Can I just buy the vitamins?

[dej1976]

Hi there, I have had an under active thyroid for 8 years and am on a really high dose of thyroxine 175mg. To be honest I have never really done much research about the thyroid and just gone with what my dr prescribed me. Mainly I think I feel ok or maybe have just got used to feeling lousy, but I do still have other symptoms, I am always cold, my skins and hair is dry and brittle, I do really lack in energy sometimes and I am over weight (a lot) but see I never used the thyroid as an excuse and I do eat a bit of junk food. Anyhow my question is, can I just buy some vitamins from Holland and Barrett was thinking b12, d and zinc possibly magnesium or should I go to the drs and ask for a blood test?

[shaws Administrator]

Holland and Barratt, as far as I know, don't sell methylcobalamin B12 - they sell cyanocobalamin.

naturalnews.com/032766_cyan...

You're always better to get the GP to run a blood test for B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as we are usually deficient. Then if GP doesn't provide i.e. iron, ferritin Vit D or B12 injections you can then supplement.

You have just got used to being 'under the weather' and I would start off by getting a new blood test for your thyroid gland. Ask for a Full Thyroid Function Test, that includes T3 and Free T3. The GP may not but ask anyway plus the above vitamins/minerals.

Don't take levo on the morning of your blood test which should be as early as possible and take it afterwards. Get a print-out of the results from the surgery with the ranges and post on a new question for comments.

Weight gain can be due to not being on an optimum dose of medication and may need a slight increase to raise your metabolism sufficiently. Hypo - meaning low, means that our metabolism is low due to lack of thyroid hormones and taking medication should increase it but we sometimes aren't prescribed sufficient.

If you order vitamins/minerals if you'd like to order through Amazon Affiliates, Thyroiduk get a small sum which helps them run their office as it is a charity.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

In fact if you order anything from Amazon you can use the link.

Regards

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

175 micrograms of levothyroxine is not a really high dose. Certainly it's not a low dose, but thoughts that a dose might be unusually high don't normally start until over 200, and sometimes higher.

[Marz]

Do you have any recent results with ranges - ? They can be a good guide for people to advise. How are your T3 levels / Do you have anti-bodies ?

[dej1976]

My go gives me a repeat dispence so 6 prescriptions that the chemist keep each one has 2 months worth of tablets so a whole year in one go so no recent blood tests. Plus I never get to see my results they just say that's my level is fine on that dose. Not even sure if they check the vitamin range.

[shaws Administrator in reply to dej1976]

Request a new blood test and ask for a full thyroid function test. We need to know specifically if our T3 is good as that's the active hormone we need, saying that you are not feeling so good. Don't take your levo before your blood test take it afterwards and have it as early as possible. From now on ask for a print-out of your blood test results and make sure the ranges are quoted as labs differ

[Angel_of_the_North]

H & B don't sell most of the stuff you need. I've found bigvits.co.uk good for methyl b12 and Methyl folate (good prices, too) or you could try Amazon using the TUK link via easy fundraising to give a donation to TUK.

[spongecat]

Hi! First comment here from a fellow hypo-T!

My GP will not do the vitamin and folate and ferritin tests but advised me to take D3 at a "conservative" dose for 1 month and then halve and make use of any summer sun by bearing myself to it for 15 minutes at a time without sunscreen *fingers crossed that we have a nice summer*.

Out of curiosity I sent off for a Vitamin D blood spot test and that has just come back as deficient.....no surprises there considering that I have spent most of my working life in the stygian gloom of working in theatres and thought I was getting enough vitamin D through my diet alone (you don't, apparently).

I have also elected to take B12 and Holland & Barrett do the favoured methylcobalamin version as a sublingual spray. They recommend 4 "pumps" daily which is 1200mcg and the container has enough for 160 sprays. Not cheap at around £11.50 but hey-ho. It is made by Better You and is called B12 Boost Pure Energy Oral Spray and tastes of apricot!

Hope this helps.

[greygoose in reply to spongecat]

If you're taking B12 you should take a B complex with it to keep the Bs balanced. They all work together.

[HEA72]

You may not be converting the T4 in the Levo to T3 efficiently. You could try Nutri's 'Thyro complex', which is a multi to support thyroid function and 'T-convert' which helps the body convert T4 to T3. Make sure you're taking extra magnesium, at least 300mg per day (I sometimes take up to 500mg in split doses on tired days), because magnesium is one of the main nutrients needed for the cells to make energy. If you're low in the relevant nutrition your cells still won't make energy, irrespective of the amount of thyroid hormone you're pumping in.

Links: amazon.co.uk/Nutri-Thyro-Co...

nutri-supplements.co.uk/pro...