I'm currently on 150mg of Thyroxine per day and my last blood tests came back fine. I'm 44 and in the early stage of perimenopause and I'm looking to start taking vitamins to alleviate some of the symptoms. However I've read that multi vitamins can have a negative effect on my medication so does anyone know of single vitamins that I can take to help with the perimenopause but won't affect my thyroid.
Many thanks.
I don't think multivitamins have adverse effects on thyroid hormone, if they did the whole healthy population would be unable to take them. There may be vitamins that affect thyroid hormone action or blood tests but as far as I know these effects occur at very high levels. Remember food is multivitamins.
Always get vitamin levels tested FIRST
Then supplement to improve as necessary
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 or test privately, especially if you need Full Thyroid test anyway
Conversion of FT4 To FT3 often gets worse around menopause
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)
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
For thyroid including antibodies and vitamins
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
Cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3 £29 (via NHS private service )
monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap.
Some like calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole (PPI) or vitamin D should be four hours away
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
However I've read that multi vitamins can have a negative effect on my medication
The reason that multivitamins aren't recommended is because they contain too little of anything to help if you have any low levels or deficiciences. They also tend to contain the cheapest and least absorbable forms of active ingredients (eg oxide versions of zinc and magnesium, selenite or selenate instead of selenium l-methionine). They also tend to contain folic acid and cyanocobalamin instead of the recommended forms - methylfolate and methylcobalamin.
Very often they contain things we should test for first and only supplement if found to be deficient, eg iodine, calcium, iron.
If a multivitamin contains iron then that affects the absorption of everything else as iron should be taken 2 hours away from any other supplements.
So all in all a multivitamin doesn't have much in it's favour and is best avoided.
Always advised here is to test the core vitamins - Vit D, B12, Folate and Ferritin - although that is directed towards thyroid health rather than perimenopause. I have no personal knowledge of any vitamins specifically directed towards menopause.
Please enlighten us with normal level of vitamins with optimum supplemental doses.
Vit D - 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).
B12 - According to an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:
"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".
"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."
This is for Total B12 measurement. If Active B12 is measured then anything below 70 is suggested to test for B12 deficiency so anything above 70 is regarded as adequate, I keep mine above 100.
Folate - at least half way through range. If the "range" states something like >3.89 then I would want mine in double figures.
Ferritin - half way through range is recommended.
No-one can suggest supplemental doses unless you test your levels first.
You asked for, and were given, information about this in a previous post here:
Hi, I posted recently about advice re supplements for peri menopause and Ashanat suggested a very useful book:The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep, Sex Drive and Vitality Naturally with the Gottfried Protocol amazon.co.uk/dp/1451666950/...
I followed her advice and completed Gottfried’s questionnaire and am currently trailing Maca powder and black cohosh. You have to take supplements well away from Levo dosage. I honestly can’t say if they are working as it’s only been a week of taking them!
One thing I have tried and would recommend is using aromatherapy to alleviate hot flashes-putting a few drops of clary sage essential oil in a carrier oil/ moisturiser and massaging on feet and neck. I just found this advice on a google search!
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