Diagnosed 2011 I stopped taking my 150mcg levo yesterday because I am fed up of GP saying I am over medicated all the time when I had no over medicated symptoms just hypo ones of insomnia, pins and needles, headaches, dizziness, tiredness, aches and pains, feeling cold so no idea what next to do. Thanks
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 204.5 (<34)
Thyroglobulin antibodies >1500 (<115)
Ferritin 44 (30 - 400) one iron tablet a day
MCV 76.7 (80 - 98)
MCHC 384 (310 - 350)
MCH 28.1 (28 - 32)
Folate 2.2 (2.5 - 19.5)
Vitamin B12 201 (190 - 900)
Vitamin D 60.3 (50 - 75 suboptimal) taking 1000iu vitamin D from prescribed vitamin D of 800iu
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nata119
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Always take Levo on empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after. Many take on waking, but it may be more convenient and possibly more effective taken at bedtime
Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable. Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.
Once you start taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 3-5 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results
Your elevated thyroid antibodies show you have thyroid autoimmune disease otherwise known as Hashimotos. You can read more about it on Thyroid UK's website. So this means your thyroid blood test results are likely to fluctuate with the activity of the antibodies.
If your TSH suddenly takes a dip it means that antibodies are attacking your thyroid gland and as they kill off some of the cells they release a lot of hormone which causes some overactivity. If you experience an attack and find you have a lot of overactive symptoms you may need to lower your thyroid hormone a little tempororily and retest in 6 to 8 weeks. The attack will settle down and you will be hypothyroid again and perhaps a little more than before so you will need to resume your previous dose of thyroid medication.
As SlowDragon has already said, your vitamin levels are all very low and insufficient. How long have you been taking 800iu vitamin D supplements? Clearly it is not enough to lift you into the acceptable range.
All vitamins need to be mid-range and vitamin B12 needs to be top of range to feel well. Your iron level is too low. Ferritin needs to be at least 70 or even better about 100 for women in order for levothyroxine to work effectively.
See SeasideSusie's post to others you can find a reply here - just scroll down to find it.
nata119 From your other thread: "I have these results and told all of my vitamins and minerals are fine thanks" Well your doctor is talking out of an orifice other than his mouth! He hasn't got a clue.
Ferritin 44 (30 - 400) one iron tablet a day
For thyroid hormone to work ferritin needs to be at least 70, preferably half way through range.
You can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...
BUT - and this is very important and you need to ask your doctor why he has ignored these results because they suggest iron deficiency anaemia and 1 x ferrous fumarate is not the correct treatment:
•Address underlying causes as necessary (for example treat menorrhagia or stop nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, if possible).
•Treat with oral ferrous sulphate 200 mg tablets two or three times a day.
◦If ferrous sulphate is not tolerated, consider oral ferrous fumarate tablets or ferrous gluconate tablets.
◦Do not wait for investigations to be carried out before prescribing iron supplements.
•If dietary deficiency of iron is thought to be a contributory cause of iron deficiency anaemia, advise the person to maintain an adequate balanced intake of iron-rich foods (for example dark green vegetables, iron-fortified bread, meat, apricots, prunes, and raisins) and consider referral to a dietitian.
• Monitor the person to ensure that there is an adequate response to iron treatment.
Take each iron tablet with 1000mg Vitamin C to aid absorption and help prevent constipaton. Always take iron 4 hours away from thyroid meds and two hours away from other medication and supplements as it will affect absorption.
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Folate 2.2 (2.5 - 19.5)
Vitamin B12 201 (190 - 900)
You also need to ask your doctor why he has ignored your obvious folate deficiency and your extremely low B12.
Do you have any signs of B12 deficiency b12deficiency.info/signs-an... You need to post on the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum for further advice healthunlocked.com/pasoc Quote your Folate, B12, Ferritin results, your iron deficiency information and any signs of B12 deficiency you may be experiencing. Then go and see your GP to discuss what they say. You may need testing for Pernicious Anaemia and you may need B12 injections.
I have read (but not researched so don't have links) that BCSH, UKNEQAS and NICE guidelines recommend:
"In the presence of discordance between test results and strong clinical features of deficiency, treatment should not be delayed to avoid neurological impairment."
And an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:
"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".
"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."
Folate should be at least half way through it's range.
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Vitamin D 60.3 (50 - 75 suboptimal) taking 1000iu vitamin D from prescribed vitamin D of 800iu
The recommended level, according to the Vit D Council, is 100-150nmol/L. 1000iu is just a maintenance dose, if you want to raise your level then you need to increase the amount of D3 that you are taking. With that level, if it was me, I would be taking 5000iu for 6-8 weeks then retest. If you've then reached the recommended level reduce to a maintenance dose, which may be 1000iu daily, it may be 2000iu daily, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with City Assays vitamindtest.org.uk/
There are important cofactors needed when taking D3
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems.
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
SlowDragon covered Hashi's in your other post. Besides a gluten free diet, supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily can also help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.
Here's another couple of sites about Hashi's which may be useful
Have you heard of the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)? It is a lifestyle programme aimed at reducing antibodies and improving symptoms of autoimmunity. It starts with quite a strict diet and also addresses gut healing, sleep hygiene and stress management - all vital if you want to get better. Here is a link, but there are loads of good websites: The Paleo Mom, Phoenix Helix and Autoimmune Wellness. There is a good Facebook page: AIP in the UK.
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