CoQ10 and hypothyroidism

[akimbohr]

I was diagnosed with low t3 syndrom last year, probably due tu asthma chronic inflammation and gerd.

Normal TSH and ft4 but very low T3. Now I am on the combo t4/t3 and feeling ok and my asthma and gerd completely under control. Interestingly enough, it is always my total t3 that is on the lower borderline, free T3 is always in the middle or upper half. In general i feel well without any major symptoms except high lipids (chol. 5.9, ldl 4.2)

My endo suggested this is not a true hypothyroidism but an adaptation mechanism. A low dose of t3 has really helped much. He also suggested to take CoQ10.

I've been reading that when you're hypo you have too much CoQ10, but when you're hyper you are lacking in it. So being hypo I'm afraid to take it and have too much.

Any ideas, experience or opinions?

[CarolineC57]

Hi - I'm not diagnosed as hypo by the NHS (they say my TSH is "normal"), but based on clinical symptoms a private doctor has said that I probably am. He actually advised me to take CoQ10 and I have been doing this, along with self-treating with NDT and adrenal support. So as far as I am aware it's perfectly OK to take CoQ10 in these circumstances as this is what the private doc advised me to do.

Can I ask, where did you read that it wasn't OK to take CoQ10 when hypo?

[akimbohr in reply to CarolineC57]

I did not read it, but it came to me logically when I read that low values of Q10 are found in hyperthyroidism and high values in hypothyroidism. So if I am hypo and have high values of Q10, why take more??

[shaws]

I was advised by a very knowledgeable doctor to take COQ10. It causes no problems.

naturesbest.co.uk/co-q10-c1...

webmd.com/heart-disease/hea...

[winschild]

I take it but only because my nutritionist recognised one of the drugs I'm taking is one that extracts this from the body.

[greygoose in reply to winschild]

Statins?

[winschild in reply to greygoose]

Yes. I'm only on them temporarilly while waiting an op. Then hopefully off everything but the thyroid meds and supplements from my nutritionist.

[greygoose in reply to winschild]

That's great that they recognised the need for Co Q10! Not many doctors do.

[winschild in reply to greygoose]

Not a doctor greygoose, a private nutritionist.

[greygoose in reply to winschild]

Ah, ok. Not so good then!

[greygoose]

I was advised to take it by France's leading hormone specialist, who has Hashi's himself. I've taken it for years, and notice the difference when I don't take it.

So, can you tell us where you read that hypers have low Co Q10 and hypos have high Co Q10? On most thyroid sites you will read advice to take it when you're hypo.

Have a look at this :

naturalendocrinesolutions.c...

Hugs, Grey

[akimbohr in reply to greygoose]

Abstracts which mention connections of hypo and higher values of CoQ10

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/259...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/779...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/174...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/165...

Since being on combo t4/t3 I feel well with no symptoms. The only thing which stands out is my higher LDL at 4.4. I was wandering if the oxidative stress, mentioned in this abstract ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/163...

explains why. Any opinions ?

I do not understand the contradictory facts that hypo is associated with higher doses of CoQ10 in plasma and also with higher cholesterol levels. Still, it is advised to supplement CoQ10 orally to „increase the resistance of LDL to radical oxidation“. Or maybe I just did not understand well enough.

[greygoose in reply to akimbohr]

OK, well, first of all, in those links you are just reading the 'abstract', you are not reading the 'conclusions'. The 'abstract' lays out what they are hoping to prove or disprove, and why. The 'conclusion' tells you if they proved it or not. We had the same thing the other day where someone posted an 'abstract' about taking thyroid hormone replacement leading to the onset of breast cancer, and getting rather upset about it. But it turned out that the opposite was proved. Reading the abstract and jumping to conclusions can make you worry about nothing.

However, in the last link, I cannot see anywhere where they say that taking Co Q10 increases cholesterol. What it does is stop oxydation of cholesterol, which is a good thing. Besides, cholesterol is a red Herring, high cholesterol is not a problem. We've all been lead up the garden path by Big Pharma and Big Food on that one. It does not cause heart attacks.

I really cannot see a problem with taking Co Q10 when you are hypo, even if you do already have high levels. I doubt if they'd be high enough to cause a problem - although too much anti-oxydent does kill the anti-oxydative effect. So if that's what you're worrying about, I wouldn't, if I were you.

[akimbohr in reply to greygoose]

Thanks, greygoose for the answer.

Here is another link suggesting a connection between CoQ10 and cholesterol.

coq10antiaging.com/coq10-an...

[greygoose in reply to akimbohr]

Yes, well, that has been discredited. It is not cholesterol forming the plaque. The cholesterol is there to heal wounds in the vessels, rather like a sticking plaster. It is not the cholesterol that causes heart attacks. However, if your cholesterol is too low, that will cause a heart attack! Are you on cholesterol-lowering drugs?

[akimbohr in reply to greygoose]

I had never had problems with cholesterol prior to being diagnosed with low t3 syndrom. I have been slim all my life. I am 50 now. And then in a few months my chol. jumped to 8 and ldl to 5. I was put on combo t4/t3, almost all my symptoms disappeared, just the cholesterol levels stubbornly stayed elevated although lower than before therapy(5.8 and 4.2 now). Not alarming but I would like them to be lower. Endo suggested firstly Omega 3 fish oil and now added CoQ10 and vit E.

[greygoose in reply to akimbohr]

Why would you like them to be lower? What do you think is going to happen to you if they stay at that level?

Do you know that cholesterol is essential for life? Our brains are 90% cholesterol. We need cholesterol to make hormones, and to repair wounds in the body, and lots of other things. Cholesterol is not the enemy, without it, we die. Those with the highest cholesterol live longest!

But thank you for bringing my attention to the connection between cholesterol and Co Q10! I shall be more careful about taking it, now. My cholesterol is so low that I am in danger of a heart attack at any time! It also means that my testosterone is low - try living with low testosterone for a while. It's not fun!