Study: "Thiamine and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: A... - Thyroid UK

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Study: "Thiamine and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: A Report of Three Cases."

Hansaplatz profile image
25 Replies

Another study that came up on my PubMed alerts that I couldn't find yet on here.

Obviously vitamin deficiencies are something that people here know is important to check for and a lot of people take extra B12 or generally more of other B vitamins or B vitamin complex, but I don't think I've seen anything about B1/thiamine in particular so this was an interesting thing to spot though it's only a 3 case study, very small.

EDIT: Realised I forgot to include the link to the study.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/243...

"Abstract

Abstract Objectives: In a previous study on fatigue and related disorders in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we observed that IBD patients improved after treatment with high-dose thiamine. We hypothesized that the chronic fatigue accompanying inflammatory and autoimmune diseases is the clinical manifestation of a mild thiamine deficiency that is probably due to a dysfunction of the intracellular transport or to enzymatic abnormalities. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is both a common automimmune disease and cause of hypothyroidism. Although levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone, is the treatment of choice for hypothyroidism, a significant number of patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy report not feeling well despite having thyroid function tests within the healthy range. Based on our hypothesis, we started treating the fatigue in patients affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis and taking a thyroid hormone with thiamine. This is a report of the outcomes of three cases in which the fatigue component reported by patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis was treated with thiamine. Design: Three patients on thyroid hormone replacement because of Hashimoto's thyroiditis were treated for the fatigue component of the disease from May to July 2011. Fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale. Free thiamine in the serum and thiamine pyrophosphate in red cells were tested before and after the therapy. All three patients received oral (600 mg/day) or parenteral (100 mg/ml every four days) doses of thiamine. Results: Treatment with thiamine led to partial or complete regression of the fatigue within a few hours or days. Conclusion: As the administration of thiamine led to a partial or complete regression of the fatigue and related disorders, it is reasonable to infer that the administration of large quantities of thiamine restores thiamine-dependent processes. The mild thiamine deficiency suggested by fatigue and related disorders may be due a dysfunction of the intracellular transport of thiamine or to enzymatic abnormalities most likely related to the autoimmune process of the disease."

I did check recommended daily doses as suggest by US guidelines mentioned on MayoClinic

mayoclinic.com/health/vitam...

They said

" (RDA) for adults aged 19 years and older is 1.2 milligrams daily for males and 1.1 milligrams daily for females, taken by mouth. The RDA for pregnant or breastfeeding women of any age is 1.4 milligrams daily, taken by mouth. As a dietary supplement in adults, 1-2 milligrams of thiamine has been used daily, by mouth. "

Therefore the above mentioned doses from the study are considerably more per day than the RDA.

Though it does also say "For dysmenorrhea, 100 milligrams of thiamine has been used daily by mouth for three months. " which is the lower of the amounts used in the study so possibly that is safe to take short term? I've read it is water soluble and so unlikely to cause overdose when taken orally but no clue if what I'd read with a quick google on it is decent advice.

But the NHS website seems to to suggest taking 100mg, the lower dose in this study if I'm not getting confused there, might be okay .

nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-...

"What happens if I take too much thiamin?

There is not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of thiamin supplements each day.

What does the Department of Health advise?

You should be able to get all the thiamin you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take supplements, do not take too much because this might be harmful.

Taking 100mg or less a day of thiamin supplements is unlikely to cause any harm."

Probably sensible to be cautious about it given how much over RDA those doses would be and best to see about getting tested for deficiency first if you can (though I wonder if the issues they suggest here specific to Hashimotos patients would show up on the tests? It's not clear to me) and/or consult your GP/nutrionalist about taking the supplement if you wanted to see if it helps your fatigue. Still, potentially promising.

Also, I did a little more research into what I could find linking thiamine deficiency and Hashimoto's and found:

hormonesmatter.com/post-gar...

What got my attention there was mention of yeast containing "an enzyme called thiaminase, whose action destroys thiamine" which made me wonder - and complete speculation on my behalf here - if people who swear they feel better cutting out gluten, but haven't tested positive for coeliac disease, are feeling better due to decrease in thiaminase and resultant increase in thiamine? Maybe B1 is more important and/or more problematic to digest/use for Hashimoto's patients than is realised? Food for thought there.

