I had a total thyroidectomy in 2016 and have recovered well, but always feel tired. I am hoping that I'll get some advice and help from the community. I am taking part in a trial to see if radioactive iodine is necessary, I was in the cohort having the treatment and had to have a second dose. I take Levothyroxine 100mg. I noticed some comments on calcium and wonder why my consultant told me to stop taking it. I was taking it for osteoporosis and after a recent DEXA scan, I have been advised to take it again.
I look forward to reading any comments.
Written by
Granalex
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I'm wondering on what grounds you have been told to take calcium supplements?
Has your calcium level been tested? Do you have low levels of calcium? If you do then you need to get your vitamin D levels tested as well.
If your vitamin D is too low then supplementing it will
a) make you feel better and
b) increase your absorption of calcium from your diet, thus reducing or eliminating your need for calcium supplements.
If you already have high levels of calcium then taking more could be dangerous and certainly won't make you feel well. And excessive calcium could end up lining your arteries rather than strengthening your bones.
There is more to this whole subject than just taking calcium if your dexa scan showed a problem. Apart from anything else, for calcium to end up in your bones you need other supplements to help your body to make best use of the calcium you already have (or absorb from diet). These are vitamin K2 and magnesium supplements. I think vitamin A is required as well, but not the cheap beta-carotene vitamin A. Instead you would need something like retinyl palmitate which is proper vitamin A, not just a provitamin like beta carotene.
There is a whole complicated relationship between bone health, calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K2 and vitamin A. It isn't a simple subject, and you may want to research it.
I've never read this book, but I've seen various good reviews of it - it may be of interest :
The same comments apply to (1) and (2) - both commercial sites, but with some useful articles.
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Going back to your original post - 100mcg Levo is not a very high dose for someone with no thyroid. I suspect you may be under-medicated, so getting copies of your results and reference ranges would be well worth your while.
If you post your recent thyroid results and ranges members will advise whether you are optimally dosed on 100mcg. Have you had ferritin, vitamin D, B12, folate and calcium levels checked? If so, please post the results and ranges.
You'll have to ask your consultant why s/he advised you to stop taking calcium.
I shall have to check with the hospital where I have my bloods taken. I've never been given precise results, just told that "it's all fine and I can stay on 100mcg." I'll come back to the forum when I have some answers. Thank you.
Welcome to our forum and I am sorry you had to have a thyroidectomy.
It would be beneficial if you can get a Full Thyroid Hormone Test which is TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. If GP wont do all of these, the ones he wont do is to get a private test. He should also test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.
All tests have to be at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take afterwards. This gives us the best results as TSH is highest early a.m. and drops throughout the day and could mean we remain undiagnosefd if GP only goes by the TSH.
Always get a print-out of the results from the surgery and post for comments and the ranges must be stated as well as labs differ and it makes it easier to comment.
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