Since September last year I keep coming down with really heavy coughs and colds that lay me low for up to a couple of weeks at a time. I was In the middle of a bout on the 10th February and I was prescribed antibiotics for it. Now, just over a month later I've come down with it again, but this time I've developed shingles as well, for which I've been prescribed medication, acyclovir. I am in my 70's and have an under-active thyroid. I'm expecting my immune system is not what it was due to age and maybe I'm missing something in my diet. Is this familiar to anyone?
Immune System: Since September last year I keep... - Thyroid UK
Immune System
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willsie01
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SlowDragonAdministrator
Looking at other posts of yours
Are you vegetarian or vegan
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
How much levothyroxine are you currently taking
Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription
What are your most recent thyroid and vitamin results
Have you had thyroid antibodies tested
Always test thyroid levels early morning, ideally before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Strongly recommend getting full thyroid and vitamin testing done
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.
Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)
Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s
Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis. Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.
In U.K. medics never call it Hashimoto’s, just autoimmune thyroid disease (and they usually ignore the autoimmune aspect)
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...
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...
NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via
If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease). Ord’s is autoimmune without goitre.
About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s.
If you have autoimmune thyroid disease……Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue too. Request coeliac blood test BEFORE considering trial on strictly gluten free diet
Link about thyroid blood tests
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Link about Hashimoto’s
thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...
List of hypothyroid symptoms
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...
I know it's taken me a while to reply. Family issues to attend to.
I am vegan and the vitamins I take are a multi vitamin, vitamin D & B12 complex. All Better You products.
I'm currently on 100 ug
I have a note with the pharmacist not to give me the brands that have been highlighted on this forum as an issue but I've never checked if I get the same brand always. They come in a dosset box, so no packaging.
Most recent thyroid and vitamin results:
I don't believe I have done the test early morning or 24 hrs after last levo dose. I'll do this in future.
"Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine" This could get expensive!
"Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test" The important tests you mention are all covered by Medicheck cheaper then the Blue Horizon Premium Gold. Is there a reason you highlight them?
Majority of people seem to choose Medichecks as cheaper, if wanting to test vitamins and thyroid
But if suspect cortisol issues B H includes cortisol
Cheapest for TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 is Monitor My Health at £26.10
Most members who test privately use Medichecks, BH or Thriva once year for thyroid and vitamins
Then use Monitor My Health after any dose change or brand change in levothyroxine
Extremely difficult as vegan to maintain optimal vitamin levels when hypothyroid
A full iron panel test for anaemia likely necessary too
Multivitamins are never recommended on here.
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Improving nutrients improves conversion
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Come back with new post once you get full results
I attached an image of my old results in previous post but they've disappeared. I'll try again.
Image
High thyroid antibodies confirms autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s
Have you had coeliac blood test done, if not request GP does so ….assuming you are not already on strictly gluten free diet
No vitamin results
What time was test
Cortisol on low side if test was early morning
Was test done early morning, ideally before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
FT4: 18.8 pmol/l (Range 12 - 22)
Ft4 68.00% through range
FT3: 4.14 pmol/l (Range 3.1 - 6.8)
Ft3 only 28.11% through range
Helpful calculator for working out percentage through range
First step is to test all four vitamins.
Supplement to optimal levels
Retest thyroid levels 2-4 months time
Testing as recommended
If Ft4 is below 70% possibly have room for dose increase in levothyroxine
If Ft3 remains below 50% when Ft4 at least 80% then going to need 2 or 3 small doses of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine
To get T3 on NHS is difficult but not impossible
Can only be initiated by NHS endocrinologist
Email Thyroid U.K. for list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologist and doctors
tukadmin@thyroiduk.org
As vegan you are likely low in iron/ferritin
Vitamins must be OPTIMAL before considering adding T3
Vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better
Serum B12 at least over 500
Active B12 at least over 70
Folate and ferritin at least half way through range
I'm not qualified to take all this in but I'll follow up your info. The Blue Horizon doctor's comments didn't highlight the issues you have. He or she said:
"The thyroid function is currently normal. The positive thyroid antibody result, however, increases the possibility of your having or ultimately developing autoimmune thyroid disease, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Grave's disease."
Which is ridiculous….because you are already on levothyroxine
So you’re hypothyroid
Most people when adequately treated will have Ft3 at least 50% through range
With autoimmune thyroid disease (hashimoto’s) we frequently have poor conversion of Ft4 (levothyroxine) to Ft3 (active hormone)
Low Ft3 tends to result in lower vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels tend to result in worse conversion
Many people on just levothyroxine have high Ft4 and low Ft3
Short simple film explaining
drbradshook.com/understandi...
Low Ft3 also linked to high cholesterol
nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...
If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
willsie01,
Do you have Hashi?
Is your Levo an optimal dose? We also need adequate levels of iron & nutrients to make thyroid meds work effectively, and keep us well.
Post any test results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) for members to comment.
