[Anonymous]

#1075935

I believe that the issue with taking the replacement hormone on an empty stomach has more to do with vitamins and mineral consumption than anything else. Iron, calcium, etc. is known to bind with hormone in the digestive system and keep it from being absorbed into the blood. Check with your pharmacist in order to be sure, but I believe that black coffee is OK to consume with the hormone. (And if you are told differently, I would like to know, too.)

I hear in your posts about the thyroidectomy a sense that you are now, and forever will be, hypothyroid. Whether or not someone “is” hyperthyroid, or hypothyroid, or euthroid involves the amount of thyroid hormone in the body. The medication that you are starting to take “is” thyroid hormone. It is chemically identical to thyroxin (T4), and works in exactly the same way in the body, with the same effectiveness as the normally produced T4 that you had when your had a complete thyroid. The only thing that has changed is that there is no longer a naturally occurring mechanism for controlling the levels of hormone: your pituitary gland will continue to function, ordering more or less hormone, should you need more or less, but your body will not be able to produce more or less as a result of the pituitary’s “commands”. So you will need periodic blood tests to determine whether or not you are on the correct dose of replacement. But the only time you will ever “be” hypothyroid, is if you are not taking enough replacement hormone. As long as your thyroid hormone levels are in the normal range, you are not hypo.

Bobbi — NGDF Online Facilitator

[Anonymous]

#1020076

Dear Fellow Graves Disease Patients,
On Jan. 8, 2008 I had a total thyroidectomy, which was strongly recommended by my endocrinologist and others that he consulted with. Generally, I’m feeling well, but am concerned re how my body will adjust to being hypothyroid. I was started on Levothyroxine .112 mg about a week ago and was advised to take this med in the early AM on an empty stomach. Do you think taking it with a small amount of black coffee would be okay. My voice hasn’t returned to normal as yet, but I was told this could happen postop. My surgeon saw me on 1/16 and basically discharged me to the care of my endocrinologist, eye MD, and internal medical MD. I’m still on a low dose of Prednisone — 5 mg q day, but hope to come off the steroids in a month or so. I was just wondering what to expect being hypothyroid and how much I should worry about my TSH and other thyroid levels. Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Nina

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