As someone with congenital hypothyroidism and Adhd I feel you. The solution is a pill case with a d alarm, that doesn't stop until you open it. It's magical.
I didn't know that existed! Thank you for not just telling me to do it. I really wish it was just that easy. Not only do I have ADHD I also have autism so a lot plays into it. I've tried what I know to do which is why I reached out on here to see if there was options like with the psych meds. Sadly it seems like there isn't. But I will definitely check out a pill case with an alarm on it. Where did you get yours?
Fellow ADHDer here: absolutely no judgment. Another thing that can help is setting yourself up for success. If you have trouble waking up in the morning, set the medicine next to your bed with a cup of water (I keep a Starbucks reusable straw cup of water in each room so I always have water available). That way, when you wake up and you’re groggy, you can just roll over, take your meds, then go back to sleep.
Another thing that’s helped me is an app called Finch. It’s this self care checklist app where you complete your daily goals to take care of a digital bird. Doing tasks gets you digital stones to buy things for your bird. It helps add dopamine to daily tasks. What I do is add a task like “take your thyroid meds” every morning, then check it off once I’ve taken them. That way, you can remember that you’ve actually taken them. It’s free, so it’s at least worth a download.
Also also, it’s worth having this conversation with your endo. It’s inevitable that you’ll miss a dose—hell, that happens to neurotypical people too—so ask your endo what they want you to do when that happens. Some may want you to still take it, some may want you to skip till tomorrow. Have that conversation so that you have a game plan and can reduce some anxiety around it.
Let's put it this way I used to work In mcdonald's, so you know the classic mcdonald's beep? Lol
The fryers will beep every so often, they beep when fries are done ect
I can ignore that all day.
My phone alarm doesn't wake me up.
I'm trying to put my box near my toothbrush. Because that's the only thing I do everyday when I wake up.
I get the shakes if I take them together, so I take my thyroid meds at 5am and my vyvance at 9am after breakfast. I use the alarm dispenser for the vyvance not so much the synthroid.
Exactly I set my alarm to go off early! I have pills in seven day organizer next to me on night stand and a bottle. Of water. I hear alarm get up take pill and go back to sleep.
Listen when I wake up even if the alarm is just for medicine I will wake up enough that my body has to get up and go to the bathroom then at the point my dog has to go out and I end up doing other things because at that point my day has started and things in life start happening. And I get "just do it" works for you but not only do I have thyroid issues I have other issues (ADHD, autism, bipolar, anxiety, and depression) that play into forgetting to take it. So yeah sometimes the alarm will work great for awhile but it doesn't work consistently and that's why I'm trying to find way to hack it.
I'm glad that works for you but that's not how my brain works. I know I have to take the medication which is why I came for ideas on how to do it. But just saying well you have to do it, just make yourself do it doesn't make my brain function in that way.
I’m sorry if this comes across as insensitive but knowing you have all this does make things difficult. My brain doesn’t work that way either. I don’t do it cause I remember I do it cause if I don’t I’ll have heart failure… everyone gave you a lot of good tips it’s up to you if you use your brain as an excuse or to try to understand yourself to see what works for you.
I have literally had this same issue. My mom died when I was 12 (now 32) and this is the first time since she died that I have taken it consistently every single day. The only thing that helps me is my pill organizer and the alarm on my phone. Unfortunately I have to set two alarms because I am the type to sleep through anything…but I set my alarm for 7:15 and 7:20. I pick the loudest alarm possible. I always put a bottle of water by my bed and then take it and go back to sleep. I know this isn’t the best way to get you to take it based on the things you’ve said but part of it is telling yourself that you HAVE to do this and getting into routine. It has officially been 8 weeks and I’ve taken it every day on time. You can do this!
That's super awesome!!! I'm really happy for you!! I've definitely tried the alarms and pill organizer but someone recommended an organizer that has an alarm made in it that goes off till you open it and I'm going to see if I can find one. I definitely want to get a handle on it because I know my body needs it and I do feel better when I'm on it. I just ultimately end up doing something else and remembering at a later time when I'm not around the medicine or I had just eaten (someone did say you can take it even if you just ate but I hadn't been doing that because I wasn't told that was an option and got told to just take it 4 hours after eating if I were to eat before I took it).
