Can anyone help me assess my most recent blood results? I’ve been self treating for Hashimotos / Hypothyroidism with NDT (Nature-throid and then Thyroid S) for over a year now and have been on 4 grains for the past 5 months. I feel better than before but do lack energy some days and my Renauds is worse than before.
Is there room for an increase or is 5 grains quite a lot to be taking? From what I’ve read here it seems most people are on 1-3 grains. I am a 32 year old female and have a sedentary job but do light exercise a couple of evenings a week.
Taking Iron, b12, vitamin D, magnesium and these levels are in the top third of the range.
Attaching new blood results as well as results from the two previous tests.
Many thanks!
Written by
SM85
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You wouldn't appear to be absorbing very well. 5 grains is quite a high dose, and yet your FT3 isn't much over mid-range. How do you take your hormone? Do you take it on an empty stomach, leaving at least one hour before eating or drinking? Do you take any other medication or supplements at the same time as your hormone?
I take the full dose in the morning on an empty stomach, grinding the tablets with my teeth and swallowing with a large glass of water. I don’t eat for approximately 1.5hrs after and take all other tablets later in the day.
Have you ever tried not grinding them with your teeth? Because something seems to be affecting your absorption. I take it that your nutrients were all low, as you've been supplementing them. Have you investigated your stomach acid levels?
No, I haven’t but will try swallowing whole from now on. Have not checked stomach acid, how do I go about that?
Gluten intolerance test at GP was negative. Vit D, B12 and iron were in the lower third so I began supplementing using quality easily absorbed forms recommended on this site.
Was it a Coeliac blood test? They are notoriously unreliable. But, even if you don't have Coeliac, you can still have gluten sensitivity, and/or leaky gut. But, my money's on the stomach acid being low.
Are you addressing the Hashi's with a strict gluten free diet and supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily to help reduce the antibodies?
Are your nutrient levels
Vit D - 100-150nmol/L
Ferritin - at least 70
B12 - top of range
Folate - at least half way through range
Do you take Vit K2-MK7 with your D3?
Do you take D3 with the fattiest meal of the day and 4 hours away from NDT?
Do you take your iron with 1000mg Vit C.
Do you take iron 4 hours away from your NDT and 2 hours away from other medication and supplements?
Do you take magnesium 4 hours away from NDT?
If you increase your NDT, then as you are already on 4 grains then future increases should be by 1/4 grain at a time (and hold for a while) so that you don't overshoot your sweet spot.
I supplemented with selenium, K2 and C for the first 6 months but results from my second thyroid blood test weren’t all that different. I have dramatically cut gluten from my diet but have found it extremely difficult to follow a totally gluten free lifestyle. Do you think that is the main thing preventing absorption?
From what I understand if you're going to try and reduce antibodies with a gluten free diet, it has to be 100%.
Hashi's can cause gut problems and that can affect absorption.
SlowDragon has information about this, she is our expert on Hashi's/Guts/Absorption. She may come along later but in the meantime click on her user name and read some of her replies to other members.
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