Supplements for Hashi/Hypo

[mistygrey]

Hi All

Can anybody please give me supplements I should be taking, Currently I take Iron, vitamin c, vitamin d, Cod liver oil and b complex vitamins, b12 lozenge.

Should I maybe add magnesium and selenium? I don’t take them and wondered what ones are good to try and anything else to help me with energy levels

Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

mistygrey

If you post your current levels of

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

we can tell you what dose of supplement, if any, you will need and any cofactors that are necessary.

Selenium can help reduce antibodies where Hashi's is present, some people prefer to test their level before supplementing. Selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily is recommended when Hashi's is present.

[anonymous45]

Please note it's important to check for any nutrient deficiencies before starting supplementation. While a supplement containing 100% RDA or similar is unlikely to cause you problems - there's no point in supplementing unless you have good reason (symptoms, blood results) to suspect deficiency.

It's also important to remember that most supplements (particularly metals, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Selenium etc.) interfere with Levothyroxine absorption and should be taken as far away from Thyroxine as possible (i.e. minimum of 4 hours before/after).

You can likely get nutrient tests from your GP, as these are relatively inexpensive for the NHS. If you can't, it can be helpful to use something like Medichecks to get a good picture of your nutrient/vitamin status. Iron (Serum ferritin), B12, Folate (B9), and Vitamin D are commonly checked.

I personally recommend normal (100-200% RDA) of B12, Zinc, and especially Selenium anyway, as there is a greater requirement for these in people with impaired thyroid function. Vitamin D is almost always a good supplement at UK latitudes as the majority of the population could benefit from higher serum Vitamin D levels - 1000-3000 IU (25-75 ug/mcg) per day is a good bet unless you have high calcium levels (hypercalcemia is detrimental to health and worsened by more Vitamin D).

In conclusion - it's best to check what your vitamin levels are before you start taking supplements. But Selenium, B12 and Vitamin D are important and physiological/RDA supplementation is usually a good idea.