Airedalelady

[airedalelady]

I am about to start a course of hydrolyzed marine collagen to help my loss of hair. It is by British Supplements, and the ingredients just list Pangasius Fish. Is this okay to take with Levothyroxine? Someone has told me this would probably contain Iodine, which would not work with thyroid meds. Could someone please clarify. Thankyou.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What are your most recent thyroid and vitamin results

Are you still only on 75mcg levothyroxine

Test early morning, ideally before 9am, only drinking water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Post from 8 months ago your were asked what thyroid and vitamin results were

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Hair loss is usually caused by being on inadequate dose levothyroxine and/or low iron/ferritin

Nether would be resolved by taking collagen

[airedalelady in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes I am still on 75 mcgs Levothyroxine. Here are the results of my last blood test on 23/5/23. T3 4.4 pmol (3.1-6.8)

T4 20 pmol (12-22)

TSH level 0.2 miu/L (0.27-4.2)

Vit D3 125 mmol/L (30-125)

Vit B12 469 ng/L (197-771)

Folate 8.3 ng/ml (2.7-17.0)

Ferritin 94 ng/ml (12-150)

The following were highlighted as "high":

Red blood cell count 5.10 (3.8-4.8)

Hematocrit 0.47 (0.35-0.45)

Serum adjusted calcium concentration 2.28 mnol/L (2.2-2.6)

Serum urea 7.9 mnol/L (2.5-7.8)

Serum creatinine 85 umol/L (45.0-84.0)

I don't know if the above are relevant, but thought I would mention them as they are noted as high. I am due another blood test next week.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to airedalelady]

What vitamin supplements are you taking

B12 and folate are too low

If not taking Vitamin B complex likely to benefit

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 a week later add a separate vitamin B Complex 

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...

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

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....

Igennus B complex popular option too. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose

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 over 500

Post discussing how biotin can affect test results

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[airedalelady in reply to SlowDragon]

I stop taking biotin and b-complete 1 week before test. Also stop levo 24 hours before test. I get as early a time for the test as I can, on this occasion it was 9.25 am. I only drink water before the test, because I have learned from this group thar these are the things to do. I am not always given the same brand of levothyroxine although it states on my prescription Accord only, and NO Teva I get a mixture. My pres is 25 mcgs and 50 mcgs separately as Teva are the only suppliers of 75 mcgs. My last pres was 50 mcgs Accord with 25 mcg MercuryPharma. The one before was 50 mcgs Accord with 25 mcgs Wockhardt UK.

[airedalelady in reply to airedalelady]

I currently take, daily, B Complete, Vit C, Vit D3 with K2, Selenium ACE, all are Betteryou sprays as I cannot swallow tabs or caps. I take magnesium caps, and biotin caps. and plant sterol caps d'mannosee caps daily. I empty the caps into some liquid and drink this always checking first that I can do this and that they are not gradual release caps. Apart from this, I take 5 mgs tablet of Amlodipine, which I chew. I used to also take Betteryou B12 spray daily, but back in Sept 2022 my test showed B12 level 1004 ng/L (197.0-771.0). So when I saw it was so much above the ref range I stopped taking it. Although the lab said the result was satisfactory! Since reading your reply to me I have today started taking B12 spray again. I am so confused with these reference ranges which you cannot trust.. I have another blood test booked for next Tuesday at 8.22 am and have already stopped biotin and B-complete. I hope I have missed anything out that you asked for.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to airedalelady]

Was thyroid test done early morning, only water to drink between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

FT4: 20 pmol/l (Range 12 - 22)

Ft4 is 80.00% through range

FT3: 4.4 pmol/l (Range 3.1 - 6.8)

Ft3 only 35.14% through range

So currently poor conversion rate of Ft4 to Ft3

Suggest you get full iron panel test to check iron

Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

[greygoose]

Don't think it contains that much iodine, no more than any other food stuffs. What you shouldn't be doing it taking iodine supplements. And it's not that it "would not work with thyroid meds", it's that excess iodine is antithyroid, and can cause a lot of problems. Your 'thyroid meds' are actually full of iodine: 65 mcg for 100 mcg T4. So, it's something you really don't want to take more of. I'm taking collagen at the moment, not for my hair although that's pretty sparse, but for the poor quality of my skin and slow wound healing. And it seems to be doing me some good. Time will tell.

[airedalelady in reply to greygoose]

I never knew that thyroid meds contained iodine! You always learn something new in this group! I am reassured by the fact that you are also taking collagen. Thankyou

[greygoose in reply to airedalelady]

Iodine is one of the ingredients of thyroid hormone, you can't make thyroid hormones without it. What we call 'conversion' of T4 to T3 is actually the removal of one atom of iodine. And the iodine that is removed is recycled in the body. Which is why we don't need a lot of it daily.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to airedalelady]

There is a section in my Vade Mecum which explains how much iodine is in each thyroid hormone 'Iodine Content of Thyroid Hormones'. (As well as much else, of course.

helvella's Vade Mecum document is available here:

helvella - Vade Mecum for Thyroid

The term vade mecum means:

1. A referential book such as a handbook or manual.

2. A useful object, constantly carried on one’s person.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

Percentages of the various chemical elements in levothyroxine sodium

[Jbrooke]

I take collagen too for hair, skin, nails and joints. Hair loss, with thyroid, is typically the result of an inadequate dose, a side effect of the medication, or low ferritin. I’m on Armour thyroid and never take the collagen with thyroid medicine. At least 4 hours after. Best wishes.

[airedalelady in reply to Jbrooke]

Thankyou. I always take levothyroxine around 3am or whenever I get up to go to the toilet. Thus gives plenty of clearance either side to avoid any interactions, I will have to get my ferritin checked