Hi, can someone please recommend what vitamin supplements I should be taking at the minute?
I was diagnosed approximately 6 weeks ago with an auto immune hypothyroidism and am currently taking 75mcg levothyroxine. My tsh is down to 53 from 147 so it's going in the right direction however I'd like to know what other supplements I should be taking to help.
My recent results where:-
Haemoglobin concentrate 95.0 (range 115-165)
Serum iron binding 3 (5-33)
Serum tibc 83 (36-77)
B12 642 (180-910)
Serum folate 3.05 (5.4-24)
Serum ferritin 6.6 (10-291)
Vit D 33 (50-100)
Tsh 53.6 (0.2-6)
Free t4 8.4 (10-20)
Thyroid peroxidase anitbody level >1300 (<60)
As well as the levothyroxine I am taking ferrous fumerate 210mg 3x daily, vitamin D 800iu daily (both prescribed) I have added folic acid 400ug and vitamin C 1000mg daily but don't know what else I need.
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Emyloulou
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"Vit D 33 (50-100) vitamin D 800iu daily (prescribed)"
Well, it's good that your GP is prescribing, but 800iu daily wont raise your level, in fact it's barely a maintenance dose for someone who's got up to a decent level. You need a loading dose but your GP won't prescribe it because your level isn't <30 which is the usual level for a diagnosis of Vit D Deficiency when loading doses are prescribed. Yours comes into the insufficient category I expect. You should help yourself here.
The recommended level is 100-150nmol/L.
Buy some D3 softgels, these are good bodykind.com/product/2463-b... and I would suggest you start with a loading dose of 10,000iu daily for 6-8 weeks then reduce to 5000iu daily. Retest in 3 months. When you reach the recommended level you should reduce to a maintenance dose. In the winter you may need 5000iu alternate days, you may need less in the summer depending on whether you go it in the sun with a good amount of skin uncovered and without sunscreen for about 20 minutes or so daily. Re-testing is recommended once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. Private testing can be done by City Assays for £28, a simple fingerprick blood spot test vitamindtest.org.uk/index.html
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs it to bones and teeth and away from arteries and soft tissues. D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds naturalnews.com/046401_magn...
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You should take 1000mg Vit C with *each* iron tablet to aid absorption and help prevent constipation. Iron must be taken four hours away from thyroid meds and two hours away from other medication and supplements as it affects their absorption.
Has your your iron panel results given you a diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia and if so is your GP is following the guidelines to treat it? I don't know enough to interpret those results other than haemoglobin under range is probably iron deficiency anaemia, so you should make sure you are being treated correctly.
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As your Folate level is under range, surely your GP should be providing folic acid on prescription. Has he discussed Folate Deficiency with you? You might want to research that.
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As you have Hashimoto's, adopting a strict gluten free diet should help reduce antibodies. Gluten contains gliadin which is a protein thought to trigger antibody attacks.
Supplementing with selenium L-selenomethionine 200mcg daily and keeping TSH suppressed also help reduce antibodies.
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You still have a long way to go before you are optimally medicated. The aim of a treated hypo patient is for TSH to be 1 or below and FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of their respective reference ranges if that is where you feel well.
You should have thyroid tests repeated every 6-8 weeks with dose increases of 25mcg each time until you reach a dose where you feel well.
When booking your appointment for thyroid tests, always book the earliest appointment of the day, fast overnight (water is allowed) and leave off Levo for 24 hours. This gives the highest possible TSH which is what is needed when looking for a dose increase or to avoid a reduction.
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Take your Levo on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after food, with water only, four hours away from iron, calcium, D3 and magnesium supplements and two hours away from any other supplements and medication.
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I'm not medically qualified, my repy is based on personal experience, research and reading, and successfuly supplementing deficiencies to optimal levels.
Thank you for that fantastic reply!!! I'll get the vitamins you have recommended and I am being tested for celiacs so I'll wait on the results of that and then decide regarding the gluten free diet. The one problem I do have is that I take medication for back problems as well so some things have to be taken with other medications even though it's not recommended. I just can't fit them in otherwise 😳
I tested for zinc and was very low in range. What I do now is take a good multi mineral supplement, which is a good idea for us Hypos anyway as long as it doesn't contain calcium, iodine or iron. This is the one I take biocare.co.uk/default.aspx?... and it contains 15mg zinc which is balanced with copper. It also contains 100mcg selenium so if you are thinking of taking that then you'd only need a 100mcg selenium supplement to go with it for your Hashi's.
As for gluten, it doesn't matter whether or not you test positive. Coeliac or not has no bearing on a gluten free diet being helpful in reducing antibodies. It's the gliadin that gluten contains, which contains a protein that triggers antibody attacks, that is the problem.
I think you'll need to Google for interactions between your different medications/supplements so that you don't take any together that will cancel each other out, so to speak. Iron will definitely affect the absorption of everything else, which is why it's pointless buying a multi mineral that contains iron.
Oh, tell me about it I do private testing, self source T3 and use quite a few good quality supplements. Add that to the private practioner I consulted with three times and I really daren't total it up
With the supplements, start with one, give it a week or two, then add the second one, give it a week or two, then add the next one, etc. That way if you have any kind of reaction you will know what caused it.
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I do private testing, self source T3 and use quite a few good quality supplements. Add that to the private practioner I consulted with three times and I really daren't total it up 
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