Supplements question

[RustyMary]

Does anyone taking levothyroxine also take Thyroid Support from Cytoplan Ltd? It's been recommended by my (private) nutritionist, but it's got kelp in it - just wondered if anyone has had any issues with it.

[shaws Administrator]

I couldn't link but this is an excerpt from the NHS.

Answer

Both UK and American medicines information resources caution or advise against the concurrent use of levothyroxine and kelp products (1, 4, 5).

Evidence of Interaction

There are no reports of an actual interaction between levothyroxine and kelp preparations in the current literature. However, the use of kelp products has been associated with the development of thyroid disorders, mainly hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. This effect has been attributed to the iodine contained in these products (1, 2, 4-7). Several case reports about this association have been published (1, 4).

Mechanism of Interaction

The normal daily iodine requirement ranges from 100 to 300 micrograms. Quantities of 500 micrograms to 1 mg daily probably have no untoward effects on thyroid function in most cases

(8). However, there is potential for the development of thyroid disorders if more than 150 micrograms of iodine per day are ingested (5, 6). The average laminaria-based supplement might contain as much as 1 mg of iodine (5). In addition the iodine content of kelp products can vary considerably, even within products of the same brand (1, 4).

When progressively larger doses of iodine are ingested there is an initial rise in thyroid hormone production, but as doses continue to rise production is reduced. This effect is usually seen with doses of more than about 2 mg daily, but is normally transient, and adaptation can occur on repeated dosage. If individuals do not adapt to receiving large doses of iodine, chronic inhibition of thyroid hormone synthesis occurs leading to goitre and hypothyroidism. Excess iodine may also induce long-term hyperthyroidism (8). These described effects of iodine on thyroid regulation can alter dosage requirements for levothyroxine which are not predictable (4).

Conclusion

Patients should be advised to avoid kelp ingestion while taking levothyroxine therapy. Kelp products should probably be avoided in patient suffering from thyroid disorders regardless of whether they are taking thyroid supplementation or not as kelp can aggravate existing thyroid disorders and alter thyroid function tests (TFTs) (4-6).

(it's from medicineresources.nhs.uk)

[RustyMary in reply to shaws]

Thanks for this, Shaws. What a confusing piece though! In the first bit, about interaction, it says kelp has been associated with the development of hypo - but why would you be taking levo if you didn't already have hypo?

[Ansteynomad]

This is interesting. When I spoke to the Cytoplan reps at the Thryoid UK conference, they would not give me a sample of the Thyroid Support because I am on levothyroxine. Instead they insisted that I should try the Kelp! I was a bit concerned about this because I had always understood that the iodine in kelp meant it was not a good idea. Now I’m more confused than ever.

[RustyMary in reply to Ansteynomad]

Me too Ansteynomad!

[pussycatwillow]

I was advised to take kelp alongside levothyroxine and had no problems.

[RustyMary in reply to pussycatwillow]

Thanks!

[greygoose]

Hi, I'm not a great fan of iodine supplimentation, I have to admit, but this natural iodine from the kelp in this particular product should be ok because you also have selenium and L-Tyrosine in the mix.

However, do bear in mind that you can have too much of a good thing! And that before taking any iodine, you should get tested to see if you are iodine deficient. And also bear in mind that if you are on levo - you don't say how much - you are already taking iodine. You don't want to over-dose!

There is a school of thought amongst nutritionists, homeopaths and some doctors, that all you need to do to 'cure' thyroid problems is give a good dose of iodine. This is not necessarily true. It is only true if your hypo is caused by iodine deficiency, and you don't even know that. And even then, you have to be careful about dosing. It is not an inoccuous substance. And if you are Hashi's, taking too much iodine can cause further complications. We're all different, remember, so it's difficult for anyone else to tell you yes, you'll be ok with it, or, no, it won't be good for you.

Note also that it says : Contraindications: People already on prescribed thyroid medication should consult with their doctor before using this supplement. But, then again, what are the chances of your doctor knowing anything about this. I would think it's rather unlikely!

So my advice would be to get tested, and if you're high in iodine, don't take it - get your selenium and the other good things by buying them seperately - but if you're low on iodine, then go ahead and try it, and see how you feel. The key is to know your body and observe carefully how you react to anything. Like a rat, you know? When a rat is confronted by an unknown substance, it takes a nibble and then lies down in a quiet corner to see what effect it has. If it doesn't hurt him, he goes back and has another nibble, and so forth and so on. Wise creatures, rats!

Hugs, Grey

[RustyMary in reply to greygoose]

Thanks Grey. This is helpful.

[siobhangaffney]

Its hard to know as there is conflicting advice. I had been feeling really bad the last few months and realised I had been using sea salt full of iodine all the time I felt unwell and had not been using it previously. I threw it out about 4 weeks ago and started to improve. About 2 weeks later I also had my meds increased a bit and feel Ive improved more since. Its hard to know which did the trick but I was startting to feel better even before increasing med and I reckon the meds would need a few weeks for the benefits to kick in. I think cutting out the sea salt really helped.

[RustyMary in reply to siobhangaffney]

Interesting - thanks.

[RustyMary]

Thank you all very much for your replies. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you, but I was travelling for a few days and then the stupid forum locked me out.

This seems to be a really complicated issue - I've decided to email my nutritionist with your replies and see what she says. If she still suggests them, I'll keep a really close eye on how I feel (as if I wasn't already obsessed with it!! )

Thanks again <3