Please can anyone help thyroid

[jjb1983]

Hello im a 34 year old female,

I've had bloods took over the last few years and my tsh has been in the 2.36-4.59 over the last few years mainly in the 2s.

Once it went up to 8.96 which docs have told me I don't need meds.

But because I've paid for private tests and the private doctors has said "I note that you have had raised thyroid markers in the past and these results are similar and may suggest that your thyroid is becoming underactive though it may also just be a transient change. An underactive thyroid can cause symptoms such as weight gain, low mood, lethargy, hair and skin problems. As you are suffering similar symptoms, you may wish to discuss these results with your GP. Otherwise, you may wish to assess the trend and repeat this test in 3-6 months".

So I've gone to my doctor and he said I can give you levothyroxine this is the doctor who has said that I didn't need any meds even when my tsh was in the 8s.

I got frustrated with him and the rest of the doctors who I have seen.

I could cry I just want to know what's going on.

Do I need meds can i do this naturally?

Here are my latest bloods I've paid private as my doctors just tell me it's anxiety I'm so mad that they do this.

CRP - HIGH SENSITIVITY 0.97 mg/l 0.00 - 5.00

IRON 18.1 umol/L 6.60 - 26.00

T.I.B.C 58.3 umol/L 41.00 - 77.00

TRANSFERRIN SATURATION 31.05 % 20.00 - 55.00

FERRITIN 34.2 ug/L 13.00 - 150.00

MAGNESIUM 0.95 mmol/L 0.60 - 1.00

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE *4.59 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.20

FREE THYROXINE 15.100 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00

FREE T3 5.02 pmol/L 3.10 - 6.80

ACTIVE B12 76.100 pmol/L 25.10 - 165.00

FOLATE (SERUM) 5.1 ug/L 2.91 - 50.00

25 OH VITAMIN D 61.6 nmol/L 50.00 - 200.00

Is there any other tests I need to try and get? To get a better picture.

I also have raised EOSINOPHILS *0.55 x10^9/L 0.00 - 0.40

Its been raised for years the private doctor has said "You have an elevated level of eosinophils. This is commonly seen in allergy and in diseases like asthma and eczema. If you have any of these conditions then I would not worry about this result. It can also occasionally be caused by intestinal parasites, if you are experiencing any bowel symptoms then I recommend checking a stool sample for ova, cysts and parasites. If you are symptom free and don't think you have asthma or eczema then I recommend a repeat test in 3 months time. If your eosinophils remain raised we will recommend further advice at that time.

Yes I'm having bowel issues quite bad too for around 4 month now, but apparently we do not have parasites in the UK and can only have the test if I have been abroad.

Can anyone help.

Jjb1983

[Nanaedake]

We do have tapeworm in the UK and pinworms and threadworms. Not sure how they are tested for though. You could ask a qualified pharmacist. If your raised eosinophil level has not been investigated then pursue it.

Did you have thyroid antibodies TPO and TgAb tested? If not then you need to get them done to find out whether you have an autoimmune thyroid condition which would account for fluctuating thyroid levels.

In the UK doctors wait until TSH is raised above 10.0 to treat with Levothyroxine but if you are symptomatic you could ask for a trial of Levothyroxine. Unless very frail, elderly or heart condition then starting dose should be 50 mcg. Less than that might make you feel worse.

If you have autoimmune thyroid disease, it can affect your gut which is why you need to find out. It often helps to go gluten free in that case. Read Slowdragon 's posts about gut health and thyroid.

[jjb1983 in reply to Nanaedake]

Thank you so much for your reply I will look into the antibodies and tpo checking I will have to go private my doctors do not give a sh**.

And maybe look into getting a ova cyct and parasite test done it's a stool sample for the eosinophil.

Again the doctor is not bothered.

So with the levothyroxine I've heard lots of stories about.

What exactly is this? Is it just hormone?

I will have a read on slowdragons post.

Jjb1983

[Nanaedake in reply to jjb1983]

Levothyroxine or T4 is a prohormone. Your body converts it to T3 which is the active hormone taken up by your cells. LT4 or Levothyroxine is lab produced hormone indistinguishable from thyroxine produced by your own thyroid so it is a replacement for what your body produces. You might want to complete your investigations before starting to take it. Infection can affect thyroid function. Your vitamin levels don't look too bad although vit D is better mid range so if these were taken in the summer if they were my results I would supplement vit d3 through the winter, 400iu and retest in Spring.

[jjb1983 in reply to Nanaedake]

Thank you for your help, and advise.

