I am about to buy some supplements to hopefully help with symptoms of Hashi's. I was diagnosed approx one year ago and on B&R therapy. I had an awful flare last week and really want to help myself and my body be able to deal with this better in the future and also to protect myself.
I wondered if someone would be kind enough to let me know what they think of the following, and/or if I would need a higher dose of 'x'.
Rhodiola rosea (which I used to take before being diagnosed but stopped during pregnancy). It did me a lot of good at the time.
Bone complex - calcium, magnesium, boron, vit c, vit k, malic acid, vit d3.
You want my honest opinion? Don't do it! Just randomly buying and trying suppléments is not going to help and could do harm. You have to be scientific about it.
Firstly, get
vit d
vit B12
folate
iron
ferritin
selenium
tested. You need a base-line. You also need to know if they are low and how low they are so that you know what you need to take and how much.
Buying complexes is a waste of money. There's not enough of anything in them to deal with a true deficiency, and there will probably be things you Don't want.
For a start, that bone complex. Taking calcium suppléments is not a good idea. And it already contains vit d, which will raise calcium levels, anyway, but there isn't enough of anything to do any good.
Besides, you shouldn't start taking a bunch of things at the same time. One supplement at a time. So that you know whether it agrees with you or not. If you take a multi, and react badly to it - which can happen - you won't know what it is.
Get the tests done, and start working on the deficiencies one at a time. You can then build up from there. That's my advice, anyway.
Thanks, greygoose. Is extra calcium not just a problem if you are hyperparathyroid? Or a problem for all of us thyroid sufferers?
There is an issue with me having blood drawn - I even struggle with my TFT's etc so it's going to be difficult for me to get more to test for deficiencies. I don't really know how to go about that.
I'm still a bit confused as most Hashi's patients I speak to are hypo, whereas I was presenting with and have been hyper - does this change the type of supplements I should be thinking about?
Calcium supplements are a problem for everybody, not just those with thyroid problems. It's just not good to supplement with calcium, it's totally artificial and can cause problems. The extra calcium, if unused by the body, can end up in the tissues : kidneys, heart, etc. It's like swallowing rocks.
And, it's grossly over-hyped, anyway - calcium is not the be-all-and-end-all for bones, it's just one of many minerals that bones need. Magnesium is more important.
What is the problem with blood tests? There must surely be a solution.
Hashi's swings between hypo and hyper, as the cells of the gland are attacked and die off, dumping their hormone content into the blood. But, hyper swings become less and less frequant until, in the end, we all become hypo.
But that has nothing to do with suppléments. You need what you, personally, need, what your body is short of. I Don't care what anyone says, there is no definitive list of suppléments that someone who is hypo, or someone that is hyer, should take. We're all different, and we all need different things.
That's why we need to get tested. Just randomly supplementing according to some list or other is just playing Russian Roulette. You could over-dose on iron or vit D. Or, your B12 could be bottom of the range, so if you only take 500 mcg, you're never going to get the level up. Therefore you need to know what is deficient and how much you need to take to rectify it.
That bone supplement only contains a very small amount of magnesium. if you increase the dose of the bone supplement to get enough magnesium, you are going to get an extremely high dose of calcium. It's just far too vague. There's no precision to it.
But, as I said, that's my opinion. In the end, you must do what you feel best.
Thank you, that actually clears Hashi's up for me completely in a few simple sentences! I have never been told that by anyone in this full year, despite me asking the question! I was quite severely hyper when diagnosed so it seems to have been the focus of my treatment with it being referred to as overactive. I'm now learning how much more there is to it, i.e. Not just a simple hyper or hypo diagnosis!
I see about the calcium, makes a lot of sense.
What do you think about the Rhodiola? It's quite safe with little in the way of interactions and contraindications. I feel like I could use some anti-stress and adrenal support. I reckon a major cause of my flares is stress as others seem to find too, although it's not unavoidable and I am inherently a worrier.
Re blood tests I have vaso vagal seizures so too much taken or too much stress surrounding it then I will faint and have a seizure which is a terrifying experience. I so wish there was a simple finger prick test for all of this! If my GP could offer that I would pay for it. My GP, phlebotomist, nurse etc always always have problems getting my blood to flow enough to collect a sample. No amount of hand warming, walking, hydrating seems to make a difference. The last time there were so many tries that I actually had to go away and come back as I couldn't take any more. The needle slipped out and sprayed blood everywhere and I though I would be sick! It's a real ordeal for me every time.
