Help with my blood results

[Ahoyyou]

Hi my 1st time for posting so sorry if I ramble. I previously had hasitmotos started 2015, I was put on block and replace for 2 years then medication stopped as levels were good, I now have been diagnosed again with aquired hashimoto's in march this year ( photo of my 1st blood test) placed on 50mcg aday, now on 100mcg aday, my recent blood test are tft 3.1 t3 4.6 and t4 16.1 and I am on vitamin d replacement. I have a gp telephone appointment this week and feel that my medication needs to be increased as still having symptoms.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Ahoyyou

How much Vit D supplement are you taking? Is it prescribed?

B12 and folate are a bit low. B12 is recommended to be at least 550pg/ml (which is the same as ng/L) 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."

and folate should be at least half way through range.

A good B Complex such as Thorne Basic B or Igennus Super B would improve levels of both B12 and folate.

Ferritin is low and should be half way through range. You can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet

apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

As those results are from March this year, unless you've addressed them they wont have improved. Poor nutrient levels are common with Hashi's and optimising all of these can help your thyroid hormone to work better so you should be working on all those as well as Vit D.

tft 3.1 t3 4.6 and t4 16.1

Presumably you mean:

TSH: 3.1

FT3: 4.6

FT4 16.1

(Always include reference ranges when posting results, they may have changed from your original print out.)

If so then your TSH is too high and you need an increase in your dose of Levo, 25mcg now and retest in 6-8 weeks. The aim of a treated Hypo patient on Levo, generally, is for TSH to be 1 or below with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well.

[Ahoyyou in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thankyou

My gp hasn't addressed my nutrient level and I didnt address them either as had no fight in me.I am on vitamin d replacement 20,000IU once a week for seven weeks then once a month.

Yes the reference ranges are the same as in the photo.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Ahoyyou]

Ahoyyou

GPs tend to only do something when nutrient levels are below range, they have no idea about optimal levels so if it's in range it's perfect in their eyes.

For your Vit D you are on loading doses (which total 280,000-300,000iu over a number of weeks). When your loading doses have finished, ask your GP to check your level. Chances are he will refuse (they say it's an expensive test). However, it's essential to know your level because your follow on dose relies on it. So if you GP wont retest then you should do this yourself with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:

vitamindtest.org.uk/

When you have your new level in a few weeks' time, come back for further guidance on what to change your dose to and what to buy as it's very likely your GP may not prescribe after the loading doses, and if he does it will be too little.

The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L so that should be your aim. Once you've reached that 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.

As you have Hashi's you may wish to try an oral spray, eg BetterYou, as this is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the oral cavity so bypasses the gut. Some Hashi's patients also do well with an oil based softgel such as Doctor's Best.

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

As you have Hashi's, are you strictly gluten free? Some Hashi's patients find this helps although there is no guarantee.

Gluten contains gliadin (a protein) which is thought to trigger autoimmune attacks so eliminating gluten can help reduce these attacks.

You don't need to be gluten sensitive or have Coeliac disease for a gluten free diet to help.

Gluten/thyroid connection: chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/h...

hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...

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

Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily is said to help reduce the antibodies, as can keeping TSH suppressed.

You should also consider the B Complex to help your B12 and Folate levels.

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.

Also, incorporate those iron rich foods in your diet.