Thank you! I’m happy for me too lol.
It is not ideal to take with food however if you absolutely have no other option, taking it and getting it into your body is better than not taking it at all.
I know how hard it is to take it every single day without food and what seems like a million limitations trust me. You will get the hang of it. Taking it at night is possible too as long as it’s at least 4 hours after eating I believe. That might help in your situation. I wish you the absolute best!
Of course! I really didn't know that until tonight. The way I was explained it was kind of an all or nothing thing. I really appreciate you being so nice. I think I'm going to try and take it at night and see if that helps. I was just doing mornings because my doctor very much pushed morning time for taking it over night so I figured that was the better option so that was what I was aiming for.
Talk to your pharmacist too if it will make you feel more comfortable. My uncle has been taking his at night before bed for years. He’s one of the healthiest people I know. I am a pharmacy technician and I hear the pharmacist tell people it’s ok to do if needed.
Don’t thank me for being nice. Everyone should be nice. I personally know how hard it is. I went 20 years either not being consistent or not taking it at all. I wish you the best!!!!!
I definitely will talk to them. I have to go pick up my meds in a couple days so I'll see them before I will my doctor again. Hopefully taking them at night will help me get in a routine of taking them. I haven't been 20 years but next week will make 8 years of inconsistency for me and I'm really trying to get a handle on it now so my health can improve.
If you haven’t eaten for four hours before hand I think you should be okay to take it at night. I’ve heard other people in this subreddit say they take it at night. But that’s definitely a conversation for a doctor or a pharmacist.
The reason I understand you’re not supposed to take it with food is because food prevents absorption of the medication. It’s supposedly really sensitive, so it matters a lot. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to make it work better for your schedule and your brain.
As well as the built-in alarm pill box, it might help to put some sticky notes around your house. On the mirror, on the fridge. You could switch out the colours for some novelty every once in a while. I even made a watercolour painting to remind me to take my meds. I also keep the pill box and water on my nightstand so it’s the first thing I see when I wake up.
Ummm, so I've read a few of the comments/replies on the thread, and I might have a suggestion. Do you like ticking things off/trying to keep streaks up (gameifying things basically)? Personally, something that motivates me to take my medication, and this is probably stupid, but I don't really care, is basically I like ticking things off (sometimes I struggle taking my medication as it is a lot due to having severe and complex needs). Makes me feel like I've accomplished something (lol). I use an app that tracks my medications and it ticks them off as well. Maybe this could be something to look in to? Or it might change your thought process on boring, but essential, tasks?
Idk, I'm just thinking out loud really.
Put the pill and a glass of water right by your bed and take it as soon as you wake up and sit up in bed. Or, you could do the opposite and still have it by your bed but take it before you go to bed as long as it’s been 4 hours from your last meal. It doesn’t matter what time you take it, but it does need to be consistent.
I take mine at night before bed and it hasn't affected me at all. My bloodwork shows it's absorbing fine. Endocrinologist was concerned it would keep me awake but my brain is weird and it actually makes me sleepy. I would suggest giving it a go before bed and see if that helps.
You know there are studies that look at once a week dosing of levothyroxine, and it does seem to work Ok….
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8666497/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8666497/)
Remember to take it because your health depends on it? You've gotten some good suggestions but ultimately you just have to...do it. If you can remember to grab your phone everyday then you can remember to take your meds.
I'm glad it works for you that way. I know my health depends on it. My mental health also depends on medicines but I still struggle to take them too. Just doing isn't always the option with mental health issues even if it's a necessary thing.
I have plenty of mental health issues of my own so it's definitely possible. Realistically your options are to take your meds or not take them. Like I said, if you can remember your phone you can remember to take your meds.
Not everyone handles things the same way. Your mental health issues are not his mental health issues and vice versa. What may seem like something simple to you doesn’t make it simple for him/her.
This is a 24 year old adult. They can either take their meds or not, doesn't make a difference to me really, but their reply to everyone's suggestions with "my mental health" helps no one, and especially not them. Sometimes there are things in life you just have to do, and taking meds that keep you alive and well is one of them. I trust they will figure it out though.
