Thyriod Supplements

[yolobrass]

Has anyone taken Thyroid supplements to boast fatigue and weights loss?

[fuchsia-pink]

Welcome to the forum.

Lots of us on here take supplements to boost key nutrients - ferritn, folate, vit D and B12 - as thyroid meds work best when these are optimum. That should then help with fatigue, which is a classic hypo symptom. Equally, I for one have found it impossible to lose weight until my meds are right and nutrients good.

Do you have any recent blood tests to share - thyroid and nutrients - so the lovely people here can advise on what if anything needs improving?

[yolobrass in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Thank you so much for your reply. I feel a little hopeful.

I'm 42 years old and getting really upset my GP isn't listening to me.

2003 I was diagnosed with Graves, after 2 years I opted for the Radio Active Iodine treatment which killed my Thyroid. Since then i'm taking Levothyroxine (125mg).

I'm sick of tired of feeling tired, bloated, brain fog, Weight gain (when I try everything to lose it with no luck)-mood swings, I feel in inflamed, tummy gets swollen.

I think im now very fed and looking for other ways to help me and hopefully on here I will find a way! I just want to feel normal. I've read up on taking T3 but it not recommended.

My bloods -

TSH -0.04

T4 - 19.4

T3 -5.3

- I was looking to taking a thyroid supplement by 1body.

-Looking into seeing a private nutritionist that have lots of experience in autoimmune diseases.

If anyone can help or advise, I would be really grateful and the Nutritionist aren't cheap!!

Thank you

[yolobrass in reply to yolobrass]

are these supplements any good:

amazon.co.uk/Body-Thyroid-S...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to yolobrass]

No ....never take anything called Thyroid support

this contains kelp and iodine...both likely to make anyone on levothyroxine worse

[yolobrass in reply to SlowDragon]

Noted. Thank you

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to yolobrass]

Yolobrass

No, no, no, no, no - just don't!

Anything that says "thyroid support" tends to contain iodine and that's something we Hypos don't need unless tested and found to be deficienct, then we should only supplement under the guidance of an experienced practioner as there is a protocol when supplementing with iodine. Iodine solution used to be used to treat overactive thyroid before modern day radioactive iodine so it can make hypothyroidism worse, and it's particularly contraindicated when Hashi's is present.

That supplement contains:

Iodine - 150mcg

It also contains kelp with is another form of iodine.

150mcg iodine is the recommended daily amount and here in the UK this is easily available from every day foods - milk, yogurt, white fish, scampi, etc.

It also contains Ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb which is known to lower cortisol, so again you'd need to know your cortisol level.

If you want any kind of "support" then test the core nutrients - Vit D, 12, Folate and Ferritin - and if necessary get these to optimal levels.

TSH -0.04

T4 - 19.4

T3 -5.3

Do you have the ranges for these results (on a print out they would be at the side of the result, possibly in brackets). At first glance they don't look too bad but we'd need to see the ranges as these vary from lab to lab.

Are you on any thyroid hormone replacement? If so, how much?

[yolobrass in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much for all your advice on here. I will ask my GP to do a Vitamin blood work and re-post on here. I'm only taking 125mg per day of Levothyroxine.

Would taking TIROMEL help me?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to yolobrass]

yolobrass

Would taking TIROMEL help me?

Impossible to say until we have reference ranges for your test results to see how well you convert T4 to T3, and then what your nutrient levels are as deficiencies and low levels mean that thyroid hormone can't work properly so they would need addressing in the first instance.

[yolobrass in reply to SeasideSusie]

What test is available to see if im converting T4>T3?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to yolobrass]

Yolobrass

You can see fromthe TSH, FT4 and FT3 all being tested at the same time, this is why I asked you to give the reference ranges for your results.

[yolobrass in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you - I'll post again once I get my Vit blood work done. Thank you so much.

[Polly91 in reply to yolobrass]

I was going to recommend my naturopathic Practitioner but he uses iodine as a key part of the treatment and it has been very effective for me.

However I know many people would not go anywhere near iodine supplementation.

Wishing you all the best

[yolobrass in reply to Polly91]

Thank you. Please could you DM me with his/her details?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You are likely to be low in certain key vitamins

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with Graves’ disease

Ask GP to test vitamin levels

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)

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays

Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Many Graves patients also find strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential

Getting vitamin levels tested and optimal is first step

Trying GF diet

But frequently after TT many patients will need the addition of small dose of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine

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

thyroiduk.org/contact-us/

Come back with new post once you get results and members can advise on next steps

[greygoose]

TSH -0.04

T4 - 19.4

T3 -5.3

Those results aren't complete because you haven't put in the ranges. Results without ranges are meaningless because ranges vary from lab to lab.

I see SeasideSusie has asked you several times to add the ranges, and you just ignore the question. Is this because you don't understand the question? A result with a range would look something like this:

TSH 00.04 (0.2-4.5)

Do you have anything like that on the print-out of your results? I know that they can vary a lot in their layout, but it will look something like that. It really is impossible to give any intelligent replies on the subject of your blood tests without the ranges, I'm afraid.

[yolobrass in reply to greygoose]

Hello.

Thank you for coming back to me. I clearly didn’t understand the question.

Since then I’ve got a printout for my GP regarding my blood results this week.

TSH - 0.04 miu/L (0.35-4.78

T4 -19.4 pmol/ L ( 10.0 - 20.0

T3 - 5.3 pmol/L ( 3.5 - 6.5)

Vitamin D - 60nmol/L ( 75.0-200)

That’s all in have at the moment.

Thank you

[greygoose in reply to yolobrass]

OK, so your FT4 is right at the top of the range, and your FT3 only just over mid-range. So, your conversion is not brilliant.

Conversion can be affected by low nutrients - vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin - so it would be a good idea to get those tested and supplement where necessary to optimise them. That will do you far more good than one of these expensive, so-called thyroid 'support' supplements, full of things that do more harm than good. And, if you need help with that, just pose your blood test results and ranges on here, and people will be happy to tell you what you need.

[yolobrass in reply to greygoose]

Hello.

I finally got my nutrition bloods done.

Vit D - 60 nmol ( 75.0- 200)

B12 - 241 ngl ( 200-900)

Ferritin 91 ugl (15.0- 250)

Folate 13.5 ugl ( 2.0-17.0)

I guess my vitamin D is low. Is it worth me taking all supplements and selenium/ magnesium?

Possible a little T3 ???

[greygoose in reply to yolobrass]

If I were you, I'd start a new post with these results. Your vit D and B12 are terrible! Your vit d needs loading doses, so you should see your doctor about that. Your B12 is so low that you ought to be tested for Pernicious Anemia. So, you need to see your doctor about that, too. Don't just supplement anything until you've seen your doctor. But, it's not just 'worth it', it's an absolute necessity to get these deficiencies seen to. And, you need to raise these levels before thinking about T3.

[tattybogle]

Are you in UK ?

[yolobrass in reply to tattybogle]

Yes UK based.

[yolobrass]

Brilliant advise, just what I needed to here someone that’s knows what they’re talking about.

Once I get the vitamins bloods results I will be posting on here.

Thanks everyone