Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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This is difficult for me, probably because of information I've read and my personal situation. I am hypo-thyroid, I take 88mcg of Synthroid first thing in the morning, then at lunch time I take some supplements, (I've heard that taking any sort of mineral or vitamin or supplement within 4 hours of synthroid reduces effectiveness), so, this is when I would normally take Magnesium.....however, after listening to Robb Wolf, he says that a magnesium supplement should be taken as a sleep aid. Unfortunately I take 5mcg of Cytomel at bedtime, and this is another drug that has to be taken alone.

I originally take Magnesium to keep my bowels moving, getting rid of the psylliium seed that I was taking before, but if it is a sleep aid, I dont want to be even more lack-luster during the day. Any ideas on this? thanks Sue

flag	asked Jun 28 2011 at 16:46 Sue Holt 831●4●9

don't know about magnesium as it relates to thyroid meds, but i do know that you don't need to worry about the mag slowing you down during the day. you're doing fine. :) – g. Jun 28 2011 at 23:24

BAMBAM · Answer 1 · 2011-06-28 16:52:18Z UTC

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When I look through the trees and see the forest, I'm guessing your current diet is not 100% Paleo. My observation is you seem to be focusing a great deal on the dosage level of drugs while isolating merely one or two specific nutrients - in this case magnesium. I don't think you're going to heal your thyroid problems unless you focus more on causes and less on the symptoms that manifest to the point where a doctor can observe them and give your symptoms a diagnosis. What about the underlying causes? Do you think your diet is 100% Paleo? Is something missing? Are there hazards in there somewhere? Tell us about what you're eating.

answered Jun 28 2011 at 16:52

BAMBAM
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Wish I could vote up 10x. You're focusing too much on microoptimization right now, take big swings at things, e.g., 100% paleo diet, smart exercise, etc (for a while - like maybe 6 months to a year) and then start worrying about the small stuff. Nutrition and exercise DO work, but they don't work overnight. – miked Jun 28 2011 at 17:50

Excellent point about the 6-month timetable required for health and healing. The body has a miraculous ability to heal itself but we need to keep in mind that the damage done is deep. We have to give the body a chance and that means 1)ample time to heal 2)flooding our bodies with the write ingredients (micronutrients) to make it happen...not to mention the time the body needs to flush out toxins. – BAMBAM Jun 28 2011 at 17:54

so, I tried to use this space to clarify, but there wasn't enough room, I had to answer my own question with a response, sorry – Sue Holt Jun 28 2011 at 18:48

NewEra · Answer 2 · 2011-06-28 17:44:30Z UTC

I take Armour Thyroid at 6am myself. The only thing I'll take near it is vitamin C and fish oil (at least an hour later with non-calcium containing breakfasts). I take magnesium citrate (600mg) at dinner with my other supplements. I do NOT find the mag citrate chills me out to any noticeable degree. Have you found it to do this to you in the past? If you are still constipated, your thyroid drug dose might be inadequate. You say you don't want to be "even more lackluster" during the day. Are you still experiencing a lot of fatigue as well? This could be another sign your meds need adjusting. My slow bowels didn't work out until I got my Armour dose right and added a prescription probiotic.

I'd speak to my doctor if I were you. Sometimes with hypothyroid you have to treat to the symptoms and not just the bloodwork. Normal bloodwork with continued symptoms is inadequate treatment. Also, try to be as strict with your Paleo as you can be. Dairy can be problematic, and the calcium in dairy binds to thyroid meds and makes them unavailable to the body. If you are still wanting to take magnesium, do so smack in the middle of the day. This will keep them away from your meds. If you find yourself too chillaxed by them, don't take them at all. Also, be sure you are getting adequate iodine. Too much is bad for thyroid function, but not enough is too. I don't eat iodized salt so I make sure my multivitamin has iodine in it.

GiGiEats · Answer 3 · 2013-03-09 05:28:08Z UTC

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Take your magnesium with dinner then, it takes a few hours to kick in anyways.

answered Mar 9 at 5:28

GiGiEats
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I agree. I often take it around 6:30 or 7, and don't feel any effects from it until around 10. Even then, it's not like taking a sleeping pill. It just makes me feel calmer. – Tess Mar 9 at 5:40

Sue Holt · Answer 4 · 2011-06-28 18:47:21Z UTC

Yikes, I guess I should have gone into more detail. I have been grain free for a little over a month.<----best thing I ever did!! I eat eggs, too many I am sure, (will try an alternative easy breakfast food, any ideas?) I am in search of grass-fed and organic protein sources, but eat cows, chickens and fish. I have salads, asparagus, broccoli, sweet potatoes for my vegetables, and try to be easy on the crucifer stuff. I do eat onions and tomatoes but try to go easy on those too. I do eat home-made kefir occasionally for my flora. I hike and walk a lot, and my business is pretty active, (pet resort), and I cycle and kayak. I am looking into other stuff too, but am in the middle of a move and need to situate myself there. I know I haven't given myself much time on this, I just wanted to make sure that I was doing this right. In a previous question I had asked about psyllium husk as fiber and magnesium was suggested to keep things moving, so I guess that is why I left out so much info. thanks, and I hope this is good enough info. I am a newbie.

fellow hypothyroid · Answer 5 · 2013-03-09 05:14:42Z UTC

It is a sleep aid, but not in the way you think. It relieves stress is all. I take my synthroid at night at 10 pm I am on 100 MCG. and 75 MCG depends whether or not I'm Hypo or Hyper, as sometimes 100 pushes me to hyper tendancies. I am also gluten intolerant, so I miss out on a lot of foods that are rich in magnesium. If you have a soak in an Epsom salt bath 2 to 3 times a week your body will absorb magnesium through your pores.

when should I take magnesium supplement?

5 Answers