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Hansaplatz
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25 Replies
Moggie profile image
Moggie

Good article and I have never heard of this deficiency before so one to look out for - how far most of us would get by asked our GP's to test for it is easy to answer - nowhere, so a private test would be needed.

The line "levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone, is the treatment of choice for hypothyroidism" made me shout at the screen "who's choice cos it isn't the thyroid patients choice" but no one answered me so I carried on reading.lol.

Thanks for posting.

Moggie x

Hansaplatz profile image
Hansaplatz in reply toMoggie

Neither had I. I'd tried taking quite a few B vitamins in the past in case they helped but never much of B1 apart from in B complex because I'd not heard of it being relevant - I guess generally people do get enough from diet making it only relevant for malnourished patients and alcoholics.

But reading up on B1 deficiency symptoms a number of those do have crossover with stuff I experience and read about others experiencing on here. So I'm actually going to buy some B1 100mg tablets on Tuesday in town and see if that helps, considering NHS don't think that level of 100mg/daily is awful and that if it did help the study suggests it might be felt within days.

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply toHansaplatz

Update us on this wont you. Listing your symptoms and then letting us know what relief you got with what symptom when taking the B1 would be really helpful.

Good luck with it and I'll be interested to see the outcome.

Moggie x

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply toHansaplatz

Very interesting, thank you. I have B1, B2 & B6 ready to lift me out of hypothyroid hell when I finish the Actavis trial. Marvellous if there is a positive reaction within days.

Salsybar73 profile image
Salsybar73 in reply toHansaplatz

That's why my doctor prescribed it today for me has I won't eat since losing 3st with hypothyroidism I find it hard to eat meals

And with chronic fatigue with underactive thyroid and spinal arthritis that's why I feel so low and down

But mainly don't want to put 3st back on so now I'm paranoid about my weight gain and what I eat

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply toMoggie

Glad to see I'm not the only person directing thyrants at the screen :-D

My B-Complex actually contains 100mg of B1 (Pure Encapsulation B-Complex plus). It is best to take the Bs together rather than individually as you can throw the others out of balance. There is someone over on the PAS Facebook page who has a lot of autoimmune issues and one thing they found was that she had almost zero B1 in her system. So I definitely think there's something in this. Will repost this article for her, thanks. H x

Hansaplatz profile image
Hansaplatz in reply to

In that case I will have a look and see if I can find a b complex with that level of b1 in when I go looking for some this week.

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply toHansaplatz

Please let me know if you find one. Id rather take 1 mega cap, than 3 separate.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toClutter

It is most definitely possible to take too much B6 (often as pyridoxine). And doing so has some unpleasant effects. By the time you get a product that provides as much B1 as is being talked about here, the level of B6 could be way too high. For example:

iherb.com/Nature-s-Way-B-10...

One mega cap is not always such a wonderful idea, I fear.

Rod

in reply tohelvella

nature's way indeed! why are some 33% and others 5000%?

think I'll stick to my liver & onions once a week x

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply to

I think some of the B-complexes happen upon the idea of using the same NUMBERS of mcg, mg, or whatever units. It seems to be a neat marketing claim rather than based on anything useful/sensible.

Rod

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to

I enjoy me liver, bacon & onion too. Don't need iron, but that, and cashew nuts, may be why. Get my selenium from Brazil nuts too. Only so much gel caps and tabs can be accommodated :)

in reply tohelvella

Agree Rod, B6 is the one to watch. But the Pure Encapsulations one I mentioned is fine, it's got just 20mg B6 (10mg pyridoxine HCI, 10mg pyridoxal 5 phosphate (activated B6)). I think you have to stay under 100mg, less than 60mg even better (that's the general advice from PAS).

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply tohelvella

Oh poo! Still, just think of all the exercise I'll get opening & closing 3 bottles instead of one :)

cloud1 profile image
cloud1 in reply toHansaplatz

I take a vit B-100 complex from holland n barret(own brand)contains100mg of all b-vits.

in reply to

B12 needs B complex, I've read/heard this over & over - Bs work together (also B1 for hairloss) I wondered why it was called Thiamine? Back to basics & water soluble (non over-dosable)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_vit... J

in reply to

anyone else notice your wee is florescent yellow? (I admit I only take b complex occasionally) J

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply to

Wiki says:

Riboflavin is best known visually as the vitamin which imparts the orange color to solid B-vitamin preparations, the yellow color to vitamin supplement solutions, and the unusual fluorescent-yellow color to the urine of persons who supplement with high-dose B-complex preparations.

