Hi please can you give me your ideas re my results just received
TSH -2.94 0.27-4.2
Free T3 - 4.62. 3.1-6.8
Free thyroxine. 15.5 —— 12-22
Thyroglobulin antibodies—304 .....<115
Thyroid peroxidase——182 .......<34
Ferritin —-70.7 .......13-150
Folate —4.31.....>3.89
Vit B12 >150......>37.5
Vit D—33.3 ....50-175
I went to see my endo yesterday and he wants me to try selenium ? As I have a feeling of a lump in my throat he examined me and said it wasn’t enlarged, said I am obese but with the thyroid readings I won’t be able to lose weight which is breaking my heart as I am 18 stone at 5ft 6 ... he has increased Levi thyroxine to 75 from 50 a day and told me to buy selenium I have Hashimotos had it since 2007 but I am so very tired lethargic now interest in anything and don’t want to go anywhere ... 3 stone i have put on in the last 12 months yet I am following a diet .. he is checking my cortisol levels on Monday any advice I would be so grateful just to feel “like I used to” 🙏
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Ozzyfudge
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He was right to increase your dose. Your TSH is still too high, and your Frees too low.
Selenium is often recommended with Hashi's. But, personally, I would have preferred he test levels, first. But, given that your ferritin, folate and vit D are all too low, selenium could also be. Your B12 is good, are you supplementing?
Your endo is right that you don't stand much chance of losing weight with your low FT3. But, we have to take these things slowly, and the FT3 will rise as your dose of levo rises. But, you also need optimal nutrients to lose weight.
What is this diet you're following? It's really not likely to help with you being so hypo. And, low-calorie diets really are not recommended for hypos. They can make things worse. You need good levels of calorie intake for conversion of T4 to T3. Besides, your extra weight may not even be fat, it could be water, and diets won't help with water-weight. So, eat well to get enough calories and enough nutrients.
Patience is the key, here. Nothing happens rapidly with hormones. And, your weight is not the most important thing at the moment, although I know it feels like it is at times. Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt!
Hi thank you for your reply , I use better for you b12 spray when I remember which isn’t very often , I am following exante diet sachet shakes two a day then a meal in evening not shifting any weight at all , I have very high cholesterol and react badly to statins so have now left them off never been so confused over my health as I am now , I was told 18 months ago to lose weight as it’s a strain on my heart the cardio consultant said that and to never yo-yo and that’s just what I’ve done .... feel so hopeless 😩 going to a “do” tonight with hubby the people there haven’t seen me for 12 months ....I’m 3 stone heavier now and embarrassed by it .... just something else I have no idea if it is linked but I have ringing whooshing in my ears have done for a long time is it related do you know ? Many many thanks 🙏
Have you checked the ingredients in the sachet shakes? - Quite a lot include soy, which isn't great if you're hypo. I feel for you - it's near enough impossible to lose weight when your T3 is low.
Yes, all soy, all bad and recent research shows that soya been oil can cause brain damage - can't find the link to the article right now. Eat real food, not processed junk. If you are really worried by weight, you could try keto diet (doesn't suit everyone), intermittent fasting/5:2 or something similar, but eat enough calories.
Hi fuchsia pink yes the sachets are soy ! I didn’t know I’m devastated as it’s cost me nearly £200 for the kit , thank you I didn’t have any knowledge about soy and hashi 🙏
You should stop those shakes immediately. They contain soy which is very bad for hypos, and could be making you more hypo. You need real food, not that stuff. Not surprised you're not losing any weight.
Your doctor should be shot for prescribing statins. They are not recommended for hypos, and certainly not for women. They don't do anything for women. Except cause side-effects. Your cholesterol is high because your T3 is low. As your T3 rises, your cholesterol should drop.
I know it's confusing, but so very many things go wrong when you're hypo. And, that's because T3 is needed by every single cell in your body, and if there's not enough to go round, the body can't function correctly. And there's so little understanding of thyroid amongst doctors. So many of them believe that you only put on weight through eating to much, and all you have to do to lose it is eat less! This is just not true. There are many medical conditions that can cause weight-gain, especially if hormones are involved. And it is not the patient's fault!
Yo-yo dieting is not good, of course, but how are we supposed to understand what's going on if doctors don't? So, just forget about dieting for the moment, and eat well and sensibly. Make sure you get plenty of good fats - butter, animal fats, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. Don't listen to nutritional advice from doctors, they know nothing about it!
Yes, the ear noises - tinnitus - can very well be linked to hypothyroidism, or to nutritional deficiencies.
Thank you grey goose for your informative reply very much appreciated, for the last week I have come off the “exante” diet had porridge with blueberries for breakfast soup for lunch two slices of brown bread and a salad with tuna or salmon a little mayo and a couple of coffees water of course as well .... weighed this morning gained 2 pounds I’m devastated it makes me feel so bad and depressed I have to lose weight I’ve never felt so bad about myself as I do right now 😢
I think your vitamin D is too low and should be at least a 100 and your TSH should be 1 or lower and the T3 and T4 need to be higher as well. How do you feel? Hopefully greygoose will comment because she is much more knowledgeable than me.
