I have been taking Levo since August 2018 - 50mcg then 75 and a few weeks ago my GP put me up to 100. I was also told by the Endo recently that I've had Hashimotos since 2013. Looking into this explains why I have been having gastric reflux, hoarseness, muscle pains and extreme fatigue for a long time.
The Medichecks results are therefore interesting! Here they are:
CRP HS 0.83mg/L (< 5 )
Ferritin 80ug/L (13 - 150)
Folate - Serum 9.33ug/L (normal > 3.89 )
Vitamin B12 - Active 59.3 pmol/L (range 37.5 - 188)
Vitamin D 31.2nmol/L (range 50 - 175)
TSH 0.067 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2)
Free T3 5.94 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8 )
Free Thyroxine 25.5pmol/L (12 - 22)
Thyroglobulin Antibodies 223 kU/L (<115)
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 316 kIU/L (< 34 R)
I'm way low in Vit D so have , as suggested, starting taking a supplement. I'm also now taking B12.
The report suggested that my Levo may be too high and in fact I may be Hyperthyroid!
My GP is pretty hopeless and will just refer me back to the Endo if I ask for advice (and then I'll wait months for an appointment).
I'd welcome any thoughts from you wise folks. Thank you
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Quester
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I'm way low in Vit D so have , as suggested, starting taking a supplement.
How much D3 are you taking? And are you taking it's important cofactors magnesium and Vit K2-MK7? Your muscle pains are possibly due to your low Vit D level.
Vitamin B12 - Active 59.3 pmol/L (range 37.5 - 188)
I'm also now taking B12.
This result requires further investigation. According to Viapath at St Thomas' Hospital, Active B12 below 70 should be tested for B12 deficiency
The report suggested that my Levo may be too high and in fact I may be Hyperthyroid!
You can't be hyperthyroid, it's a physical impossibility if you have hyperthyroidism. You can be overmedicated though and that's where they've made the mistake. They've seen your low TSH and high FT4.
When did you take your last dose of Levo before the blood draw?
How long had you been on 100mcg Levo before this test?
the day the blood was taken and I’d only been on 100mcg a week or so
No point in testing at that time, it takes 6-8 weeks for the full effect of a dose change and that's when we should retest. And as your FT4 is over range, and your results aren't yet reflecting the higher dose of Levo, your next test will probably come back with an even higher FT4.
My GP says my B12 is within normal range
Is your GP going by a serum B12 test that he did or your Medichecks Active B12 result?
They are not supposed to go by numbers, they are supposed to go by symptoms. St Thomas' Hospital is an NHS hospital so I would show your GP what Viapath says about Active B12 below 70 (did you read the link?).
I’m taking 1000iu D3
Prescribed or buying your own?
The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L (50ng/ml) and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L (40-60ng/ml). For a Vit D Level of 31.2nmol/L (12.48ng/ml), to reach the recommended level, the Vit D Council suggests supplementing with 4,900iu D3 daily (nearest is 5,000iu).
When you've reached the recommended range then you'll need a maintenance dose to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:
As you have Hashi's, for best absorption it's recommended to use an oral spray under the tongue (eg BetterYou) or sublingual liquid (eg Vitabay Organics).
There are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council -
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
May I ask one small additional question - I’ve now got the Better You Vit D spray - do you think it’s ok to take all the doses/sprays at once?
I don't see why not. I take sublingual drops 1000iu and need 5000iu and I take mine all at once. If you were taking a higher dose softgel you'd be getting the full dose all at once should it shouldn't be a problem
If it doesn't suit, you can always split the dose, but be aware that some people have said taking D3 in the evening affects their sleep (it doesn't affect mine).
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