Hi everyone,
I'm just wondering as to whether Selenium blood tests are routinely carried out if you've been diagnosed with a thyroid problem? Is this something that doctors/Endo's look into? Has anyone ever had their levels tested/measured? (And by that I mean either via their GP/nhs specialist as opposed to paying privately?)
Many Thanks
Nope.. never had it done.. and it's never been mentioned by doctor or endocrinologist. But then again... they don't really test much! T4 and TSH if you are lucky 
from what I have read you only need a little selenium.. like a couple of Brazil nuts a day? But it is essential for thyroid production.
Ahh okay, thank you. To be honest I didn't I haven't heard of anyone (as yet) having this tested as part of routine bloodwork, was just curious to hear from others. Thank you 😊
No problem... if anyone has.. I want their doctor 
In 43 years of being diagnosed hypo, selenium testing has never been mentioned by any doctor.
And Brazil nuts only contain selenium if they've been grown in selenium rich soil. If it doesn't say that on the packet, they won't contain any selenium.
Thank you for replying. Wow! This seems crazy that selenium is not tested for?!? Considering its an essential mineral to thyroid production.
Now, I'm afraid I've turned into a cynical old crow due to so many years of pathetic treatment and lack of understanding of hypothyroidism, so I really don't expect anything from doctors any more (and I'm never disappointed!).
If doctors don't even realise the importance of T3, the only important hormone, and FT3 the only important test (rarely tested), nor the importance of vitamins and minerals role in thyroid health, and that ferritin must be at least 70 for any thyroid hormone to work (our own as well as replacement), none of which are normally tested for, then it's not surprising that selenium doesn't come into the picture.
Not that I'm bitter, or anti doctor or anything 
I completely understand how you feel, and yes all these important factors seemed to be disregarded 😕.
I think sometimes doctors forget they're not God, they don't know everything, they just have the authority to prescribe medications and make decisions about our health despite being right or wrong. And more than likely they don't really understand the importance of vitamins/minerals in conjunction with thyroid conditions. Apart from a few, iron, B12 etc, but even then ......
. I recently had an antioxidants blood test done, and I am deficient in Vitamin E and some of the caretone group. Never in a million years would a doctor even consider testing these vitamins.
I believe that the use of selenium supplements for those with Hashimoto's is not really something that is done in allopathic medicine, I think it comes more from the functional medicine side.
There are quite a few things that raise my GP's eyebrows but he seems happy enough to keep a watchful but interested eye on me. For example I told him that I wanted to increase my Vitamin D level from it's rather feeble "could do with supplementation" low level. He was just about to write out a 'script for 800iu D3 when I said I was more interested in 5000iu for 3 months and re-test. I handed him a print-out of Vitamin D Council information which stated that 800iu is really a maintenance dose if and after you have been lucky enough to enjoy getting some suns rays. It seems to me that 800iu is the standard NICE/NHS recommended dose but it would be a very long slog to get a good figure at that dosage.
He also had never heard of vitamin K2 being given as a co-factor either. All news to him because it's more a functional medicine thing but he was quite curious!
Thank you so much for your reply! It really does make you wonder if all of this is even taught in medical school. I'm really shocked your doctor has never heard of K2 being a co-factor with vitamin D supplementation! Though I shouldn't really feel based on our experiences regarding these issues 😒.
Of course it's not taught in med schools! They only do one afternoon in the whole sever years, on the endocrine system, so you can imagine the thyroid doesn't get much of a look-in. And, they do zero about nutrients.
Greygoose I have been to the lectures in med school RE endocrinology as it was part of my job though some years ago now. But pre clinical, as these were, are concerned mostly on the different parts of the endocrine system and how they work. Nothing is done about treating it though as that is left to the clinicians. As well as lectures our students had weekly tutorials but the tutor changed each term so that they got a greater spread of subjects. I once asked a student about my late husband's tutorials though it was before we married so he didn't connect us but he said he never shuts up about the thyroid so I said it's his research topic so yes he would want to spread the word-I wasn't diagnosed at this point. I have thought though over the years though that not many are actually admitted with known thyroid problems to the teaching hospitals for students to see and understand the problems. I have never seen a student or junior doctor when I've seen an Endo consultant and in fact I have asked that question on here some years ago.
Fortunately for me my husband frogmarched me to the doctor on several ocassions to say my thyroid was falling and the TSH said otherwise (or their underdtanding of it) finally I gotvthe required level and my doctor was pleased to see my husband as he too had been diagnosed. So out. And the text books etc as he had forgotten much since graduating from Oxford and after a few 'lectures both my GP and I started on NDT or extract as it was called then. So interesting my husband as a thyroid scientist managed to get my GP and I on NDT! This was about 30 years ago now.
So yes the students get the knowledge but the dosing etc from the. Linicisns but don't interact with many sufferers so their knowledge is not tested and they forget. Or they never understood it in the first place!
Well, the way most doctors talk about thyroid, I doubt they even know where it is, let alone what it does! They don't have a clue.
No I just got told I need thyroxine - take these!
I was told from day one to take selenium and Zinc as they must be taken together but never a mention of testing.
I have been happily munching on brazil nuts for years thinking i was getting enough selenium. My t3 is just over mid range but i would like to get it up and it was suggested by the forum i take selenium. Unbelievably a new gp has started at our practice who is a supplement expert and has helped develop a range of products for cytoplan. He called me with some recent blood results and told me to start taking selenium immediately as he had tested brazil nuts 10 years ago and i would have to eat a kilo a day to get enough selenium!
janiebell, that is interesting to know. May I ask how how much selenium you take daily, what dosage, how many tablets? Thank you.
I like the sound of this GP!
Ha ha! Me too. Let's hope he lives up to expectations!
I have only just discovered this so my supplement arrived in the post today! My gp said i needed at least 150 ucg but others on the forum have suggested 200 ucg. I have bought a supp with 150 ucg of selenium amongst others things. I really hope it helps with conversion. My gp was quite adamant that the lack of selenium in our diets is a crisis. I am going to keep eating the brazil nuts as i have grown to love them!
Thanks for all your replies everyone. You've all been very helpful 😊
I take 100mcg of selenium (with zinc) in tablet form per day. I do eat organic grass-fed meats and other things like spinach, eggs etc..as well. Love Brazil nuts but I find them difficult to eat, damn the denture!
Thank you for replying 😊. I absolutely hate Brazil nuts 😖 even though they're really rich in Selenium. Is Zinc needed alongside Selenium?
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