Hi thank you for getting back to me , I feel worse than ever , totally hopeless to be honest , I have ordered b complex magnesium and selenium supplements, I use better for you vit d 4000 ( 4sprays) and omega 3 the diet is exalted sachet food shakes 200 cal each then a meal at dinner time 🙏
Does the B complex have methylfolate or folic acid? Methylfolate is best.
If you are taking vit D, you need to take vit K2-MK7. Taking vit D increases the absorption of calcium from food, and the K2 makes sure it goes into the bones and teeth, and doesn't build up in the soft tissues.
Do not start several new supplements at the same time. Start them one at a time, leaving a gap of two weeks between starting each one.
You are not getting enough calories! And, what with the soy in the shakes, you are making your hypo ten times worse.
The b complex are all active methyl etc , I am scared of taking the k 2 as it can cause thrombosis ?? Am I right or wrong with that one I am so confused right now , going to read it all and take notes so I can help sort “me” out a million thanks 🙏
Are you taking Warfarin? Do you have kidney disease? If not, then it shouldn't do you any harm. Of course, you don't want to over-dose on it, 90 mcg daily should be OK. I think it would only cause thrombosis if you over-dosed.
On the other hand, having calcium build up in your arteries can cause a heart attack. Of kidney stones if it builds up in the arteries. All things in moderation, you know.
Last year I had a diagnosis of MTHFR a double genetic homozygous diagnosis , it was found while looking for homocysteine levels , everything was turned upside down because of it ... no I’m not on warfarin or blood thinners but I had to fight to go back on HRT patches because of a genetic thrombosis risk so when I read about K2 I was interested in taking it but didn’t understand if it could thicken my blood or thin it out ! Wish I was clever in sorting it out ! Many thanks for all your help x
I'm not an expert, but I didn't think MTHFR had anything to do with taking HRT or taking K2. Are you sure there's a connection? Or did your doctors just panic?
I don't think K2 either thickens or thins the blood. It's just a natural vitamin that is important for many reasons, one of them being clearing the calcium out of the arteries. But, it does play a role in blood clotting, although it doesn't cause it to clot. That's the way I understand it, anyway.
Hi to be honest I’m so confused and not clever enough to sort it out , even the endo last night said to me last years blood tests that included the homozygous and homocysteine tests confused everyone the “specialists “ were clashing over it so I wondered if I should go to see a functional doctor I have heard of one called Dr Sarah Davies do you know of her she is in the Stockport area I believe , thank you for all your advice and help ☺️
I don't think it's that you're not clever enough, it's just that you are hypo and therefore not thinking very clearly.
Be very careful with a functional doctor. From what I've read on here, they often have some very weird ideas about treating thyroid. But, no, I've never heard of the doctor you mention.
Yes hopefully I have started today taking pure encapsulated selenium 200 do you take it ? Endo told me to on Thursday when I saw him but I haven’t checked my blood to see if I’m deficient which firm does that test do you know please ? I know I’m asking a lot of questions but I’m learning from you thank you /... ps the selenium smell oh my god !!!!!awful 🤣
Yes I think they panicked as they stopped me dead on my HRT patches all they could see is the results pointed towards thrombosis.. it was very confusing I had to pay privately to be put back onto HRT as my GP couldn’t do it without a consultants say so , I have been back on it now 12 months , I was horrendous without it suicidal, constantly crying my poor hubby put up with such a lot .... many years ago I went to see a very well known doctor he put me on natural thyroid tablets , I was on them for years I then end up under Salford royal hospital where the endo said to me can I test and analyse the tablets .... there was NO natural thyroid in them .. placebo ... and I had not felt better on them but kept being told it would right itself eventually... so I haven’t ventured away from mainstream since but I am interested in going to see a functional doctor who is a GP as well to see if I can get better quicker , I asked my endo about her the other night and he said he knows of her and that some patients of his go to her and he is happy with that 😊
Ah ok! Nutri doesn't have any hormones in it, no. As I said, it's what we call a 'glandular'. Quite what the point of it is, I've never understood. The explanation - if you can call it that - is usually 'like helps like'. So, somehow, if you consume a thyroid, even without hormone, it's supposed to help your thyroid. If you consume adrenals, it's supposed to help your adrenals. I class that as something on the same level as homeopathy - although I have known homeopathy to help. I didn't find the nutri products of any help. But, that's just me.
Really so K2 is safe ? How should I take it and when please ? I have bought magnesium which contains three types of magnesium j take 5000 vit D3 and 1000 omega 3 and I have ordered b complex pre mentholated as I can’t mentholate apparently my cells can’t convert so I’ve been told 🙏
Unless you are taking blood thinners in which case you should talk to cardiology or consultant about it. My cardio (I just have a lot of ectopic beats) said it was fine to take. I take either the Life Extension capsules or Epigenetics International - there are loads of brands with amount of around 90mg. I take it with dinner.
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 is in top third of range and FT3 at least half way through range
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each 25mcg dose
Likely to need several more 25mcg dose increases Over coming months
NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.
Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.
Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.
Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine. Though it is the only one for lactose intolerant patients. Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet.
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap. Some like calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)
Your antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone
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
Hi thank you for your reply , i am going to check my selenium and zinc levels as my endo wants me on selenium . I have just bought £200 of exante shakes and see they contain soy I am devastated as they won’t give me my money back , but of course I don’t want to make myself worse , do you know who does the vitamin tests ? Thank you so much 😊
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