Supplement timing

[Flowerpot108]

Hey just wanted to check in on timing the following supplements and if you would add any others in or increase the amount.

I take 150mg of Levothyroxine in the morning an hour before anything but water.

I eat a gluten free diet and am careful about cross contamination. Sadly disnt get tested before cutting out but I reckon I must be coeliac now because of how sensitive I am and how bad the reaction is.

I also recently cut out dairy again because it makes it psoriasis go away so I reckon eating it increases inflammation. It disnt seem to make me have any additional hashis symptoms but better safe than sorry.

I eat a varied diet with plenty of meat and fish, but I used to be vegan so I dont think that helped!

***With breakfast***

- vitamin B complex from boots

- Ashwaganda from Vito (500mg with min 36mg of withanolides)

- Zinc citrate 30mg from Solgar

- Selinium 220ug from health4all

- Calcium 800ug with vitamin D3 10ug &K 75ug

***With lunch at least 4 hours later***

- Vitamin C 100mg from Solgar

- Iron 14mg from boots

***With supper at least 4 hours later***

- Magnesium malate (the best one for me) 1,300mg but actually it asks you to take 2 and I only take 1 so 650mg but amount per serving is 200mg so 100mg? Very confusing haha. From Natures Life.

- Evening primrose oil 1,000mg with omega 6 as GLA 80mg and Vitamin E 10mg from waitrose

[greygoose]

***With breakfast***

- vitamin B complex from boots

- Ashwaganda from Vito (500mg with min 36mg of withanolides)

- Zinc citrate 30mg from Solgar

- Selinium 220ug from health4all

- Calcium 800ug with vitamin D3 10ug &K 75ug

How long long after taking your levo is breakfast? Because all of these should be at least two hours away from levo - calcium and vit D four hours away.

* does your B complex contain methylcobalamine or cyanocobalamin? Methylfolate or folic acid?

* beware of ashwagandha, it can lower cortisol. Have you had your cortisol tested?

* did you get your zinc and copper tested before supplementing? These two need to be kept balanced, but when you're hypo, you tend to be high in one and low in the other. Best to know which is high before supplementing.

* why are you taking calcium? Taking vit D increases absorption of calcium from food, so unless you've tested very low in calcium, it's not necessary to take calcium as well. Calcium supplements are not a good idea unless you really can't avoid them.

It might be a better idea to take your vit D in the evening, with your magnesium. I doubt 100 mg is enough magnesium.

[Flowerpot108 in reply to greygoose]

Ah ok so I used to take vit c and iron at lunch and the rest at supper so I'll go back to doing that.

B complex contains methylcobalamine and folic acid - is that bad?

* beware of ashwagandha, it can lower cortisol. Have you had your cortisol tested? - I haven't had my cortisol tested but I've read really good things about it in relation to Hashimotos. Dr Western Childs and Dr Wentz both reccomend it and there are annicdotes about it on the web. Stress was the "root cause" of my condition so I'm hoping it can help with that. I've been feeling a bit rough and today is the first day I took it and I felt better.

* did you get your zinc and copper tested before supplementing? These two need to be kept balanced, but when you're hypo, you tend to be high in one and low in the other. Best to know which is high before supplementing. - hmmm no I didn't, where can one get these things tested?

* why are you taking calcium? Taking vit D increases absorption of calcium from food, so unless you've tested very low in calcium, it's not necessary to take calcium as well. Calcium supplements are not a good idea unless you really can't avoid them. - because I'm not consuming dairy I thought it was probably a good idea.

It might be a better idea to take your vit D in the evening, with your magnesium. I doubt 100 mg is enough magnesium - om thanks! If I go back to only taking iron and Vit C at lunch and the rest as supper that should sort this. And I'll make sure to take the full dose of magnesium.

[greygoose in reply to Flowerpot108]

B complex contains methylcobalamine and folic acid - is that bad?

Folic acid is synthetic folate. Methylfolate is better absorbed.

because I'm not consuming dairy I thought it was probably a good idea.

Dairy is not the only food that contains calcium. A lot of veggies contain it. But, no. Calcium supplements are not a good idea. There are several articles on that subject on my profile.

