Understanding of thyroid which my husband had and had been told he will get no better . Can diet help

[Matiz]

Is there a diet or any thing we can do is constantly tired on meds 75mg leveytheoxine

[Lora7again]

That is a low dose, my Dad who is 78 is on 100mcg of Levothyroxine because he is classed as elderly. Do you have some blood results to share with us? We need TSH, T4 and T3. Also your vitamin levels need to be optimal for the Levothyroxine to work so he needs to test B12, Iron and Ferritin, Vitamin D and Folate. Vitamins always seem to be low in people with thyroid disease and need to be supplemented.

[Treepie in reply to Lora7again]

At 74 I am on 150 mcg but not because of age. If over 65 when diagnosed the starting dose is low but increases after testing every 6-8 weeks until satisfactory.

[Lora7again in reply to Treepie]

Well my Dad's GP tells him he is on the correct dose I have questioned him and told him that I think he needs an increase but he won't listen to me just his GP. He also has COPD so is very breathless all the time and I think the low dose he is on might be contributing to it. He will not listen to me and thinks everything his Doctor says is correct so I cannot get him to change his mind. It is his health and his body and I cannot make him do anything because he says he feels well on that dose.

[fuchsia-pink]

Do you have his blood results, and perhaps more importantly in this context, key nutrients? [ ferritin, folate, vit D and B12]

Other than that, I would recommend good home-cooked food - with plenty of folate-rich veg, liver to boost low ferritin if he has this, and avoiding soy [restricts absorption of thyroid meds] and kelp [too much iodine]. Soy gets everywhere (including many brands of chocolate!) so you may want to start looking at labels. Good luck!

[Matiz in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Thank you very much will definitely be looking more closely when we shop

[greygoose in reply to Matiz]

Soy doesn't restrict absorption of thyroid 'meds'. It impedes the uptake of thyroid hormone by the cells, meaning that he can have good levels in the blood, but still be hypo because it's not getting into the cells. So, very important to avoid soy in all forms: soy flour, soy protein, soy oil, soy milk, etc.

He should also avoid artificial sweeteners and highly processed seed oils, like rapeseed oil.

[Treepie in reply to greygoose]

Might not be an issue in France but a recent report on big suppliers of wholemeal bread said that some contained undisclosed soy flour in small amounts.Various reasons were given which I forget but none seemed justifiable.

[greygoose in reply to Treepie]

No, it's not an issue in France, but I do know that it's almost impossible to buy bread in the UK that doesn't contain soy. If you look at the ingredients on most wrapped loaves, or ask at the counter, they will tell you, it all contains soy flour. I think the reason is it's cheap!

[Ellie-Louise in reply to greygoose]

What’s wrong with sweeteners?

Because I use Hermesetas myself, I’m 73 and on 75mcg levo.

[greygoose in reply to Ellie-Louise]

There are so many things wrong with sweeteners that I don't know where to begin! For one thing, they don't make you lose weight and can make you put more on. I'll see if I can find the article on it.

[Ellie-Louise in reply to greygoose]

I have been taking them for years because I found sugar too sweet, but I can’t abide tea or coffee without a little help.

I keep my weight on an even keel so don’t bother with diets.

[greygoose in reply to Ellie-Louise]

I would suggest you do some research into artificial sweeteners.

[DippyDame]

If you can post any lab test results ( including ranges) that you have then members will be able to offer advice. You are legally entitled to request copies from the surgery.

Many of us have private tests because those done by the NHS are far too limited....and basically not helpful

Info about private testing...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

In addition to TSH, FT4 and FT3 we need to test antibodies, folate, ferritin, vit B12 and Vit D...this gives the full picture.

Diet is not the answer (though in some cases of Hashimoto's a gluten free diet can help) but ensuring that the nutrients (above) are all at optimal level will support good thyroid function

75mcg is a low dose of thyroxine...how long has he been taking this dose. After 6 weeks he should have been retested and if appropriate the dose should be increased.

If he is undermedicated he will be "thyroid tired" which is more debilitating than

"normal tired"!

List of hypothyroidism symptoms...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Until we have more information it is difficult to understand why this medic has stated that "he will get no better". Has he offered no further advice?

Sadly many medics are clueless when it comes to thyroid disease which is why over 100,000 patients have arrived here desperately seeking help. A few years ago I was one of them... after my then GP ran out of ideas.. I'm now 74 and after discovering that I do not respond to thyroxine (long story on my profile) I am now well on my way to recovery on T3-only...so it's never too late!