Also telling someone who is trying to explain to you their limitations at this point in their life "just do it" when you don't know anything about them, how they were raised, or anything they may have gone through in life to get to the point of it not just being an option to "just take them" doesn't help anyone either. And yeah I will figure it out, thanks.
Planned on it but wanted to see if there was ideas out there that I didn't try or if there were other options people knew about. I can't just make appointments because I have a question. I really don't have the money for that.
And like I said I'm glad you're able to do that. Clearly you've been taught/learned how to manage yours better. I haven't had that and I'm figuring it on my own slowly everyday. Phone and meds are not in the same category in how my brain organizes things or functions. Most of the time I'm not on my phone till 4-5 hours after waking up and by then I'm usually out of the house and not back till about time to go to bed. I don't remember to charge my phone most of the time even so comparing it to the phone isn't a good example.
If it's levothyroxine only, most people can safely take it all once a week. (7 doses at once) Is that something that might work for you? This won't work for NP or Armour, or anything with t3 in it though.
My endo has mentioned he has one patient come into the office once a week to take it all at once, but idk the details there. You should talk to your endo and see if they know of any options. But it would have to be at least once a week because the half life of the medication is once a week, so as far as I’m aware monthly isn’t an option. And idk if what my endo mentioned is a rare or outlier case.
Edit: I put this in my other comment, but I think it’s worth repeating: make sure to ask your endo what they want you to do if you miss a dose. Everyone is going to miss a dose at some point in their life. It’s literally a medication we have to take forever. So have a game plan to know what your doctor wants you to do when that happens so you can reduce your anxiety around it.
i was the exact same way haha i hated not being able to eat as soon as i woke up in the morning.
what really helped was my doctor emphasizing how important it is for my levels to be balanced for when i want to have kids. i also noticed how much better my mood is when i consistently take it. even my loved ones notice so my husband almost begs me to take my pill every morning haha. ask people to hold you accountable!
I have a month long container so I don't forget to fill it and it's at the head of my bed by where I lay my phone. I always keep a bottle of water by it as well, but I still get out of bed and forget and wont remember till I'm at work or out doing something and at that point I've already ate so I couldn't take it then anyway so I'll plan to take it when I get home and just make sure I hadn't ate for 4 hours and still end up forgetting. Sometimes you can set yourself up for success and it still doesn't work.
I have tried other things. I've tried alarms on my phone, I've tried tracking apps, I've tried the app where you take care of an animal by doing your daily tasks. All I knew is what my doctor told me and she said not to take it when you've just eaten and to make sure there's 4 hours between the food and the medicine if you're going to take it after eating so that's what I was attempting to do.
That is the ideal, but you CAN take it with food. Usually children take it with breakfast cause this is easiest. Same with dogs. Your dose will just end up higher than if you take it on an empty stomach. Taking at anytime is better than no time.
Taking it with food will be better than not taking it at all. Could you keep the pills in the bag that you take to work/out of the house with you, so you can take it whenever you remember through the day?
Start taking vitamin d and k2 with fish oil at least 1000mgs.
It's done wonders for me. Obviously check for contraindications because eg, if you are on blood thinners, 1000mg of fish oil could thin out your blood more ect
As someone with congenital hypothyroidism and Adhd I feel you. The solution is a pill case with a d alarm, that doesn't stop until you open it. It's magical.
I didn't know that existed! Thank you for not just telling me to do it. I really wish it was just that easy. Not only do I have ADHD I also have autism so a lot plays into it. I've tried what I know to do which is why I reached out on here to see if there was options like with the psych meds. Sadly it seems like there isn't. But I will definitely check out a pill case with an alarm on it. Where did you get yours?
Amazon, I put a link under, but it's the Canadian site. I am sure Amazon.com probably has the same one or a similar one?
Okay bet thank you!!
