Headache from Levo tablet and taking vitamins or using creams x

[Chaz87]

Hi all again. Can anyone suggest what you can and cannot eat with a thyroid condition and also what vitamins I can and can’t take. Sometimes when I take a new vitamin or something like creams I get a sore head and I’m nearly sure it’s to do with the Levo tablet I take xoxo thanks x

[Lora7again]

Do you have any blood results of Thyroid levels and vitamins levels to share with us? The reason I ask this because it is not good taking just any vitamins unless you are actually low in them. I take vitamin D spray and selenium tablets because I have difficulty maintaining a high enough vitamin D level but I will having a blood test shortly which I do through Medichecks to make sure I need to continue to take it. I also take selenium tablets to try to lower my high antibodies and will stop that for a week before I have blood test because it can effect the results.

[greygoose]

The only thing you should avoid eating is unfermented soy: soy flour, soy protein, soy oil, etc. Soy is very bad in general and worse for hypos.

Some people - usually Hashi's people - find a gluten-free diet helps. Some people find they feel better if they avoid dairy. Also artificial sweeteners and processed seed oils are best avoided.

Apart from that, eat a varied diet of fresh foods that you like.

For vitamins and minerals, it's best to get your vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin and supplement according to your needs - we can help with that once we know your levels. But, it's not a good idea to supplement those without getting tested first. A nutrient supplement will only help you if you need it. More is not better and sometimes could be worse.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

A month ago your TSH was far too high at over 5

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Did you get 25mcg dose increase in Levothyroxine?

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range

NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.

nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase in Levothyroxine

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

Ask GP to test vitamin levels (and thyroid antibodies if antibodies haven't been done yet )

You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Come back with new post once you get results

If you are loosing weight and/or you have high thyroid antibodies you need coeliac blood test

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first

Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet




(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)




Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

[Chaz87 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi, thank you for remembering me. I haven’t moved up a dose as of yet as my Doctor still maintains because my T3 and T4’s are within normal range (I don’t know what levels they are at) I will go for a blood test soon. I am raising a young family and sometimes it’s hard to get to and fro appointments and tests. I’m pretty much on my own. I must look into the closest Private clinic to me. I think my latest request there’s coeliac testing and some of the vitamins you mentioned so I’ll get them done this week. The last test for thyroid I followed what you all had said and hadn’t took my Levothyroxine 24 prior and it was early in the morning before eating or drinking. I’ll post my results when I get them. Thank you

[Lora7again in reply to Chaz87]

I wonder what your Doctor classes as normal range? Some of these Doctors are clueless and have no idea how to treat thyroid disease and are keeping a lot of thyroid patients ill. I should know I am one of them and now I do my own blood tests and self medicate if I need to because I have no confidence in the NHS or their guidelines for thyroid patients. Sorry if I sound negative but just read my story on my profile page and you will see why.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Chaz87]

Many GP's are clueless about how to manage hypothyroidism

Dose of Levothyroxine should be increased slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2

Most important results are FT3 and FT4

All four vitamins need to be optimal (otherwise TSH tends to drop....and you can't get dose increase)

When under treated on too low a dose, as you currently are, vitamin levels tend to drop a lot

Come back with new post once you get results