I have started taking pregnacare it has all those in.

Is this suitable?

Jjb1983

[Nanaedake in reply to jjb1983]

If it (pregnacare) contains iron, you won't absorb the other vitamins so best to supplement separately. if you do not have autoimmune thyroid disease then check with doctor on iron supplements for some advice, especially if planning a pregnancy then check for vitamins advice. Folate level very important.

[jjb1983 in reply to Nanaedake]

It does contain iron.

I need iron as my ferratin is low. So would I have to take the iron at different times to other vitamins for it to absorb?

Jjb1983

[Nanaedake in reply to jjb1983]

You need to take it 4 hours apart from thyroid meds and a couple hours apart from other vitamins. Your iron level is not too bad but ferritin which is the iron storage is low, better mid range. If you eat liver instead of taking iron supplements then no more than 200 gms each week due to high vitamin A content. Cod liver oil also contains vitamin A so you need to be careful. Vitamins that are fat soluble are stored in your body and can be toxic if overdosed.

[jjb1983 in reply to Nanaedake]

Would you recommend taking separate vitamins too?

I am not on thyroid meds. I'm going to try and get my vitamins and minerals up then ask if they will check my thyroid again.

Thank you

Jjb1983

[Nanaedake in reply to jjb1983]

Yes, take separate vitamins and buy the best quality you can afford. For example, if you buy a B complex, get one that has the B's in methylated forms such as methyfolate and methalcobalamin as they are more absorbable. Thorne basic B or Igneous ( not sure on spelling) do a B complex. I buy vitamin C in a food form, so C that comes from plants. I eat nuts for selenium, Brazil nuts but they need to come from selenium rich soils to be any use, however, a range of nuts provide other minerals if you're not allergic. I make my own kefir to increase vitamin K, D, B vitamins, calcium, tryptophan and a range of other goodies. I use a magnesium skin spray and take magnesium citrate at night. This is working for me. I have no medical knowledge, it's just trial and error and I was determined to recover health after thyroid disease.

[Judithdalston]

Your TSH is raised, but your important mins/ vits that support good thyroid health are very low and should definitely be supplemented to the following ranges: Vit D 100-150; B12 to top of range, and both folate and ferritin to halfway and above their ranges. Many hypothyroids have Hashimoto's disease or thyroid autoimmune antibodies - characterised by low acidity in stomach and poor nutrient absorption - so this might be a cause of your poor Vit/ min levels. Hashimoto's is also periodic with fluctuating peaks of thyroid levels which may account for your TSH going up and down. We do have gut parasites in the Uk, but suppose they are not supposed to get into our food supply.....I got a notifiable disease/gut problems from gardening/ soil... so it's a bit surprising the doctor won't test( say you forgot you were abroad over Xmas/new Year.., forgot).

[jjb1983 in reply to Judithdalston]

My doc has said my vit/min are all fine even though there in the lowest range.

But I've started pregnacare as it has all that stuff in should this be enough.

I've noticed that my urine is very yellow since taking it is this normal when taking vit/min?

Thank you for this info though I appreciate it and it helps me understand more.

I could try the oh I forgot and see how I get on.

Should I take hcl for low acidity in the stomach?

Jjb1983

[Judithdalston in reply to jjb1983]

Yea bright yellow, if not luminous looking, pee is ok. Just looking at Pregnacare products see most are folate, Vit D, but some have iron too , which is not a good idea as stops other vits/ mins being absorbed. Check the actual doses of each Vit/ min as also might not be anywhere near enough to raise your levels, but ok as maintenance dose when you've got to the optimum. I have just started trying Betaine HCL + pepsin for low acid in stomach as I have problems absorbing folate/ ferritin via gut, but take B12 and D3( plus K2) under tongue, the latter by drops tho you can get spray too. Look up SeasideSusie's replies to posts on Vit/ min supplements for recommended doses, brands...

[jjb1983]

Thank you I will look into it. I like liver too and it's so cheap aswell.

What will magnesium glycinate do?

I eat lots of garlic I put it in all my freshly cooked food.

Jjb1983

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You definitely need to test both TPO And TG thyroid antibodies for autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's

Your TSH is going up and down....classic sign of Hashimoto's

A TSH above 2.5 is TOO HIGH for TTC

Pregnancy guidelines

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

gp-update.co.uk/files/docs/...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/guidel...

