Advice on blood results/ supplements

[Suzy276]

Posting for my mum. Diagnosed hashimotos/ hypothyroid 5 years ago. Currently taking 100mcg thyroxine but still symptomatic and feeling pretty rubbish symptoms include- joint pain, weight gain, tired all the time, puffiness in the face and feet, feeling cold, low mood.

Latest Blood results -

TSH- 1.97 (0.40-5.00)

Ferritin 111 (20.00- 300.00)

B12 - 172 (150.00- 620.00)

Folate- 3.5 (3.10- 19.90)

Vit D- 26.2 (>50.00)

Looking for any advice on supplements etc to help her feel better. Doctor from these latest bloods prescribed VIT D3 500 mcg once a week for 6 months. Also told to continue 100mcg thyroxine.

Thanks for reading.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Just TSH is not enough to tell if her dose is adequate. Probably not. Ask GP to test FT4 and FT3

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don’t take any Levo in the 24 hours prior to test. Delay and take straight after

Is this how she did her test?

TSH should be around one (or less) FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range

All her vitamins are too low

Ferritin is border line. Eating liver once a week will help

B12 is much too low as is folate. Testing for Pernicious Anaemia would be good and ask GP to consider B12 injections

If GP refuses then consider supplement sublingual B12 and good Vitamin B complex

Vitamin D - dose sounds too small

Most with thyroid problems need high daily dose

See SeasideSusie replies giving detailed vitamin supplement advice

If GP won’t test FT4 and FT3 then private tests available

Also essential to know if your mum has high thyroid antibodies

This is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s

See Thyroid UK private testing

Medichecks or Blue Horizon most popular

[Clutter]

Suzy276,

Your mother may be a little undermedicated to have TSH 1.97. Tell her to ask her GP for a dose increase.

The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status. For most patients that will be when TSH is 0.4 - 1.0 with FT4 in the upper range. FT4 needs to be in the upper range in order that sufficient T3 is converted. Read Treatment Options in thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email [e-mail] if you would like a copy of the Pulse article to show your GP.

B12 and folate are very low. If your mother has symptoms in b12deficiency.info/signs-an... ask her to go to healthunlocked.com/pasoc for advice on what to ask her GP.

Ferritin 111 is sufficient although halfway through range is optimal.

Vitamin D 26.2 is deficient. Her GP should refer to local guidelines or the NICE CKS recommendations for treating vitamin D de-ficient adults cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d... 500mcg (20,000iu) per week is not enough. My sister's GP prescribed 2 x 20,000iu per week when vitD was 40 and my GP prescribed 40,000iu daily x 14 followed by 2,000iu daily x 8 weeks which raised vitD from <10 to 107. Vitamin D should be taken 4 hours away from Levothyroxine. If her GP won't increase dose you can buy D3 without prescription.