After months of feeling so much better and so much more relaxed, now I am again starting to suffer periods of anxiety. This time I'm pinning all my anxious thoughts on my vitamin B12 and folate results from last November😕.
If your b vitamin results are high due to supplementing then it's not due to a disorder. People who have B12 injections can have results as high as 2000 I believe.
Folic acid is not the best form of folate supplementation. Methyfolate would be better.
It's unlikely your multivitamin is the cause of anxiety. What was your vitamin D level?
You could stop taking supplements that include the B's and retest in 3 months to see if levels have dropped if concerned.
Thank you so much Nanaedake for getting back to me so quickly. I feel better already😊
My vitamin D is good as I supplement 2000 i.U a day with K2 and magnesium. Last result was 108 nmol/L [24.0 - 167.0].
I think my anxiety might be a symptom of being hypo in my case. I noticed a significant difference a few months after starting levothyroxine. I started to sleep better instead of waking at intervals and worrying!
The multi has always seemed to be a good idea as, being vegetarian, I felt it was insurance against lacking some vital nutrient. Some of its ingredients though, as you say, are not in the best form. I will certainly look into finding a better one, if such exists!!
Again many thanks for taking the time to help me. I am very grateful.
Find a multivitamin without iron and take iron supplements separately if needed (according to blood tests) as the iron in a multivitamin may stop you absorbing the other vitamins effectively.
A good quality daily vitamin B complex likely more benefit
If you 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
How long since your last dose increase and can you add latest test results for TSH, FT3 and FT4
All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take Levo in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)
You are right SlowDragon. My multi does contain 150 mcg iodine, said to be 100% RDA. I did know that supplementing with iodine was controversial but have carried on taking this multi which I have been taking for several years because I am a vegetarian and don't eat any fish or products from the sea, nor do I add salt to anything. I am also aware of so-called Derbyshire neck (goitre) which was supposedly the result of iodine deficiency. Being confused about the whole issue I've just stayed with the multi. Do you still think, in view of the above, I should stop taking it? I live close to the Derbyshire border.
I am gluten free and follow the rules re fasting, no biotin for five days and no levo for 24 hours before blood tests.
Blood test results on 58.3 mcg levo (May 2018)
TSH 0.29 mu/L (0.5 - 4.4)
FT4 18.5 pmol/L (10.0 - 20.0)
FT3 5.0 pmol/L (3.5 - 6.5)
I was happy with those results. My GP was not! He wanted me to reduce levo but finally agreed to a repeat blood test.
So as to be forearmed, I did a Medichecks test (22nd June)
TSH 1.7 (0.27 - 4.20)
FT4 16.700 (12 - 22)
FT3 4.05 (3.10 - 6.80)
NHS blood test (29th June)
TSH 0.83 (0.5 - 4.4) - no frees since in range!
As you might expect the GP was happy with that.
I have increased my levo by a tiny amount. I am now taking 62.5 mcg per day (50 mcg one day, 75 mcg the next). It's more convenient and I felt there was room for improvement anyway. What do you think? I will do another Medichecks test mid September.
Any advice and guidance would be much appreciated.
Thanks Nanaedake. Is that all we need do you think? I’ve found it difficult to find anything definitive as to the amount in the tablet and the amount we need daily. Do we only need iodine for the thyroid to work properly or does it have other functions elsewhere in the body?
If we only need it for the thyroid, maybe the dose in the tablet is sufficient. You’d think that the manufacturers obviously include it for that purpose wouldn’t you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and especially for your earlier comments which calmed me down when I was in panic mode!!
Thank you so much, helvella, for that detailed explanation.
So, since I am only taking a small dose of levothyroxine (62.5 mcg daily) and am a vegetarian, that would leave me with quite a bit less than the required 150 mcg of iodine. I am currently taking 150 mcg iodine in a multivitamin. I am completely at a loss as to whether that is a good idea or not. I do know that since they stopped the mandatory iodisation of table salt many years ago, there has been a resurgence of iodine deficiency and "Derbyshire neck".
I don't add salt to my food anyway so sea salt is not an answer and I suppose it would be difficult to assess the amount of iodine added anyway.
Sea salt wouldn't be an answer anyway! Most sea salt is not iodised and contains less iodine than many would expect. There are a few iodised sea salts but I don't think I have ever seen one for sale in a shop.
I don't believe we have ever had mandatory iodisation of salt in the UK.
I wouldn't get too obsessed about Derbyshire neck - after all, most of us consume products from many counties and countries these days.
A major source of iodine in the UK is dairy produce.