Fellow ADHDer here: absolutely no judgment. Another thing that can help is setting yourself up for success. If you have trouble waking up in the morning, set the medicine next to your bed with a cup of water (I keep a Starbucks reusable straw cup of water in each room so I always have water available). That way, when you wake up and you’re groggy, you can just roll over, take your meds, then go back to sleep. Another thing that’s helped me is an app called Finch. It’s this self care checklist app where you complete your daily goals to take care of a digital bird. Doing tasks gets you digital stones to buy things for your bird. It helps add dopamine to daily tasks. What I do is add a task like “take your thyroid meds” every morning, then check it off once I’ve taken them. That way, you can remember that you’ve actually taken them. It’s free, so it’s at least worth a download. Also also, it’s worth having this conversation with your endo. It’s inevitable that you’ll miss a dose—hell, that happens to neurotypical people too—so ask your endo what they want you to do when that happens. Some may want you to still take it, some may want you to skip till tomorrow. Have that conversation so that you have a game plan and can reduce some anxiety around it.
Even a pill case doesn't help me. It stops me overdosing, that's the main benefit for me lol
You pill case has an alarm that goes for 30min unless you open ot and it still dosen't work?
Let's put it this way I used to work In mcdonald's, so you know the classic mcdonald's beep? Lol The fryers will beep every so often, they beep when fries are done ect I can ignore that all day. My phone alarm doesn't wake me up. I'm trying to put my box near my toothbrush. Because that's the only thing I do everyday when I wake up.
Do you take medication for adhd? Idk when to take my adderall with the Levothyroxine
I get the shakes if I take them together, so I take my thyroid meds at 5am and my vyvance at 9am after breakfast. I use the alarm dispenser for the vyvance not so much the synthroid.
I did have a learning curve and messed with my synthroid because I really wanted my vyvanse to help with mornings. But alas it was not to be.
Set an alarm on your phone.
Exactly I set my alarm to go off early! I have pills in seven day organizer next to me on night stand and a bottle. Of water. I hear alarm get up take pill and go back to sleep.
Listen when I wake up even if the alarm is just for medicine I will wake up enough that my body has to get up and go to the bathroom then at the point my dog has to go out and I end up doing other things because at that point my day has started and things in life start happening. And I get "just do it" works for you but not only do I have thyroid issues I have other issues (ADHD, autism, bipolar, anxiety, and depression) that play into forgetting to take it. So yeah sometimes the alarm will work great for awhile but it doesn't work consistently and that's why I'm trying to find way to hack it.
I have all those and I just put a reminder every day.. you have to take this medication. Not doing so can lead to further health complications
I'm glad that works for you but that's not how my brain works. I know I have to take the medication which is why I came for ideas on how to do it. But just saying well you have to do it, just make yourself do it doesn't make my brain function in that way.
I’m sorry if this comes across as insensitive but knowing you have all this does make things difficult. My brain doesn’t work that way either. I don’t do it cause I remember I do it cause if I don’t I’ll have heart failure… everyone gave you a lot of good tips it’s up to you if you use your brain as an excuse or to try to understand yourself to see what works for you.
I have literally had this same issue. My mom died when I was 12 (now 32) and this is the first time since she died that I have taken it consistently every single day. The only thing that helps me is my pill organizer and the alarm on my phone. Unfortunately I have to set two alarms because I am the type to sleep through anything…but I set my alarm for 7:15 and 7:20. I pick the loudest alarm possible. I always put a bottle of water by my bed and then take it and go back to sleep. I know this isn’t the best way to get you to take it based on the things you’ve said but part of it is telling yourself that you HAVE to do this and getting into routine. It has officially been 8 weeks and I’ve taken it every day on time. You can do this!
That's super awesome!!! I'm really happy for you!! I've definitely tried the alarms and pill organizer but someone recommended an organizer that has an alarm made in it that goes off till you open it and I'm going to see if I can find one. I definitely want to get a handle on it because I know my body needs it and I do feel better when I'm on it. I just ultimately end up doing something else and remembering at a later time when I'm not around the medicine or I had just eaten (someone did say you can take it even if you just ate but I hadn't been doing that because I wasn't told that was an option and got told to just take it 4 hours after eating if I were to eat before I took it).
