Levels

[Rudegirl]

Vit b12 349. Serum folate 3.5, ferritin 65.. Still waiting on vitD.. Are any of these too low to begin NDT.. My b-12 has gone up from 244 within a week???

[gabkad]

The increase of B12 is the pill dissolved in your blood. It's an artifact. The only way you can tell if your actual B12 has increased is by taking the vitamin for time (at least 1 month if you absorb it well) then not take it for 90 days and test again.

Considering your start level, that probably wouldn't be a brilliant idea.

[Rudegirl in reply to gabkad]

I'm mistaken.. It's been 2 weeks, I'm using a spray under the tounge!!

[gabkad in reply to Rudegirl]

Still, same.

[Jazzw]

Anyway, in answer to your question - yes, make a start on taking NDT. Ideally your ferritin would be 70 plus but it's close enough.

[Heloise]

Hi rude, are you hypothyroid? If so, and if your TSH isn't lower than 1.0, it probably is ok to start. But, are you already taking something else? The answer has to depend on other conditions as well.

As Gabkad mentioned already a serum test is only telling you how much substance is in the blood stream at a given time. That can change radically when supplementing.

Here are the optimal tests you should strive for.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/l...

[Rudegirl in reply to Heloise]

Yep I'm hypo.. My TSH is 0.59..

[gabkad in reply to Rudegirl]

Wow, the bugs on this site are really interfering with checking anything. I can't get your older posts about how much levo you are taking. All I get is an 'oops'..... Otherwise I wouldn't ask. Sorry. TSH 0.59 ? fT4 and fT3? The TSH is good for someone on replacement.

[Rudegirl in reply to gabkad]

My tsh was 46.68 10 months ago.. Now 0.59, free t4 is 13.. I'm not sure what that means.. Im tired, sore & 6st over weight..

[Heloise in reply to Rudegirl]

Are you very, very ill right now? We often don't pay attention to TSH numbers unless they are very high but when they are very low, it can be that other factors are involved. It's really a pituitary test which means something can be wrong THERE or sometimes the adrenal gland can try to shut down production

of stimulating hormone. It could still be all right to start NDT but you have to address your adrenal gland problem as well.

Or, of course, if it has been suppressed by taking some type of thyroid hormone.

[Rudegirl in reply to Heloise]

Tsh was 46.68. 10 months ago.. I'm tired, sore & massive!!!

[gabkad in reply to Rudegirl]

I wish T3 would help lose weight but so far, I'm still where I was last summer. Not sure NDT would help with that although it may help you to feel better in yourself. I think the losing weight part still needs attention to detail.

Are you taking a B complex? The folate is also low and it is not recommended to take only B12 by itself. Best to supplement in a balance. I don't know if you can find it over there (I'm in Canada) but a B complex containing vitamin C, Zinc and copper is a good idea. Here they are called StressTabs. I don't know if there are so-called Healthfood Stores in England but here we have them and they stock all sorts of vitamins, minerals etc. etc. Not as good as in the USA though. Nowhere near.

Sometimes a person has no choice but to use Amazon to buy some things.

[Rudegirl in reply to gabkad]

I'm just taking the b12 spray .. The weight thing kills me .. I walk 40/50 miles per week at work.. Everyone who does the job are very slim.. Then there's me

[gabkad in reply to Rudegirl]

Then you need to take the whole B complex as well.

Walking uses up 100 kcal per mile. You are burning 4,000 to 5,000 kcal per week by walking. The human body is very efficient at using energy for walking. We can't lose weight by walking. Unfortunately. I used to walk 70 miles per week and end my longest walk which was 15 miles with a couple of pints..... didn't lose an ounce. It takes a decrease in caloric intake. Decrease carbs and eliminate sugar, increase vegetables (if your folate is low, then you are definitely not eating your vegetables. It's a water soluble vitamin so not a difficult thing to absorb from food. If you don't eat enough vegetables or consume dairy, then magnesium is also low.) If you are not eating much or any meat then your thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and zinc are also low.

If you put sugar in your tea, replace it with Splenda (I know it's not the greatest thing on earth but better than all the calories from sugar). No fizzy drinks either. There's something like 8 teaspoons of sugar in a glass of this stuff. Fruit juice is out as well. Take a vitamin C instead of drinking juice. Or eat the whole fruit which at least provides some fibre.

[Rudegirl in reply to gabkad]

I already do all these things.. Even gone to slimming classes.. My mum lost 42lbs .. I lost nothing at all!

[greygoose in reply to Rudegirl]

That's because your weight has nothing to do with what you eat! Not how much you exercise. You are hypo, you have a low metabolism, so if you lower your calories you are going to get worse, not better.

Whatever you do, don't take Splenda (sorry, Gabkad, but that is bad advice, she'd be better off with real sugar than anything artificial). You could try coconut flower sugar, though. You can get it on Amazon.

[Rudegirl in reply to greygoose]

Before I knew I was hypo I was on 500 calories per day & lost 2lbs in several months.. That's when I knew something else was to blame!!!

[greygoose in reply to Rudegirl]

Yup, me too! But all my doctor said was, well, you must have cheated!!! For the medical profession we are all liars and idiots!

500 cal/day is not even enough to sustain normal life. I hope you're eating more now.

[Rudegirl in reply to greygoose]

Oh yeh.... I'd lost 54lbs doing 500 cals before years ago & kept it all off ... When my weight piled on again very quickly & wouldn't shift, that's when I had been diagnosed hypo.. Had a sore knee & knew the Dr would say it was my weight.. When I explained it all, the blood test was done.. Was actually releaved & upset all at the same time... Thought all my aches & pains were caused by repetitive strain..

[greygoose in reply to Rudegirl]

Could it not have been that doing those 500 cal/day diets weakened your thyroid?

[Rudegirl in reply to greygoose]

Doctor said my thyroid is a genetic problem which was always gona happen.. Just a question of when..i was fine for years after the 500 cals.. May have been the trigger!

[greygoose in reply to Rudegirl]

Hmmm I suspect your doctor doesn't know all that much about thyroid.

[Rudegirl in reply to greygoose]

That was a locum Dr.. I've only just managed to see my own Dr due to over crowding in the community... It's taken 10 months to see my own Dr .. So I'll raise this genetic thing with her!!!

[greygoose in reply to Rudegirl]

Good luck!

[Rudegirl in reply to greygoose]

I'm sure the Dr at the time said my blood had concluded genetic hypothyroid.. I do have 4 women of the family hypo & 1 hyper!

[shaws Administrator]

You don't give the ranges for your results. As labs differ in their ranges it makes it easier to comment. Are you supplementing with B12 now as your levels have risen?

[Rudegirl in reply to shaws]

Sorry.. Yes I bought a spray, been using it every day.. I've noticed the cracks ive had for ages on my mouth are healing now too... Thats a sign of low b12 I believe!!

[shaws Administrator in reply to Rudegirl]

That's good. Did you not change your name to Rudegirl?

[Rudegirl]

I did..duno what's happened!!