Drs phone call and advice on buying the right s... - Thyroid UK

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Drs phone call and advice on buying the right supplements please

catpurple7 profile image
24 Replies

Hi all, so i went to my drs surgery today to see if the dr had put any notes on my file as to whether i was going to get a phone call after my blood test results and the receptionist said that nothing urgent came back in the results and the dr would ring me next thursday to discuss a couple of things, i said that my results indicated that i had iron deficiency aneamia and i felt really ill and i thought that the dr would put me on a course of treatment. Anyway the receptionist was lovely and got me a phone call this afternoon.... what a disaster!!!

The dr asked me what the problem was and i said my results indicate that i have iron deficiency aneamia and she said no they don't, she said my iron levels were fine and that the transferrin saturation index was just under but nothing to worry about. I asked her about an iron transfusion and she said my levels were not low enough, and even though i told her that apart from cold hands and feet ( mine are always hot) i have all the symptoms of iron deficiency aneamia she never said anything about prescribing me iron tablets just said to look if there are any vegan foods i can incorperate into my diet and to take a multi vitamin! she said my vitamin d was a little bit low and to supplement with 1600iu for 6 months and then a maintainance dose of 800 - 1000iu everyday. She said my TSH was too low and my T4 too high and wanted to reduce my levo dose, i said i didn't feel comfortable dropping my dose and that i would work on getting my iron and vit D levels up first. I asked when i could re-test and she said in 3 months. I've been quite upset this afternoon as i really thought the dr would start me on iron tablets or even maybe get a transfusion and i could do it under the supervision of a dr.

Anyway i'm going to buy some supplements and i want to make sure i'm getting the right ones, I'm going to get thorne basic b, vitamin d3 i'm going to take 5000iu and i've had this in the past and wondered if it's ok vivolife.co.uk/products/d3-... it's only 2000iu but could i take a 5000iu dose or can anyone recommend a better vitamin d3 with k2 thats vegan? i already have epsilion.life 100% chelated magnesium glycinate and i have some ferrous fumarate tablets 210 mg that i thought i would start taking.

I'm looking at getting rid of any soy in my diet and i'm not gluten free but wondered if getting a coeliac test done would be worth doing, i have symptoms of that too. I didnt ask the dr as i was too upset and forgot but have seen this online and wondered if its any good? lloydspharmacy.com/products... or should i just cut out gluten for a while and see how i get on?

Thank you for any advice from you lovely people :-)

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24 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Yes get coeliac blood test done first

SeasideSusie can advise on vitamin D supplement

Better You vitamin D mouth spray is popular option

(collected from lanolin on Australian sheeps wool)

Don’t start all supplements at once

Add one, then wait at least 10-14 days before adding another

Starting with vitamin D, then B complex

catpurple7 profile image
catpurple7 in reply toSlowDragon

is that coeliac bloodtest i linked ok?

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply tocatpurple7

Yes

Ideally GP should test…..but can understand why you don’t want to ask

Vitamin C

Perhaps try Doctors Best or Igennus

catpurple7 profile image
catpurple7 in reply toSlowDragon

Hi SlowDragon i've ordered the coeliac test, do you know if i need to do anything to prepare before i do it please?

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply tocatpurple7

Eat gluten at every meal…..ideally for minimum 6 weeks before test

catpurple7 profile image
catpurple7

Oh i need a vitamin C recommendation aswell please

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

catpurple7

I have no personal experience of that D3/K2 supplement and as a vegan if lanolin is a problem for you then give it a try. However, if lanolin is acceptable then a member has given feedback today on this D3/K2 liquid which is what I am going to try once I've used up my current supplement:

amazon.co.uk/Strength-Subli...?

Here is what she said (also read the following replies posted today):

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

This is a particularly good one because the K2-MK7 it contains is the All Trans form rather than the Cis form.

All-Trans form v Cis form:

The All-Trans form is the bioactive form, the Cis form is inactive (a bit like methylfolate is the bioactive form of folic acid).

There's lots of information available but mainly seems to be on sites selling supplements so I wont link to them, but the message is:

"Since trans-isomer MK-7 are more readily used by our body, they are considered more bioactive. Many K2 ingredients have a mixture of cis and trans isomers, depending on how well they are produced. You’ll want to look for K2 supplements with a high percentage of trans-isomer MK-7, ideally 100%."

The Cis form is cheaper and is what many K2-MK7 supplements use but they don't tell you this.

For Vit C you have the choice of ascorbic acid or food based Vit C, also tablets or powder. Personally I use acerola cherry powder, make it up with water in a pint glass a couple of times a day and drink throughout the day. I can't suggest a tablet but if that's your choice you will find it has excipients, tablets can't be made without them. If you want a clean supplement with no added unnecessary ingredients then the one I use is this:

timehealth.co.uk/product/ac...

