Hello Johnny,
You sure picked a stumper for me this morning!
I spent several hours searching for interaction warnings between
Synthroid, l-tyrosine and 5-HTP and found...a whole lot of nothing
that would definitively answer your question on the web. I searched
Medline, and used the following search terms with Google:
[ synthroid l-tyrosine interactions ]
[ synthroid l-tyrosine contraindications ]
[ synthroid 5-HTP interactions ]
[ synthroid 5-HTP contraindications ]
[ synthroid l-tyrosine 5-HTP interactions ]
[ synthroid l-tyrosine 5-HTP contraindications ]
I learned in these readings that l-tyrosine and 5-HTP are amino acids
often used as part of a low carb/high protein weight loss/control
plan, that 5-HTP is considered a good treatment for depression and
insomnia, and that it is extremely important to take your Synthroid on
an empty stomach so as not to reduce the efficacy of the Synthroid
(which you already knew). I found no discussions of the use of the
three together.
According to the interaction checker at Drugstore.com, l-tyrosine
*might* cause a moderate reduction in the efficacy of your Synthroid
if you take them at the same time:
"SYNTHROID (LEVOTHYROXINE SODIUM) and FOOD (ENTERAL NUTRITION)
Severity: Moderate
Description: Taking LEVOTHYROXINE with ENTERAL NUTRITION may result in
a lower amount of thyroid in your blood, which may indicate that
levothyroxine is not working as well for you.
It is recommended that you separate your dose of levothyroxine and
enteral nutrition as much as possible. If you are not sure if your are
taking enteral nutrition, contact your pharmacist or physician."
Drugstore.com Interaction Checker - Synthroid and l-tyrosine
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X24723045
The interaction checker does not recognize 5-htp (or htp-5), so I
called both Bassett's and Claudia's (health food stores) and spoke to
representatives there about your query. Neither knew of any reason
that you couldn't take your 5-htp, l-tyrosine and Synthroid all at the
same time, and both disagreed with Drugstore.com's interaction note,
stating that as long as you're taking only the recommended dose, there
should be little to no decrease in efficacy of the Synthroid.
I wasn't entirely satisfied with this answer (being that they're
health food proprietors, not health care professionals), so I walked
up to Rite Aid at the corner:
5860 Lewis Avenue
Toledo , OH 43612
Phone:(419) 269-1277
I spent an hour with Senior Pharmacist Bob Tafelski, who kindly
searched the databases available to him for information about possible
interactions. He found no reason for you to avoid taking the three
together, concurring with the representatives at both Claudia's and
Bassett's.
Mr. Tafelski did caution, however, that if you're taking a
multivitamin in addition to your Synthroid and the other supplements,
you should wait at least an hour to take the multivitamin. He said
the calcium and iron present in the multivitamin could interfere with
the absorption of the Synthroid, so if you're using a multivitamin,
take it later in the day.
There were no other interaction warnings found, so you should be just
fine taking them all at the same time.
I hope this makes your medication regemin easier for you! Please do
let me know if I can be of further help to you - just ask for
clarification if need be.
--Missy |
Clarification of Answer by
missy-ga
on
13 Jul 2003 21:15 PDT
Hi again!
Some people do appear to experience hair loss while taking Synthroid:
"I am hypothyroid and have been on and off synthroid for the last few
years to treat this. During this time, I've also had severe,
recurrent, hair loss all over. Has anyone ever experienced hair loss
while being on Synthroid?"
ReGrowth.com
http://www.regrowth.com/hair_loss_forums/viewthread.cfm?t=3559
"First, if you are hypothyroid and taking levothyroxine (i.e.,
Synthroid) as your thyroid hormone replacement, and still losing hair,
you may need to take action. Prolonged or excessive hair loss IS a
side effect of Synthroid for some people. Note: Many doctors do NOT
know this, even though it is a stated side effect in the Synthroid
patient literature, so don't be surprised if your doctor is not aware
of this."
Hair Loss and Thyroid disease
http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa061099.htm
"I happened up the DrugInfonet web site, which features pharmaceutical
product literature. Here, direct from the Synthroid product
literature:
"Partial hair loss may occur during the initial months of therapy,
but is generally transient. The incidence of continued hair loss is
unknown."
Generally transient. That means that for some, perhaps it's not
transient? And incidence of continued hair loss is unknown. Doesn't
mean it's non-existent. Just "unknown?" And Doctor #2 swore up and
down that it could never cause my hair to fall out."
Welcome to the "Petite Papier" Club for Empowered Patients
http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa051297.htm
"11. Partial hair loss may occur rarely during the first few months of
levothyroxine sodium therapy, but it is usually temporary."
Precautions
http://thyroid.miningco.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/levothy%5Fwcp.htm%23Ci
It seems that Synthroid presents the patient with a Catch-22
situation: if you don't treat your thryroid problem, your hair will
fall out. If you do treat your thyroid problem, your hair will fall
out!
"Why is this medication prescribed?
Levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone, is used to treat hypothyroidism, a
condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid
hormone. Without this hormone, the body cannot function properly,
resulting in poor growth, slow speech, lack of energy, weight gain,
hair loss, dry thick skin, and increased sensitivity to cold. When
taken correctly, levothyroxine reverses these symptoms. Levothyroxine
also is used to treat congenital hypothyroidism (cretinism) and goiter
(enlarged thyroid gland)."
eDrugnet.com (Synthroid / Levothyroxine)
http://www.edrugnet.com/pages-moredetail/Synthroid.htm
(You can learn more about Synthroid here: http://synthroid.com/ )
It seems that l-tyrosine is said to be beneficial to hair, though
apparently primarily to the hair's color:
"The Amino Acid L Tyrosine is also recommended for helping hair regain
its natural colour."
Hair Loss Vitamins
http://www.stophairlossnow.co.uk/Vitamins.htm
"L-tyrosine amino acid is also an immunomodulation therapy that
trichologists have successfully used in treating autoimmune diseases
that affect the hair. Tyrosine helps reduce the skin’s neuropeptides,
which in turn decreases lymphocytic (white blood cell) infiltrate
surrounding the hair follicle."
Hair Loss in Children and Adolescents By Tony Pearce RN.
Consulting Trichologist, National Trichology Services
http://www.natrichology.com.au/articles/hair_loss_in_children.html
"*Folliculitus Decalvans
Another autoimmune problem, this is where hair follicles are
destroyed. Patches occur slowly, and inflammation and scaling around
the affected hair follicles are typical. Treatments include taking
L-Tyrosine and antibiotics."
The Scalp And Hair Clinic
http://www.hair-clinic.co.uk/other.htm
Hair Formula 37 contains 109mg l-tyrosine as part of its "perfect hair
formula":
Hair Formula 37
http://www.thehair.com/ingredients.htm
Another site selling this formula explains l-tyrosine:
"L-Tyrosine - an amino acid when metabolized provides mellanin (hair
color)"
SalonWeb
http://www.salonweb.com/37/studies.htm
"Prevention of gray hair is attributed to Folic Acid along with PABA,
Pantothenic Acid and the mineral Copper which converts L-Tyrosine that
gives color to the hair."
Hair Fitness
http://www.healthandbodyfitness.com/supplement.htm
I found no information linking 5-htp to hair loss or hair growth
either way. Hair loss is occasionally mentioned on the same page as
5-htp, but only in the form of a link to an article about 5-htp as a
mood enhancer or Prozac alternative, not as a supplement that affects
one's hair in any fashion.
I hope this meets your needs!
--Missy
Search terms: [ synthroid "hair loss" ], [ l-tyrosine "hair loss" ],
[ 5-htp "hair loss" ]
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