Is it okay to continue calcium prior to Thyroid Lab work?

[bessygo]

Aside from Biotin and all B vitamins, is it okay to continue calcium supplements prior to TSH lab tests? My dr said to stop Biotin 48 hrs prior to test.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

According to the private lab here in the UK that hundreds of us here use, they tell us to leave off biotin for 7 days before testing because if biotin is used in the testing procedure then it can give false results.

Apart from biotin, other supplements can continue but take after the thyroid function test.

Exceptions for other testing are:

If testing iron/Ferritin then leave off iron tablets for 7 days.

If testing Active B12 leave off B12 for 7 days.

[Blueskyyy in reply to SeasideSusie]

Does biotin cause a false high tsh ?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Blueskyyy]

Biotin potentially affects many blood tests. If they use a particular method (streptin-avidin) then they can be affected. The results could go either way.

Some ways of measuring TSH would be affected; others not. (Also, FT4 and FT3.)

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Blueskyyy]

As Helvella has mentioned, it could be either a false high or false low, it depends on the particular assay.

[Blueskyyy in reply to SeasideSusie]

I have tested and my tsh came out 7.5

While FT4 at 112% the range and ft3 at 59%

can it be that biotin falsely increased tsh ?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Blueskyyy]

If you continued with your Biotin/B Complex then any of those results might be false (emphasis on might, it's not definite) and no-one can say which or whether they are high or low. If you want accurate results you'll need to test again and leave the supplement off for 7 days to be absolutely sure that nothing interferes with the assay.

[Marz]

.... just pondering the calcium supplement ? Were you tested first ?

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

I haven't had calcium tested for over a year, but the last two tests (full blood count) showed calcium near top of range and slightly increased the second time.

But that didn't stop them prescribing vitamin D with calcium. And the D was such a low dose (800mcg a day) that it is useless because impossible to take enough without overdosing the calcium!

[bantam12 in reply to Hidden]

Calcium should never be top or over range, change to a VitD without Calcium if it continues to be high.

[Hidden in reply to bantam12]

When I realised that the dose of D3 was much too low anyway, I didn't even begin to take them but have to continue to buy my own - with no calcium. Saving the NHS some money, which I resent having to do. They wouldn't even test the D3, I had to do it privately. Although at least the result - insufficient rather than deficient - was taken seriously.

[vocalEK in reply to Hidden]

Best to take D3 that also contains Vitamin K2 MK-7, which will help calcium get to your bones instead of stopping to clog up your arteries and (if you are an older woman) the ducts in your breasts. The one I take has 5,000 IU of D3.

[Hidden in reply to vocalEK]

I need to test my D3 again soon. I've been taking 8,000iu for a while, with K2 and magnesium because the original 2,200 I was taking (instead of the 800 prescribed) it still didn't increase the levels enough. Hope I can find my optimum maintenance dose soon.

[sue_b in reply to vocalEK]

Vocal EK, Thanks for that info about where excess calcium can end up. My Endo recently prescribed vit d3 1000mcg, on its own. I asked about taking vit k with it and he said no need. I am post-menopause and started to get sore nipple areas, having never had that happen before. I have stopped taking the D3 now as it was just a trial ( as far as I was concerned) but your post explains a possible reason for the sore nipple areas ( which have now gone away). Thank you

[vocalEK in reply to sue_b]

He can't tell you what he doesn't know. You might want to print out this article

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... ("The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review") and give it to him to assist in his continuing medical education. Or you can just order the vitamin k separately or order a combination product. Amazon carries both types of products.

This page says an adult woman needs 90 mcg of Vitamin K. vitamindcouncil.org/about-v... If you are deficient, even 1000 IU isn't enough. This page describes how much you need to take to get from your tested level to where you need to be: vitamindcouncil.org/i-teste...

[LAHs]

Be very careful with calcium supplements, I alone have known three people who have had kidney stones from excess calcium precipitating out from the blood. Get your calcium from food if you can and take vitamin D and K2 as explained above. It is generally not a good idea to take calcium with thyroid meds it decreases the acid in the stomach which you need for thyroid meds absorption.

Another point about calcium (and probably not your problem0, if your readings are high when you are not taking calcium supplements you have to determine if it is coming from your food (where it should be coming from) or is it being leached out of your bones (which is not what you want). So high calcium is not necessarily a "good thing", you have to look further.

[Greekchick in reply to LAHs]

Yes you are right! I developed two kidney stones within 2 months one year prior to my TT because I was told to take large doses of calcium for my bones. (Hyperthyroid). When one of the stones was analyzed it was pure calcium salt - I now take only 500 mg per day plus vitamin D drops 1000 IU. Those kidney stones were so painful I couldn’t even walk into the emergency room and I was screaming - and I don’t ever do that. And they were only 2 mm !!! Do be careful with supplements - they are very important but can be taken in quantities too large for us to manage.

I would also add that you must drink lots of water if you are taking supplements - a sip won’t do. My urologist told me 2 1/2 liters per day - I have followed his instructions and have not had any kidney stones since.

Wishing you all the best!