Started 200mcg selenium 1/8/22 to try to get rid of puffiness under my eyes, light sensitivity, etc.
I know that even the NHS consider this safe as the NHS site says that 350mcg of selenium supplements are unlikely to cause any harm. The TED charity recommend 200mcg selenium for 6mths, dropping back to 100mcg thereafter. Therefore, I have been supplementing for 4 months.
I started supplementing with this intention.
I would have eaten a couple of Brazil Nuts daily, grown in Selenium rich soil instead, but I have a food intolerance to Brazil Nuts. This being the case, I wondered , because of the intolerance to what is possibly about the highest source of selenium on the planet, if I may possibly have a genetic problem of some kind involving Selenoproteins. I was prompted to look at my other food intolerances, by my test results , and find that they are all high in Selenium too.
I wanted to test zinc, and was able to test selenium too , in the one test kit, which also measures magnesium, though it only measures magnesium in the blood, which prioritises the body's supply.
My Selenium levels , until now , (I stopped supplementing 1/12/22), have actually been much higher than the 367ug/L in the blood test. This is because I use vitamin powders in fruit smoothies, and they contain Selenium. Since they also contain biotin, I stop them 7 days before a thyroid blood test. I did an MMH thyroid test from the same blood draw as the Cerascreen Mineral Deficiency test kit. Therefore, my Selenium levels, since 1/8/22 until 1/12/22, will have been in excess of 367ug/L.
No doubt, some of my intractable symptoms may be as a result of excess Selenium. Excess Selenium commonly cause gastrointestinal effects. Subsequent distribution of excessive amounts can go into musculoskeletal tissues, causing muscle pain, cramps, as well as joint pain. It can negatively affect the nervous system, cause fatigue, irritability, and peripheral neuropathy, damaging nerves. It protects the Thyroid from the damaging effects of TPOab and TGab. It significantly reduces TSH,FT4 and FT4/FT3 ratio and increased FT3 levels.
Does anyone who has tested their Selenium levels have high results like this?
Does anyone taking 200mcg Selenium daily know what their levels are?
Zinc was 5.11mg/L (4.5-9.0). As zinc and copper are on a see-saw, I assume copper will likely be towards the top of the range. Does anyone know whether zinc should ideally be midrange, or if my zinc result looks satisfactory?
Although I realise that the magnesium result is pretty worthless, it was 1.6mmol/L (1.3-1.8). So, basically midrange. Does anyone know if this is an ideal blood magnesium level or not?
Stopping supplementation of Selenium, I would imagine, is likely to significantly alter my TSH, FT4 and FT3 readings on my next thyroid blood test???(from what they were 21/11/22)
Can anyone comment on all, or some of the above, please?
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Does anyone who has tested their Selenium levels have high results like this?
I've tested selenium and mine was slightly high at 185ug/l (67-135).
With a level like yours I would stop the selenium supplement.
Stopping supplementation of Selenium, I would imagine, is likely to significantly alter my TSH, FT4 and FT3 readings on my next thyroid blood test???(from what they were 21/11/22)
I don't know for sure. If you have plenty of selenium then your conversion of T4 to T3 should be OK (theoretically). All you can do is try it and see.
Zinc was 5.11mg/L (4.5-9.0). As zinc and copper are on a see-saw, I assume copper will likely be towards the top of the range. Does anyone know whether zinc should ideally be midrange, or if my zinc result looks satisfactory?
I have read that zinc should be around mid-range so around 6.75 with that range.
Although I realise that the magnesium result is pretty worthless, it was 1.6mmol/L (1.3-1.8). So, basically midrange. Does anyone know if this is an ideal blood magnesium level or not?
It's not a reliable test, if you want to know your magnesium status then you'd need a red cell magnesium test to see what's getting into the cells, there's only about 1% magnesium in the blood, and about 99% is stored in bone, muscles and soft tissues.
Red cell magnesium test is an expensive test which is why it's not included in test bundles.
Thank you for your reply. I have stopped the selenium supplements.
I have a sensitive stomach. Do you have any suggestions for a zinc supplement easy on the stomach? I had been looking at zinc supplements a while back, and a liquid one appealed. I think it would have been well in excess of the dose of 7 recommended though, so not a good idea.
I think it may have been Slow Dragon who said she supplements zinc once per week.
I have taken a 200 ug selenium supplement for the last 4 weeks, after reading on here, many a time, that selenium helps thyroid function.
However, I have to report that my calf muscles have become increasingly achy over the last week or so, limiting my running. So, I stopped it this morning.
Will see if the aches subside first, then resume my previous 50ug.
My calf muscles are permanently extremely sore, and have been for years.
Isabella Wentz and Dr.Lam both say that if you have a CBS gene mutation it upregulates selenium.
Turns out I do have a homozygous (both parents) CBS mutation which a genetics lab has marked as benign.
I wanted to test selenium, zinc and copper together, but previously couldn't find a test that included all 3.
Slow Dragon recently posted that Blue Horizon Essential Trace Elements test kit tests all 3 plus magnesium. I ordered it and received the kit today.
The Cerascreen test I did measured zinc at less than mid range. From what I can gather, zinc, selenium and copper levels are inter-related, and the body will adjust levels between the 3 as it sees fit. I believe I've read that Co-enzyme Q10 is a co factor of Selenium. I take a high dose Q10 supplement in its most bioavailable form.
It is accepted that if hypothyroid, if zinc is low , copper will be high, and vice versa. They are usually out of balance.
Turns out, from genetic testing, I now know that I have 9 gene mutations, some homozygous, some heterozygous, to do with copper.
I have not taken a selenium supplement since 1/12/22. It will be interesting to see if my selenium levels when I do the Blue Horizon test are still over range, or not.
I believe it may be a possibility that excess selenium in the tissues may be the cause of the extremely debilitating leg and calf pain which I suffer from.
I think it could be a possibility that zinc supplementation might reduce selenium levels, but don't actually know.
Seaside Susie had over range selenium on testing, and reported that she got rid of a lot of, I think, muscle pain, when she supplemented with zinc.
Someone supplemented zinc and got rid of pain, if not Seaside Susie, think it was one of the Administrators.(last sentence edited)
Have taken notes the thickness of a phone directory! Sorry Seaside Susie! My notes say it was Grey Goose. She started zinc and almost overnight, muscle pains disappeared.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/415585 states "Subsequent distribution of excessive amounts of selenium into musculoskeletal tissues has been reported to cause muscle pain and cramps as well as joint pain".
medicalnews.com/articles/287842#_noHeaderPrefixedContent points out that selenium mostly stored in skeletal muscle.
Fish is high in selenium. 3oz.of yellowfin tuna has 167% of daily value(DV) selenium.
Cooked Atlantic cod, 123% per fillet DV, 3oz. fried calamari has 80% DV. Oysters have 238% in 3oz.
One large egg , hard boiled has 27% DV.
I think you are like me, and need to know where your selenium levels are before supplementing. In your case, and mine, I think it likely you can easily get your DV of selenium from diet. It will be genetic. I worked out that I eat far in excess of the DV daily just from food.
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