Synthroid/medication Absorption Issues With Band?

[Jodi_620 37]

I am a little over four years post-op and have been at goal for a couple years now. I have not had a fill in a year and a half and have been maintaining a good weight, even lost a little over the past couple months. My thyroid has been controlled well over most of this time. I had to have my dosage lowered early on but until recently there have been no issues. In December my levels were way off so my Endo increased my dosage. He has increased it every month since then with little result. Two months ago I began crushing my Synthroid and waiting two hours to eat but that did not help either.

I am not sure if it is the band that is not allowing me to absorb the medication or perhaps I have developed some sort of other GI issue. The Endo is going to increase my dose one more time and if there is no improvement in a month I will need to see a GI specialist. I have not gained weight but I am always very cold, tired, moody, brain fog and thinning hair. I am not sure if a slight unfill will help or not; I don't even have a Lap Band doctor at this time since Dr. Pinnar closed up shop and moved to Florida. Just wondering if anyone else has had issues with absorbing thryoid meds or any other meds this far out with Lap Band.

[PandorasBox92264 61]

One of the reasons I chose the band is because it doesn't affect the absorption of medications. My sister had gastric bypass years ago, and frankly she has to have a horse dose of medication due to the difference in absorption. It is probably your system changing for some reason, and I would probably have the tests to see what is up.

Good luck with it!

[cheryl2586 3,053]

Your intestines are in tact so there should be no issues absorbing medications. Something else is going on. Maybe your thyroid is not working at all anymore.

[Jodi_620 37]

He feels it is an absorption issue, perhaps related to the Lap Band but realizing it could be related to non-Lap Band GI issues. He did test me for Celiac Disease but it came up negative. The Synthroid is supposed to be absorbed on an empty stomach and at one point, his thought was that maybe the pill is sitting in my pouch too long and being absorbed too slowly which is why we tried crushing the pill and waiting two hours for me to eat; I thought the theory seemed possible since I am so very tight in the morning even Water has a hard time passing. As mentioned, he will try to increase my dose once more and check for any improvements in a month, if there are none then I will see a GI specialist. In the meantime I thought I would throw this out to everyone on this forum since I do not have a Lap Band doctor to ask.