hi posted latest blood work and clutter kindly replied can anyone advise me as to whether I should start taking thyroid supplements ?ie nutrithroid?/ vit 12/ vit d etc I have been in this position before when results were within normal limits and when given t3,b12 and d, EVERY symptom either disappeared or improved - please help-thank you !
blood results please help: hi posted latest blood... - Thyroid UK
blood results please help
Swkenzie, I've edited your post to include your last post/bloods.
You ought to have a vitD test before supplementing vitD.
Nutri-Thyroid is unlikely to do any harm and may help.
B12 528 is adequate but most prefer it quite high in range so you can supplement methylcobalamin sublingual lozenges, spray or patches and take a B Complex to keep the other B vitamins balanced.
Folate is fine and there is folic acid in most B Complex vitamins.
Ferritin is optimal half way through range. 97 is probably fine but if you decide to supplement iron, take it with 500mg-1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and mitigate constipation. Be sure to retest ferritin 6 months after supplementing and stop iron tablets 2 weeks before testing.
thank you clutter-
I may start to take b12 with c and b complex-
re iron- I am 58 yrs old and need to know whether I should take iron?- will think about nutri thyroid
doc said vit d test expensive and since I had seen endo 3 months ago and I think he tested it -I will try to get hospital results-endo says I am a classic thyroid case but bloods don't support it so I cant have meds-
thanks for your help
swkenzie, I don't think you need to supplement iron with ferritin 97. You can order vitD tests from City Assays via thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
If you felt better on T3 have you considered self medicating? The only slow release T3 I'm aware that can be bought without prescription is 75mcg which is probably far too much but regular release T3 is easily obtained on line.
swkenzie, you say you were put on slow-release T3 in the US, do you happen to have a copy of your lab results from the time you were diagnosed? For me, your FT4 is too low - not even mid-range. TSH could be lower.
That result does look like an FT3 - TT3 is a totally different range, usually. And that is just exactly mid-range. If you've already been taking T3, you body will be used to a higher level, so that is going to make you feel bad.
In which case, I doubt nutri-thyroid is going to do you much good. Does your thyroid still work? Do you have Hashi's?
I agree with Clutter's summing-up of your vits and mins. I doubt the B12 is low enough to cause symptoms by itself. Have you considered other things like magnesium, zinc, copper, etc?
hi greygoose-
thank you for reply-
I don't have usa results but I can try to get them-
sorry I am not quite sure what you mean by looks like an FT3-can you explain please?
doc stopped t3 in 2013 and started t4 which endo took me off in oct 2014 as was not helping -he said that symptomatically I was a classic case of someone with thyroid issues but that bloods didn't support that so no meds given-
was tested for hashis in usa and all ok-
re -mag zinc copper -do you mean have I considered checking the levels?
thank you so much for your help-
Sorry, I wasn't very clear. You said he didn't test the FT3, but the result and range you have given look like an FT3 test rather than a TT3 test. So, I think he did test the FT3.
When I said have you considered zinc, etc, I really meant have you considered that they might be low. Certainly test them if you can get your doctor to do it - although he doesn't sound very helpful - if not, try taking some and see how you feel.
I Don't understand your doctor's reasoning. If he knows the symptoms are thyroid, why doesn't he just give you thyroid hormone replacement? He could if he wanted to, whatever he says! Especially as you were taking it before and felt better on it. Besides, cannot he see that the T3 is too low for comfort? Or is he just going by the TSH? I'm afraid British doctors really are living in the Dark Ages when it comes to thyroid, worse than other countries.
hi grey goose -
don't know why endo wont medicate - hands tied? because of regulations? he just says bloods dont indicate thyroid problem! -oh dear so frustrating!-thank you so much for your help!
sorry meant to say that endo wont give t3 and gp says she cant without an endo saying so =in fact one endo wouldnt even see me as bloods were in normal range and told the doc NOT to give me t3 !! aaaggghhh! so I am stuck and trying to go it myself!-really grateful for any help or suggestions on what I should try taking not taking etc etc - it is all very confusing ! and as my brain seems like mud most of the time I want to get things right -and get to doing something at least -have gone from size 10-18 in last 2 yrs and feel horrible - thank you for your help -
OK, I understand. They are both ignorant about thyroid! Ah well... It would seem self-treating is the only way out. Have you considered buying some form of NDT on-line?
I have considered but have no idea where to start and am a bit scared!
Scared of what? What exactly do you think is going to happen to you? Rationalise your fears and we can help you.
not sure greygoose- this is all new to me and I suppose I am a bit concerned as to where the ndt would come from and how safe it is? I am grateful for all the help offered though and want to discuss and work out what and how to go forward-so am interested to hear your thoughts on the matter?-thanks
Well, no-one is suggesting you Google NDt and pick a site at random! All the sites people use on here are tried and tested. If they were bad, thousands of people would be doing very badly and I think we'd know!
Just ask people to pm you their source, that's all. Then you can post a question as to dosage, etc and there will be lots of help for you from people that have been through it all before. Nothing is just left to chance. You are not alone!
I don't think it's a very good idea when on thyroid hormones to stop them when your bloods reach a particular level. If we took thyroid hormones and felt better it would seem you do need some hormones. No free T3 was taken but the fact that T4 is lower you may not have sufficient to convert to T3. Your symptoms do seem hypo particularly if weight gain can be linked to slow metabolism as well as hypo and this is a link:
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
and you could be diagnosed as hypo on clinical symptoms alone.
Also on the left-hand side of the above link are subjects, i.e. 'getting a diagnosis etc'.
thanks for replying-
sadly I cant be diagnosed on symptoms alone as endo said classic case but bloods don't support meds - so no meds given -when I asked what I could do he said he didn't know -
very upset and left feeling hopeless -
thanks for your help- will read your links asap-
Can you afford a private consultation? If so, email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org.uk for a list of sympathetic doctors.
thank you shaws -have the list but find it overwhelming!! and cant tell from list who would exactly be sympathetic to someone in my position>-if anyone can recommend please pm me-even though I have no idea how a pm works but understand that this is the thing to do !!!
hi grey goose - can you recommend a private endo -please pm me if you can- thank you !
blood results as above with the addition of selenium 1.45 in normal range of 0.8-2.0
so this is what I plan to do so far-
take nutrithyroid or ndt-
take b12
take b complex-
take d
take c
take magnesium
take probiotic
take a good multi vit?-I am over 50 and believe I need a multi with low iron-is this right?
if anyone has any comments or advice or additional supplements to take I am more than happy for the help-
also can anyone who can help pm me with suppliers of the above-
thank you so much