Symptoms - weak nails etc. Recommendations please?!?

[plokmijnuby]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing really weak nails - mine are literally bendable and break easily. I thought it was due to my pre Christmas manicures but strengthening polish and two months without heavy polish (letting them breath) has not helped at all

Also experiencing much more dry skin on my feet than before I was on levo - not sure if this would be associated with hashimotos usually?!

If anyone has any advice about whether these are symptoms of hashimotos/hypothyroidism or better yet, any recommendations about what's worked to improve these trivial issues, I'd love to hear about it!!!

Ps. I take 100mcg daily and that's brought my tsh down from 15+ to 0.4

[Raventhorpe]

Hi plokmijnuby unfortunately it is one of the many symptoms you can get from being hypo, I must say my nails have improved since taking extra vits b12 and d3, thou still splitting a bit, I put oil on them every day which does seem to help.As for the dry skin especially on heels I use the scholl grater once a week to get rid of hard skin then smoother feet in cream pop in plastic bags cover with warm towel and leave till cream sinks in this seems to keep the worst of the hard skin at bay, also use cream after I have showered all over body every day this helps alot thou still suffer a little with dry skin.hope these ideas help you a little.

[plokmijnuby in reply to Raventhorpe]

Thanks. I bought one of the graters recently. My feet just seem to peel. Maybe just need a deep soak like you've suggested with the bags etc. Thanks

[greygoose]

Dry skin and weak nails are most definitely hypo symptoms. Do you have any results other than the TSH? Once you're on thyroid hormone replacement, the TSH is more or less irrelevant, and doesn't guarantee you're on the right dose.

[plokmijnuby in reply to greygoose]

Unfortunately at my latest test because my tsh was ok apparently they don't get any more results from the blood sample. And now I've been told to return in June!

[greygoose in reply to plokmijnuby]

The TSH is irrelevant, it won't tell you if you're on the right dose. You need to get your Frees done, to know that.

[plokmijnuby in reply to greygoose]

Well doesn't seem like there is much more I can do via my doctor if they won't perform any further tests. Does everyone get private blood test regularly to track their frees ?

[greygoose in reply to plokmijnuby]

A lot of people do get private tests, if they can afford it. Regularly might be difficult, but at least one to give them a base line.

Doctors know so little about thyroid, I'm afraid.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Suggest you ask GP to check levels of vitamin d, b12, folate and ferratin. These all need to at good (not just average) levels for thyroid hormones (our own or replacement ones) to work in our cells.

As you have Hashimoto's are you gluten free? Also selenium supplements are recommended to help improve conversion T4 to T3 and reduce antibodies

You really need to know FT4 and FT3 as well as TSH. But most NHS labs no longer test - so many of us get them done privately

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

Usual advice on ALL thyroid tests, (home one or on NHS) is to do early in morning, ideally before 9am. No food or drink beforehand (other than water) If you are taking Levo, then don't take it in 24 hours before (take straight after). This way your tests are always consistent, and it will show highest TSH, and as this is mainly all the Levo dose is decided on, the idea is to keep TSH result as high as possible

[plokmijnuby in reply to SlowDragon]

Hiya. Yes I've been gluten free since the start of January. Hoping to get my antibodies down and ask for them to be retested in June.

I'll have a look at that private testing in case I can get some more results and better fine tune any supplements/vitamins. Thank you.

And yes had my test first thing pre levo and tsh was 0.42 so can only imagine how low it may drop post levo.

[nightingale-56]

plokmijnuby rather like Raventhorpe I find that Vitamin B12and D3have made such a difference to my nails. Just a few days of not taking them results in much softer and breakable nails. Don't seem to have dry skin either.

[plokmijnuby in reply to nightingale-56]

Thanks j_bee. I'll look into those targeted supplements rather than generic hair skin nails ones !!