Results are in!

[Shazy-B]

Hi everyone I’ve finally managed to get my bloods done with Thriva....decided to take things into my own hands as my GP was less than helpful! Any help interpreting them would be very welcome. Please see my previous posts regarding high TSH/overmedicated and anxiety. I am now back on 100mcg daily of Levo for the past 4 weeks so hopefully my TSH will come down soon.

[Shazy-B]

My B12 was 90.8 pmol/L (37.5-188) normal

[Lora7again]

The TSH is a pituitary gland hormone and it is the T4 and T3 that really counts. I know doctors are fixated by the TSH but once you start taking Levothyroxine it means nothing. Just to add your TSH is too high (I know it doesn't mean anything btw) and needs to be 1 or even lower. I think you need an increase of 25mcg.

[Shazy-B in reply to Lora7again]

My TSH was 0.25 a couple of months ago on 100mcg and my GP decided it was too low so reduced to 75mcg, I put myself back on 100mcg 4 weeks ago as my TSH has gone up to 2.1 she agreed to keep me on 100mcg. I’m hoping it will come back down again within the next couple of weeks

[Lora7again in reply to Shazy-B]

Most doctors go by the TSH unfortunately and mine means nothing. I think you might need a further increase of 25mcg after you have had a blood test in 4 - 6 weeks to check your T4 and T3. Your vitamin D could be higher and I use the BetterYou vitamin D spray every day which is easily absorbed on your tongue.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Folate is deficient

No B12 result?

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-...

Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid.

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

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...

Vitamin D is too low

Are you currently taking any 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, with hashimoto’s we frequently need higher dose than average

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-...

With your Vit D, are you also taking it's 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...

[Shazy-B in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SlowDragon my B12 was 90.8 pmol/L (37.5-188)

Do these results indicate that I’m converting T3 effectively?

I was folate deficient this time last year too, I was prescribed folic acid 5mg for 4 months which brought it up to “normal” levels...so this seems to be an ongoing issue. I’m convinced it’s because I’ve had my gallbladder removed but not sure really.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Shazy-B]

Poor gut absorption is almost inevitable when hypothyroid, due to low stomach acid

Vitamin levels will almost certainly have dropped when levothyroxine was reduced

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Suggest you work on improving low vitamin levels and retest Thyroid levels again in another 8 weeks time

GP should never have reduced dose based just based on TSH. Always insist on FULL testing including vitamins before ever agreeing to dose reduction