Help with supplements please

[Eleanor_k]

Hi so I have Hashimotos, could I have advice/help with supplements please.

FERRITIN 46 (30 - 400) Iron deficient, had iron taken off me in 2016

RED BLOOD COUNT 4.41 (3.8 - 5.8)

WHITE CELL COUNT 7.13 (4 - 11)

MCV 77.2 (80 - 98)

MCHC 375 (310 - 350)

HAEMOGLOBIN ESTIMATION 123 (115 - 150)

PLATELETS 251 (140 - 400)

HAEMATOCRIT 0.40 (0.37 - 0.47)

MCH 28.1 (28 - 32)

IRON 9.2 (6 - 26)

TRANSFERRIN SATURATION 15 (12 - 45)

FOLATE 2.0 (2.5 - 19.5)

VITAMIN B12 203 (190 - 900) Negative for intrinsic factor antibodies

VITAMIN D 57.2 (50 - 75 Vitamin D may be suboptimal and long-term may lead to clinical effects. Advise on safe sun exposure and diet. Supplementation may be indicated) Vitamin D deficiency confirmed 2014, taking 3000iu D3.

Thanks

[bluebug]

Vitamin B12 and folate - go to the pernicious anaemia society on health unlocked for advice. You should at least be taking folate supplements but they will fill you in with more information about the usefulness of vitamin B12 tests etc.

Ferritin - do you have the results from a full blood count with or without an iron panel to check if you have iron deficiency anaemia? If so edit your initial post and add the results.

Vitamin D - as you are not severely deficient you need to buy your own vitamin D3 supplements as the NHS will not provide you with sufficient amounts. As it is winter get 5,000IU supplements which are easy to find online e.g. Amazon and take one per day for 12 weeks then alternate with one every other day. Get a test from City Assays after 3 months to check your levels as the NHS will not do so. You are aiming for around 100nmol/L. In addition you need to take the important co-factors vitamin K2-MK7 and magnesium in a bioavailable form e.g. magnesium oil, magnesium citrate, bathing in Epsom salts regularly. Again get these online to avoid being sold junk by pharmacists and high street heath good shops. These help to increase absorption.

I should add while you are on 3,000IU your aim is to get your level up asap to avoid long term damage to bones, organs etc hence the recommendation to take a higher dose of 5,000IU. I sometimes have to increase my own dose in winter for a month or three to ensure it stays over 75nmol/L and nearer 100nmol/L but lower than 150nmol/L. Maintenance doses aren't set in stone so sometimes you need to up the amount then other times lower it.

[Eleanor_k in reply to bluebug]

Thanks complete blood count and iron results added. GP says the prescription 800iu is enough for me to take for vitamin D and I don't need to take the 3000iu

[Marz in reply to Eleanor_k]

Yes we see that here on the Forum lots ! - where the GP prescribes 800 IU of VitD and 5 years later the VitD test result is still in their boots. You need to treat according to your test results ....

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[ITYFIALMCTT in reply to Eleanor_k]

Eleanor_k Literally just to second Marz that we regularly see new members who've been taking 800IU for 5 years and still have a level that is severely deficient/deficient at best.

[bluebug in reply to Eleanor_k]

The others have been more polite than I would have initially been.

Your GP is talking complete utter nonsense.

What you probably don't realise is the majority of doctors including GPs haven't been trained in nutrition.

Until there was a court of appeal case where a couple risked losing their child over bone fractures, doctors didn't recognise a vitamin D deficiency issue existed. It was then realised by them that it was a far bigger problem than they thought even though there were normal people who were warning about deficiency since the early 2000s due to the wearing of sunscreen and the change in lifestyle.

Anyway 800IU is the amount people who have never been diagnosed as deficient are recommended to take by the NHS. The studies stating this is the correct amount have been poorly done, so on this forum it is generally thought taking that amount is a waste of time. You either need none as you are someone who can reach an optimal level in summer, or you need more as you can't.

In your case you have been diagnosed as having a vitamin D deficiency problem so you need more to get your blood level up.

In addition the NHS has inadequate funding to do the repeat nutrition tests you may need at the right intervals. Again very few people are told this as GPs don't want to get into conflict with their patients. Therefore it is up to you to obtain supplements and test using private providers, who tend to be NHS labs doing private work, as you need.

In the case of vitamin D you need to have a test once a year to confirm that you are supplementing at the right level. (The NHS won't do this.) If your level is too low then you should increase the level of supplementation for up to three months then retest. (The NHS protocols in different areas tend to test severely deficient adults once at a 6 month interval and refer on if they are still severely deficient.)

[SlowDragon Administrator]

See SeasideSusie detailed vitamin advice

Eg

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Getting your thyroid under control will help. GP should start you on Levothyroxine, normal dose to start is 50mcg

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

verywell.com/should-i-take-...

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.

You should be retested after 6-8 weeks and likely dose increased by 25mcgs. Wait and retest etc. This is repeated until TSH is around one and FT4 near top of range

But also looking at diet is important

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

Low stomach acid can be an issue

Lots of posts on here about how to improve with Apple cider vinegar or Betaine HCL

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/hypochl...

scdlifestyle.com/2012/03/3-...

Other things to help heal gut lining

Bone broth

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

Probiotics

carolinasthyroidinstitute.c...