I've been taking a drop of iodine as advised, for 6 months to correct an iodine deficiency (38). Just previous to that my FT4 was 16 and tsh 3.6ish, so I was considered borderline underactive thyroid.
My iodine level has only raised to 41, so have managed to find a liquid that has different ingredients and was going to try that, but have since had blood tests due to being fed up feeling so poorly, particularly early mornings, to find FT4 has dropped to 11 and tsh (though tested in the afternoon) was 3.7. I completed an early morn pinprick yday to check antibodies and tsh/ft3.
My ferritin also dropped to 28 and MCH overange 32.5, so appreciate b12 still not being corrected properly.
I'm just curious as to whether anyone has managed to correct their iodine and see an improvement in their thyroid. I know I was warned iodine could make things worse, but my Dr felt it needed to be corrected and my thyroid wouldn't work properly without it. I've been taking selenium to help.
many thanks.
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Jo5454
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Slowly getting there thanks. I ended up with RAI as my thyroid wouldn't sort itself out and I couldn't get balanced on carbimazole. Now on t4/t3 combo treatment.
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
Iodine is extremely controversial
With Hashimoto's many thyroid specialists would advise against taking any iodine
So important to establish if you have Hashimoto's.
Thyroid ultrasound scan may be useful
20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies
Thanks very much SlowDragon. The range of Ft4 is 8-21.
I've done pinprick tests for antibodies in past, but never been raised, and did another one yesterday to check them again, plus FT3/4 and early morning tsh.
So if the antibodies aren't raised and hashimotos still possible, how would I know it please- would an ultrasound show it? I asked do about having a scan before, but he refused.
My vitamin d has been deficient, last testing it was in the 60s, could test again, but I felt much worse after taking vitamin d drops?
I have a functional b12 def. and get monthly inj. This recent result showed larger blood cells so will have to increase the b12 somehow.
Folate was near top of range and improved, but ferritin down to 28, even though I'm on iron. I did swop to bisglycinate 6 months ago, then stopped in summer during sinus/inner ear infections, so have just started back on ferrous fumerate.
Neutrophils raised too, but that has happened before when my ferritin/b12 were not right.
I'll read through that info, thanks for your time...😀
I can only comment on increasing iodine through eating more in food. I had a large goitre but after a year on a diet high in fish paste, and ordinary fish, and dairy and meat, the goitre went down, I had had if or years, and ate a diet recommended for iodine deficiency. Drops of iodine in the nose are made by some companies such as Global Healing. As you have low vitamin D and ferritin levels but feel ill taking vitamin D drops do you eat food high in vitamin D? May be you should try vitamin D3 tablets? Alternatively eat oily fish such as mackerel or sardines and vegetables such as mushrooms. The B12 problem with iron injections might be helped by eating more folates and B12 found in high levels in lambs liver along with iron and vitamin A.
Recommendations for your thyroid and B12 levels may be to take a folate supplement which is more readily synthesised if it is methyl folate.
Folic acid in supplements is used but is more difficult for absorption as it has to be processed through the liver. If you have a difficulty with ferritin and iron levels you might have a type of celiac disease which sounds scary but is based on your immune system rejecting types of food such as dairy egg and multi grain. Gluten is often suspected but many people have multi grain intolerances. If you have pernicious anaemia this is a type of autoimmune disease, and so is celiac disease. You can ask your practice nurse for food intolerance tests such as egg dairy and gluten foods such as barley rye oats and white and processed flour, but flour is also in pasta and cous cous spelt and other forms of grain. You don't have to be intolerant to gluten but to other allergens in grains. Removal of grains affecting you or egg and dairy may help your digestion.
Vitamin K is said to help the balance of vitamin D in the body. It is found in plants and vegetables such as swiss chard kale spinach and broccoli and cabbage and parsley and kiwi fruit. Vitamin K2 is found in beef liver and goose liver pate. Lambs liver and beef liver are higher in iron than pork products. Interesting data can be found on myfooddata.com as to the daily values you should be taking a day, and the foods high enough to give your daily needs of vitamins and minerals.
When in doubt go back to your doctor as both thyroid and gastro intestinal problems can block the processing of iron and ferritin and vitamins and you need expert assessment. Take care.
Thanks very much for all that information hawii60😀
That's very interesting and brilliant that your goitre improved after a change of diet. I'm always very interested in nutrition and finding out more thanks.
I'd not thought of eating fish paste. I eat fresh fish, tinned tuna(know I have to watch Mercury) and salmon regularly, but do need to try more oily fish again. Used to to eat more , then it kept making me feel sick afterwards, but need to retry! Put that on my todo list!
Ah I assumed it was the vit d that made mevfeelmworse, but Yes perhaps tablets will be better.👍
I eat beef liver once a wk, but may have to try more! I read about alternating beef/ pigs liver as one was higher in b12 the other higher in iron, but not tried other livers.
I eat plenty of eggs, meat and vegetables too, but had to give up dairy when it came back as an intolerance after diagnosis of chronic sinusitis and hospital not being able to help. Also, whenever I retry I get a temperature and sinus/ear probs, but am desperately hoping to be able to include it back in my diet at some stage?
