Any advice on a good multivitamin support

[FarmerDJ]

After RAI I take 125mcg levo which seems to be balanced out, my energy levels and physical capabilities are not the same as before. I'm due for another blood test soon but wondered if there's a multivitamin to help keep me optimal. I've seen that i can get a discount using a Thyroid UK discount code and could use some help on which to order.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

FarmerDJ

There simply isn't a good multivitamin, despite what all the advertising bumpf tells you.

Multis tend to contain the cheapest and least absorbable of ingredients, often in the wrong forms. They tend to contain doses too small to be of any help where levels are low. They also often contain things we need to be tested for and only supplement if deficient, e.g. iron, Vit D, calcium, iodine. If they contain iron then that affects absorption of everything else.

Always advised here is to test the core nutrients, find your levels and if any are low or deficient then you supplement those at the correct dose. Tests needed are:

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

Come back with results, include reference ranges and units of measurement for Vit D and B12, and we will help.

[FarmerDJ in reply to SeasideSusie]

Lovely, I thought it was too good to be true as is often the case. I'll get my blood test booked in and see what comes back, its usually ferritin deficient. Thanks for the advise.

[Hidden]

Most on forum believe there's no good multivitamin, but there is one. It's a concentrated B & C vitamins only - Orovite tablets, used to be by prescription only.

The ONLY vitamin I've ever taken that proved to be quite miraculous.

From being scarcely able to walk to being the fittest I'd been in 2-3 years. Recommended to me by my GP believe it or not.

You only need 1 week's supply. If that doesn't work, it probably never will.

Failing that and based upon your symptoms, then you're taking the wrong medicine. After RAI, Levothyroxine is unlikely to get you well, you need NDT.

Sounds similar to what I experienced after RAI in 2005.

[FarmerDJ in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, I'll talk to my GP after my next blood test. I feel like I've aged 10 years in 6 months. Putting on weight during lockdown hasn't helped much but it's not coming off now I'm back at work either. Hopefully something shows up in my bloods that can be easily corrected as I can't stand feeling so exhausted all the time.

[pennyannie]

Hello FarmerDJ

Looking back at your previous posts can I just add that after RAI it can take years for the gland to totally burn out, and once it does you may find T4 - Levothyroxine not " doing it for you " like it did before.

A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with approximately 100 T4 + 10 T3, and I read T3 is about 4 times more powerful than T4 and the average person uses about 50 T3 daily just to function.

I just think it makes sense that if there has been a medical intervention and the thyroid either surgically removed or ablated with RAI that both these vital hormones be on the patients prescription for if, and probably when, they will both be needed to reinstate hormonal balance of T3 and T4 and restore levels high enough back up the range to patient satisfaction and return some quality of life, as surely that is part of the job spec, isn't it.

I had RAI back in 2005 and just wish I knew then what I do now as I would have stayed on the AT drugs long time.

Having found no help with my symptoms which all started to appear about 8 years after RAI and having been first refused a T3 blood test, and then refused a trial of T3, I am now self medicating and have my life back thanks in the most part to this amazing website, and the efforts of Elaine Moore who went before us, and researched herself and has now several books and a website dedicated to Graves Disease and AI health issues.

[FarmerDJ]

1 week after my RAI i was having trouble coordinating when walking so I went to see the specialist that did it. He said, 'oh no it's far to early for it to be working just yet ' and he sent me on my way. I called the specialist that referred me and managed to get a blood test done straight away. Within a few day I got a call with an emergency prescription of 150mcg levo. He said he'd never met someone with a zero reading before. Good job I pushed for the blood test early as my thyroid had well and truly died. T3 is next to impossible to get tested on the NHS and I cant believe they find no evidence of it being beneficial...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to FarmerDJ]

Strongly recommend getting FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done privately

Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine

Which brand

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)

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 antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Thriva also offer just vitamin testing

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

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

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

Also vitamin D available as separate test via MMH

Or alternative Vitamin D NHS postal kit

vitamindtest.org.uk

Come back with new post once you get results