If I go back to only taking iron and Vit C at lunch and the rest as supper that should sort this.

Um, not really, no. Because you should not take magnesium and zinc at the same time. They need to be two hours away from each other. And, you can't take zinc with iron, either. But, you could take the magnesium at bedtime, away from everything.

[Flowerpot108 in reply to greygoose]

Two hours away gotcha. So Zinc at supper and magnesium at bed time.

Will read your info on calcium

[Flowerpot108 in reply to greygoose]

Ooo ok I just read one of the articles on calcium and am officially scared. I've only take 3 tablets 😅 so if I stop now I should be fine.

I'll continue with the B complex I have just cuz money. But then once finished I'll get a better one.

[greygoose in reply to Flowerpot108]

Sounds like a plan.

[Flowerpot108 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for your help as usual!! 💕

[greygoose in reply to Flowerpot108]

You're very welcome.

[SarahBa in reply to greygoose]

greygoose Would you mind very kindly replying to this post with a link re your concerns with calcium supplements. I looked on your profile and there is a lot of helpful information there but I couldn't see the article or where you post with your concerns re calcium supplements - thank you.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Sound advice. Important to leave a gap of one or two hours between magnesium and calcium as they have the same receptors.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Two hours, I would say, to be sure. But, not a good idea to take calcium, anyway, As I have been explaining.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Indeed. Have just confirmed your view to OP. No No No

[Pepekins in reply to greygoose]

Hello You are probably right but I have never been informed by the endo to leave any time after taking the levo, before having tea or breakfast for that matter. So although I might have tea soon after taking the levo, it does not seem to make any difference. Is it that the levo will not be absorbed properly if anything other than water is consumed soon afterwards? Thanks for info.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

flowerpot108

Have you got any current nutrient test results to know that you need these supplements?

All supplements should be taken 2 hours away from Levo with some needing 4 hours (calcium, iron, magnesium, Vit D).

vitamin B complex from boots

There are much better brands.

- Ashwaganda from Vito (500mg with min 36mg of withanolides)

Is there a particular reason for this? Ashwagandha is known to lower cortisol.

- Zinc citrate 30mg from Solgar

Did you test? Zinc and copper should be in balance, we Hypos tend to have one higher than the other so ideally we will test to know whether we need to take either.

- Selinium 220ug from health4all

- Calcium 800ug with vitamin D3 10ug &K 75ug

Has your calcium been tested and found to be deficient, if so is your GP prescribing and monitoring?

- Vitamin C 100mg from Solgar

- Iron 14mg from boots

Did you do an iron panel to see if you are iron deficient? We shouldn't really supplement iron based on ferritin level alone.

[Flowerpot108 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Have you got any current nutrient test results to know that you need these supplements? ◇ no but in these books that have been written about Hashimotos they all get recommended except the calcium. Which I thought I'd better take since I don't consumer dairy.

vitamin B complex from boots - There are much better brands. ◇ I used to take Solgar but it's so expensive in comparison. Do you know of a cheaper brand that is better?

- Iron 14mg from boots - Did you do an iron panel to see if you are iron deficient? We shouldn't really supplement iron based on ferritin level alone. - umm I did a while ago, I'll try and find it to add. I just can't stand eating liver so I can't get ferritin in me that way.

Others answered above

Nov results

[Flowerpot108 in reply to Flowerpot108]

So yeah really my iron isn't low it's my ferritin

Iron panel

[Hidden in reply to Flowerpot108]

For what it’s worth, the only thing that should influence your decision to take supplements is evidence via testing that you need them.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flowerpot108]

Nether iron or ferritin are low.

Test vitamin folate, B12 and ferritin once year

Test vitamin D twice year

Vitamin B complex

Recommended brands

Thorne Basic B

Jarrow B Right

Both available online

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Recommend getting FULL thyroid and vitamin testing at least once a year

Vitamin D ideally needs testing twice a year

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally before 9am last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

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 all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options and money off codes

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

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

Appointments for blood tests at GP surgery are getting more and more difficult to obtain - and early appointments are frequently unavailable. I’ve found that home testing is a way round this if you can afford it. Otherwise it’s a case of getting the earliest appointment you can