I've tried gluen free for years at a time, and currently on it again this year, but my thyroid has continued to worsen, ft4 now 11, so am not sure if it's making that much difference?
I've had tests that measure SiGa and that is always very low, so think that could be part of the problem?
I didn't know practice nurses do intolerance tests now, I wonder if they do a lactose test, I'll ask.
My folate is 13, top range being 15, and I take folic acid for a few days near injection, but could try taking more?
I've had my diet assessed by nhs dietician, and according to that I'm taking in all the vits and minerals, the b12 was about 3 times the amount I need, but as you say, it depends if I'm absorbing them, my family wonder how I at what I do and unfortunately remain just over 7 stone! I'll have a look at that food data site, thank you once again😀
Do you live in the UK? It's amazing you have found gluten is one of your food intolerances along with dairy. Ha. I had a smart test through pharmacy which highlighted all my food intolerances. To my annoyance all my favourite foods such as bread, and soft cheeses and yoghurts and dairy other than hard cheeses which are low in lactin/lactase had to be removed with egg. I cannot eat barley combinations from barley malt found in foods, and drinks and as a sweetener as sorbitol. Neither can eat mayonnaise made with malt vinegar and egg. The health service only tests for a limited number of potential food intolerances, so you get sent away feeling it is ok to eat things like rice maize, which are not gluten related.
As an IBS sufferer with diabetes, I had to bring my blood sugar down somehow. When I realised I was eating savoury food with grain, and spag bol or curry and rice..all my diet sheets meant nothing. I had intolerances so my body was rejecting them. Dairy will produce more mucous in your sinuses giving rise to sinusitis and inflammation of the ear. I take an antihistamine every day which stops the tissues swelling in the sinuses with rhinitis. I have had a series of pneumonia chest infections and immune system was low. I now have found foods such as virgin olive oil and coconut oil which I believe have helped me to overcome infections, so that any nasal discharge is not purulent. I take an over the counter remedy when I feel my breathing is tight, as well as high doses of vitamin c which can help the airways. Going lactose free has helped, over the past three years but my yearning for cheese contains high fat in cheddar cheese, and is a histamine. I have cut it down to an ounce a day. Lambs liver is the highest in iron and folates and many vitamins. To get enough per day of iron and folate 3oz will supply well over the daily amount of iron and folate and B12. I've upped my liver intake to twice a week. SIGA testing have not tried but there is an interesting article SigA Testing and Treatment on foodsmatters.com/allergy_in....
Coconut oil can help throat infections and viruses to prevent them. it contains monolaurin which is helpful in health problems such as acne chronic fatigue syndrome, colds cold sores, flu. It also contains caprylic acid one of the three fatty acids found in coconut oil. It is a medium chain fatty acid and anti inflammatory properties. It contains the same octanoic acid found in mammals.
I don't use virgin olive oil as there is no difference except it is more refined.
Olive oil can prevent bacteria such as H pylori which can cause infection in the stomach which can cause cancer, Learning about my diet and health has helped me adjust to being greedy and overweight ha! Still need to lose another stone, but have kept two and a half stone off for over two years. May be going lactase free will help?
Methyl folate is better absorbed than folic acid but you don't seem too low with it. Thank goodness you are getting the B12 injections.
You've had such an incredible amount to sort out, thank you for sharing it. (Yes, in uk)
I discovered the dairy problem with a Yorktest many years ago, but haven't had any other intolerance type tests since.
I don't know if gluten is an issue or not, I did an American test a few years ago, for a few things, that tested likelihood of gluten intolerance, which was borderline, but I don't seem to have noticed if it makes a difference, because of other problems going on,I find it's hard to define what is caused by what!😀
It must have been very difficult to sort out blood sugar issues with so many intolerances, but it sounds like you're sorting it all well. Must have taken an awful lot of trial,and error and determination!
I'd like to try coconut products. I have a type 1 latex allergy which cross reacts with some foods, so I've been a bit wary of trying coconut, but think I'll have to pluck up courage! Yes, I've also read of such great benefits, I'd also like to try it in a soap, as its supposed to be good for skin, and since b12 injections I do have more problems with spots. I'm trialling a lotion with goats kefir, olive oil and thyme at the mo, but would like to try the coconut and olive oil soap...
Yes, I'm a fan of olive oil too. Have had a h.pylori test, came back borderline, then normal, so am hoping that's not an issue, (though I've since read that test is not always accurate if you're on a dairy free diet?!)
Yes, like you think I will up my liver to twice a week now! I do a nice summer casserole with sweet potatoes, courgettes, onion, leek, aubergine, potatoes, and whatever else handy, add tomatoes and garlic croutons near end, ( used to add cheese too😁) and a spoon of engivita I've recently discovered, and that disguises the liver nicely,lol.
Thanks again and I hope you continue to move forwards and improve...take care
Sure you are finding the right things to help. Coconut is a tree nut but does not appear on biogonespotallergycom in into allergic to latex foods and products to avoid. However chestnut is mentioned. Coconut is from palm trees and are distantly related to tree nuts. Coconut allergen is similar to that found in hazel nuts and walnuts. . If the proteins are the same then they are likely to be cross reactive.