Make an appointment with your GP explain you are trying to conceive and that the NHS guidelines say TSH should be under 2.5

You suspect you have autoimmune thyroid disease and could they also test for thyroid antibodies

Your vitamin D is too low. Aiming to improve to around 100nmol. Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is good as avoids poor gut function. Suggest you supplement for 2-3 months and retest. It's trial and error what dose each person needs. Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there. Retesting twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk




Also read up on importance of magnesium and vitamin K2 Mk7 supplements when taking vitamin D

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

healthy-holistic-living.com...

articles.mercola.com/sites/...


betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

easy-immune-health.com/magn...

Folate is too low. Obviously folate and B12 is very important for a baby's neurological development.

Active B12 is borderline at 70

You might benefit from a vitamin B complex, but not one that's very high in B12 or folate. Apparently too much is not good either

Ferritin is low, in part because of heavy periods. Heavy periods are classic sign of being hypothyroid.

Eating liver or liver pate once a week should help improve

Do you have any gut symptoms? Hashimoto's often results in low vitamins due to low stomach acid. Gluten intolerance is common as result

[jjb1983]

Hello slow Dragon thank you for replying to me,

I'm at my wits ends.

My doctor doesn't know anything about thyroid and he tells me this and true to give me tablets. I'm like no way am I taking anything when you don't know what's up with my thyroid.

The doctors will not do tests on vitamin or tpo or tg.

He has also told me they won't test for antibodies where the bloods get sent as apparently I'm within the guidelines.

I have a complex b12 from Holland and Barrett do you know if this is any good?

What is classed as to high?

I do have constipation or should I say did have since taking the b12 and vitamin d I'm managing to go daily ish.

Better than like 5 days.

That's the only gut issues I have really I get nausea sometimes too.

Can I eat any kind of liver or does it need to be a specific one?

Jjb1983

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Any liver would do. Lots of nice liver pates if you don't like liver itself

What dose vitamin D are you taking and have you had vitamin D tested at all? If not you really need to. Very easy test to do, four single drops of blood. Pop in post, result emailed to you in few days.

Magnesium supplements can help with constipation. Also helps if have low vitamin D. Many of us use Calm vitality magnesium powder. Best to start with just small dose, e.g. Quarter teaspoon. Increase slowly. Too much can cause diarrhoea

Save up for pull private testing. But you really want to improve vitamin B12 and folate first and also test vitamin D asap. Improving vitamin D if needed and wait 6-8 weeks after to run full private testing including antibodies and FT3.

It's wrong that NHS won't test, but if we want to make progress full testing is the next step

[jjb1983 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks slow Dragon this was the private doctors report that my doctor took no notice of my vitamin oh d was 61.5

I note that you have had raised thyroid markers in the past and these results are similar and may suggest that your thyroid is becoming underactive though it may also just be a transient change. An underactive thyroid can cause symptoms such as weight gain, low mood, lethargy, hair and skin problems. As you are suffering similar symptoms, you may wish to discuss these results with your GP. Otherwise, you may wish to assess the trend and repeat this test in 3-6 months.

Your sex hormones are all within normal limits given the timing of your last reported menstrual period.

Your levels of vitamin B12 and folate are normal.

Your vitamin D levels are bordering on insufficient. This may progress to vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency if you don’t take steps to increase your vitamin D levels.

Low levels of vitamin D can cause fatigue, bodily aches, poor memory and difficulties concentrating.

Outside of the winter months there is enough sun for your skin to make at least part of your daily requirement of vitamin D, so it is worth trying to get 15-20 minutes of midday sun when the sun is out. Vitamin D can also be found in fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, plant-based milks, tofu and some fruit juices. The only reliable natural source of vitamin D is in oily fish, although it can also be found in some mushrooms (portobello, maitake, morel, button, and shiitake are particularly good), you can improve this by leaving the mushrooms in the sun before cooking them.

We recommend supplementing with 400 - 800 iu of vitamin D per day for twelve weeks. If you are already taking vitamin D then I recommend that you increase your dose.

I like pate and liver so I will buy some and have it twice a week thank you.

And will look into private bloods again, they are so expensive.

Had them done from medi checks.

I take 25uj vit d from Holland and Barrett not daily though every other day.

Where can I but the magnesium from.

Jjb1983

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to jjb1983]

25uj is 1000iu

blog.vitaminddrops.com/iu-m...

Suggest trying 1000iu vitamin D mouth spray - eg By Better You

Many find better absorption in mouth spray

Calm vitality magnesium powder is cheap and easy to use and widely available in health shop or online

[jjb1983 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for your help slow Dragon it's very much appreciated.

Jjb1983