What is GP doing to help and improve these dire levels?
Ferritin you need full iron panel and referral to haematology. Likely ferrous fumerate 3 x daily or iron infusion
Vitamin D - are you using vitamin D mouth spray by Better You? You could double dose for 2-3 months and then retest via vitamindtest.org.uk £28
Adding a good vitamin B complex with folate may help improve low folate and B12
If you start or are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 3-5 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results
Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,
"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.
In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l.
Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.
This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."
You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor please email Dionne at
tukadmin@thyroiduk.org
Also request list of recommended thyroid specialists, some are T3 friendly
Professor Toft recent article saying, T3 may be necessary for many
With Hashimoto's we must get vitamins levels optimal first plus, most find it essential or helps significantly to be strictly gluten free first, before starting on addition of small dose of T3
Thankyou I am having B12 injections every 3 months and next one is not due until April 2018. Folic acid is taken once a week. GP said iron panel and complete blood count did not show anythign conclusive. I take the Better You oral spray and have taken it since September 2017.
Ferritin is bottom of range which can indicate iron deficiency. I would ask your GP to do an iron panel and full blood count to rule out iron deficiency anaemia.
VitD is replete >75 and optimal 100-150. I would increase dose to 6,000iu daily for 8 weeks then reduce to 3,000iu daily and retest in June. Take vitD tablets or capsules 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.
Folate should be higher now you've been taking folic acid. Ask for a retest Mar/Apr as you may not need to continue taking it.
B12 should be high following your recent injection.
Thankyou I am having B12 injections every 3 months and next one is not due until April 2018. GP said iron panel and complete blood count did not show anything conclusive. I take the Better You oral spray and have taken it since September 2017.
I assumed deficient folate would be treated with 5mg folic acid daily. Not sure once a week will have corrected deficiency.
I think MCV below range and low iron, transferrin saturation, haemoglobin and MCH confirm iron deficiency anaemia. You may want to discuss with another GP. 3 x 210mg Ferrous Fumarate daily is the usual treatment for iron deficiency anaemia. You can buy it without prescription. Take each tablet with 1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and minimise constipation. Take iron 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.
The same GP who thinks iron panel and FBC is inconclusive?
Folate works with B12. Doesn't seem much point in treating B12 deficiency if folate deficiency isn't going to be treated and that may be why neurological symptoms persist.
I suggest you go to healthunlocked.com/pasoc as they'll probably say 5mg per week is a maintenance dose to be taken after deficiency is corrected.
"GP said iron panel and complete blood count did not show anything conclusive."
Then GP needs to go back to med school.
Below range MCV, above range MCHC confirm iron deficiency anaemia. Iron, transferrin saturation and Haemoglobin are all right at the bottom of range. See another GP.
Yes, selenium is needed to help reduce the antibodies as you know from a reply to another post. I was tagged by SlowDragon to comment on iron, I haven't read the rest of this thread.
I am just wondering why I read on other people's posts that if they have Hashimotos they need to take selenium and there has been no mention of it on either of my posts?
It depends on who reads and replies to your posts, and what they have knowledge/experience of to pass on. None of us have time to read every single post so if we don't respond it's because we haven't seen it, another respondent might tag another member to comment if they haven't already.
Jax, hang on in there, follow the great advice you've had, and don't give up. All of us on here have struggled with our health or still do and know how hard and frustrating it is - but there is hope, and on this forum there is good advice and lots of support. Take it step by step, give it time, and like others on here hopefully in future you'll be sharing your own story of how you improved your health. Take care.
I know how you feel but don't give up.. I've been struggling for years and the past year has been the worse so far with a persistent chronic headache. We'll get through this with help from wonderful members in this forum.
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