Advice regarding Vitamin Testing for posssible Hashimoto's Vit deficiencies

[Griffin43]

Hello, I would appreciate advice regarding on how long to stop talking vitamin supplements before testing for B12, Vit D, Folic Acid and Ferritin.

Have been taking a tablet of 1000ug of Vit B12, a multivitamin with 20ug Vit D3, 250ug Folic Acid, and 7mg Iron amongst others, for a couple of months, but haven't felt any symptom improvement.

Thank you very much.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

AnaLuisaPortas

If you are taking biotin in any supplement, eg B Complex, hair/nail supplement or stand alone biotin supplement then you leave this off for 3-7 days before the test, the longer time is for higher dose, eg 5mg or 10mg, for a smaller amount such as 500mcg then 3-4 days is enough. Biotin can give false results for any blood tests.

If you take iron and are doing any iron tests then you leave the supplement off for 7 days.

If you take B12 and want to know what you are holding on to then you leave it off for 4-5 months. If you want to know what your supplement dose is achieving then you continue up to and including the day before.

Anything else you can continue if you want to know what your supplements are achieving but take them after your test on the day.

Multivitamins are not recommended here. They tend to contain too little of anything to help low levels, often contain the cheapest and wrong form of active ingredients, and can contain things we should test for first and only supplement if found to be deficient, eg iron, calcium, iodine, Vit D. Also certain vitamins shouldn't be taken at the same time as they affect the absorption of others, eg Vit C should be taken 2 hours away from B12 because it stops the body using the B12, iron affects the absorption of everything else so needs to be taken at least 2 hours away from all other vitamins.

We suggest testing the core nutrients

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

and supplementing what's necessary at the correct dose. You can always put your results/ranges here on the forum for members to help and make suggestions.

[Griffin43 in reply to SeasideSusie]

SeasideSusie thank you, really appreciate your input.

Will continue taking the B12 then as, the way I've been feeling, 4/5 months seems too long a wait... And will stop all other supplements for now as the Multivitamin has 50mcg Biotin, 160 Vit C, 200mcg Folic Acid, 150mcg Iodine, 7mg Iron (!) 75mg Magnesium etc. etc.) .The Magnesium with Vit B Complex has lots of B vitamins including another 0,625mcg of B12.. another 25mcg Biotin and 50mcg Folic Acid. The Ginkgo Biloba tablets have 25mcg of Iodine. That leaves the 1,000mcg Omega 3 but won't take that either. You've confirmed my doubts about Multivitamins... and as for the other tablets I didn't consult anybody and hadn't even looked at the full list of ingredients but was feeling a bit desperate and clutching at straws when I ordered them...

I intend to test for the 4 advised core nutrients next week and yes I was hoping to post them here for feedback. Thank you again.