I have been treated for hypothyroidism for twenty years with little real success. My GP started me on statins some two years ago but I am not happy taking them so stopped for about 8 weeks and felt much better. After my last bloods at the surgery he has reduced my Levothyroxine to 75mcg because of my low TSH and told me I must resume my statins (Atovarstatin 20mgs). I have complied but I am not happy.
I take 1000iu of Vit D, VitK2, a Folate and B12 supplement a day.
I suffer from gastric reflux and take Omeprazol 20mgs a day and high blood pressure Candesartin 8mgs a day. Weight is an issue and exercise is difficult because I feel so fatigued all the time and find myself sleeping several times during the day despite minimal activity.
Any advice would be appreciated.
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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.
Improving low vitamin levels should improve low FT3
Have you had coeliac blood test done
Have you tried strictly gluten free diet
But you may need T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine
Email Thyroid U.K. for list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologist and doctors who will prescribe T3 if necessary
Just to say hour GP can suggest you take statins but you can equally suggest you don't. They are there to provide solutions and advice, they can't force you to take any medication. If you don't want to take them then don't.
Levothyroxine absolutely must be taken on its own at least 2 hours away from any other medications or supplements, and at least 4 hours away from statin
Many members take levothyroxine in middle of night when get up for the loo
Which brand of levothyroxine is 75mcg
Vitamin D is far too low at 55nmol
Aiming for at least around 80nmol minimum and around 100nmol maybe better
Suggest you change to vitamin D mouth spray and increase to 3000iu per day.
Retest in 2-3 months. You may need higher dose.
GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)
supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid) This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too
Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B come that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule)
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate methyl folate supplement (eg Solgar) and separate B12
Thanks for all your advice, I need to alter the times that I take my medication. l have stopped the statins, I have ordered the VitD spray you suggested and I have ordered a magnesium text. I have tried to come off my ompeprazol several times without success but I may try again. Thank you
told me I must resume my statins (Atovarstatin 20mgs). I have complied but I am not happy.
Your GP cannot dictate to you. The doctor-patient relationship is supposed to be a partnership in your health, your GP can suggest but you do not have to comply.
Blood results 15/6/22 - GP surgery
Serum free T3 - 3.79 (2.43 - 6.01) = 37.99% through range
Serum free T4- 15.3 (9.0 - 19.0) = 63% through range
THS 0.05 (0.35 - 4.49 )
Shows poor conversion of T4 to T3.
Blood results 10/05/22 Medichecks
Serum Free T3 4.62 (3.1 - 6.8) = 41.08% through range
Serum Free T4 20.7 (12 - 22) = 85% through range
TSH 0.02 (3.1 - 6.8) - this is the wrong range, it is 0.27-4.20
Again shows poor conversion.
Antibodies thyroglobulin 14 (<115)
Thyroid peroxide <9 (<34)
Negative result for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's)
CRP 3.34 (0 - 5)
As an inflammation marker CRP should be as low as possible. Yours is in range but is probably showing that there may be some inflammation.
Ferritin 63.9 (13 - 150)
Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range. Ferritin can be raised due to inflammation and as your CRP is suggesting that there may be some inflammation it's likely that your normal ferritin level could be lower that this.
Folate 3.45 (3.89 - 19.45)
Folate is recommended to be at least half way through range. See:
◦Serum folate of less than 7 nanomol/L (3 micrograms/L) is used as a guide to indicate folate deficiency.
◦However, there is an indeterminate zone with folate levels of 7–10 nanomol/L (3–4.5 micrograms/L), so low folate should be interpreted as suggestive of deficiency and not diagnostic.
I would discuss with your GP who may prescribe a course of folic acid.
B12 (active) 106 (37.5 - 150)
We always suggest Active B12 over 100 so this result is OK.
I take 1000iu of Vit D, VitK2, a Folate and B12 supplement a day.
What is your Vit D result?
Do you take D3's important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7?
Considering that you are taking a folate supplement your folate result is dreadful. What exactly are you taking and what dose?
How much B12 are you taking?
I suffer from gastric reflux and take Omeprazol 20mgs a day and high blood pressure Candesartin 8mgs a day. Weight is an issue and exercise is difficult because I feel so fatigued all the time and find myself sleeping several times during the day despite minimal activity.
It's always debatable whether a hypo patient actually has high stomach acid necessitating Omeprazole. If you do need it are you taking it 4 hours away from your thyroid meds?
Are you taking your BP meds 2 hours away from your thyroid meds.
Levo should be taken on it's own, with water only, one hour before or two hours after food and at least 2 hours away from other medication and supplements (some need 4 hours - Vit D, magnesium, iron, calcium, HRT, oestrogen, PPIs and possibly others).
My TSH has been around 0.02 for 20+ years. I am NOT overtreated. Docs went on TSH alone but I was not converting T4 to T3. ( Omeprazole which I used to take can also block uptake of thyroxine.) Being underactive can increase cholesterol. I ended up having a stroke with high cholesterol. Check out my other posts for a fuller picture! Here’s an article which may help webmd.com/cholesterol-manag.... Good luck!
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