Results - vitamin D recommendation?

Hi there. Attached latest results - I’m going to ask GP for increase in levo (currently on 225gsm) to try to get tsh back under 1 when I felt well. She’s been sympathetic to this in the past so we will see. In the meantime any recommendations for vitamin d dose / supplier / when to take it? I’m exhausted still and hoping the vit d might help. Thanks in advance as always. Tilly

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Tillyxx

It's not just your TSH that suggests you need an increase in Levo, your FT4 is very low in range too. The aim of a hypo patient generally, when on Levo only, is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well. Use the following information if your GP is reluctant to increase your dose:

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine (the magazine for doctors):

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l. In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance. But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l. This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l).*"

*He recently confirmed, during a public meeting, that this applies to Free T3 as well as Total T3.

You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing Dionne at

[e-mail]

print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor.

Vit D: 64.6nmol/L

To reach the level recommended by the Vit D Council/Vit D Society (100-150nmol/L), the Vit D Council suggest 3,700iu D3 daily (nearest is 4,000iu).

Retest in 3 months and when you have 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/

Doctors don't know, because they're not taught much about nutrients, but there are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council

D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and Vit K2-MK7 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 D3 as tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray.

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 magnesium as tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

drjockers.com/best-magnesiu...

afibbers.org/magnesium.html

The most absorbable forms of D3 are oil based softgels (eg Doctors Best, check out Dolphin Fitness online for best prices) or an oral spray such as BetterYou (widely available online). Avoid tablets and capsules as they have poor absorption.

I would want my Active B12 over 100.

Folate is OK.

If you want to raise your B12 then I'd suggest a good quality bioavailable B Complex such as Thorne Basic B or Igennus Super B, they have all the B vitamins so will keep everything in balance.

Don't start all supplements at once. Start with one, give it a week or two and if no adverse reaction then add the next one. Again, wait a week or two and if no adverse reaction add the next one. Continue like this. If you do have any adverse reaction then you will know what caused it.

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks seasidesusie - hugely helpful as always. Tillyxx

[SlowDragon Administrator]

As you have hashimoto's and coeliac you are likely to eventually need addition of small dose of T3

Email Dionne at Thyroid UK for list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologists who will prescribe T3

Rash on face .(on previous post)....can be linked to hashimoto's

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SlowDragon. Interesting re face rash - I didn’t know that. I’ve got the list from Dionne, thank you. Guess I’m still hoping I can survive on levo alone but have been wondering about t3. Tillyxx