Folate levels dropping despite supplements... - Thyroid UK

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Folate levels dropping despite supplements...

Travelling922 profile image
7 Replies

Hi all!

Just got copies of all my bloods prior to a private endo appt this Saturday... Other than my TSH and T4 which i already knew were not okay my folate levels seem to have started decreasing again...

Back in Jan prior to treatment folate levels were only 2.5 (3-26) I was put on a 4 month course of 5mg folic acid tabs. Retested in April levels were >20. The bloods I had last week show levels have dropped to 12 despite taking a 400microgram supplement everyday! Surely the levels should have come back higher than 12?

Thanks x

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Travelling922
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SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Important to regularly retest vitamin D and ferritin levels too

What were these results?

Many thyroid patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid.

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

Supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in not folic acid may be beneficial.

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

Igennus Super B is good quality and cheap vitamin B complex. Contains folate. Full dose is two tablets per day. Many/most people may only need one tablet per day. Certainly only start on one per day (or even half tablet per day for first couple of weeks)

Or Thorne Basic B or jarrow B-right are other options that contain folate, but both are large capsules

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water

Travelling922 profile image
Travelling922 in reply toSlowDragon

Do you think I should be asking for a gastro referral?

Vit D results low initially;

January 59 (>75)

June 89 (>75)

Ferritin January 2.97 (2-3.6)

Also iron was low but they didn't tell me...

January serum iron 12 (13-32)

I take a 7mg iron tab daily so odd it was low

Thanks x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toTravelling922

Do you have any gut symptoms?

Obviously gluten intolerance is EXTREMELY common with Hashimoto’s

Have you had coeliac blood test?

Getting ultrasound scan of thyroid can help diagnose Hashimoto’s or Ord’s Thyroiditis

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...

Travelling922 profile image
Travelling922 in reply toSlowDragon

Yes I have had a lot of bloating in the last 6 months or so. Struggle with pastry/rich foods, makes me feel nauseous. Coeliac test came back negative in January, there is a family history there. GP suggested a H Pylori test but the lab isn't doing them at the moment due to Covid.

Thanks x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toTravelling922

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

Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/296...

The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/300...

The obtained results suggest that the gluten-free diet may bring clinical benefits to women with autoimmune thyroid disease

nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/up...

In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned

restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...

Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.

Why gluten intolerance can upset cortisol levels

kalishinstitute.com/blog/gl...

Travelling922 profile image
Travelling922 in reply toSlowDragon

Thank you! Its a mine field isn't it... Just seems to be one thing after another at the moment. I'm hoping tomorrows appointment with the endocrinologist goes well so I can start moving in the right direction x

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toTravelling922

Well trying strictly gluten free diet is something that’s completely under your control to try

H pylori more common when hypothyroid

hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

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