Vitamins/minerals

[Allykat17]

Please could I have help with vitamins/minerals? Taking 3000iu vitamin D, 5mg folic acid, 1 ferrous fumarate. Had 3 monthly B12 injection in June 2017 for low B12. Still got symptoms of muscle twitching, spasms, heavy periods, tiredness, dizziness, pins and needles. Thanks

Ferritin 46 (30 - 400)

MCV 78.2 (80 - 100)

MCHC 377 (310 - 350)

MCH 28.1 (28 - 32)

Iron 9 (6 - 26)

Transferrin saturation 15 (10 - 30)

Vitamin D 61.3 (50 - 75 suboptimal)

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 201(190 - 900)

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Allykat17 You haven't said how recent these results are, if they're before supplementing or after supplementing for a length of time, or how long you've been supplementing.

Ferritin 46 (30 - 400)

For thyroid hormone to work ferritin needs to be at least 70, preferably half way through range.

MCV 78.2 (80 - 100)

MCHC 377 (310 - 350)

MCH 28.1 (28 - 32)

These point to iron deficiency anaemia and 1 x ferrous fumarate is not enough. See NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary for iron deficiency anaemia treatment (which will be very similar to your local area guidelines) cks.nice.org.uk/anaemia-iro...

How should I treat iron deficiency anaemia?

•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.

You need to ask your GP to treat you appropriately.

**

Vitamin D 61.3 (50 - 75 suboptimal) 3000iu vitamin D

The recommended level, according to the Vit D Council, is 100-150nmol/L.

You could increase your D3 to 5000iu daily for 8-10 weeks, then retest to see if your level has improved. If not, then I imagine that your Hashi's is causing gut/absorption problems.

Are you taking your D3 with the fattiest meal of the day to aid absorption? D3 is fat soluble so must be taken with dietary fat.

There are important cofactors needed when taking D3

vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...

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

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

Check out the other cofactors too.

**

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5) Vitamin B12 201(190 - 900) 5mg folic acid Had 3 monthly B12 injection in June 2017

As you are prescribed folic acid and having B12 injections, you should post these results and this information on the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum for further advice. Something is obviously wrong if your levels are still this bad whilst supplementing. Also quote your ferritin and iron deficiency anaemia results/information healthunlocked.com/pasoc

[Allykat17 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Results done 2 months ago. Supplementing ferrous fumarate since November 2013, folic acid since November 2016 and vitamin D since November 2014. Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Allykat17]

Allykat17 As you've been supplementing for so long it could be that you have gut/absorption problems that are preventing them from working. After 4 years your ferritin shouldn't still be at the lower end of the range, after almost 12 months you shouldn't still be folate deficient, and after 3 years you shouldn't still have a Vit D problem. However, you do have to take Vit D with dietary fat, as mentioned, and for iron to be absorbed each tablet has to be taken with 1000mg Vit C.

SlowDragon has information about how to address absorption and gut problems which I can't see on your other post, I'm sure she'll be happy to add the information to this thread

[SlowDragon Administrator]

SeasideSusie

Allykat17 has recently had her T3 stopped (info on other post)

So is now under medicated

Plus very high antibodies- I have posted links on Hashimotos and gluten intolerance

But obviously got to supplement to get all these vitamin levels better before thyroid hormones can work

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SD, I've been catching up on the forum and checked Newest posts first, so have missed that.

[Abi-Abster in reply to SeasideSusie]

Just wanted to say, SS and SD that your knowledgable comments and educated input on all posts in this forum is beyond helpful for the rest of us, even if we are not the OP

Thank you (as well as your forum admins/ colleagues - who also often crop up on these pages) so much for your constant time and attention, especially as I know so much of what you write is duplicated answers to common questions that the rest of us know absolutely nothing about! Your patience is beyond appreciated.

Thank you so much - I’m so grateful for your help. My thyroid - and therefore my life - is immeasurably better thanks to you lovely lot.

And ‘thanks’ doesn’t even come close to the gratitude I feel! 🙏

Abi.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Abi-Abster]

Thank you Abi-Abster , what a lovely thing to say and much appreciated

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Abi-Abster]

Thank You for your very kind words Abi-Abster

How I wish we had had this forum over twenty years ago.

Thanks must definitely go to lynmynott for starting Thyroid UK. Without her determination to do something practical and positive to improve Thyroid patients lives, we would still all be floundering in the dark.

[Abi-Abster in reply to SlowDragon]

Absolutely: Heartfelt thanks to Lyn!

I wish the internet had been around when I was young, and that I’d investigated further myself when it did first come along, but unfortunately such accessible resources simply didn’t exist. These forums are a godsend - and so are you guys! 😃

[Gambit62]

Allykat - suggest you post on PAS about the B12 - if that reading is a month after a B12 shot then it is really low and you really need much more frequent B12 shots.