Hypothyroidism or something else?: I have nearly... - Thyroid UK

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Hypothyroidism or something else?

AProblemShared profile image
14 Replies

I have nearly all of the symptoms of hypothyroidism (even some of the more obscure ones e.g. eyebrow thinning in outer third) and it's really starting to have a detrimental impact on my life. Been to see my GP and an Endo who said my blood work is normal but it just doesn't feel right for the way I'm feeling. I'm wondering if it could be caused by my pituitary gland rather than thyroid so got a full suite of thyroid + vitamins + cortisol + ferritin + folate tests. They showed vit D deficiency and high cortisol and high CRP but thyroid tests all in normal range (albeit with free T4 at the very lower end of the range - it's dipped below the low end in previous tests). Any ideas of what this could all mean on aggregate? Issues with my thyroid/pituitary or just vit D deficiency?

I've attached a picture of my most recent test (Blue horizon).

Any advice would be much appreciated

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14 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

What’s your diet like?

Vegetarian or vegan?

Ferritin is very low.

Ask GP for full iron panel test for anaemia

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

irondisorders.org/Websites/...

Vitamin D clearly deficient

GP should prescribe 1600iu everyday for 6 months

Vitamin D

GP will often only prescribe to bring levels to 50nmol.

Some areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol

leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

NHS Guidelines on dose vitamin D required

ouh.nhs.uk/osteoporosis/use...

But with Hashimoto’s, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function. There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7

It’s trial and error what dose we need,

Calculator for working out dose you may need to bring level to 40ng/ml = 100nmol

grassrootshealth.net/projec...

Government recommends everyone supplement October to April

gov.uk/government/news/phe-...

Vit D, important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7?

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

B12 and folate work together. Folate on low side

Might want to consider supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid) may be beneficial.

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help maintain B12 levels too

Difference between folate and folic acid

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...

Only add one supplement at a time and then wait at least 2 weeks to assess before adding another

Come back with new post once you get full iron panel test results

Retest thyroid 6-8 weeks after adding last supplement

AProblemShared profile image
AProblemShared in reply to SlowDragon

Thanks for all the information. I'm not fully vegan or vegetarian but I do drink oat milk and have a lot of veggie/vegan meals (soups, bean chilli, salad etc). I do eat some meat but not much and very rarely have red meat. I tend to stick with chicken, white fish and tuna. I've now started taking vitamin D tablets as of this morning and I have a good complex vitamin B tablets in the house so will look to add those in in time.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to AProblemShared

Look at increasing iron rich foods too

Come back with new results in about 3 months

Marz profile image
Marz

How much VitD are you taking ?

AProblemShared profile image
AProblemShared in reply to Marz

25ug tablets once a day

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to AProblemShared

I don't think you are taking enough VitD. Which tablet are you taking ? VitD is fat soluble and there are gel capsules containing olive oil.

Based on your result above - a dose of 4500 iu's would be more appropriate. Then there are the co-factors- magnesium and VitK2-MK7 Re-test VitD at the end of winter.

grassrootshealth.net

vitamindcouncil.org

AProblemShared profile image
AProblemShared in reply to Marz

I'm taking a "high strength" vitamin D3 tablet which is 25ug and 500% NRV. The max dose is 1 tablet per day and it says not to go over that! Might speak to GP to see what they recommend

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to AProblemShared

I would not call that high-strength at 1000 iu's. The link I posted for you above explains the dose required based on results. There is also research there about the virus and VitD. I take 8000iu's at the moment. Not sure your GP will know much- from reading here since 2011 - they prescribe too little most of the time....

saffbaby123 profile image
saffbaby123

Have you had covid? These are remarkably similar symptoms to people who’ve had covid and were borderline hypothyroid before. Worth a check-or at least an antibody check.

AProblemShared profile image
AProblemShared in reply to saffbaby123

Not that I'm aware of. I haven't presented with any COVID symptoms (or been in contact with anyone who has) so have never had reason to be tested but there's alwasy a chance I've had it and been asymptomatic. What it is it about these results specifically that is similiar to people who've had COVID?

saffbaby123 profile image
saffbaby123 in reply to AProblemShared

I’m also a member of a long haul covid group. People started presenting with low folate and vit D results, then the talk turned to thyroid tests where previously people had not been thyroid sensitive before they’d had covid. Just worth a check I suppose. Many people are not presenting with the classic big three symptoms that the government is pushing, the thyroid stuff is interesting. I had covid early March, and it sent my previously stable thyroid into a tailspin. Always worth a check? X

AProblemShared profile image
AProblemShared in reply to saffbaby123

Interesting! Will definitely get tested to find out if I have had it and not known. If nothing else it would be useful to know this! Thanks for sharing the information

Jaybrooke profile image
Jaybrooke

My blood tests came back normal for years leading doctors and endocrinologists to dismiss thyroid disease . I had a long list of awful symptoms which were ignored saying , there’s nothing wrong with you , your imagining things , it’s all in your head and your just depressed. It took 19 years to get correct diagnosis of hashimotos, still no help except thyroxine which helped to a degree but I still felt so ill , after much research I decided to self medicate , thyrogold was my choice the difference in my life is amazing . Maybe a thyroid ultrasound would show some damage or inflammation .

AProblemShared profile image
AProblemShared in reply to Jaybrooke

Thanks, I did wonder about an ultrasound but I need a referral to be able to get one which is hard to come by when my doctor keeps saying "everything's normal"

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