Supplementing vit d, b12, folate and ferritin

[CarpaBob]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help give me an idea of what doses I need to take for vit d, b12, folate and ferritin. I am hypothyroid, with results for all of these at close to the so called normal ranges (so classed as normal by the lab and doctors receptionists). I would like to be fully prepared with suggestions for my gp as I am fairly certain I will have to argue my need for treatment. I have searched the forums and can't find anything concrete on what I should take.

[Pastille]

Hi CarpaBob you could really do with posting the exact figures for the response that you need re doses. Normal or fine levels are not good enough for us, we need to be optimal. B12 is optimal at 1000 and deficient below 500. Ferritin needs to be at least mid range, despite how high Iron levels are. Folate needs to be fairly high and I'm no good with D levels yet but some one will help. There was a very good link posted this morning about all the nutrient levels needed and a suggested print out for a gp. I will find it and get back to you

[CarpaBob in reply to Pastille]

Thank you. I am aware of the issues with blood test ranges, when I trained as as a midwife I did an assignment on the subject yet still can't get the GPS to realise it! My b12 is 301, (range 190-910) folate is 5.9 (range 3.3 - 99999.00) ferritin 24.4 (range 13.0-300.0) still waiting on vit d almost a fortnight later!

[Pastille in reply to CarpaBob]

Please find a post by @marigold22 from earlier today called 'b12 folate ferrous d' and Marz has replied with a very good link. Just what you need Your B12 is deficient and most people here with that level would supplement with 5000iu Methylcobalamin daily or maybe more?. I think folate is not too bad but you may want to supplement with a maintenance dose. Ferritin is low and really needs to be optimal, ferrous fumurate 210mg x3 daily. But you need a second opinion on all of this so I'd re post with all your ranges for the 'highly enlightened' good luck

[Clutter in reply to CarpaBob]

CarpaBob,

NHS won't usually prescribe supplements when results are within range.

You can optimise your own levels by supplementing 1,000mcg methylcobalamin and taking a B Complex vitamin to improve folate. Supplement Ferrous Fumarate 3 x 210mg and take 500-1,000mg vitamin C with each iron tablet to aid absorption and minimise constipation. Take iron 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[Marz]

healthunlocked.com/api/redi...

I would supplement 5000 mcg of Jarrow Methylcobalamin and a GOOD B complex to keep all the B's in balance. Thorne Research is the one I use. Ensure you keep the lozenge under the tongue until dissolved thus avoiding any gut issues.

Type Iron supplements into the - Search Thyroid UK - box at the top of the page - Press Enter on your keyboard and at least 500+ previous posts on the topic will appear. Iron is not something I know lots about

When supplementing D - it needs to be according to your results. Also supplement with VitK2 .....

grassrootshealth.net

[000ggg]

I would get your levels tested first to see what they are before supplementing at all. I was taking a lot of those and I've stopped some now and only taking the others occasionally. B12 level can be pretty high up to 2000 or so and be safe (it's not a problem until it's 6000 or so in terms of being caused by disease according to my hematologist) but vitamin D is another story. It can affect so many things, your calcium levels, bp, electrolyte balance etc. Because I may have primary hyperparthyroidism. I have stopped calcium and vitamin d supplements completely. My vitamin D was low/ pth was high and my doc told me to increase D- I was already at 4000 iu with K2 but at 6000 I started to feel ill and have back pain near my kidneys and urinate more and my calcium went up to high normal.

I'm getting another blood test tomorrow so I will find out how things are going.

Here is a link I found on vitamin D when answering Pastilles' question here.

precisionnutrition.com/stop...

I'm just thinking differently about vitamins now and thinking maybe it's not such a great idea to supplement so much. The link above says Vit D of higher than 40 can be dangerous.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to 000ggg]

The Vit D level of 40 in that link is in ng/mL which is the measurement used in the US I believe.

When converted to nmol/L, which is the one more usually used in the UK, that is 99.8. There's a converter on the Grassroots site that Marz has linked to.

[000ggg in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes I'm in the US and talking about US levels... not sure what the Uk and other places are, but above 40 US level apparently isn't a great idea because overall mortality for everything goes up. The problem is everything in the body is in balance and when you start adding tons of one thing in which may not even be really deficient, that you can get from food, or in the case of vit D from sunlight too, unless you have IBD or something like that, without even really knowing what is going on it can cause more problems. That link says you need not just vit D and K2 but also Magnesium and vitamin A and even then who knows what will happen with each individual person. I think we can sometimes just convince ourselves we are feeling better or worse without really knowing what the cause or causes are.

Another thing I read about in the past and now recently is that it's not really known for sure what comes first, illness or vit D deficiency or some other vitamin- but with D in particular it now seems to be suspected that certain autoimmune and other diseases cause the deficiency of D, not the other way around.

[MarieWC]

I have hypothyroidism, and have the same type of deficiencies usually associated with the disease. For many years I have ached all over (my GP has prescribed me Tramadol for the last 12 years on repeat for the pain) and my life has been one big struggle. Recently, along with all the other tests, I asked for the nurse to put vitamin d on the form too. My vitamin d level was so low it couldn't be picked up! I've been doing a lot of research since then and there is a lot of evidence to support that getting your vitamin D up to around 125nmol/l is the level at which the vitamin d is able to do its job properly in the body. I use 10'000iu every day and also take magnesium and K2. I'm also on supplements for B12 and folate too. For the first time since my third child was born 14 years ago, I feel well. NHS guidelines state that levels between 50-200 (or 220) are 'normal' so please don't worry about toxicity if your level is well over 50.

Also, did you know that vitamin d deficiency can trigger hypothyroidism ? I was astounded when I read this just the other day.

You absolutely must get your levels checked before making any decision on whether to supplement though.

Good luck xx

[Anthony-uk]

Excellent group of nearly 8000 on vitamin d etc. She knows her stuff..

Alot of people become well from this group. There is a protocol on there, which contains the correct vitamin d to take, k2, magnesium, b12 etc.. and she knows about thyroid also. Worth a look. It's called vitamin d wellness group on facebook. X

[greygoose]

If I were you, I'd buy my own suppléments. I Don't think you'll ever get your doctor to understand that just in-range is not good enough.

Besides, what he prescribes will just be the cheapest stuff available, and won't be easy to absorb - cyanocobalamin instead of methylcobalamin; folic acid instead of methylfolate, for example - and in doses so low they wouldn't treat a gnat! Must better to buy your own.