Diet advice

[fi_ry]

I've recently been diagnosed with overactive thyroid (Graves' disease). I'm on medication (Carbimazole and propranalol). I've been advised not to take multivitamin supplements till my calcium numbers come down, but i take an iron supplement as I'm veggie.

I wondered if there are specific foods we're advised to eat / avoid? I asked my GP but they just said food isn't an issue. Just curious.

[PurpleNails Administrator]

Hello & welcome to the forum

There no food you need to avoid when hyper or taking carbimazole. I’ve taken it with food, coffee, supplements & other medications and it’s still worked well. The timing is more important than what it is taken with. Initially spacing the dose out 12 hourly eg 08.00 & 20.00 can be beneficial as it helps reduce the production more evenly. Taking 1 dose is totally safe but leaving a wider gap between doses might allow a window to start producing more hormone.

What are your symptoms, how long have you been on medication & what doses.

Was your Graves confirmed? as medics often treat all hyper as Graves without the right antibody evidence.

Do you have copies / access to your results. Share on here & we can advise further.

If you have very high calcium reading 2x or more ask for calcium, phosphate, PHT (parathyroid hormone) & vitamin D be tested together. It can be a marker for parathyroid issues. Which is located near thyroid but had a completely separate function (controlling calcium)

Many with Graves benefit from a gluten free diet, even if not coeliac.

[fi_ry in reply to PurpleNails]

This is extremely thoughtful thank you. Interesting what you say re gluten.

Graves was confirmred by antibody test. I understand my calcium is high because after thyroid has been high for a while it can break down bones (!) slightly and results in higher than usual calcium in the blood. so it is secondary to my thyroid condition and so i shouldnt take supplements till that settles.

I'm taking two tablets of cabrimazole so total 40mg, and taking both first thing in the morning as thats what i was told. I have another appt at the end of the month. I will certainly raise whether i should be spacing them out. i'll also ensure my next raft of tests includes those you mention.

thanks again.

[PurpleNails Administrator in reply to fi_ry]

Now I think back I had high & a further borderline high calcium at time of diagnosis and it has settled since. I had been hyper for long time but not at a very high level so it does make sense. I also took a multi as I didn’t have a lot of dairy (dairy used to give me a rash).

From what I’ve read on here calcium supplements are not recommended unless diagnosed with osteopenia and prescribed by doctor. Usually ensuring your vitamin D is an optimal level is a better approach. If you need to supplement there are also 2 important co factors when taking vitamin D3. K2(MK7) should be taken as any dietary calcium is then directed to your bones and teeth where you want it and away from blood vessels where you don't want it. Magnesium another important co factor there’s a lot of posts about it on here & which type is best.

A note about propranolol - propranolol is often intended to be temporary as it helps symptoms but doesn’t treat cause. My specialist told me to stop taking my 40mgX3 daily dose once I was in range. However it should always be reduced slowly when you don’t need it anymore. I still take low dose to prevent migraines which became severe when I stopped abruptly. Propranolol is known to have a mild anti thyroid affect and can lower FT3 so helpful when hyperthyroid. Long term propranolol use can affect magnesium.