I choose that one because it's 26% Vit C whereas the organic one is only 18% Vit C. They do capsules as well as powder, the capsules contain no added ingredients. I think the powder works out a fair bit cheaper than the capsules.

catpurple7 profile image
catpurple7 in reply toSeasideSusie

thanks SeasideSusie while looking at the vitamin d i see that the same company do a vitamin c aswell natureprovides.com/products... does that look like a good one?

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply tocatpurple7

Liposomal supplements are said to be more bioavailable than other supplements.

They are also extremely expensive.

With the Natures Provides liposomal Vit C:

Servings per bottle = 31

Cost of bottle = £29

Cost per serving = 93.5p

However, that supplement contains:

Sodium L-Ascorbic acid which is a synthetic form of Vit C, amount per serving 966mg.

The amount of Acerola Cherry (natural form of Vit C) is 34mg.

Total amount of Vit C from that supplement is 1,000mg of which 34mg is natural.

The Time Health Acerola Cherry powder that I use costs £32.98 for 500g

Serving size is 4g , servings per 500g = 125

Each serving gives 1040mg of natural Vit C

Cost per serving = 26.5p

I can't recommend or comment on liposomal supplements because I don't use them. It's your choice at the end of the day but based on the above I'm sticking with the Time Health powder.

catpurple7 profile image
catpurple7 in reply toSeasideSusie

Hi SeasideSusie, i'm just about to order the vitamin d3 + k2 that you linked but i just wanted to double check before i buy it that as it's 5 drops for 3000iu then is it ok for me to take more drops (8 i think) in order to get 5000iu a day?

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply tocatpurple7

catpurple7

Yes, it will be fine. Just take whatever you need to make up the dose you currently need :)

Pearlteapot profile image
Pearlteapot

I’ve been using that same d3/k2 supplement. I haven’t retested since starting it and don’t think ive had quite the same dramatic result as the other poster but then I started it straight after finishing a GP prescribed loading dose of D3. The loading dose definitely and dramatically improved my well being and took me from 18nmol to 70nmol. I really like the taste of the black seed oil.

UrsaP profile image
UrsaP

Can you get iron tablets over the counter.? I recall years ago asking the phamacist for a dew days worth. Might be worth seeing your local chemist and asking... I dispair at the mefical incompetence, nappy medicine going on. Yet happy to give out antidepressants and other cheap rubbish on a whim, an assumption. The knowledge is just so so poor.

catpurple7 profile image
catpurple7 in reply toUrsaP

i do have some iron tablets ferrous fumerate and i'm happy to buy more it's just knowing what dose per day i need and thats what i thought the dr would do, but sadly no.

UrsaP profile image
UrsaP in reply tocatpurple7

Check with the pharmacist re dosage.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply toUrsaP

Haven't done it for a while, but I used to buy 210mg ferrous fumarate from the pharmacy in Tesco. The pharmacist asks if my doctor knows and I say that my doctor explained that it would be cheaper to buy them OTC than to pay the prescription charge (I know you get free prescription if you are hypo, but a pharmacist you don't usually go to won't). I now buy the same stuff from ebay.

catpurple7 profile image
catpurple7 in reply toAngel_of_the_North

yes i think i got mine from ebay too, i just need to find out what dose per day i need to be on

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply tocatpurple7

When I had ferrous fumarate on prescription and ferritin was 12, I took 3 x 210mg per day

Izide profile image
Izide

Sorry to hear about your symptoms..... In my case, having a myriad of symptoms, aside thyroid and iron def, I am sure I gace gluten intolerance. Dr says that we can have those symptoms even if celiac test is negative.... Mine was negative twice... Tests states you have to eat gluten products for 6 weeks to have a viable results... Dr don't tell you that. Pathetic... Anyways, you might try asking for celiac tests but it miggt not proof anything (abd symptoms will remain). However, I would rather test as mych as possible in order to find a route cause than to be in a poor health. Good luck to us all:) 🙈😔

catpurple7 profile image
catpurple7 in reply toIzide

I've ordered a coeliac test online now so i'll see what that shows, it'll probably show negative but then i'll probably go gluten free and see if anything changes. Yes! good luck to us all lol

Lola1977 profile image
Lola1977

Why do you want to get rid of soy?

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply toLola1977

Soy interferes with thyroxine's absorption so it's generally advised to avoid soy.

Lola1977 profile image
Lola1977

Wow good info

waveylines profile image
waveylines in reply toLola1977

Yes watch out as is it is in various foods and sauces. Definately a no no. I find that there is a tendancy to add soya in GF foods so I struggle to avoid it entirely.

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