Hi all ,some advice please. Just had a telephone consultation with my endo and as I have developed seborrhoeic dermatitis, I believe I am selenium deficient and I suggested eating 2 Brazil nuts per day but he said that it cannot be guaranteed that I would absorb enough selenium to correct the deficiency. He has suggested I take 200mcg twice daily and pointed me to Holland and Barrett as a source of these. Any thoughts regarding this as don't want to take something that might potentially do me more harm than good. I also know that selenium is vital for conversion of T4 to T3 and just want to try and do whatever I can to improve my conversion. Not happy about the fact that my latest results haven't prompted him to increase my levo as currently on 75mcg but TSH was at 15 (0.35 - 5.50) and T4 at 16.0 (10.0 - 20.0) on 02/10/20 but no T3 test done. Wants me to have next bloods done mid-January at the hospital so he can make sure T3 is tested. My depression is not lifting and maybe hopefully the selenium may improve my conversion and I might start to feel better (everything crossed).
Any advice or thoughts from anyone would be greatly appreciated as I'm really dreading the long, freezing cold, winter months because I feel the cold so much.
Looking forward to reading any and all posts regarding this, sorry post so long, just feel I need my support from fellow sufferers.
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sobs1962
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I would get a cheap TSH, fT3, fT4 test done soon so that you know whether or not your high TSH is due to low fT3. Selenium deficiency can reduce deiodinase and this will be refeflected in a high TSH as the pituitary relies on type-2 deiodinase to convert T4 to T3.
If fT3 is normal then there is some other reason for your high TSH.
I suggested eating 2 Brazil nuts per day but he said that it cannot be guaranteed that I would absorb enough selenium to correct the deficiency.
He is correct. For nuts to contain selenium and they have to have been grown in selenium rich soil. Then it depends in which area the nuts were grown in because the amount of selenium in soil varies. Eastern Amazon and Central Brazil have the highest amounts, see
One member has said that M&S Natural Brazil Nuts say "harvested by hand in the Amazon forest and naturally high in selenium".
Also, check out Aldi's "The Foodie Market" Brazil nuts, the packaging is said to show selenium content as 79mcg per 30g serving.
Another one is 'My Garden of Eden' Brazil nuts from Home Bargains.. They say "High in Selenium and high in vitamin E" on the front of the packet and the Nutritional Information says "one serving (25g) gives 63ug of Selenium".
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If buying a selenium supplement, look carefully at the label. Best absorbable forms are selenium l-selenomethionine and yeast bound selenium. Forms to be avoided are selenite and selenate.
Thanks for that, will have a look regarding the blood tests but unfortunately can't guarantee that knowing the FT3 result will change their minds.
Have been supplementing with:-
Igennus Super B Complex
Better You Vit D + K2
Natural Vitality (Calm) magnesium supplement
Ashwagandha 800mg twice daily.
All of these were recommended by yourself I believe, except the ashwagandha which to be fair has helped with my menopausal symptoms and considerably reduced my stress levels.
Still taking Propranolol at 10mg twice daily but endo seems to think that low a dose shouldn't interfere with my conversion but we're all different,so who knows,they're only interested in blood test results and what they consider to be "normal" just a pity they didn't do ALL the right tests.
I think will probably have to pay to get vit d,folate, ferritin and b12 tested again as I can't see the NHS doing those unless they think it's absolutely necessary and they won't.
I have been trying to avoid gluten but not on gluten free diet as genuinely don't believe it's a problem as have no symptoms of gluten intolerance. As far as Propranolol is concerned went back on them in June and have now managed to reduce from 10 mg, 4 times daily to 10mg twice daily and intend to stay on this dose and take it down to 1 10mg tablet split into halves and quarters until eventually coming off all together hopefully in the next 6-9 months.
As far as stopping taking vitamin b complex a week before blood tests,I was not aware of this but will make sure I follow this rule before any future blood tests. Thanks again.
My heart goes out to you with a TSH of 15. You must feel awful. Is this because they took you off Levo ( your previous post 3 mnths ago). I would ask again for a dose increase and maybe put the request in writing. I’m so relieved that I can afford to medicate myself ( atm anyway). Keep in touch with us x
Thanks for that, I'm really starting to despair about the standard of treatment for thyroid disorders, both hypo and hyper, the doctors seem to fail to realise how ill they make us feel and worse than that, they genuinely don't seem to care. I've decided to get a lower dose selenium supplement and see how I get on and increase if I feel it is necessary. I feel like pointing out to the doctors what is says in the hippocratic oath, " I will never knowingly do any harm to my patients" Thanks again for your support.
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My latest blood results
Selenium 
Selenium and T4 to T3 conversion....
How to improve low conversion of T3
Latest blood tests - low T3 
