Sea kelp: Hi, Wondered if you can give me advice... - Thyroid UK

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Sea kelp

Cmoor profile image
9 Replies

Hi,

Wondered if you can give me advice on taking sea kelp? My weight has gone up so much in 6 months and I'm trying so hard to lose it (just under 2 Stone) but lady in health shop said I need to speak to doctor before taking it. Sea kelp will help with weight loss so that's the reason to buy it whether it will work for me is another question! I'm taking 75mg levothyroxine but sea kelp could interfere with your thyroid apparently.

Thanks for reading x

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Cmoor profile image
Cmoor
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9 Replies
ShinyB profile image
ShinyB

Hi :) I've read that iodine is not necessarily a good thing to take. If you click on 'Related Posts' (on my screen it's up in the right hand corner) you will be able to read previous posts about this question, which might give you more info :)

Have you got recent blood test results? Might be an idea to post them to get some feedback on where you're at with them. If you're optimally medicated, then you would hope that you'd be losing some weight.

Cmoor profile image
Cmoor in reply to ShinyB

Thank you very much 😀 blood tests on Tuesday and i will post them when I receive them, many thanks x

greygoose profile image
greygoose

Iodine is anti-thyroid, so it will make you more hypo so you will put on more weight. I don't know where she got the idea that iodine helps weight loss! Hypo weight-gain is caused by low T3, so the obvious thing to do to lose it is optimise your FT3, not start fad diets and take dubious supplements.

The only reason T3 would help is if your hypo is caused by iodine deficiency - you are hypo, I take it? And, to know if you are hypo deficient, you need to get tested. :)

Cmoor profile image
Cmoor in reply to greygoose

Thank you very much for your reply,

Yes I'm hypo and hashi I have been given T3 after a private endo appointment but they made me really poorly and that was 12.5mcg, so I can't take it not sure if I need a different brand? I have a blood test tomorrow as not been tested for a while, I'm on 75mg levothyroxine so do you think it needs increasing?

Kind Regards

Clare

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Cmoor

Impossible for me to say without seeing any blood test results. Although 75 mcg isn't a very high dose, some people do find it enough.

As for the T3, I would suggest that the reason you didn't do well on it was that you weren't taking enough. 12.5 mcg is a tiny dose. Nothing will work if you don't take enough of it. :)

Cmoor profile image
Cmoor in reply to greygoose

Thanks I will let you know as soon as I get them, I was on 10mcg T3 before to see if I got on with them as it seemed great but as the chemist made them for me it worked out expensive so now it's 25mcg cut in half but I was so lethargic and felt so shaky and felt sick I decided not to take them,

Thanks again.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Cmoor

Could have been the fillers in the tablet. What brand were you taking?

penny profile image
penny

In my experience optimal treatment will mean that you will be able to lose weight; not optimally treated and it will be almost impossible. Dieting when thyroid hormones are not in balance is not advised. Listen to Greygoose.

Heathersue profile image
Heathersue

Do not take kelp with a partially working thyroid. It makes things worse not better! Sounds like that health food shop employs good staff. Check your TSH levels, they should be less than 2, ideally at the lower end of the scale (direct quote from my doctor). Taking levo does not always 'fix' the weight issues. Malnutrition is an issue for hypothyoid people, lack of B12 especially has an affect on your metabolism. Do go and speak to your doctor and if they fob you off get a second opinion. Not all doctors understand the condition that well. Hang in there 😊

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