Thyroid and low blood sugar

[Mrss25]

Can I kindly ask if thyroid can cause/linked/affect low blood sugar levels, many thanks

[RedApple Administrator]

Mrss25, Yes!

Innapropriate levels of thyroid hormone affect the production of other hormones. Insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar (diabetes). So if your thyroid hormones are out of whack, it's likely to affect your insulin production, causing hiccups in blood sugar levels.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to RedApple]

Article by Chris Kresser

Thyroid, Blood Sugar, and Metabolic Syndrome chriskresser.com/thyroid-bl...

[SarahJane1471 in reply to RedApple]

now that is interesting. I’ve always suspected this affects me

[SlowDragon Administrator]

previous post from year ago

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

shows

Extremely low vitamin D, folate and B12

Did you get tested for pernicious anaemia via GP

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Suggest you get full thyroid and vitamin levels retested in New Year

[Mrss25 in reply to SlowDragon]

yes I did get tested for PA and its negative

no vitamin supplements

Being retested in January next year, including parathyroid. My blood sugar levels are now low.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Mrss25]

So you need to self supplement to maintain optimal vitamin levels

Only add one supplement at a time, then wait at least 10-14 days to assess before adding another

Suggest you start with vitamin D. Then a separate B12, then vitamin B complex

essential to have optimal vitamin levels for good conversion of Ft4 (storage thyroid hormone) to Ft3 (active thyroid hormone)

Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH because conversion rate of Ft4 to Ft3 is poor

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Mrss25]

Results from year ago

Total vitamin D 37 (1) (Range 76-250 nmol/L)

Zinc 12.90 (1) (range 9.6-20.5 umol/L)

Selenium1.04 range 0.75-1.46 umol/L)

Serum Folate 5.01 (1) (Range 3.89-26.80 ng/ml)

Vitamin B12 349.9 (Range 197-771 pg/ml)

Magnesium 0.81 (Range 0.7-1.0 mmol/L)

TSH 3.440 (1) Range 0.27-4.20 mlU/L)

Free T4 16.16 (2) (range 12-22 pmol/L)

Free T3 5.5 (Range 3.1-6.8 pmol/L)

Ferritin 127.2 (3) (range 13-150 ug/L)

When in Jan are you getting tested

Perhaps don’t start B12 before you get tested

But you can start on vitamin D now

Optimal vitamin levels are

Vitamin D at least over 80nmol

Serum B12 at least over 500

Folate and ferritin at least half way through range

[SlowDragon Administrator]

A year ago GP was obligated to prescribe vitamin D at 1600iu per day for 6 months

Did that happen?

NHS Guidelines on dose vitamin D required

ouh.nhs.uk/osteoporosis/use...

GP will often only prescribe to bring vitamin D levels to 50nmol.

Some areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol or even 80nmol

leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

But with thyroid issues, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly via NHS private testing service when supplementing 

vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.

There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7. 

One spray = 1000iu

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

Another member recommended this one recently

Vitamin D with k2

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

It’s trial and error what dose 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...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

Government recommends everyone supplement October to April as a minimum

gov.uk/government/news/phe-...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Don’t start any B vitamins until been tested in January

Come back with new post once you get results

Assuming B12 and folate are still low

Low B12 symptoms 

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

methyl-life.com/blogs/defic...

With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a B12 supplement initially for first 2-4 months

After week or two adding a B Complex (to balance all the B vitamins)

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...

low folate

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) 

Thorne currently difficult to find at reasonable price, should be around £20 

If you want to try a different brand in the meantime, one with virtually identical doses of the ingredients, and bioavailable too, then take a look at Vitablossom Liposomal B Complex. Amazon sometimes has it branded Vitablossom but it's also available there branded as Yipmai, it's the same supplement

amazon.co.uk/Yipmai-Liposom...

or available as Vitablossom brand here

hempoutlet.co.uk/vitablosso... &description=true

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 continue separate B12