Wholefood Dessicated Thyroid Supplements

[delboy25]

I was treated 25 yrs ago for overactive thyroid received RAI which made me hypothyroid and prescribed 100 mcg of thyroxine. I have never felt better with any brand or quantity of Levothyroxine and have given up with NHS doctors with regard to endocrinology.

I have just completed reading a new book published in 2023 by a British doctor I cannot give details of the title or author on this forum. It has a full chapter on thyroid glandulars but the author clearly states the preference as wholefood dessicated thyoid supplements which I have never heard of. I have heard of natural dessicated thyroid. Is this the same product or completely different?

The fatigue that I am now feeling particularly brain fog and muscle weakness is getting worse. I have experimented with different doses 100, 125 mcg. I did drop Teva Levo some years ago have been on Accord for several years I wondered if they had changed the filler in it. I feel that I am completely on my own with regard to CFS .

At a recent appointment with NHS practice nurse I had numerous items checked some not relevant to the thyroid so I have listed those items which apply.

Date of blood test 17th May 2023

TSH 0.08 range 0.34 to 5.44

Free T4 17.3 range 11.5 to 22.7

Serum B12 383 ng/l range 211-911

Vit D asked for this to be checked practice nurse stated NHS no longer testing for Vit D .

Serum Folate 5.9 range incomplete on form only showing 5.4 to ?

Serum Ferritum 46ug/l range 22-322 seems very low in the range to me no advice given by medical staff.

I am planning on having a private lab test done this June for a full thyroid profile , also private adrenal testing done using saliva and urine samples.

My question is does anyone have experience of Wholefood Dessicated Thyroid supplements and if so can you give me your experience and recommendations.

Thank you

[helvella]

Would you send me his name and the book title by Private Message/Chat, please?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

B12 definitely too low

Folate on low side

Ferritin very low

You need full iron panel test for anaemia

Are you vegetarian or vegan?

Vitamin D needs testing twice year when supplementing

[delboy25 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for your reply. I am not on B12 at the moment I have ordered Jarrow B12 1000mg tablets recently . I need to order Folate . I have ordered Better You Iron spray. I am due to see the practice nurse on the 20th June I will raise the Iron result and a full Iron panel test but I doubt they will oblige because the result is within the range. Can you suggest a private lab that does this. I started to take Vit D3/K2 drops this week.

A high percentage of my diet is fruit/veg and because there is a small % of protein in this when I buy food I always look for high protein content.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to delboy25]

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 separate B12 supplement and add a separate vitamin B Complex after a week 

Then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.

If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12 few times a week 

B12 drops 

natureprovides.com/products...

Or

B12 sublingual lozenges 

uk.iherb.com/pr/jarrow-form...

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...

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 

healthline.com/nutrition/fo...

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-£25. iherb.com often have in stock. Or try ebay 

Other options 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

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 folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12 until levels are high enough

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to delboy25]

Test twice yearly via NHS private testing service when supplementing 

vitamindtest.org.uk

You need to know your current results so test now

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...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

iron and ferritin

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron 

Medichecks iron panel test 

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet 

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

An article that explains why Low ferritin and low thyroid levels are often linked 

preventmiscarriage.com/iron...

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin 

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing Three Arrows as very effective supplement 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Excellent article on iron and thyroid 

cambridge.org/core/journals...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Good iron but low ferritin 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron 

healthline.com/nutrition/he...

Heme iron v non heme

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary 

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin range on Medichecks 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

We have received further information the lab about ferritin reference ranges. They confirm that they are sex dependent up to the age of 60, then beyond the age of 60 the reference range is the same for both sexes: 

Males 16-60: 30-400 ug/L

Female's: 16-60: 30-150

Both >60: 30-650 

The lower limit of 30 ug/L is in accordance with the updated NICE guidance and the upper limits are in accordance with guidance from the Association of Clinical Biochemists. ‘

[pennyannie]

Hello Delboy :

I think which ever way round you try and square the circle after RAI thyroid ablation your health will be somewhat compromised.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/306...

and quite why this treatment is still offered in what we presume to be a health care setting beyond me.

Looking back, you appear to have tried all the treatment options so I guess the answer is to find one that suits you best and ensure you keep your core strength vitamins and minerals at optimal levels.

i had RAI back in 2005 - and told at my very first hospital appointment that i was to have RAI the following year as the AT drug was too dangerous to stay on long term, which was a shock as I felt very well on the Carbimazole and thought my health issue ' sorted ' .

I now self medicate NDT - I find this softer on my body and am much improved - but a work in progress - as we all are as with the age I'm sure the goal posts move.

elaine-moore.com

Details on my profile page if interested.

[Yervaud]

I have PA and hypothyroidism ( sub clinical thyroid doctor says). I’m following guidance on this forum plus Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield’s Your Thyroid and how to keep it healthy. This means I’ve begun my thyroid regime by boosting adrenals first. And adding liver enzymes, before trying the glandular thyroid route. Which is my chosen experiment

Whatever I try I start on very low doses to see if it suits, then build up. Feeling better energy and sleep so far. I also inject 0.5ml B12, 2 or 3 times a day depending on activity and add B complex, P5P, D + K2-7, sublingual B12 and Vit C, with occasional pauses to check in on body.

[pennyannie in reply to Yervaud]

Yes, I too have Dr P's book as my goto - some 6 years on - and it still has relevance -

and yes, I too started off by supporting my adrenals as read RAI is taken up, to a lesser extent by other glands and organs in the body, including the adrenal - just popped back to add this to my reply above as I forgot to mention this in the main body of my reply.

Thank you for the prompt !!