Recent blood test results. What’s the next step please?

[Noelnoel]

Folate 21.52ug/L (>5.38)

Ferritin 93.1ug/L (10.0-291.0)

B12 715ng/L (211.0-911.0)

D3 114.2nmol/L

TSH <0.03 (0.35-5.5)

FT3 6.4pmol/L (3.5-6.5)

FT4 20.2pmol/L (10.5-21.0)

These levels have been reached by experimenting with metavive over a period of about 3 years . I was prescribed it by Dr P for Hashimoto’s

There was a 12-15 hour break from metavive and a week’s break from all other supplements prior to testing

I know most of you don’t have any experience with metavive but I think the principal is the same, in that dosage can be tweaked either according to range or how one feels. With that in mind should I remain on the same dose or reduce it? I ask because after all those hours without metavive (12-15), FT3 and 4 are only just within range and I’m wondering, had I done the blood test on a day when I’d taken my normal split dose of three capsules, might I have been over range?!!

Any comments welcome, irrespective of metavive knowledge. I have an appt to see a new (to me anyway) naturopath because of Dr P’s retirement but I would also welcome any recommendations for one either in London or within a 40 mile radius of London. Be aware that recommendations can only be via private message please

Thank you all

[pennyannie]

Hello Noelnoel

Well with my limited knowledge I'd say these results " look pretty good " - but you haven't mentioned how you are feeling and this, in my opinion, is what it's all about.

How are you feeling now after this 3 year build of thyroid hormone replacement ?

[Noelnoel in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you pennyannie

I’ve developed the occasional horrendous headaches and my usually good bp is very high. I’m also sweating profusely during the day but mostly at night. It’s hard to know whether the sweat problem is due to menopause or being over-medicated (or should I say over-supplemented?) because I’ve been having flushes for 22 years which actually, had calmed a little

Overall though, I feel much better. Palpitations/irregular heartbeat have gone, I’ve have so much more energy, my concentration is improving and so is quality of sleep (except being woken by flushes). My mood and motivation is also better

But, given that my thyroid levels were so high after a break and taking into consideration the rise in bp and subsequent development of headaches (righty or wrongly I’m associating the two), I’m wondering whether to err on the side of caution and reduce the dose slightly. This means my Ft3 and 4 will also drop, which is fine because at the moment I have enough room for maneuvering, as long as it doesn’t fall too much

Do you agree?

[pennyannie in reply to Noelnoel]

Hey there :

Well, you have now talked through your situation and yes, I believe you have made the right decision and a slight drop in thyroid hormone medication is a first step, and since you are in the control seat, know to go slow and steady. It was a long build getting this well so now you may just need a little tweak in the thyroid hormone replacement.

I find that I feel better with high. slightly over range T3 ( dependant on timing of blood draw to dose ) but we are all different, and coming at this from different places and health issues.

I'm with Graves post RAI thyroid ablation in 2005 and now manage lingering Graves, thyroid eye disease and hypothyroidism. and self medicating with NDT for some two years now, and I too, finally, am starting to see my " old self ' again at 73 !!!

Just remember the blood tests, ranges and guidelines were introduced to be used alongside the synthetic T4 - Levothyroxine launched by Big Pharma to replace NDT and alternative " supplements " and I now dose myself to relieve symptoms of hypothyroidism and not a computer print out.

[Noelnoel in reply to pennyannie]

Very wise pennyannie and thank you for the encouragement. Well done to you too and if at 73 you’re feeling your old self again, that actually equates to feeling younger, if you think about it

[Hibs1]

Your levels of t3 and 4 look good to me at top of range?

[Noelnoel in reply to Hibs1]

Thank you Hibs1, it was just that I was wondering whether to continue on my usual dose or lower it slightly. Those very high levels I’ve achieved are through taking one metavive lV, 3x/day but prior to having the test, I stopped taking it for between 12 and 15 hours which means my blood levels of thyroid hormones were lower than on a normal day of taking the three doses. If that’s the case, then if I’d had the test after taking my normal dose, my point is, thyroid levels would have been over the range I believe, therefore suggesting I’m on too high a dose

I’ll be seeing someone next month but I wanted to hear the opinions of the knowledgeable folk on here, so thank you

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Noelnoel]

Those very high levels I’ve achieved are through taking one metavive lV, 3x/day but prior to having the test, I stopped taking it for between 12 and 15 hours which means my blood levels of thyroid hormones were lower than on a normal day of taking the three doses.

When on Metavive or NDT it's advised to leave 8-12 hours from last dose to blood draw, so it looks like you left a bit longer than that.

Also, the day before the blood draw the last dose should, if necessary, be timed to give that advised time gap.

As as you take 3 x 1 Metavive lV, the day before the test the first two would have been fine at their normal times but the third one should have been 8-12 hours before your test. That would give you the most accurate result.

So, what time did you take your doses the day before the test, and what time did you take your test?

