Hypothyroid diet and recent results - cannot lo... - Thyroid UK

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Hypothyroid diet and recent results - cannot lose weight

Bellsonit profile image
19 Replies

Hi, I was wondering if you had any advice about an optimal diet for hypothyroid?

The reason I'm asking is since march I have gained 1 stone. Now this will be impacted by holiday and lockdown but in the last 2 months I have desperately been trying and on average I'm consuming 1200-1500 Kcals and it makes no difference. I also go spinning and average 1.5 hours per week. The weight is not budging at all.

Me and my GP discuss the TSH level every blood test and whilst he thinks I'm over prescribed has agreed I can stay at 150mg

My levels for the last few years are as follows

October 2020

At 8.40am - empty stomach and not taken dose (daily dose - 150mg Levothyroxine)

Tsh - 0.02 (range 0.3-5)

Serum free triiodothyronine 5.1 range 3.1-6.8

Ferratin - 60 (range 15-350)

Plasma - 1.95

Calcium - 2.22 (2.2-2.6)

Follicles stimulating hormone - 5.1 (1.7-12)

My blood viscosity was borderline too high also

March 20 (daily dose 150mg Levothyroxine)

Serum free triiodothyronine 4.9 range 3.1-6.8

TSH - 0.02 (range 0.3-5)

March 18 - 7.50

am empty stomach and not taken dose (daily dose - 150mg Levothyroxine)

Free T - 4.9 (3.1-6.8)

Tsh <0.02 (0.3-5)

Jan 17 (this result was when my meds were reduced to 125mg

- doc agreed to put them back up again)

free T3 is now 3.6 (range 3.1-6.8) and

TSH 0.17 (range 0.3 - 5.0) at 8.45am

Oct 16

(150mg Levothyroxine)

Free T3 6.7 and

TSH 0.02 at 11.45am

2015 -

(150mg Levothyroxine)

Free T 5.7,

TSH 0.02

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Bellsonit
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19 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

First step is to get FULL Thyroid and vitamin testing

As outlined in previous post

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Essential to regularly retest vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Also essential to know if cause of your hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine

Which brand

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking?

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)

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 vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)

medichecks.com/products/thy...

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 if go on thyroid uk for code

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

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

Come back with new post once you get vitamin and antibodies results

About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue to.

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply toSlowDragon

Thanks - i'm just looking at the tests now as all I was able to get on NHS was Ferratin so didn't know whether that indicated anything?

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBellsonit

Ferritin isn’t too bad

Aiming to maintain over 70

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/...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

Just vitamin D test

vitamindtest.org.uk

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply toSlowDragon

Thank you - I'm just costing up the tests now - looks like there is a good offer on at the moment on Thyroid UK :)

The only thing I'm worried about is some of them require a professional to draw the blood? I don't know if i can get someone to do this?

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBellsonit

Costs extra to get private blood draw...and obviously difficult in pandemic

Needs to be local to you to get test done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water

Thriva, Blue horizon and monitor my health are all DIY finger prick tests

Medichecks without folate is DIY too

Currently there’s a temporary shortage across U.K. on test reagent for folate test...so might not get done anyway

DIY finger prick test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply toSlowDragon

Thanks - just found out my sister can do it - (yep I sound stupid as she's an a&e nurse but i didn't realise she did bloods).

I'm trying to decide which is the best test - I've done a comparison and thinking either thriva or blue horizon gold is best.

But its whether cortisol and magnesium would be better than Thyroglobulin antibodies and vit B9???

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBellsonit

Medichecks including folate As likely cheap

They all include same tests

Medichecks And Thriva do Active B12

Blue horizon extras are cortisol (can be useful as guide) and magnesium

serum B12 rather than active B12

Samples of posts with results

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply toSlowDragon

Hi I don't know whether you can recommend but i wondered is it better to have cortisol, magnesium and serum B12 - included in Blue Horizon which I can get for 90 pounds

or Active B12, B9 and thyroglobin antibodies - Thriva which I can get for 64 pounds

I"ll be honest, I'm leaning towards cheaper

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBellsonit

Yes .....

Come back with new post once you get results

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply toSlowDragon

Also I do'nt take any vitamin supplements - however have been having protein shakes for meal replacements -

Typical ValuesPer 55 g Serving

Biotin (ug)15

Calcium (mg)333

Chromium (ug)34

Copper (mg)0.3

Folic Acid (mg)61

Iodine (mcg)45

Iron (mg)4.8

Magnesium (mg)113

Manganese (mg)0.6

Niacin (mg)5.4

Pantothenic Acid (mg)1.9

Phosphorus (mg)206

Potassium (mg)507

Selenium (ug)17

Vitamin A (ug)240

Vitamin B6 (mg)0.5

Vitamin B1 (mg)0.3

Vitamin B12 (mg)0.8

Vitamin B2 (mg)0.5

Vitamin C (mg)24

Vitamin D (ug)1.7

Vitamin E (mg)4

Zinc (mg)3

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBellsonit

Most protein shakes contain soya

We need to avoid ALL soya including soya lecithin

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

Definitely need to avoid any extra iodine too

Far better to eat unprocessed good quality protein and good fats and reasonably low carb

Not too low carb as that reduces conversion of Ft4 to Ft3

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply toSlowDragon

Wow I didn't know this about Soya! I started taking them as I was getting to the point where i wasn't eating because i was so busy at work and just wanted to try and get some nourishment - but to be fair they don't seem to have worked...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBellsonit

Also contains biotin, need to stop these a week before all blood tests

S2017 profile image
S2017

Hi,

I was not able to lose weight as well despite eating lower calories so can relate. Its not easy being on 1200-1500 calories for a stretch and not seeing any results.

I started experiencing tingling pains in my arm and my Dr noticed that my vit D levels were low, so he put me on a high strength vit D (40,000 IU/week) and in 2 months, I went down about 2 kgs!

I didn't know that vit D helps in fat metabolism and I was able to lose this weight without even doing anything different. I am now beginning to see how important vitamin levels are, so please do vitamin testing.

My vit D prescription for 7 weeks is finished now and I am beginning to see a decline again in myself despite taking low doses of vit D daily (ie 3,000IU). Aiming to get a blood test soon. Hope things get better for you soon.

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply toS2017

Amazing thanks thats really helpful to know. I'm just checking out Thriva / Medichecks / Blue Horizon now to see which is best - I'm kind of leading towards the cheaper one provider?...

S2017 profile image
S2017 in reply toBellsonit

If you can get this done via the Dr's then that's ideal. If not, then it will need to be these providers, I have not used them so far, so can't comment on that. If you have time, google up on vit D and leptin, may help give you some direction.

Bellsonit profile image
Bellsonit in reply toS2017

I'm having another test in 2 weeks but to check my blood viscosity - I wonder if they'll do my vit d at the same time?

S2017 profile image
S2017 in reply toBellsonit

I am not sure, but please try to push for this with your Dr. In event if it cant happen, then I would still go for private vit testing (inclu B12, folate & ferritin as well) as they are very important. The administrators are always recommending this and I am now beginning to realise how important they are.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

Ferratin - 60 (range 15-350) This is approx 13% of the way through the range

Your ferritin level is poor. Most of us feel at our best when ferritin is roughly mid-range or a little bit over. With the range you've given this would be about 180 - 210 or thereabouts.

Given that you want to lose weight you should read this reply and watch the video :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I don't think it is safe to supplement iron just on the basis of a ferritin test. I've given my reasons in the following link.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

And for info on iron supplements this post can be helpful.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

For info on optimal levels of iron :

rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...

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