Hypo and Medical Menopause

[AliTai]

I had a TT 28 years ago when I was 24 due to cancer, since then I’ve been on between 125 - 175mg levo daily. I recently had to have a hysterectomy including the removal of my ovaries sending me instantly into a medical menopause. I’m having real issues dealing with the additional symptoms as they are manifesting as joint and bone pain (let’s face it, if you are hypo brain fogs, hot flushes and most of the other symptoms of menopause are basically a way of life) I’m wondering if there’s any supplements that can be suggested to help ease this pain as it is driving me insane at the moment.

Thanks everyone in advance for your help 😊

[Jazzw]

Many hormones work together in synergy and oestrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormone are no exception.

I think I’d start by checking that my thyroid hormone levels were optimal. The change in oestrogen/progesterone etc could well have affected how much thyroxine you now need.

Have you been offered any kind of HRT?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Are you in the U.K.

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Obviously need full thyroid and vitamin testing done before starting any supplements

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after constant unchanging dose and brand of levothyroxine

What brand levothyroxine are you currently taking

Do you always get same brand

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

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)

Is this how you do your tests?

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 antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

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 down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

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

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

Also vitamin D available as separate test via MMH

Or alternative Vitamin D NHS postal kit

vitamindtest.org.uk

[AliTai in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi Slow Dragon,

Yes I am in the UK and although my endo is not particularly great (mostly because they keep changing at my hospital) my doctor does listen when I ask him to include specific items in my blood test so my latest test results are below (I also always follow the advise to take the test 1st thing in the morning and then take my thyroxine later in the day) I always use the same brand levo since as I have issues with some of them. My TSH is incredibly low but that is because I can’t function when it’s higher and the endo that I had for 20 years realised this early on and okayed my level to be so suppressed