I assume the levo is optimal according to my GP, otherwise I'd expect him to change it as he did when I was first diagnosed.
Very unlikely
A) NHS usually only test TSH and essential to test thyroid levels as recommended.
Test early morning, ideally before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Ideally always same brand levothyroxine at each prescription
B) NHS almost never test Ft3 so don’t know how good or bad active thyroid hormone is
C) for good conversion of Ft4 to Ft3 we need optimal vitamin levels and they don’t test
With Hashimoto’s very common to need to be on strictly gluten free diet
All thyroid patients should avoid soya
Am I entitled to get the same brand of levo all the time? NHS are (rightly) supposed to get competetive prices.
If I have to follow a gluten free diet and avoid soya (as a vegan) I'm beginning to think the ill effects of my thyroid issues are the lesser evil!
Yes….all levothyroxine is the same price ..regardless of brand (about £1 per box)
gov.uk/drug-safety-update/l...If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient. If symptoms or poor control of thyroid function persist (despite adhering to a specific product), consider prescribing levothyroxine in an oral solution formulation.
Many patients have note added to all future prescriptions
Either specifying a particular brand….or often they have note saying “No Teva levothyroxine “ as it upsets many people
You might find this article interesting
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
I read the info via the link. I've read many similar positions which highlight shortcomings in a vegan diet and many that contain rebuttals and counter arguments. Have you seen the film Forks Over Knives? With the particular one you've linked I was very surprised that someone appears to be advising adding red meat to one's diet. I'm making notes of all the info in this thread to see where to go from here!
One last thing. I would appreciate it if anyone using someone off the Thyroid U.K.list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologist and doctors, that they are happy with and think they are good value, please send me a private message with their details. I understand this info can't be shared in the open forum.
One more last thing! I am not vegan because of an ethical position. I understand many if not all of our antecedents evolved as meat eaters. I have never enjoyed eating meat so that wasn't a decision. In fact it's awful just thinking of it for me. I dropped dairy after the information I was given while in cardiac rehab. Of course it didn't come up at the time that I had hypothyroidism, which may have changed their advice. This was reinforced by watching the film Forks Over Knives.
For good conversion of Ft4 to ft3 we need optimal vitamin levels….especially ferritin
Looking at previous posts you say your ferritin is low
Suggest you get full iron panel test done see exactly what iron and ferritin levels are
Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing.
It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron
Medichecks iron panel test
medichecks.com/products/iro...
cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...
In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency
Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
List of iron rich foods
Links about iron and ferritin
An article that explains why Low ferritin and low thyroid levels are often linked
preventmiscarriage.com/iron...
irondisorders.org/too-littl...
davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...
Great in-depth article on low ferritin
oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...
drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...
This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.
Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...
Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Iron and thyroid link
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Good explanations of iron
willsie01,
Optimal is the level that alleviates us of symptoms. Doctors invariably dose Levo by the TSH level regardless of where FT4 levels lie. Many members feel better with FT4 in upper part of range and TSH around 1 or below.
The results you have recently added show FT4 to be 68% through range but FT3 at just 28.38%. Many would need a higher FT3 to achieve well-being.
A tiny bit of T3 is made within the body but most is converted from T4. Keeping iron & nutrients at good levels will help with T4-T3 conversion and also supplementing selenium. If FT3 still refused to raise there is room to increase Levo dose but if the reason for your low T3 levels is poor conversion abilities commonly seen on the forum, then the only solution would be to medicate a little bit of T3. Unfortunately at this stage it generally becomes outside of a GP’s scope and why members are then forced to seek private help.
If this were me I would firstly concentrate on iron, nutrients, supplementing selenium (which also reduces thyroid antibodies that may contribute to hindering conversion) and staying strictly g/f. You also might find a thyroid glandular helps, and then retest in say 3 months to view any labs improvements.
I'm surprised that the Blue Horizon doctor didn't raise the issue of low FT3 in the comments, which I posted above, in reply to Slow Dragon, if it's a problem.
willsie01,
That’s because they may also be using the TSH as a measure for adequate thyroid hormone levels regardless of where they lie.
Doctors comments are generally pretty useless from BH or Medichecks
They are not thyroid specialists
We always recommend not ticking the box ….
So what does the forum think of Country Health functional medicine approach?
Any replies about specific doctors must be by private messages only please
Come back on main forum with full thyroid and vitamin test results
Likely to need to improve low ferritin as first step
Never book any private consultation without getting full thyroid and vitamin testing done before hand
If vitamins are low (and it’s very likely ferritin is low on vegan diet) first step is to get all four vitamins optimal
Retesting thyroid and vitamins again to check optimal after 2-4 months
Meanwhile suggest you read the many posts and replies by humanbean on how and why good iron and ferritin as so important
When taking antibiotics it’s a good idea to replace good bacteria that gets killed of along with the bad by taking probiotics . There is one you can take with antibiotics then another after.
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