Latest results, looking for advice before seeing the Endo 🤞

[ML44]

Happy new year everyone,

Im looking for any advice re test results before I see Endo in a couple of weeks. Results and meds are as follows:

I’ve been taking:

125 thyroxine since 25th November.

3X210 mg iron since 11th November (taken with vit c tablet)

I have been on loading dose of B12 once weekly through December, had one after blood test and one more tomorrow and will continue one every three months but have not been told why.

I still have almost all symptoms that I started with except In the last month my tinnitus has reduced and I’ve become I’m less emotional (I don’t know if this is because I’ve become more accepting of being ill or if medications have made a change)

My results are as follows and I would love any advice before I see the endocrinologist at the end of the month. I’m particularly worried about ferritin which has only gone up to 58 despite taking three tablets a day, each with vit c. Is it usual to go so slow?

T3- 4.9 (3.90-6.80)

T4- 23.8 (11.00-23.00)

TSH- 0.34 (0.35-5.00)

Ferritin- 58 (12-300)

B12- 2000 (200-900)

Vit D- 65 (25-80)

Many thanks x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What's the units on the vitamin D results? Nmol or ng/ml

If it's nmol 65nmol is too low

See from previous posts you are lactose intolerant

Do you stick rigidly to lactose free diet?

Presumably you are on Teva brand of Levothyroxine

Your Endo could prescribe lactose Fred liquid Levothyroxine. It has fewer fillers and often gives better results

No folate result?

Are you on strictly gluten free diet?

Or tried it?

Iron can take months to improve. Eating liver or liver pate once a week, and other iron rich foods may help

Your conversion of FT4 to FT3 remains poor

[ML44 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi there, thanks for your reply.

I am strictly lactose and gluten free and am prescribed Teva brand although my chemist has just told me to try back later as they haven’t any in. Fingers crossed the get some!

I’m going to ask Endo for liquid, thank you for that. I have seen that some people don’t get on well with Teva brand but don’t know any other options.

Vit D is actually 65 nmol range 50-150, my note on results says adequate although I am taking a vit d tablet 250% rdi, any other tips to get it up?

I’m vegan and have a real eversion to meat I’m afraid 😟

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to ML44]

GP will only prescribe to bring vitamin D up to 50nmol.

Aiming to improve by self supplementing to at least 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better .

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

It's trial and error what dose each person needs. Frequently with Hashimoto's we need higher dose than average

Test twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D ....majority on here with Hashimoto's use Better you vitamin D mouth spray (made from lanolin from Australian sheeps wool )

SeasideSusie uses a tablet ....she might pop along and say what brand it is

Gluten free diet is low in magnesium. Recommended when supplementing vitamin D

Vegan diet always requires vitamin B12 supplements

Frequently iron supplements too. All plant based iron is non heme and much harder to absorb

Obviously Hashimoto's makes these even deficiencies much more likely and more difficult to maintain optimal levels

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to ML44]

List of different brands Levothyroxine available in Uk

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to ML44]

Vit D is actually 65 nmol range 50-150, my note on results says adequate although I am taking a vit d tablet 250% rdi, any other tips to get it up?

I use a softgel not a tablet, tablets and many D3 capsules have poor absorbancy compared to oil based supplements that are swallowed. I use Doctor's Best but like the BetterYou spray that SlowDragon has mentioned, the D3 is from lanolin and may not be acceptable to a vegan. There are some oil based vegan D3 supplements which are plant based, eg Time Health uses lichen and has coconut oil (I would avoid those that include palm oil).

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.

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

drjockers.com/best-magnesiu...

afibbers.org/magnesium.html

D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and Vit K2-MK7 is also a necessary cofactor of D3 as it 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.

The Vit D Council/Vit D Society recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L and to reach that level from your current level of 65nmol/L it's suggested to supplement with 3,500-4,000iu D3 daily, retest in 3 months time. Once you've reached the recommended level 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:

vitamindtest.org.uk/