What abnout us who hasn't got thyroid glands anymore?

[ThyroidHell]

HI :o) I keep reading what kind of supplements and food you should take to boost your thyroid glands but what to take if you haven't got the glands anymore ? Any advice welcome :o)

Marja x

[PinkNinja]

If you have no thyroid gland, you should be on thyroid medication. You will likely need a little more than someone who has a thyroid though. You may even need something other than levothyroxine. Some people need to add some T3 or are better with natural dessicated thyroid like Armour, for example.

The supplements don't necessarily make your thyroid work better but make your body more able to function better on the thyroid medication you are taking. For example, iron is needed to get thyroid hormones into the cells where they do their work. If you have low iron, your thyroid medication may not make you feel as well as it could..

The other vitamins and minerals are important to replace if low. People with thyroid problems are often deficient in various vitamins and minerals so it is important to supplement if necessary so that your body can function properly once it has all the thyroid hormone is needs, whether from the patient's own thyroid or from thyroid replacement like thyroxine.

If you are not feeling well, it is quite likely you are not on enough thyroid medication or you need a different protocol, like T4 and T3 combination or T3 only, for example.

You may also be deficient in several vitamins or mineral which should be checked.

I hope that helps a little.

Carolyn x

[ThyroidHell]

Thanks Carolyn , I had the whole hog removed due to nodules on 24/6 and before that I have never been on any medication. I have 100 micrograms thyroxine daily. Due to have my 1st bloodtests in 3 weeks time. I am sure that I will need iron for starters. My GP said I should be on 200micrograms daily ! We'll see !

Marja x

[PinkNinja in reply to ThyroidHell]

Your GP is probably pretty close. Many GP's keep their TT patients on too low a dose. 200mcg sounds like a reasonable dose. You might need adjustments one way or another to find your optimal dose, but at least your GP is expecting a reasonable dose!

[ThyroidHell in reply to PinkNinja]

Thanks Carolyn , I feel a bit more relaxed now x

[Piedo]

Hi I had a T T last year, like you I had never been on any medication before I was started off on 125 then dropped to 100 The dr now wants to drop me to 75 I have tried but didn't t feel good so alternate 100 and 75 I also have started taking vit D magnesium and zinc hoping it will aid conversion of T4 to T3 .At the moment I have kept slim and feel concerned that dropping thyroxine ,my weight will go up .my dr seems to treat me solely on my tsh and thyroxine level. Keep reading this site I have found it useful there is so much good advice from knowledgeable people.I wish you luck on you thyroid journey it certainly keeps you on your toes! Ps one thing to watch is your cholesterol level since being on thyroxine mine has gone up my dr won t listen when I tell him it is because go thyroxine.

[PinkNinja in reply to Piedo]

High cholesterol is a symptom of not enough thyroid hormone. If you can, please see a different doctor who will listen to you. It sounds like you need a higher dose. 75mcg is a piddly amount for someone with no thyroid. I was on 125mcg and I still have my thyroid!

Have a look at this link. It is a spreadsheet that Rod, one of the other admins, has put together using various formulae for calculated the estimated thyroxine requirement for someone with no thyroid.

dl.dropbox.com/u/318411/Est...

[shaws Administrator in reply to Piedo]

Don't drop your dose due only to the TSH level of your blood tests. If you can get a copy of your latest thyroid gland blood tests complete with the ranges, post them on a new question and someone will reply. Unfortunately, many GP's don't know best how to get you well.

Carolyn is right, high cholesterol is a symptom of hypo and should reduce when on optimum meds. Cursor to the question dated July 15, 2006 of this archived site.

web.archive.org/web/2010122...

[balla]

could someone help me understand my blood results ? please x

[ThyroidHell]

Thanks for the answers , I love this group :o)