Selenium 🤔

[purple64]

What dose of selenium do people take and also what time do you take it. Do you take it separately to any other meds? I'm also looking at B12 ?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

I take 100mcg, but I don't have antibodies, if I did then 200mcg is usually recommended.

Some people like to test before supplementing.

I take mine after my evening meal, I don't know of a reason to keep it separate except iron should be taken 2 hours away from any supplements.

The best forms are selenium l-selenomethionine or yeast bound selenium. Worst forms are selenite and selenate, best avoid those.

B12 - sublingual melthylcobalamin lozenges. Should be balanced with a B Complex to keep all B vitamins balanced. But what's your B12 level, sometimes a good B Complex will contain enough B12.

[purple64 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for the reply. I have graves and although my levels are within range the antibodies are still high. I have researched selenium but it gets confusing 🙄. Not sure if I've had B12 tested so maybe a B complex might be good🤔

I guess it's ok to take the selenium as well as magnesium after my evening meal?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to purple64]

I would test B12 first. If you are deficient then it's something your GP must address and you could need injections.

I take selenium after evening meal and magnesium just before going to bed although I don't see a problem taking it after your evening meal with the selenium if that suits you.

[purple64 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for your help ita appreciated.

[LAHs]

I eat 2 Brazil nuts each day, that gives a complete daily dose of Selenium and some Magnesium. Now, regardless of how you ingest Selenium, first test your levels to see if you are deficient, don't supplement either way if you are not deficient.

If you go the Brazil nut route, eat the Brazil nuts for about a fortnight then test your level again. If you see no change (which would be unusual) then you will have to change your source/quality of the nuts you are buying. I am mentioning the latter since it is possible (but rare) to come across nuts which have been grown on poor soil, in which case get a better quality of nut - so that you are sure to get Selenium in them.

I recommend getting metals (or in this case a quasi metal) from food where possible. This way you are less likely to overdose, your body has a way of telling you when you have had enough of a good thing - or when you are in need/deficient of something. If you take a pill you can just pop it without any feedback - until you get some unpleasant reaction.

[LAHs]

Hi Purple, I just read a little bit of your history and it looks like you are hyper and not hypo! People take Selenium to catalyst the conversion of T4 to T3. If you are hyper you already have this reaction in spades, are you sure you want to be trying to increase this reaction?

Maybe you should post your blood test results so that we can make better judgement.

In the meantime I would recommend you not take Selenium at all until you have worked out your complete chemistry.

[purple64 in reply to LAHs]

Thanks for your reply. I didn't realise the impact of selenium. I have Graves' disease and at the moment the levels are within range but antibodies are high. I will try and post my blood results.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to purple64]

LAHs is right about selenium being required to make the enzyme that forms T3. But it is also necessary for the enzymes that convert T3 to T2, etc.!

Inadequate selenium will affect numerous pathways and the overall effect has to be considered. That is, it isn't simple.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selen...

See, for one example, this paper:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/310...

[purple64 in reply to helvella]

Thank you for that. The trial of Carbimazole and selenium is interesting. As you say it's not that simple 🙄