Biotin doesn't interfere with thyroid medication, but it can interfere with a thyroid blood test.
Biotin has no effect on thyroid hormone levels or thyroid function in the body. However, biotin can interfere with the measurement of hormone levels in the laboratory, making them inaccurate. This is because biotin is added as a reagent during some of the laboratory methods.
Products such as iron and calcium supplements and antacids can lower your body's ability to absorb levothyroxine, so SYNTHROID should be taken 4 hours before or after taking these products.
Biotin actually does not alter thyroid hormone levels, but it can make measurements inaccurate. So, it's a good policy to stop taking it at least one week before your thyroid blood test if you are taking more than 5,000 micrograms (mcg) of biotin daily.
Most people who notice more hair loss after starting levothyroxine find that it lasts only a month or two. Additional shedding sometimes happens because the hormones need time to stabilize. The hair growth cycle takes time to adjust to changes in your system.
People with thyroid disease commonly experience hair loss, and taking levothyroxine can initially increase this hair loss. This is because hair growth depends on proper functioning of the thyroid gland.
Most commonly, biotin use can result in falsely high levels of T4 and T3 and falsely low levels of TSH, leading to either a wrong diagnosis of hyperthyroidism or that the thyroid hormone dose is too high.
According to the Mayo Clinic, supplements such as calcium, iron, multivitamins containing iron, and antacids containing magnesium or aluminum can potentially have interactions with thyroid medications.
Avoid taking your thyroid hormone at the same time as:
Iron supplements or multivitamins containing iron. Calcium supplements. Antacids that contain aluminum, magnesium or calcium.
As mentioned above, levothyroxine should not be taken within 4 hours of medications and supplements like antacids, bile acid sequestrants, ion exchange resins, iron supplements, or calcium.
You should take calcium and iron supplements at least three to four hours after levothyroxine to avoid reduced drug absorption.
Ask a doctor before using biotin if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Your dose needs may be different during pregnancy or while you are nursing. Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without medical advice.
Often, people don't realize that Biotin, a B vitamin, can skew the results of thyroid blood tests, resulting in a possible misdiagnosis. Studies have shown Biotin, even in low doses, can interfere with diagnostic blood tests leading to both false negatives and false positives.
The amount of biotin suggested for hair growth usually ranges between 100 - 1,000 micrograms (mcg) daily, but this number varies based on your body's reaction to biotin.
Multivitamins. Like hormones, minerals like iron and calcium can bind to thyroid hormone and inhibit absorption. A good rule of thumb: “Take your thyroid hormone first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, and take multivitamins and other supplements at lunch, at least 4 hours later,” suggests Levy.
Vitamin B12
A B12 supplement can improve hypothyroid symptoms by increasing the number of healthy red blood cells. These cells can deliver oxygen-fresh blood to your tissues and promote energy metabolism.
No interactions were found between levothyroxine and Vitamin D3.
The latter requires a daily hormone replacement tablet like levothyroxine. Currently, there is no evidence of supplement-drug interactions between thyroid medication and high-protein diets. Thus, collagen supplementation should be safe for people on thyroid medications.
Severe and prolonged hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause loss of hair. The loss is diffuse and involves the entire scalp rather than discrete areas. The hair appears uniformly sparse.
Is thyroid hair loss reversible? Yes, usually. If you do experience hair loss with thyroid problems, it usually grows back once the condition has been treated, although the texture of your hair might be different.
Thyroid hair loss often looks like a general thinning across your scalp or eyebrows. Thyroid hair loss might develop slowly; patients with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism notice a gradual thinning of their hair rather than localized bald spots or missing patches.