Clinical trial · Interventional
The Effect of Coffee on the Absorption of Thyroid Hormone in Patients With Thyroid Carcinoma
The Effect of Coffee Consumption on the Intestinal Absorption of Levothyroxine Thyroid Hormone Replacement in Patients With Thyroid Carcinoma
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether taking thyroid hormone medication with beverages other than water, decreases absorption of the medication by the intestine. Specifically we are interested in whether coffee, coffee with milk, or black tea affects how thyroid medication is absorbed by the body. Previous studies have suggested that taking thyroid hormone with coffee may interfere with the ability to absorb thyroid medicine. Given that many patients take their thyroid medicine with beverages other than water, and specifically with coffee or tea, understanding whether and how much coffee or tea may decrease thyroid hormone absorption is important for clinical practice. This study will help determine the safest and most effective way for adults to take their thyroid medication and will guide medical practitioners in how to counsel their patients when they prescribe thyroid hormone.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypothyroidism | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Thyroid Carcinoma | Thyroid Gland Carcinoma | ALIAS | 0.90 |
Interventions
Interventions (4)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Coffee | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Black Tea | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Coffee with Milk | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Water | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (4)
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Black coffee
- description
- Synthroid will be administered with 12 ounces of black coffee for a period of 6 weeks.
- interventionNames
- Other: Black Coffee
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Coffee with Milk
- description
- Synthroid will be administered with 12 ounces of coffee and 2 ounces of 2% milk for a period of 6 weeks.
- interventionNames
- Other: Coffee with Milk
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Black Tea
- description
- Synthroid will be administered with 12 ounces of black Lipton tea for a period of 6 weeks.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 60 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: \- patients with thyroid carcinoma after standard care of treatment on stable dose of Synthroid with a detectable baseline TSH Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Undetectable baseline TSH * Not willing to drink coffee, coffee with milk, or black tea * Age less than 18 or greater than 60 years old * Taking generic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine) and not brand-name Synthroid * Dose of thyroid medication has been recently changed (less than 3 months ago) * Currently receiving treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, stomach or intestinal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or H. pylori * Taking cholestyramine resin, colestipol hydrochloride, sucralfate, iron sulphate, aluminum containing antacids, activated charcoal, raloxifene, and herbal remedies * History of previous gastric or small intestine surgery * Diagnosis of kidney or liver disease, congestive heart failure, anemia, biliary disease, pancreatitis
References
Publications (1)
- BACKGROUNDBenvenga S, Bartolone L, Pappalardo MA, Russo A, Lapa D, Giorgianni G, Saraceno G, Trimarchi F. Altered intestinal absorption of L-thyroxine caused by coffee. Thyroid. 2008 Mar;18(3):293-301. doi: 10.1089/thy.2007.0222. PMID 18341376