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!

[bedheadblonde]

Um...forgive me if I'm reading this wrong, but are you saying that people taking levothyroxine shouldn't  need calcium and iron at all?? Or do you mean in the morning for breakfast? Thyroidless or not, everyone needs iron and calcium for their body to function properly (unless they have some sort of disease or problem that makes too much of these in your body naturally.) If you're going to eat a breakfast that's a bit higher in calcium and iron and know you are, then it's perfectly fine to adjust your dose just a bit that morning to compensate for it. A day here and there of adjusting your meds to make sure you're getting the right amount of levo isn't putting you at risk for heart attack or stroke. I could see if you consistently took too much "just in case" could put your heart at risk since you're over-medicating yourself, or not adjusting at all if you're one to eat a lot of iron and calcium rich foods in the a.m. constantly, since you can get problems with your heart from hypothyroidism as well, but seriously, I have to agree here-you're not going to hurt yourself adjusting accordingly if you know you're going to have a breakfast rich in these, and you're honestly pretty much fine eating iron and calcium rich foods throughout the day as long as everything else in order.

[Mirandazzi1]

Wrong...wrong..wrong.

You can't adjust accordingly.

You can't eat calcium or iron for breakfast.

[Bethieboo54321]

It's just avoiding calcium AND iron FOODS and supplements for 4 hours after taking your levo..after 4 hours, eat those foods

[Barb135]

I, too, wait 0.5 to 1.0 hrs after taking my med, then eat whatever I want.  I can't imagine sitting down to a bowl of dry cereal for breakfast, especially, corn pops, frosted shredded wheat or crunch berries, that are loaded with sugar.  

Calcium is necessary for strong bones and teeth.  As you age, you're going to need that calcium to prevent osteoporosis.  Iron prevents anemia, provides energy and is necessary for the metabolism of thyroid hormones.  

[goolarra]

You might want to talk to a dietician about this.  Doctors tend to not have a real grasp on nutritional matters.

I wait 0.5-1.0 hours after taking my meds to eat, but when I have breakfast, I eat anything I want. If you are having an absorption problem, you might have to be more careful, otherwise not.

"What happens if you ingest calcium and it blocks 25% of your medication uptake, then one day you're running late and miss breakfast? Your heart rate and blood pressure is going to increase for the day, causing a dramatic risk for heart attack or stroke."

I think you're being just a bit dramatic.  Adjusting your thyroid meds by 25% for one day just does not have that kind of effect on your HR and BP.    

If you watch your calcium intake not only at breakfast, but at other meals as well, how's your calcium level?

[Andrea256]

No, no, no, no. You can't EAT any calcium, or take supplements with calcium or iron. The advice of taking your pill and just trying to eat the same amount of calcium every day so they just up your dosage is terrible. This medication controls your heart rate and body temperature. What happens if you ingest calcium and it blocks 25% of your medication uptake, then one day you're running late and miss breakfast? Your heart rate and blood pressure is going to increase for the day, causing a dramatic risk for heart attack or stroke. I specifically asked my doctor about this during my testing after 90 days, and she was horrified that anyone would give that as advice. Especially since you sound like you're a medical professional. I had thyroid cancer and now that that's gone and I'm moving into a more long term treatment plan (since my thyroid was completely removed), I asked my new endo the same questions and he was just as appalled. It was hard at first, but now that I've found foods that work it's not too bad to have a calcium free breakfast...

Egg WHITES only
Margarine (I use Country Crock original)
Coffee / tea
Coffee Creamer (I use liquid Coffee Mate flavors)
Whole Grain Bread (Check the nutrition facts though, only some are full whole grain. I eat Natural Ovens Sunny Millet bread)
Lots of cereal (again, check the nutrition facts, and obviously don't eat with milk. I've found Corn Pops, Crunch Berries, Frosted Shredded Wheat, and Crunch Berries. I saw more in the store but don't remember now)
Marshmallows
Kashi Granola Bars
SOME canned fruit and vegetables, if you want to stay low calorie get No Sugar Added fruits
SOME canned soup, most of condensed, even creamy soups
Rice
Pasta
Boxed mashed potatoes (made without milk)
Sauerkraut
Pepperoni / Turkey Pepperoni
Turkey Breakfast Sausage (probably pork too, I don't eat it so I never checked)
WonTon / Egg roll wrappers
Lettuce (but don't get mixed salads without looking at nutrition fact since lots of leafy greens have calcium)
Italian dressing
Maple syrup

There's more I'm sure. The biggest thing is to check the labels, even during other meal times just so you know. It's not always the things you think that will be calcium free, and you might be surprised by things like creamer and margarine and breakfast cereals. I usually have egg whites, toast, and sausage for breakfast, but you could also make french toast, or make cereal bars with cereal and marshmallows.

[Mirandazzi1]

Thank you so much for this list. Very helpful.

I fear for the people who think there's a difference between a supplement and eating food with the mineral in it.  Blows my mind...

[kmm4465]

I too am on levothyroxine and was concerned about the same thing.  So I was taking the pill at night so I could eat regular foods.  Today I took it in the morning and am starving, but my doctor did say just supplements 4 hours after the pill. So now I'm getting something to eat.  Thanks for information.

[Bethieboo54321]

My pharmacist said it's not just calcium and iron supplements to avoid for 4 hours after levo BUT any foods with calcium or iron..agghh there goes oatmesl..

[redheadaussie]

You must not have any supplements like the iron or calcium four hours after taking your medication.  The thyroid medication binds to the iron or calcium and is no longer usuable in your body.  Having a cereal with milk however is not going to cause any problems. The level of calcium and iron in these is not in the form of a supplement and has little values of amounts to cause problems.
   There are many juries still out on the soy issue. Some say don't have it, some say do.
Soy is fermented soy bean and whilst grown in the ground, it does have amounts of oestrogen in it. This oestrogen can interact with some people's levels in their body causing issues whilst on thyroid medication.  
  I have never heard of walnuts being an issue for thyroid patients. If anything they are a little power pack of essential fats and vitamins!  Personally I don't like walnuts they make my tongue get little blisters.
  
So get up in the morning, take your meds, do some housework, have a shower whatever to fill in the hour, have a nice healthy brekky and get on with your day!


  

[Mirandazzi1]

You're wrong.

Milk has calcium in it. You can not have a cereal with milk in it.