vitamin advice: hi, I’ve got myself bogged down... - Thyroid UK

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vitamin advice

Essexlil profile image
18 Replies

hi, I’ve got myself bogged down in an effort to take supplements to help with bone loss. I was diagnosed with osteopenia following a DEXA scan. I don’t want to take Alendronic acid and my GP agreed with me taking vitamin D3 + K2 mk7 and magnesium glycinate and to have a further DEXA scan in three years. I’ve also added calcium.

Please can some of the knowledgeable ladies advise me on how much of all of these supplements I should be taking. The D3 + K2 is in the form of drops in black pepper oil. The calcium and magnesium are tablets.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as, having fractured my T11 verterbrae 12 months ago I don’t want my bones to weaken further.

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Essexlil profile image
Essexlil
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SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

previous post with vitamin results and detailed advice from SeasideSusie

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Vitamin D was insufficient

B12 and folate far too low

How much vitamin D have you been taking since then?

At least 3000iu ?

Suggest you retest to see how much vitamin D has improved

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

Aiming for vitamin D at least over 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better

It’s trial and error what dose vitamin D we need, with thyroid issues we frequently need higher dose than average

Vitamin D and thyroid disease 

grassrootshealth.net/blog/t...

Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease 

newscientist.com/article/23...

Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Great article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick on magnesium 

drmalcolmkendrick.org/categ...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

Low B12 and low folate

Are you now taking daily vitamin B complex and separate B12

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

Difference between folate and folic acid 

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B complex 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

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate methyl folate supplement and separate B12

Low B12 symptoms 

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a B12 supplement as well as a B Complex (to balance all the B vitamins) initially for first 2-4 months.

once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.

B12 drops 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

B12 sublingual lozenges 

amazon.co.uk/Jarrow-Methylc...

cytoplan.co.uk/shop-by-prod...

B12 range in U.K. is too wide

Interesting that in this research B12 below 400 is considered inadequate 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

How other member saw how effective improving low B vitamins has been 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil in reply to SlowDragon

thankyou SlowDragon, I’d completely forgotten about all of this information so thank you for posting again. I’ve got Sjögren’s as well as Hashimotos and the brain fog gets really bad - I’ll concentrate on the B vitamin advice too now - sorry Seaside Susie I think I’d concentrated so much on my bones that I’d forgotten all of the B vitamin information. I’m not great on technology so don’t know how to go back to remind myself so this re-posting for me is really helpful

BB001 profile image
BB001 in reply to Essexlil

Could you print the response?

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil in reply to BB001

hi, yes thankyou good idea!

greygoose profile image
greygoose

Bad idea to take calcium. Not the most important supplement for bones. And the supplements are very badly absorbed, tending to build up in the blood and soft tissues, causing problems.

Taking vit D will raise your calcium levels, anyway, by increasing absorption from food. And excess calcium is something you really don't want because it will make the problem worse, causing your bones to be more brittle. If I were you, I'd stick to the vit D and magnesium, and make sure all other nutrients are optimal. :)

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil in reply to greygoose

ok thank you Greygoose - I must admit the calcium was worrying me so I’ll leave it out now as I didn’t realise it can make bones more brittle.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Essexlil

We've all been brain-washed - even doctors - by the dairy industry to believe that calcium = strong bones. And, it's true that bones do need some calcium. But it's rare to be deficient in calcium in the west, and more isn't better. There are far more important nutrients for good bones.

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil in reply to greygoose

thanks Greygoose, I’m going to keep on with my D3 and magnesium, thank you for your good advice, as I say I was bogged down with reading up on it all and I’d stopped taking Adcal because of calcium but then for some reason I decided that I should maybe take calcium again. Brain fog isn’t helping me so I’m so glad I’ve asked you for help as I’d got a bit confused along the way.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Essexlil

You're welcome. :)

GHughes2 profile image
GHughes2

Not sure what your exercise routine is but you could buy a pedometer and count your steps. Also strength training with weights would help.

theros.org.uk/information-a...

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil in reply to GHughes2

hi, thank you for your help. I do walk daily, usually a minimum of 2 miles. I’d have to have advice on other exercise as my back and ribs are still very sensitive

Hi Essexlil. Another option for the osteoporosis is a once a year drip infusion of Zoledronic Acid which does not have the same affects as Alendronic tablets. This is what I am doing for early onset osteoporosis in my hip area. I have also been prescribed HRT, but as this is soya based, I have decided not to go ahead with it as long term ingestion of soya suppresses thyroid function. You could also try pure collegan which is supposed to help bone density. I have it, I am just terrible at taking tablets and supplements 😄.

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil

hi MapleMoose, thank you for that information - I’ll make a note of it. I’ve got 3 years to see how I go on D3 etc. then a DEXA scan as I haven’t progressed to osteoporosis. With me having Sjögren’s as well as Hashimotos I have a painful oesophagus now and again so taking Alendronic acid wasn’t a good idea for me. This could be a good alternative after my next scan.

Thyroid2468 profile image
Thyroid2468

hi....I am hearing how some people are saying not to use calcium. I too was thinking about this issue with new onset Hashimoto, and osteopenia (and restless leg). I have taken vitamin D, and magnesium quite a few years now. Added the B's, and K's etc. I eat a VERY healthy diet, I do eat calcium but probably not the 1200 advised. I exercise regularly. I am 56 and didn't think I would have osteopenia yet. So I too would like to hear more Exxeslil. I wonder if there is a low level calcium in this situation(along with the other vitamins of course, and the timing of vitamins) to help us but not hurt us.

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil in reply to Thyroid2468

hi, I’m not taking calcium as I wasn’t found to be low in it, even though my consultant prescribed Adcal. He just said you don’t have to take it but it may help, it’s just the guidelines. The ladies on this forum are extremely knowledgeable and their advice about it not being good re blocking arteries etc. is enough for me. Also it can make bones more brittle. I know I’m low in vitamin D3 and B12 so they’re the ones I’m concentrating on.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

If you want more info on nutrients for bone issues these two websites might be helpful :

saveourbones.com/

betterbones.com/

You might find this link of interest too, but I think some of the info is out of date - specifically about calcium, I'm not sure about the others. I wouldn't take calcium supplements unless I had been tested and my levels of calcium were deficient or extremely low, because if you end up with an excess of calcium it can end up depositing itself in soft tissue and lining the arteries.

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

I would also ignore the info on copper. Many people with hypothyroidism have low zinc and high copper. I've only come across one person on the forum who had low copper and that was because she had a rare genetic fault affecting her blood.

As for the rest of the suggested nutrients I don't know anything about several of them e.g. manganese, silica, vitamin K1, strontium. At least the link gives you somewhere to start if you want to research supplements for bone health.

...

On the subject of osteopenia, you might find this link of interest :

npr.org/2009/12/21/12160981...

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil in reply to humanbean

I’ve read the links - thank you - very interesting, especially the one regarding the invention of osteopenia. We’ve all got to be very careful when we’re prescribed drugs and do our research as a lot of money is made by the pharmaceutical industry and seemingly a lot of brainwashing! I think SlowDragon mentioned to me that maybe osteopenia doesn’t exist - I tend to agree that it’s just the normal process of our bones ageing.

Essexlil profile image
Essexlil

hi humanbean, thank you very much I’ll look on these links as I want to do all I can to improve my bones or at least try to slow the progress with osteopenia

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