Attention thyroid patients: your morning coffee may be interfering with proper absorption of your thyroid medication. I know, say it isn't so! You're already tired from being hypothyroid -- now they want to take away your coffee?

The findings were reported in a recent article in the journal Thyroid. What the researchers found is that in addition to some of the more commonly known issues with absorption of thyroid hormone (i.e., calcium, iron, and food taken at the same time as thyroid medication can interfere with absorption), coffee also interferes with the intestinal absorption of levothyroxine. In the study, patients took their levothyroxine (i.e., Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Unithroid), with espresso or coffee, and researchers found that the coffee/espresso reduced the rise of the T4 after taking the medication by at least 25% to as much as 57%.

What Should You Do?

At this point, the evidence is strong enough to suggest that you should not take your thyroid hormone replacement medication with coffee. Ideally, take your thyroid medication, and wait an hour before you have your coffee.

If that's not possible, then you may want to talk to your doctor about taking your levothyroxine medication at night. Not only has it been shown in some studies to improve absorption, but it also is easier to take your medication at night, and avoid any impact from food, supplements -- or a cup of coffee -- taken in the morning. Find out more about taking thyroid medication at night.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT TAKING YOUR THYROID MEDICATION?

Read How to Take Thyroid Medication Read more...

Researchers reporting in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine looked at the impact of higher-dose radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment for thyroid cancer -- which is typically used as a followup to destroy any residual thyroid tissue after thyroid surgery. (Lower doses are typically used to treat Graves' disease.) Of particular interest to the researchers was the effect of cancer-eradicating doses of RAI on women's ovaries.

The miscarriage rate before the RAI treatment -- which was 10% -- approximately doubled during the first year after surgery/RAI therapy. Otherwise, the RAI did not appear to have an effect on subsequent pregnancies and offspring over a 10-year follow-up period after RAI. The researchers also concluded that the risk of miscarriage was not correlated with the dose of RAI received.

_{Source: Garsi, JP et. al. “Therapeutic Administration of 131I for Differentiated thyroid cancer: radiation dose to ovaries and outcome of pregnancies” Journal of Nuclear Medicine (Volume 18, Issue 59, pages 854-52, May 2008}

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Goldshield brand levothyroxine has sold out in New Zealand, and frustrated thyroid patients will have to wait for more shipments to arrive, as well as possible shipments of Abbott Laboratories' brand Synthroid. The demand for thyroid drugs is due to nationwide reports from patients of significant side effects due to the reformulation of government-approved thyroid medication, Eltroxin (made by GlaxoSmithKline).

You can read more about GoldShield and Eltroxin in New Zealand

Also, see:

• Over 500 complain of side-effects from drug
• Surge in adverse reactions to thyroid drug

And to join the discussion with other patients from New Zealand, see the comments thread for What's Happening to Thyroid Patients Taking Eltroxin Brand Levothyroxine in New Zealand?

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Treatment that could prevent thyroid disease: It's a controversial subject, and many endocrinologists will simply dismiss you if you ask about it. But there's mounting evidence that if you have autoimmune Hashimoto's disease -- EVEN if your TSH is totally normal -- you may need to be treated in order to prevent, slow, or even stop Hashimoto's -- and even hypothyroidism -- in its tracks! Learn more about this controversial idea and what it means for you.

_{Photo: clipart.com}