Thyroid s

[Joanneconnor]

My thyroid s doesn't seem to be as effective anymore, could it be because I have high  cortisol 

[radd]

Joanne, 

Are you taking a sufficient enough dose of thyroid s ? 

It is a good idea to test cortisol levels as this must be sufficient for someone to tolerate thyroid hormone as may interfere with the HPA axis which in turn suppresses thyroid function and weakens the immune system. Cortisol is required to receive T3 from blood into cells where it is active (giving you energy). - Test details below. 

Have you considered possible low iron, B12 & folate, & Vit D all requiring optimal levels for good thyroid hormone synthesis ? 

Also low thyroid hormone can cause low stomach acid encouraging gut issues (IBS,candida, H.pylori, etc) which not only prevent absorption of important iron & nutrients but also impair the thyroid hormone conversion that takes place in the gut.

Another factor to consider is blood sugar levels as insulin spikes will create havoc with hormones. Eating protein with every meal not only encourages stable blood sugar levels but good hormone synthesis too. 

Saliva Stress Test (test ref END01)

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Four saliva tests that measure the available "active" cortisol (& DHEA) secreted at set times over a 24 hours period. The results will allow you to see any imbalances in the daily circadian pattern so enabling use of correcting supplements to aid your adrenal health. Unfortunately this test is not generally used or recognised by GP's.

The cost is £77.00 which is a discounted price for ThyroidUK when code A42AQ is used.

[Joanneconnor in reply to radd]

Hi radd, I am on 4 thyroid s a day (each tablet is 60mg) , I also have done a saliva test which shows I have high  cortisol on  the two in  the middle of the  day other two morning and night are fine. I'm also taking vit d (that was low) , b12, iron, magnesium,  vit c, phosphatidyl serine, biotin, omega 3. And have been taking these for months now, I have some t3 but wasn't sure if I should take one of them aswell,is there any time scale to expect my adrenals to start to recover, so my thyroid will too? 

Thanks

[radd in reply to Joanneconnor]

Joanne,

Elevated cortisol is felt before it eventually becomes depleted and other glucocorticoids step in. Cortisol helps control the way your body uses fats, proteins, and carbohydrates and reduces inflammatory reactions. High levels encourage weight gain, increase blood sugar levels, BP, decrease TSH, inhibits T4-T3 conversion and encourages T3-RT3 conversion (too much is bad).

Also because unbalanced cortisol affects the immune system activating inflammatory cytokines, these can depress thyroid receptor site sensitivity so making meds unable to enter the cell to become active. 

Adrenal function can be improved with optimal levels of Vit B12, Vit D, folate and ferritin and also supplementing a Vit B Complex ,Vit C,  Vit E, Fish Oil, and a healthy balanced diet of carbs, fats and protein with every meal.

Dr James Wilson advocates adaptogenic herbs that help the body to normalise after times of stress. (use with caution.)

Liquorice Root (not to be used with high blood pressure)   

Siberian Ginseng Root 

Ashwagandha Root                                                                             

Ginkgo Biloba

There are also Adrenal Glandulars which many find beneficial such as Nutri Adrenal Extra (NAX). I am having excellent results from adrenal glandulars after being completely intolerant of them for over a year but have to take adrenal cortex which is better suited for some.

By supporting your adrenals and keeping life's stresses low (as much as possible) you will allow healing which may takes many months. Once progressed into low levels this can take years to heal.

I don't medicate NDT so can not comment on your dosage but would advise to approach T3 with caution as it is strong and you have a small amount already in the Thyroid- s. Post a new question about dosage amounts as you may need to reduce the Thyroid-s to accommodate the additional T3. Many members split the T3 tablet and divide into two smaller doses. 

hypothyroidmom.com/cortisol...

I have not heard of Phosphatidyl Serine. What do you take it for ? ..

[Lindsay1995 in reply to radd]

Thank you Joanne, this is the very information I too have been looking for! Never made the connection between my low stomach acid and more recent mild IBS symptoms before. Was always a mystery as I have always had a good diet. Now I can't tolerate green veg juices which used to do me so much good.

Thank you for a very valuable piece of the jigsaw.

