Lactose Intolerant and Hypothyroid?
Are you hypothyroid and have been told your T4 dose requirement is too high?
Lactose intolerance can be one of the reasons you need a higher dose of thyroid replacement than what is typical. A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reported that those with lactos intolerance required 1.72 mcg/kg of T4 a day to reach a TSH of about 1.3 versus 1.29 mcg/kg in those without lactose intolerance. Patients with additional GI tract problems required 2.04 mcg/kg a day.
“These findings show that lactose intolerance significantly increased the need for oral T4 in hypothyroid patients.”
Source: “Systematic appraisal of lactose intolerance as cause of increased need for oral thyroxine”
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Aug;99(8):E1454-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-1217. Epub 2014 May 5.
Zendocrinology
Another reason to avoid milk — a small study has shown that taking your thyroid medication with a glass of milk can decrease the absorption of Levothyroxine. Most likely due to the calcium content. Always take your thyroid medication with a glass of water.
Source:
Concurrent milk ingestion may affect oral levothyroxine absorption