Review your diet and consider how much you are taking in. Then decide.
Thank you helvella. I don't drink milk at all per se but do love all kinds of cheese and eat natural yogurt every day. Will follow your advice and research how much iodine is in the foods I eat. For the time being I will carry on taking my multivitamin as I can't help feeling concerned at the number of people, particularly in the uk, who are now suffering from iodine deficiency.
I do have Hashimoto's though, so am really grateful for your advice and will do as you say. I will try to ascertain how much iodine I get in my diet and supplement only if I think it's deficient.
If you 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 various test results
As you have Hashimoto's it's important to get this right
SeasideSusie has info on which is best iodine test to do. Would certainly want to test iodine before continuing with any iodine supplements
Personally I choose organic milk specifically because it tended to have lower iodine levels than standard milk. Was dismayed to see this is now longer the case.
I think you are right about anxiety being a symptom of hypothyroidism. Before being diagnosed I was waking up in the night with unfounded feelings of dread, and in the day I frequently felt really anxious and jittery without any real cause. A few months after starting levothyroxine, I noticed i was sleeping better and generally feeling more positive about things. Perhaps as you say I might just need more levo though I didn't think my recent results were too bad. I will do more blood tests with Medichecks next month and see what they indicate.
Thanks again for taking the time to help and advise me. I am really grateful.
Iodine is an essential trace element, vital for healthy thyroid function. Adequate levels are required to enable the production of T3 and T4 thyroid hormones, whilst also being required in other areas of health. Deficiencies can lead to impaired heat and energy production, mental function and slow metabolism. Urine iodine is one of the best measures of iodine status. This test is not performed as a loading test, but can be used to establish existing levels or to monitor iodine supplementation.
You need ThyroidUK as your "practioner" - details of how to order and receive your resutls are here thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/g...
Iodine isn't that hard to get from diet, without making an effort.
I tested mine with that test linked to and my level was exactly in the middle - 150 (100-199). I consulted with a practioner and sent all the private tests I had done. She put me on a Multivitamin/mineral and when I mentioned that it had 150mcg iodine she said it wasn't a problem as that was a very small amount (it's 100% of the RDA as you are aware). I retested after a while and my new level came back at 250 so I stopped immediately and I eventually ditched the practioner as she was dud in other ways too!
Here's a list of some iodine rich foods from the British Dietetic Association
Thank you so much SeasideSusie for all that information. If I can stay awake I will be reading it all next! The sheet specifying iodine-rich foods looks particularly useful.
Best wishes
Caroline
PS Just read the above-cited article and the list of iodine-rich foods. Very useful. As you say, I think I should be able to get the necessary amount of iodine from foods. Cheese, yogurt and nuts are favourites of mine😊. I think I will be giving the multi a miss from now on!! Thanks again.
Tonight's BBC 1 programme on nutrition stated that a glass of milk contains all the iodine we need. helvella la gave a good explanation of Levothyroxine and iodine that I didn't know.
I will try and watch the programme. Thanks for telling me about it.
I can’t stand milk, don’t even have it in coffee or tea, but I do like cheese and yogurt.
My main concern in relying on dairy for iodine is the original source of the iodine. Is it from cleansing the cows’ teats with iodine disinfectant? Or from the soil via the grass they eat? I guess it could vary considerably. I am going to look into this later today and will post if I find anything useful😊
That’s interesting! Especially about the seaweed-rich feed. I’ve been researching iodine-rich foods this morning and dairy does appear to be very variable in its iodine content, depending on region, season, and the milking procedures you mentioned. There are lots of very iodine-rich foods for meat and fish eaters but as a vegetarian I am again beginning to think I need a small supplement to be sure of getting enough. As the body apparently needs iodine every day as it is not stored, perhaps the multivitamin is not such a bad thing to take after all. I am still undecided.... and still researching!
I understand (now, thanks helvella😊) about the iodine in levothyroxine, but I'm on only 62.5 mcg a day so getting only approximately 40 mcg iodine from the levo. I have to find another 110 mcg in food to make up the deficit. I'm not a big eater. I think I might finish up being iodine deficient which is apparently at least as bad as having too much iodine. Thank you though for all your advice. Despite appearances, I am taking it on board and am still researching how to get all the iodine I need from food. I do have a pot of natural yoghurt every day so I guess that is a good start!
The BBC programme also advised against multivitamins. It said multiple research studies had shown lack of efficacy and some harmful effects, including some increase in cancer risks. You'll have to watch the programme for details as I can't quote accurately.
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