2nd trimester thyroid results

[Ariemai6]

Hey,

Any one able to advise how I might improve my T4 and T3. Took a fasting medichecks on Tuesday and the results are not great.

My iron levels have become shockingly depleted since I last tested which is normal in pregnancy so I know I have to get those up. Started Solgar gentle iron 25mg again. Interestingly my thyroid antibodies are the lowest I have ever seen them, down from the hundreds and high fifties. Must be immune system suppression.

Also got my fasting bloods taken at GPs on the Friday so awaiting prescribed dosage increase hopefully.

So my plan is get more iron to raise thyroid hormones, I also have T3 available to take but perhaps I should wait for extra T4 dosage?

[Dadondadda]

You need much more than 25 mg of iron. That's just the rda. Something like 100 mg /day is more reasonable. If you're concerned with the higher dose you could retest more frequently.

You probably have about a gram iron deficit. If you absorb 25% then that's 4 grams in addition to daily turnover and all the blood replenishment from tests.

Especially if you're pregnant, as you need that for the baby too.

I don't think you can tell too much about thyroid dosing from what you have posted.

[Ariemai6 in reply to Dadondadda]

Thanks your reply dadondadda. I have had a lot of difficulty trying to get my iron results back from my antenatal clinic, all I was told is that my Haemoglobin is 11.2 which from a quick google search appears is normal at my stage of pregnancy. Normal but not optimal I’m assuming and at risk of dropping with ferritin so low.

I have no idea whether they performed a full iron panel either so have been cautious with supplementation as I know it can be risky to take iron. I started off with decent ferritin levels so didn’t expect this issue.

[Dadondadda in reply to Ariemai6]

I understand. My wife had something similar, with low ferritin and normal haemoglobin. The body will preferentially shuttle iron into red blood cells rather than holding it in storage. So even though you're not anemic now, you would be if you need to make more blood, such as for the baby or even for blood tests they give you.

Furthermore, iron is part of enzyme systems that do various important functions. Specifically to your earlier question, low iron stores will lower liver deiodinase activity, which is the enzyme responsible for thyroid conversion. I stopped studying these issues, but before, i read a few studies where enzyme activity was mildly impaired even with ferritin at 80 or so. The average ferritin of a non-blood donor was around 130 in a study of a few thousand people, the last time I saw a number.

I think the idea that 'iron is harmful' is unnecessarily scaring the public. 1-3% of people have genes where they can accumulate iron over decades and this could kill some of them, so the precaution is understandable. But messages directed at this subgroup shouldn't be seen as guidelines for those without the issue, IMHO.

With hemochromatosis, you can accumulate 10-30 times (or more) the body iron of a normal person with ferritin at 150. And ferritin itself is a 'phase reactant protein,' which means it will rise to help fight off inflammation or oxidative stress, so of course it will be elevated with poor general health.

In normal people, it's true the body can't 'regulate iron' but that is only post absorption, and it regulates iron status by hormonal regulation of absorption. If you go too high, within limits, you'll simply absorb less. Besides, it's easy to get rid of if you go over, you simply donate blood and save someone else's life.

Globally, iron inadequacy was a major health concern. I'm not sure if it still is.

[Ariemai6 in reply to Dadondadda]

Brilliant information! Thank you so much for this. Would there be a particular type of iron that may be most suitable. I have Solgar Iron Bisglycinate 25mg.

[Dadondadda in reply to Ariemai6]

I don't know if the type matters. What you have seems fine. Maybe try another if it hurts your stomach.