New to the site. I am coming up to 50 years old. I have heavy periods and on proestrogen only pill. I follow a largely gluten free diet suffer from bloating water retention if I don't. Recently just very low mood no energy family don't recognise who I am or how I will react. Cold all time have pins and needles and can't really feel anything in the soles or plans of my frets or hands. Recently tested for TSH only came back at 1.8. Do I take HRT or get further testing. My vitd is always low I'm lucky if I can get it into the 40 range. Any advice welcomed.
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Tiger777
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Thank you Josie651 your message is very reassuring I will ask doctor to be tested. That would be a much better outcome than hrt or being diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
Thank you for your reply. My doctors reaction was it nothing to do with your thyroid so i must need hrt.
Will push a little to get the above test done. Why they don't just to a complete test from the off I just can't understand the logic. We shouldn't have to fight for testing.
Vitamin D is commonly low because you aren't supplementing enough in either getting your level up, then maintaining it or both.
You can safely take a daily dose of D3 supplement at 10,000 IU per day for 3-4 months if you have no known heart, kidney and liver problems.
A few endocrinologists think this is dangerous while in some areas to save money haemotologists recommend a level that is not enough for some people, and therefore some NHS areas set low levels.
Unfortunately this means you need to do your own research, pay for your own tests every 3 months until you level is high enough, and then buy most of your own D3 supplements.
In your case for vitamin D if it is around 40 you should take 5,000IU supplements daily for 3 months get your level tested using a City Assays test and then see where you are. Take your vitamin D3 with a fatty meal and also magnesium and vitamin K2-MK7 supplements. You can buy the supplements you need on Amazon and doing this way is far better than going into a high street shop. You are aiming for a level over 75nmol/L but preferably 100nmol/L.
City Assays lab is a lab based in a NHS hospital in the Midlands. Their tests are around £30 and are finger prick tests.
There is information on vitamin D via the vitamin D council and grassroots health websites.
If you don't want bad bones in 20 years you really need to help yourself and not leave it to your useless doctors. Sorting out a vitamin D level isn't hard but many GPs are still damn ignorant about it.
Finally if you haven't been told you need to take vitamin D supplements for the rest of your life. You cannot just take a break from them without knowing why. This is why you should try and understand about it and not leave it to the doctors even if they were helpful.
I should have added vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is often seen in people who have thyroid disease, MS and other autoimmune diseases and it makes the signs and symptoms much much worse.
However not everyone with these conditions has inadequate vitamin D levels so there is no direct link. The main link is where people live so if you live in South of France you are more likely to have an adequate vitamin D level but not if you live in Kent. This is due to how easy it is to get into the sun, whether there is sufficient sun in summer and levels of pollution.
Thank you for your responses I was on supplements then doctor told me to stop because the level reached c50. But thank you for your advice 're maintaining the level at c75.
Many doctors don't know best how to treat patients' clinical symptoms and seem poorly trained in diagnosing them.
Doing a TSH alone isn't sufficient and I assume your doctor wont do most (some labs don't if TSH is 'in range). The process when getting blood test for thyroid hormones is:-
The earliest possible appointment, fasting (you can drink water) and if on thyroid hormones allow a 24 hour gap between last dose and test and take levo afterwards.
Ask for TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. Plus B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Deficiencies in these also cause problems.
If GP wont (or lab) you may have to get them privately and we have recommended labs who do pin-prick tests.
Blood tests should always be the earliest, fasting and if you were taking thyroid hormones you'd allow 24 hours gap between the last dose and the test and take afterwards.
(I am not medically qualified but had undiagnosed hypothyroidism but am now well)
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