Is O Positiv Meno Safe To Take With Synthroid (Levothyroxine)?

Thanks for reaching out to us! I'm always more than happy to talk about potential drug-supplement interactions. For this one, we'll be diving into whether or not it is safe to combine O Positiv Meno and Synthroid (levothyroxine).

O Positiv Meno Ingredients

As you mention in your question, O Positive Meno is an over-the-counter dietary supplement that contains:

• Black Cohosh
• Ashwagandha
• Chasteberry
• Vitamin D3
• Vitamin B6

Out of all of these ingredients, black cohosh has the most evidence of benefit for treating menopausal symptoms. In fact, several clinical trials have been conducted using specific formulations (e.g. Remifemin), which have shown statistically significant reductions in menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

The other ingredients may be beneficial, but just don't carry the same body of evidence that black cohosh has for menopausal symptoms specifically.

O Positiv Meno With Synthroid

When assessing dietary supplements for drug interactions, you have to consider everything that the supplement contains (which was listed in the above section).

While black cohosh, chasteberry, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin B6 are not known to interact with Synthroid (levothyroxine), some studies indicate that ashwagandha may affect thyroid hormone levels. Specifically, ashwagandha may increase thyroid hormone synthesis and secretion.

One study reported the following:

The treatment with ashwagandha for 4 and 8 weeks resulted in a significant increase in serum T3 levels from baseline values by 18.6% ( p = 0.0121) and 41.5% ( p < 0.0001), respectively.

Other studies have shown similar results. Some case studies have even documented reports of toxic thyroid levels due to over-supplementation of ashwagandha (although this appears to be exceedingly rare and other factors seem to be involved as well).

So, the potential issue here is that taking ashwagandha with levothyroxine could increase your thyroid hormone levels too much (as you are already correcting a deficiency with levothyroxine). This could increase the risk of side effects, like:

• Increased heart rate
• Sweating
• Mental status changes
• Nervousness

There haven't been large-scale studies testing ashwagandha and levothyroxine together, and more information is needed to determine just how significantly ashwagandha can affect thyroid hormone production.

It's certainly possible that you could work out the appropriate doses of levothyroxine you need to take so your thyroid levels are still in a normal range while supplementing with O Positiv Meno, as there doesn't appear to be any notable interaction between the two aside from ashwagandha's potential effect on thyroid levels.

I also want to point out here that you generally want to take levothyroxine by itself, with no food or drink (other than water), and wait 30 minutes before consuming anything else. Other drugs and food, if taken at the same time as levothyroxine, can significantly affect how well it is absorbed.

Final Words

Thanks again for your question.

Summing this all up, ashwagandha (contained in O Positiv Meno) itself may increase thyroid hormone levels in some individuals. It doesn't necessarily interact with levothyroxine specifically, but since levothyroxine is a thyroid hormone itself, taking it with ashwagandha has the potential to increase levels higher than anticipated.

If you want to take ashwagandha-containing products (e.g. O Positiv Meno) with levothyroxine, a dose adjustment of levothyroxine may be needed. Be sure to tell your doctor about everything you are taking, and keep an eye out for any changes on thyroid tests you take.