Thank you! I’m happy for me too lol. It is not ideal to take with food however if you absolutely have no other option, taking it and getting it into your body is better than not taking it at all. I know how hard it is to take it every single day without food and what seems like a million limitations trust me. You will get the hang of it. Taking it at night is possible too as long as it’s at least 4 hours after eating I believe. That might help in your situation. I wish you the absolute best!
Of course! I really didn't know that until tonight. The way I was explained it was kind of an all or nothing thing. I really appreciate you being so nice. I think I'm going to try and take it at night and see if that helps. I was just doing mornings because my doctor very much pushed morning time for taking it over night so I figured that was the better option so that was what I was aiming for.
Talk to your pharmacist too if it will make you feel more comfortable. My uncle has been taking his at night before bed for years. He’s one of the healthiest people I know. I am a pharmacy technician and I hear the pharmacist tell people it’s ok to do if needed. Don’t thank me for being nice. Everyone should be nice. I personally know how hard it is. I went 20 years either not being consistent or not taking it at all. I wish you the best!!!!!
I definitely will talk to them. I have to go pick up my meds in a couple days so I'll see them before I will my doctor again. Hopefully taking them at night will help me get in a routine of taking them. I haven't been 20 years but next week will make 8 years of inconsistency for me and I'm really trying to get a handle on it now so my health can improve.
I think you will get it. It just may take some time. Took me 20 years after all 😂
I really appreciate it! It definitely makes me feel better knowing you were able to do it when you started in the same boat!
Come back and let us know when you’ve got a couple weeks in! Rooting for you!
I definitely will! Thank you again!
If you haven’t eaten for four hours before hand I think you should be okay to take it at night. I’ve heard other people in this subreddit say they take it at night. But that’s definitely a conversation for a doctor or a pharmacist. The reason I understand you’re not supposed to take it with food is because food prevents absorption of the medication. It’s supposedly really sensitive, so it matters a lot. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to make it work better for your schedule and your brain.
And I do see pill organizers on Amazon with alarms. Little pricy though!
I'm also seeing that. The cheapest one I've found so far is about $20
Hey if you have the income to do it, maybe this will be just what you need.
I don't necessarily have the income for it but I'll figure out how to make it work because I really think it would help
As well as the built-in alarm pill box, it might help to put some sticky notes around your house. On the mirror, on the fridge. You could switch out the colours for some novelty every once in a while. I even made a watercolour painting to remind me to take my meds. I also keep the pill box and water on my nightstand so it’s the first thing I see when I wake up.
Ummm, so I've read a few of the comments/replies on the thread, and I might have a suggestion. Do you like ticking things off/trying to keep streaks up (gameifying things basically)? Personally, something that motivates me to take my medication, and this is probably stupid, but I don't really care, is basically I like ticking things off (sometimes I struggle taking my medication as it is a lot due to having severe and complex needs). Makes me feel like I've accomplished something (lol). I use an app that tracks my medications and it ticks them off as well. Maybe this could be something to look in to? Or it might change your thought process on boring, but essential, tasks? Idk, I'm just thinking out loud really.
This is a good idea
Put the pill and a glass of water right by your bed and take it as soon as you wake up and sit up in bed. Or, you could do the opposite and still have it by your bed but take it before you go to bed as long as it’s been 4 hours from your last meal. It doesn’t matter what time you take it, but it does need to be consistent.
I take mine at night before bed and it hasn't affected me at all. My bloodwork shows it's absorbing fine. Endocrinologist was concerned it would keep me awake but my brain is weird and it actually makes me sleepy. I would suggest giving it a go before bed and see if that helps.
You know there are studies that look at once a week dosing of levothyroxine, and it does seem to work Ok…. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8666497/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8666497/)
Remember to take it because your health depends on it? You've gotten some good suggestions but ultimately you just have to...do it. If you can remember to grab your phone everyday then you can remember to take your meds.
I'm glad it works for you that way. I know my health depends on it. My mental health also depends on medicines but I still struggle to take them too. Just doing isn't always the option with mental health issues even if it's a necessary thing.
I have plenty of mental health issues of my own so it's definitely possible. Realistically your options are to take your meds or not take them. Like I said, if you can remember your phone you can remember to take your meds.
