Hey everyone. I am new on these forums but I would like to ask a quick question.
I have hashimotos disease, I am back within ‘normal’ ranges as I get thyroid function tests every month.
The thing is, sometimes if I am looking at a screen or just reading when I get up to move I get a black out and can’t really see, just for few seconds.
The only other thing is that my stamina seems really low, I do a lot of exercise but I get puffed out very easily.
Any advice? I have good iron levels, just a little under so not a problem.
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hollygrace99
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Welcome to the forum. Can you post your latest thyroid results and there ranges please? We often find that patients are told their results are fine because they are in range but it's where in the range that is important.
Also if you have any resent results for B12, folate, ferritin and Vit D eith the ranges could also be helpful.
Definitely a big time iron (ferritin) deficiency. Should be around 80. Iron deficiency alone can cause thyroid dysfunction. If a doctor told you it was just "a little low," then get another doctor and fast. Try to find a doctor of functional medicine who knows about the relationship between nutrients and their vital importance thyroid function and conversion.
"Does the thyroid need iron to function? Absolutely, but inorganic forms of iron aren't the way to go. Far superior would be whole foods containing heme iron. Additionally, multiple nutrients are required for healthy thyroid function. Most notably: Vitamin A, zinc, selenium, Vitamin D, iodine. Deficiencies of any of these could negatively affect thyroid health."
As far as your blood tests, the TSH is meaningless without using it in conjunction with both readings from Free T3 and Free T4. I see no Free T3 readings. Without Free T3, the TSH makes it appear all is fine. But we know that's not the case because your ferritin is rock bottom. Rock bottom! Your doctor should know this... but wasn't taught a thing about it. Sad, as you cannot have adequate thyroid function without optimal ferritin levels (among other nutrients).
"For normal thyroid hormone transport and receptor response, you require normal levels of vitamin D and ferritin along with normal levels of cortisol, according to “The Hormone Makeover,” by Donna White. Optimal vitamin D level is 60 to 80 nanograms per milliliter, or ng/mL. The level considered sufficient is 50 ng/mL. Optimal ferritin levels are 90 to 110 ng/mL. The normal range for ferritin is 12 to 300 ng/mL for men and 12 to 150 ng/mL for women."
The TSH drops merely because you are taking thyroid hormone supplements -- not because your thyroid function is necessarily good. Conventional doctors make this same mistake over and over again and patients get sicker because of it. Find yourself a doctor who understands how the body works. Most conventional doctors are clueless in this regard. In the meantime, work on getting your iron levels up.
Your Free T4 is topped out and that is an indication that you're not converting it into the active thyroid homone T3. It is the thyroid hormone T3 that regulates your heart beat, metabolism, body temperature, etc., and is essential to be in all the cells of your body. When T3 is lacking in supply and subsequently in limited levels throughout the body and cells... the entire body can begin to dysfunction.
Correcting all nutrient deficiencies, with priority to those that are essential to thyroid function. There has to be a reason why you are so deficient in iron (and no doubt other nutrients). Could be you lack adequate stomach acid to absorb nutrients from foods and supplements.
It is becoming more and more apparent that many are iodine deficient and that served as the beginning of their hypothyroidism; but being ferritin/iron deficient will do the same. It will allow the thyroid's total functions not to complete their tasks. When you interrupt conversion of inactive T4 to active thyroid hormone T3, you essentially begin a journey down a path of dysfunction throughout the body until it is corrected. That means all facets of what is causing the interruption of T3 into the cells. (Low ferritin, low iodine (always to be taken with selenium), low Vitamin D, low Vitamin A (dry-A, Retinol), Zinc (take with copper), and Selenium). Those are the most essential. For your well-being in the meantime, your B-12 levels should also be checked and corrected.
The first lesson is 'never accept normal, o.k. or fine' with regard to blood tests.
When you are due a blood test for hashi's, it has to be the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose and the test, and take it afterwards.
This helps keep the TSH at its highest as that seems to be the only results doctors take notice of and may adjust our dose unnecessarily.
With regard to the TSH we are looking for a TSH of 1 or below.
Many doctors believe that if it is 'anywhere' in the range that we are now on sufficient dose. That might be o.k. if we don't have hypothroidism (hashi's) and have no problem with our thyroid gland..
Always get a print-out of your blood test results, with the ranges as labs differ and ranges make it easier to comment.
Request the GP to test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as deficiences can also give symptoms.
Levothyroxine should be taken, usually first thing, with one full glass of water as tablet can stick in throat. Some prefer a bedtime dose and stomach has to be empty so a gap of 3 hours from last meal to taking levo is advised. If you decide on bedtime dosing, if having a test next a.m. miss this dose and take after test and bedtime as usual the same day.
Hashimoto's is the commonest form of hypothyroidism as it is the antibodies that attack the gland - they wax and wane- until you are hypothyroid but treatment is the same.
Levothyroxine is T4 only. It converts to T3 (liothyronine) and is the only Active thyroid hormone which runs our whole metabolism from head to toe. Until you are on an optimum dose exercise gently as too strenuous will deplete the T3 and you wont feel so good and our heart and brain require the most. So build up your dose of levo until you feel well and listen to your body.
Most of us on the forum are not medically qualified but have had personal 'experience'.
As said already please post your results, when you say your iron is good but then add "just a little under" do you mean your iron is just a little under?
That is really low. Low ferritin will make you feel terrible - dizzy, exhausted, etc etc. Are you taking iron supplements? You should be taking at least 80-100mg a day ferrous fumerate (or iron bisglycinate if you can't tolerate ferrous fumerate). Take with 1000mg of vitamin c to aid absorption and reduce constipation.
You should take iron at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine and ideally on an empty stomach as lots of foods inhibit the absorption of iron particularly calcium.
Or you can eat 200g liver once a week if you can stomach it!
The usual advice on here is to try ferrous fumerate. If you can't tolerate that try iron bisglycinate (solgar gentle iron) which are tablets.
By liquid iron do you mean spatone? It doesn't contain much iron so isn't usually recommended although some people seem to find it effective.
I am trying two sachets a day at the moment with eating liver pate as i have had to stop the iron bisglycinate as it was causing bowel issues. Not sure how effectively vecthis will be though.
My son has been experiencing the same blackouts which we've been told are not true blackouts but visual obscurations. He doesn't have thyroid or iron problems (it's me with the thyroid disease). He's had MRI scans, blood tests, lots of eye tests etc and still haven't really got to the bottom of it. His always when start doing up, but not every time he started up and at their worst were maybe 2 or 3 a week. It may be that it's not your thyroid causing these and I hope you get to the bottom of it. We're just waiting on a cardiology appointment now as my son also gets a strong racing heart beat usually when he's just sat doing nothing, I don't know if you experience this too? I think we are likely to get no proper answer for him but that it's likely it's something to do with his heart rate when standing (it's not his blood pressure), maybe mild POTS.
Muscle issues could cause the brain not to get enough blood and therefore you can have blackouts because of this. (I've had it.) So massage by a professional would be good. And if this doesn't sort out the issue, then allergies, sensitivities or other gut issues. Gut issues really eat stamina.
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