[Joanneconnor in reply to Lindsay1995]

I too have had gastro problems for years, which mimic gall bladder symptoms, very painful and have been a&e a few times, I have narrowed it down to canola oil products and gluten products, I can eat gluten just not too often

[radd in reply to Joanneconnor]

Joanne,

The liver has several pathways through which it metabolises hormones, filters toxins, and cleans the blood. 

Byproducts from these processes are dumped into the gall bladder to help get them out of the body. Low thyroid function slows down this whole process and decreased bile leads to a slower breakdown of fats and cholesterol and other toxins that are broken down in the liver. 

I supplement ox bile, taurine (a major constituent of bile) and digestive enzymes and my gut issues have improved hugely.

.

[radd in reply to Lindsay1995]

Lindsay,

Many people with low thyroid hormone have low stomach acid.

Hydrochloric acid (HCL) is produced by parietal cells & allows us to digest and absorb our foods & nutrients. Parietal cells also produce something called intrinsic factor allowing vitamin B12 and folic acid absorption. Have you had Vit B12 & folate levels tested?

Low stomach acid will cause symptoms such as bloating, heart burn, indigestion, and increasing intolerance to foods. It will also make the gut vulnerable to a yeast and/or parasite overgrowth.

Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar will help produce more stomach acid or supplementing Betaine HCL with Pepsin ( very important) will replace missing gastric acid. However, do not take with anti-inflammatories or if you suffer stomach ulcers. 

Reducing any thyroid antibodies and inflammation will calm immune responses and histamine levels. Histamine helps control stomach acid and too much will further disrupt gut issues..

hashimotoshealing.com/stoma...

[Lindsay1995 in reply to radd]

Thank you Radd, your posts are very informative. I am waiting for my test results..sent samples yesterday for Thyroid 11, don't believe it includes folate. I would appreciate more info on folate please. Also what is Thyroid s spoken of in posts above?

Many thanks

[Joanneconnor in reply to Lindsay1995]

Hi Lindsay, thyroid s is like natural deccicated thyroid (NDT) sourced from pigs not synthetic made in a lab

[Lindsay1995 in reply to Joanneconnor]

Thanks. Can you direct me to where I can find out more info please?

[radd in reply to Lindsay1995]

Lindsay,

Folate (B9) works with vitamin B12 to help make red blood cells and iron work properly .. . and deficiencies in either can cause similar symptoms so labs often test both.

As folic acid participates in homocysteine metabolic cycle in the human body, adequate levels are required to keep this amino acid in check ( high levels are considered a significant risk factor in cardiovascular disease.) Elevated homocysteine can also disrupt thyroid metabolism at a cellular level.

Many members supplement folate together with B12 and a B complex. Folate and folic acid are NOT the same ... . Folic acid is a synthetic form of the natural folate and harder to metabolise. People with the common MTHFR problems should never supplement folic acid as if not utilised correctly (due to genetic variations) it can bind up with & reduce receptor proteins reducing the absorption rate further ... .(amongst other things.)

I supplement Optimal Liposomal Active B12 (methylcobalamin) & L-5-MTHF (folate) by Seeking Health which are the easiest to be absorbed by many hypothyroid people. Jarrows and Solgar are other equally popular brands.

Thyroid-s is a form of NDT. Others detailed in following link: stopthethyroidmadness.com/a...

[Lindsay1995 in reply to radd]

Thank you once more for your information and link. Really appreciated. 

[Joanneconnor]

Although I do have a gut issue also I think I might try the supplements for that, I already have adrenal caps, but when I got my cortisol results I read somewhere that they can elevate cortisol so I stopped taking them. I have solaray adrenal caps (raw gland  concentrate  with herb activators, I seem to be doing most things right, I was just wondering how long it would take to get my cortisol back to a good level is not overly high , as I'm not doing very well in work and I think cortisol is the problem! X

[Joanneconnor]

I had a really good day in work today, I generally have no idea on my way to work if I'm gonna be my old self or the more resent slower dizzy person, the only thing I noticed was my body temp felt hotter than my normal 35.4 and I worked fairly fast and efficient, so I think that's a good sign. On my bad days I don't even know I'm having a bad day  till later in the days hen my. Cortisol has gone down, and reflect on how much work I got done, it is quite upsetting