[Noelnoel in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you SS, blood was taken at 8.45 but because I wake up all sorts of strange times, sometimes my first dose is at 7 and other days it could be 10am. Consequently, what time I take my morning dose governs when I take the second and third dose. This is why I say my final dose was somewhere between 12-15 hours before the test because I can’t actually remember the exact time

Sloppy I know but memory and concentration are poor, though I have to say, my concentration is slowly improving

[E_lizab8]

Hi Noel

I was diagnosed with hashi in 2009 (age 61) and was taking around 100/125 of Levo in 2018 when my endo refused to give me a trial of T3 and I decided to go it alone. I had been following this blog for a while and getting my vits and minerals etc at their best but I was still having quite a few symptoms so in May 2019 I started Metavive II. At first I took half my Levo dose and one Metavive per day (separately),and gradually reduced the levo and added in Metavive until by June I was taking two tabs of Metavive II, I continued on two for another month and noticed that my palpitations had disappeared and I fel more energetic but had the feeling that I needed more so added another tab on alternate days which seems to suit me. I feel much better than before and have no symptoms to speak of also my latest blood analysis was better for thyroid than any previous ones. I dont seem to absorb vit D well and am constantly low even though I supplement with 4000 daily,(drops),so every so often I take a week of very high dose vials. I have no results between these dates as I stopped going for tests and due to Covid have not had more analysis this year. I am glutenfree since 2012 and feel better as time passes.

Results;

May 2018 Jan 2020

TSH 2.21 mU/L(0.3-4.2) 0.48

FT4 1.32ng/dL(0.78-1.53) 1.01

FT3 2.46ng/L (2.1-4.4) 3.19

Iron 89ug/dL (50-170) 91

Transferrin 183mg/dL(200-360) 200

Saturation 38% (20-55) 36%

Ferritin 182ng/mL (10-120) 149

Folate >24 (>4) 16.54

Vit D 31.8ng/mL (30-100) 39.8

Vit B12 576pg/mL (206-678) not done

Forgot to mention my hot flashes have almost disappeared since I started back on HRT which doc told me to stop taking in 2015, I now take about half the esrlier dose. Sorry this is so long hope it helps somewhat.

[E_lizab8]

Sorry results not come out as I wrote them, last figures are for 2020

[Noelnoel in reply to E_lizab8]

Thank you for getting in touch E, it’s amazing to hear how well you’re doing on metavive. I think it’s a wonderful product and hope to be able to use it always

That’s a good suggestion, to take the higher dose on alternate days only; I’ll try that. Today I spilt a capsule and had half of it, so by the end of the day I will have had 2.5 capsules instead of my usual three

I don’t know which brand of vit d you’re taking but when I realised my levels were in my boots I started on Viridian liquid and would use it sublingually. It’s doesn’t direct you to do that but I thought I’d try it that way to see if I could raise my levels quickly. I don’t know if it was that or whether I just absorb well or if it’s just a great product, perhaps all three but within a short time my levels are around 115

Each 0.5ml delivers 2000IU. I took 1.5mls daily to get my levels up and now I take 1ml 3 or 4 times/wk. Seems to work for me

Can I ask, did a practitioner guide you through the metavive process or did you just experiment?

[E_lizab8 in reply to Noelnoel]

I just experimented. I live in Spain and NDT was struck off the drugs register some time ago so no way will docs help and my endo flatly refused to let me try even a very small dose of T3 which is available. I go by how I feel when its very hot here I tend to skip the afternoon capsule more often and when its cold maybe take an extra one or two a week, its difficult to get FT3 and FT4 results here on the spanish Nat Health so no other way to go.

[Noelnoel]

I should add that I’ve recently bought Metabolics d3 with k2. I kept reading that we ought to add k2 and decided to buy a combination product instead of taking a k2 capsule

Haven’t started it yet but if it works as well as the Viridian, it will work out at better value

[E_lizab8]

I take vit D drops on toungue 4000 IU daily, strong vit B complex(vitamaze), Selenium 200IU,Zinc 25mg,vit E 200IU and vit C 2000mg.

[E_lizab8]

Forgot also take K2, 200IU every three days.

[Noelnoel]

Well I’m not qualified to advise but I do know that by placing certain medications under the tongue (sublingual) they are absorbed directly into the blood stream. It’s a very potent and effective method

[reliablerebel]

I am on metavive11 - its quite easy to overmedicate on it, it seems to work quite well. I was on 3/day now on 2/day - will do bloods to see if i need to increase by a half. I was always told that when taking any medication containing T3 you should take the same amount each day - otherwise you are totally confusing your body. So taking a higher dose on alternative days would not be recommended. I would consider dropping your dose by one, and see if the headaches, high bp and sweating reduce. If so you have your answer. Good luck x

[Noelnoel in reply to reliablerebel]

Thank you rr

At the moment I’m taking a whole capsule in the morning and evening and then splitting a capsule and taking half for the afternoon dose. For my next order I’ll also buy a tub of met lll and take that in the afternoon instead of a split capsule

I’ve read that the same dose each day is important and I’ve also read that it doesn’t matter if you switch it around here and there (but not wildly) because a normal functioning gland does exactly that apparently. It secretes what the body needs (a normal gland) and on any given day the body’s needs vary and so does the level of hormones - according to what I’ve read

Who knows? I certainly don’t (hopefully some of the more knowledgeable folk on here can tell us) but I do know I feel better being higher in the range and finally, finally(!) my weight is coming off. At the moment around 6oz a day. Tiny I know but when one’s weight keeps increasing each passing day, any downward trend is greeted with glee.

Who knows how long this happy period will last but right now I’m enjoying a change of mood and hoping things don’t change too much because as we all know, they do change

[Blackpanther46]

Hi @Noelnoel can I pm you about the metavive ? I really can’t work out how to increase my dose etc

[Noelnoel in reply to Blackpanther46]

Hi Bp, a pm is fine

[Blackpanther46 in reply to Noelnoel]

Great thanks I will pm u