Results first please ....then there will be lots of members here willing to offer advice

In the meantime I suggest you read previous posts on the forum which may help. Knowledge is power!

Good luck

DD

[Matiz in reply to DippyDame]

Thank you so much for all the information will definitely get the results from the gp he’s only on 75mg and has been ill for a year we seeing the gp this week will definitely post on here thank you so much makes you feel you not alone

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Matiz]

Matiz

Don't ask the GP for the results, they don't like it and are prone to just say "they're normal".

Ring the surgery and tell the receptionist you'd like a print out of the results (needs to be a print out, not hand written or verbal) so could she please arrange it and you'll be along in a day or two to pick it up.

[DippyDame in reply to Matiz]

You're not alone here, wrong diagnoses and treatments are familiar to most of us ....

You will receive better advice from experienced members here than from most qualified medics - I did!

Please keep us posted...your husband should feel much improved once he is properly diagnosed and medicated. Shame on that wretched GP!

Great advice from SeasideSusie, greygoose, SlowDragon and shaws they, amongst others here, helped dig me out of a deepening thyroid hole.

You and your husband have already turned a corner...

[shaws Administrator]

Whoever told your husband he wouldn't get better is very, very wrong.

He will always have hypothyroidism but slowly, with the right advice and dose, we can have normal health..

Please consult another doctor. It's bad enough to take advice from those who are 'supposed to be knowledgeable' but arent' and symptoms linger.

On this forum we have had to read, ask questions, read and absorb answers..

The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower (many doctors wont increase dose as they think the person is now hypERthyroid due to a low TSH. TSH means 'thyroid stimulating hormone' and the aim, once diagnosed is to be 1 or lower with a Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the ranges. Few GPs will test the 'frees'. but there are private labs that can do so. These are home finger pin-prick tests and you can get all of the tests if necessary.

Your husband also needs B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate to be tested as everything has to be optimal.

Can you give some background i.e. when diagnosed etc and it can be put in the 'profile' and members can read it if necessary without you repeating the same answers. When you click on a members' name, it takes you to another page and you can read the history of the members.

Hypothyroidism - once diagnosed is a life-long condition - but we have to read and learn so that we (ourselves) can be able to relieve the disabling symptoms.

First:-

Make sure body is well-hydrated a couple of days before blood draw.

All blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be at the very earliest (fasting) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levothyroxine and blood test and take it afterwards.

Always get a print-out of the blood test results for your own records and they should also have the ranges stated. Ranges are in brackets. The reason to ask for ranges is that labs differ in their machines and may result in different ranges. Ranges allow members to comment upon the dose/ranges.

Millions of patients are prescribed levothyroxine and it works well for them. A majority on this forum are here because they haven't improved and are very symptomatic. We should have small increases every six weeks until TSH is 1 or lower and the Free T4 and Free T3 should be towards the upper part of the ranges.

Levothyroxine is T4 - T4 is inactive and has to convert to T3 (liothyronine) and it is T3 which enables everything in our body to work, i.e. brain, heart and the millions of T3 receptor cells.

The NHS rarely test the Free T4 or Free T3 (these are different from T4 or T3 tests.

Thyroid hormones are required for our body to function from head to toe - heart and brain have the most T3 receptor cells.

Many doctors thnk if TSH is 'somewhere' in the range that patient is on sufficient and worry if it is low (i.e. 1 etc) due to the fact that the majority are poorly trained and think the patient is now hyPERthyroid - not the case. W e used to be diagnosed upon our clinical symptoms alone and prescribed.

B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate should be tested and ask GP to do these when next thyroid test is due (which should be every six weeks until patient feels well).

[SlowDragon Administrator]

First step is to get copies of existing results

Some background info as to why he’s on levothyroxine....eg had thyroid cancer? Or Thyroidectomy due to Graves’ disease

75mcg is tiny dose ...especially for a man. If been left a long time on inadequate dose of levothyroxine he will need to increase dose up slowly

NICE guidelines

nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145/...

1.3.6

Consider starting levothyroxine at a dosage of 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (rounded to the nearest 25 micrograms) for adults under 65 with primary hypothyroidism and no history of cardiovascular disease.

BMJ also clear on dose required

bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m41

Post on getting dose increased

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...