Levothyroxine to prevent cancer

[Stu888]

My girlfriend had never tested positive for thyroid disorders but, she had a large thyroid nodule (~ 9 x 3 cm) and the left side of her thyroid removed a few years ago. They discovered a micro-carcinoma in her left thyroid. She has been put on 125mg levothyroxine in order to suppress thyroid function (TSH) and hopefully prevent cancer in the remaining thyroid. What is the logic of this? Is it a flawed theory? She looked it up on line and on the ‘stop the thyroid madness’ website but can’t find anything about it.

Plus - She is currently following William Davis’s ‘Undoctored‘ programme. When she supplemented iodine she went extremely depressed and lethargic for about 2 months - so stopped taking it. Could she actually have an undiagnosed thyroid problem?.

Lab results

Serum TSH 0.48 miu/L (range 0.3 - 5)

Free T4 17 pmol/L (11-22)

Serum ferritin 212ug/L (10-291)

Serum total 25-OH Vit D 81nmol/L (75-150)

[Greybeard]

Hi Stu, I believe that suppressing tsh to avoid cancer risk is a sound theory. The blood results you posted while on 125mcg of levothyroxine would indicate to me that her throid was struggling and her tsh would have been raised before she was medicated. I am no expert but if tsh suppression is the aim an increased dose is indicated. The term suppressed usually means less than 0.1, so at present she is above that.

[Hidden]

Iodine is not good for the thyroid at all.

[Marz]

B12 - Folate - also need testing and the T3.

Ferritin looks quite high in range and can indicate inflammation. Gut and diet - how are they ?

[Stu888]

Hi Marx, only just seen your post as me and my girlfriend, now fiancée, are on holiday in Cyprus. She is working on the gut with pro and prebiotic, Apple cider vinegar, (sauerkraut, kefir) will hopefully get T3 done soon and will look into those others thank you.