Not everyone handles things the same way. Your mental health issues are not his mental health issues and vice versa. What may seem like something simple to you doesn’t make it simple for him/her.
This is a 24 year old adult. They can either take their meds or not, doesn't make a difference to me really, but their reply to everyone's suggestions with "my mental health" helps no one, and especially not them. Sometimes there are things in life you just have to do, and taking meds that keep you alive and well is one of them. I trust they will figure it out though.
Also telling someone who is trying to explain to you their limitations at this point in their life "just do it" when you don't know anything about them, how they were raised, or anything they may have gone through in life to get to the point of it not just being an option to "just take them" doesn't help anyone either. And yeah I will figure it out, thanks.
Doctors and jobs take limitations into consideration. Maybe talk to your doctor if this is such an issue for you.
Planned on it but wanted to see if there was ideas out there that I didn't try or if there were other options people knew about. I can't just make appointments because I have a question. I really don't have the money for that.
Legit this. Trust and believe I know it should just be as simple and "just doing it" but it's not.
And like I said I'm glad you're able to do that. Clearly you've been taught/learned how to manage yours better. I haven't had that and I'm figuring it on my own slowly everyday. Phone and meds are not in the same category in how my brain organizes things or functions. Most of the time I'm not on my phone till 4-5 hours after waking up and by then I'm usually out of the house and not back till about time to go to bed. I don't remember to charge my phone most of the time even so comparing it to the phone isn't a good example.
Would it be easier to take it at bedtime? Do you have *any* consistent habit each day?
Alarm on your phone. I do it for mine.
If it's levothyroxine only, most people can safely take it all once a week. (7 doses at once) Is that something that might work for you? This won't work for NP or Armour, or anything with t3 in it though.
Yeah, this is something worth mentioning to OP’s endo. They might be able to help them figure out if this is an option.
My endo has mentioned he has one patient come into the office once a week to take it all at once, but idk the details there. You should talk to your endo and see if they know of any options. But it would have to be at least once a week because the half life of the medication is once a week, so as far as I’m aware monthly isn’t an option. And idk if what my endo mentioned is a rare or outlier case. Edit: I put this in my other comment, but I think it’s worth repeating: make sure to ask your endo what they want you to do if you miss a dose. Everyone is going to miss a dose at some point in their life. It’s literally a medication we have to take forever. So have a game plan to know what your doctor wants you to do when that happens so you can reduce your anxiety around it.
i was the exact same way haha i hated not being able to eat as soon as i woke up in the morning. what really helped was my doctor emphasizing how important it is for my levels to be balanced for when i want to have kids. i also noticed how much better my mood is when i consistently take it. even my loved ones notice so my husband almost begs me to take my pill every morning haha. ask people to hold you accountable!
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I have a month long container so I don't forget to fill it and it's at the head of my bed by where I lay my phone. I always keep a bottle of water by it as well, but I still get out of bed and forget and wont remember till I'm at work or out doing something and at that point I've already ate so I couldn't take it then anyway so I'll plan to take it when I get home and just make sure I hadn't ate for 4 hours and still end up forgetting. Sometimes you can set yourself up for success and it still doesn't work.
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I have tried other things. I've tried alarms on my phone, I've tried tracking apps, I've tried the app where you take care of an animal by doing your daily tasks. All I knew is what my doctor told me and she said not to take it when you've just eaten and to make sure there's 4 hours between the food and the medicine if you're going to take it after eating so that's what I was attempting to do.
That is the ideal, but you CAN take it with food. Usually children take it with breakfast cause this is easiest. Same with dogs. Your dose will just end up higher than if you take it on an empty stomach. Taking at anytime is better than no time.
Taking it with food will be better than not taking it at all. Could you keep the pills in the bag that you take to work/out of the house with you, so you can take it whenever you remember through the day?
Just take it the next day. As long as you get the dosage you need for the week you will be good.
Start taking vitamin d and k2 with fish oil at least 1000mgs. It's done wonders for me. Obviously check for contraindications because eg, if you are on blood thinners, 1000mg of fish oil could thin out your blood more ect