Just a bit of background - I have hashimotos which for the past year has been a bit all over the place level wise. It seems to have stabilised and my past 2 tests have been in range. This week TSH 2.6, T4 19.8. Haven't got T3 this time but previous was top end of the range.
Despite this, I've still been getting slowly worse in terms of energy and mental ability - I just feel as if I'm hungover all the time.
In the past I've had VitD and Iron deficiencies - which I continously supplement for now.
In march my zinc came back low, which I've been taking 10mg (I'm not super strict on taking them, but average out about 4x a week). Despite this supplementataion my levels this week have come back even lower than last time.
The doctor said it must be my diet which I 100% disagree with. I am a powerlifting rugby player and really do watch how I eat to ensure I get enough of everything - although I don't specifically track zinc I eat a lot of meat for the protein and get plenty of dairy and nuts.
I guess I just feel fobbed off by this doctor and he's told me to just keep taking 10mg/day. I'm not convinced this is going to help and not sure how else to tackle it. Any advice / ideas would be much appreciated.
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rugbybexs
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Hi, im no expert but copper has a close relationship with zinc so perhaps you have high levels of copper in your body that are not bring evened out with adequate zinc? Someone please correct me if im wrong on that. Also iv read that for zinc you should take 30mg per day. Hope you feel better soon!
Most hypos are zinc deficient, with high copper. But, I wouldn't expect a GP to know that. They don't know much about nutrition or thyroid. So, increase your dose of zinc, and just keep on taking it.
Thanks for your replies. I've upped to 30mg/day and am slowly starting to feel better. Who knew that low zinc would have this much effect! I'm 100% going to make sure I see a different Dr next time.
I have been taking it in one go. I'm not the best with getting into routine so it's just easier for me.
Although, I went to pick up my prescription today and it looks like another Dr at my GPs has prescribed a much higher dose. I have 45mg of elemental zinc (125mg of zinc sulfate monohydrate) x2 a day with food.
If you're taking 90mg of zinc per day I would strongly recommend you get re-tested in no more than a month or two, and ask for copper to be tested too, based on what that link says about toxicity :
Prolonged intake of zinc ranging from 50-150 mg/day can lead to:
Disturbance of copper metabolism, causing low copper status, reduced iron function, red blood cell microcytosis, neutropenia and reduced immune function.
It can also lead to reduced levels of high-density lipoproteins and so it has been suggested that excessive zinc intake may be atherogenic.[5]
Excess zinc can also affect cardiac function and can impair the pancreatic enzymes amylase and lipase.[5]
If you've ended up with low zinc then after getting your level up to "normal" (whatever that is for zinc), then you might have to take a lower maintenance dose all the time so that you don't end up deficient again.
Thanks I'll take a read of the sources you've provided. In all honesty I was thinking of taking just the one dose a day. I'm pretty wary as they've gone from oh just keep taking 10mg to giving me 90mg and I'm not convinced either way that any of them really know what they're doing. I'm already down for a retest in 2 months, so hopefully shouldn't have any long term toxicities from going over.
I'm thinking of doing an annual private test which has all vitamins and minerals to try and keep on top of it all.
It's had me thinking, all those years of feeling crap and putting it down to thyroid - how much of it could have been various vitamin and mineral issues?
Probably quite a lot. You might be told something is fine because it is in in range. But personally I don't consider, for example, a ferritin level of 15 with a range of 13 - 150 to be fine. And I've seen some poor people be told that everything is fine when ferritin, for example, is 8 with a reference range of 13 - 150. The attitude seems to be "that's close enough".
Since your zinc was very low you need to do some research to find out whether the problem is caused by a lack in your diet or is a lack of absorption. If zinc is very low, it is almost guaranteed that other things will be low as well.
i just saw this post as i am searching low zinc on the site.
i have been finding that supplimenting with 80 to 120 mg of zinc helps me in numerous ways. memory, hair loss, periods, feeling hungover, brain fog, and vision.
i had h pylori without heartburn (the classic symptom) which causes hypochlorhydria, reduced stomach acid.
my original diagnosis was low b12 and low vitamin D. So if you get checked for h pylori, which causes low protein absorbtion, iron and b12 deficiencies, and are positive i would make sure b12 and D are checked.
your D may be fine if you get sun, but i researched vitamin D and we have vitamin D receptors (VDR) throughout our stomach and small intestines, which is how we absorb it from food and maintain levels during winter months. but if you have h pylori our vitamin D receptors and intrensic factor receptors (b12) are damaged in the stomach.
i am writing to ask for an update on your zinc status as my supplimenting this much zinc concerns me.
the thyroid needs, zinc, b12, protein and D, along with other nutrients to function properly so once your nutrition is properly sorted you may not have a thyroid issue anymore so be careful there.
again, please update us or at least me in a private message, concerning your zinc status.
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