait 4 hrs to eat after taking meds during the week basically because I wake up to get my husband ready for work (5am) then eat breakfast with the kids (9:30am) later. It's the weekend that screws me up cause my husband is home and we all sleep in so no supplements for me, unless I set my alarm to wake me up at 5am to take my med but that's nutty. Haha!
Totally agree, I think it has to be within reason, I highly doubt breakfast foods are super "high" in iron or calcium. My husband was born without a thyroid and has been on Synthroid/Levothyroxine since then and up until December of last year when he switched to Armour. A few weeks before going on Armour, He found out he should've been waiting an hour to eat and that's when he started experiencing hyperthyroid symptoms so they lowered his dose and eventually moved to Armour.

[Barb135]

Foods "high" in iron are not necessarily the same as those "containing" iron.  Everything has to be within reason.

[Mirandazzi1]

No....
No there's nothing "within reason"

You can ingest any sort of calcium or iron within 4 hours of talking your medication.  It's pretty black and white.  There's no reasonable amount you can ingest.  If you want to eat calcium or iron with your medication than you're eating your time? I'm not sure why so many of you think there are exceptions? It's really quite simple. No calcium or iron of any sort 4 until 4 hours after.