Unfortunately, doctors know little to nothing about Hashi's - little about thyroid, come to that. So, if your bloods said 'hyper', when you were diagnosed, then that's what they would concentrate on. They know nothing about symptoms, and just treat them one by one, as if there were no connection. They are incapable of joining up the dots!
But I Wonder why they thought you were hyper. I've just been glancing through your lab results, and the Hashi's anti-bodies appear to have been high right from the start. As well as the Frees, with a low TSH. But, did they ever test for Graves? Because it is possible to have Graves and Hashi's at the same time. They should have tested for Graves. And they should have known that a Hashi's hyper swing wouldn't last very long. Seems to me, they Don't have much understanding of thyroid or autoimmune! I'm not surprised they couldn't explain it to you!
So, what do I think of Rhodiola? I haven't actually tried it, but I've read other people's opinions, and it would seem that it suits some people, but not others. Like all adaptogens. I am inclined to think that it 'stimulates' rather than 'supports', but that's what some people need. And the only way to find out if it suits you, is to try it - carefully, being mindful of your reactions - and find out.
You say it helped you before your pregnancy - so, in what way did it help you? Did you have thyroid problems before your pregnancy? But, Don't forget that pregnancy changes things - sometimes temporarily, sometimes irrevocably. And developing Hashi's changes things forever. So, what helped then, might not help now.
For adrenal 'support', I personally would recommend lots of vit C and plenty of salt. As I said, rhodiola is more likely to stimulate than support, and - from what I've gathered from others expériences - is more likely to help with high cortisol than with low cortisol.
Even if you have trouble giving blood, you could still do a 24 hours saliva cortisol test (privately, the NHS Don't do it) to determine your adrenal status. Then you would have a better idea of what is likely to help you.
There is a finger prick test for thyroid hormone - although some people doubt its reliability. But, if you're afraid of needles, would you be able to stick yourself?
It seems to me, that you just haven't meet the right phlebotomist yet. lol I also am a difficult bleeder (in many senses of the term!) but I have met nurses that could get blood out of a stone - and others that couldn't juice an orange. Have you tried asking for a butterfly needle? That often works when all else fails. Or, taking the blood from other areas than the Inside of the elbow? Can you take someone with you, to hold the other hand, and reassure you? There has to be a solution. As the old joke says - there are more ways than one of skinning a cat, Cyrano! (And please Don't ask me to explain that! lol)
Haha, greygoose, I'll leave that to the imagination!
Thank you again for taking the time to write that. I had been feeling a bit insulted by doctor's etc, as if I wasn't capable of knowing any more than they told me about my condition. It even took my own research to learn that Hashimoto's was an autoimmune disorder that attacked the thyroid - not, as I originally though - a thyroid condition that caused Hashi's, if that makes sense. However they are all on limited time with many patients and I do have a good relationship with my endo although he still doesn't tell me much!
I don't have a fear of needles in the slightest, it's very strange and it doesn't happen every time. You could give me injections all day long. I now always get blood taken from my hand as I can't bear it from the crook of my arm. What set this all off was when blood collected in my arm after a routine screen causing massive swelling and bruising - it's a long story! My other GP who diagnosed me in the first instance could get me to bleed anywhere anytime but she is on maternity leave.
In hindsight I was possibly unwell for a while before my diagnosis but I can never be sure of that. The Rhodiola helped me in numerous different ways including stress levels, immunity, skin, energy etc. I thought it was excellent at the time. I am aware that it stimulates and also aware of the effect that could have on any hyperactivity. I feel like I'm in a minefield a bit!
My thyroid receptor was tested at the same time as my TPO and it was normal suggesting no Graves. If I can find that post I shall link it below!
OK, so no Graves - which is good! Less complicated. But you do have Hashi's, so it's complicated enough as it is!
OK, so I was right, you Don't have the right person taking your blood! Is it possible to try different people where you get your blood taken? I Don't know what the system is.
So, for the Rhodiola, it's still a case of 'suck it and see'. There's no other way, I'm afraid.
Very true. I seem to notice anything at the slightest twinge anyway so I'm quite confident that I wouldn't be going on for months with it not agreeing with me. It doesn't take too long to have an effect either.
My surgery is very limited to who can take my blood as that's 1 GP and both phlebotomists that have issues with it. I could ask for someone else but who can be sure it won't be the same story! I may ask for a different GP this time and see what happens. On the other hand I might strike gold!
I've been taking NDT for 5 months. Also making organic kefir & probiotics to drink twice daily, for the past 3 months, for B12. K, & minerals.
Supplements from natural food are better than tablet form, eg, brazils for selenium, though I take an iron supplement with a piece of fruit, with a gap of a few hours between the NDT & probiotics.
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