If you have any other nut allergies then avoid the same group of proteins in the nut.
The list of latex cross match foods is longer than I thought banana kiwi papaya grape avocado water melon tomato potato celery also test for spinach broccoli apples squash family, pumpkin, legumes beans spices mint cinnamon . These foods contain chitinase enzymes. If you have an allergy to these foods you be likely to be allergic to these foods. Processing food with ethylene gas will have fewer allergy making compounds.
The test from Alphega NHs linked chemists is found on location websites for specialist services on a map of regions in the uk which do the special allergy tests.
You may have to look at the list nearest to you and read their individual services before finding one that does the allergy. I cost £80 and it does do nuts. Great for kids who are unaware they have allergies and for people who are also unaware they have food intolerances which are not the same as allergies. Testing a food on your lips may help determine an allergy with immediate swelling and inflammation. This is difficult with types of tha Chinese African food and even coca cola and all colas made with a the Kola nut which is a tree nut which can have cross reactive problems with nut allergy. This is the hidden problem when drinks do not disclose all their ingredients. You are completely unaware you are eating traces of nuts.
Processing with ethylene increases the allergens in food. I guess if you put fruit in a plastic bag or in a paper bag, the ethylene gas will increase in the food/ When buying lettuce in a bag I check if the bag is blowing up. The gas will increase the bacteria, in the food. I wash my lettuce and leaves, but many don't and some times you can get bacteria which can be unpleasant.
Metals can be chelated by tasking high doses of vitamin c per day. You can split the dose to 4 times a day of 250mg of vitamin c in tablets. Do you think your free T3 is normal as you wake up feeling awful. Some people recommend splitting the T3 into doses throughout the day. There is a specialist consultant who understands thyroid problems and who may be able to explain to you why you are feeling so poorly. He/she has successfully treated his own thyroid disorder, understanding his test results. The name of the poster concerning thyroid illness is "Thyroidnomore" and you can find the member name and post by typing in the name above. It may take several pages before the name comes up and the title of the post which you can read and ask questions. No need to reply.
I must apologise for not answering sooner, but thank you very much for all of the above information ad for taking the time to research all of that for me, I really appreciate it. I've been feeling rough and awaiting a few different result before I try to March forwards again😀
The name of the member who is a consultant and has personal experience of NHS advice on maintenance of thyroid ( a note of sarcasm) is " Hypothyroidnomore." If you look at his post he may be able to give you some insight into your problem.
Jo5454, That is an elevated TSH, a healthy person would have a TSH between about 0.8-2, anything above 2.5 suggests a thyroid problem. Unfortunately doctors like to wait for it to get much worse before they're willing to do anything.
With a TSH like that I'd tend to say this is thyroid illness, although with a lot of vitamin deficiencies it's possible the thyroid is under performing because of the deficiencies. But being hypothyroid also causes deficiencies, so it's a chicken and egg question.
Thank you SilverAvocado, my tsh has been up and down for a few years, highest 6.something, lowest0.95, so I've not been sure what's going on.
The ft4 has been up and down between 14-16, so I went down the route of trying to correct the deficiencies, (b12 inj. Iron, folate, zinc, vit c, b2, b6, iodine, selenium, vit c, magnesium, ) but I think you're right I have to accept its a thyroid problem and the deficiencies may improve once I try some medication.
Those freeT4s are not too bad. The reference ranges for freeT4 is a normal curve, with most healthy people close to the centre, and the farther out you get the more likely there is an issue.
However an ok freeT4 doesn't tell the whole story, ideally you want to see a complete thyroid panel plus antibodies. The most likely thing you're dealing w is Hashimotos auto-immune thyroid disease, which can bob up and down, but will progressively get worse.
A TSH of 6 is high enough that you should be able to get a diagnosis. Some doctors will want to see it all the way up to 10, but you should hopefully find one who doesn't wait that long if you are able to cycle through plenty of doctors.
T4 reading 16 on the pinprick test today! I've asked about this on here to see if it's normal to get one test reading 11, then another 16.
A kind replier suggested it's a sign of it struggling and maybe linked to time of iodine supplement or needing b12 (the lower result was on the day b12 inj. due).
My FT4 has dropped to 11 now, I've tried gluten free for a year now and added these extra vitamins in to help support thyroid, but seemed to have got worse!
I did a 7am pinprick test for thyroid plus antibodies last Thursday, thanks, so will see what that shows this week.
Think my Dr will be ok about trying thyroid treatment (not such a battle as getting the b12 sorted, phew!) but he agreed I should try the iodine.
He said it wasn't a thyroid problem when my tsh was over 6, But then when it dropped to 3 said maybe it was a thyroid issue? and maybe my b12 will be better absorbed, but I was concerned it was an underlying issue with b12 and skirting around that problem, but think I was wrong, the iodine hasn't really risen and The thyroid has got worse? after 6 months supplementing daily dose.
I was concerned about lactose ingredient in levothyroxine but know there is a lactose free one, then really need to get it tested, as it may be another element of milk I have problems with.
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