And it does!

Also seems to help with absorbing and/or utilising oral iron.

Rod

tDR1980 profile image
tDR1980 in reply to

Yep :) I get that from taking a good multi:

myprotein.com/sports-nutrit...

tDR1980 profile image
tDR1980 in reply totDR1980

Interesting to read the B vitamin quantities in it expressed as percentage of RDA:

---

Each 2 tablet serving provides:

5mcg (200iu) Vitamin D2 (100% RDA*), 67mg Vitamin E aTE (558% RDA*), 25mcg Vitamin K (33% RDA*), 80mg Vitamin C (100% RDA*), 12.5mg Vitamin B1 (1136% RDA*), 12.5mg Vitamin B2 (893% RDA*), 25mg Niacin NE (156% RDA*), 12.5mg Vitamin B6 (893% RDA*), 400mcg Folic Acid (200% RDA*), 125mcg Vitamin B12 (5000% RDA*), 150mcg Biotin (300% RDA*), 50mg Pantothenic Acid (833% RDA*), 25mg Potassium (1.3% RDA*), 346mg Calcium (43% RDA*), 140mg Phosphorus (20% RDA*), 50mg Magnesium (13% RDA*), 15mg Zinc (150% RDA*), 0.25mg Copper (25% RDA*), 1.5mg Manganese (75% RDA*), 80mcg Selenium (145% RDA*), 100mcg Chromium (250% RDA*), 25mcg Molybdenum (50% RDA*), 25mg Choline, 50mg Korean Ginseng Extract (10:1)(equivalent to 500mg of herb), 25.5mg Alpha Lipoic Acid, 25.5mg Royal Jelly, 25mg Citrus Bioflavanoids (providing 8.75mg Hesperidin), 20mg Kelp, 20mg Ginkgo Biloba Extract (50:1)(equivalent to 1000mg of herb), 3mg Beta Carotene (equivelant to 500mcg Vitamin A RE (62.5% RDA*)), 12.5mg Green Tea Extract (50:1)(equivalent to 625mg of herb), 12.5mg Inositol, 12.5mg Bromelain, 12.5mg Lipase, 12.5mg Papain, 500mcg Boron, 2.5mg Amylase, 2.5mg Co Q10, 250mcg Lutein, 6.25mg Nettle Leaf Extract (4:1)(equivelant to 25mg of herb), 6.25mg Grape Seed Extract (50:1)(equivelant to 312.5mg of herb). *Recommended Daily Allowance

---

I have noticed my joint pains in my lower back and hips easing since starting on it.

Hansaplatz profile image
Hansaplatz in reply to

It seems to be called B1 someplaces, and Thiamine others and even Thiamin in others.

roslin profile image
roslin

Hi hansaplatz (interesting name)

This is an interesting article but I think you have to be cautious to draw any conclusions as the trial sample was only 3 people. Bcomplex is important generally but I don't think it would be a good idea to go out and buy high strength B1 tablets. It may be OK to take but is probably not the answer to most most peoples fatigue.

Roslin

Hansaplatz profile image
Hansaplatz in reply toroslin

True enough that 3 people isn't much but since the NHS themselves don't see the harm in taking the lower dose used in the study and the study was claiming relief within hours to days, then it seems a relatively trivial thing to take for a week or so to just see if it helps as much as they appeared to find. I don't think I'm losing nor risking anything to try is more the point.

Salsybar73 profile image
Salsybar73

My doctor prescribed me today with thiamine 100mg ...because of chronic fatigue He said we don't make thiamine in our bodies

I'm a vegetarian and on very strict diet because of hypothyroidism

I'm hoping it has good results and I won't feel like a zombie anymore

I'm also on vitamin d3 tablets too

20mcg a day

My iron was low and my b12 was polish so I'm hoping these tablets work their water soluble so don't have an overload of toxity either ...

Hoping that these tablets do the job

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