can I take anything instead of thyroxin ?

[Overit23]

I watched a pod cast that said take vitamin and B’s instead ?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

no …you can’t replace a missing hormone with a vitamin

You are however likely to need to improve/maintain GOOD vitamin levels as well as taking levothyroxine

Being hypothyroid results in vitamin deficiencies

Please tell us more of your thyroid journey

Is you hypothyroidism autoimmune

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

How long on this dose

What are your most recent thyroid and vitamin results

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested

Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

[TiggerMe]

If your healthy thyroid is struggling due to low vit and min levels then it will help but if your thyroid is no longer capable of producing hormones then you'll need to replace them

Have you been diagnosed?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

We wouldn't have thousands of members discussing their thyroid hormone medicines - all too many paying hundreds of pounds for various investigations and treatments - if taking some vitamins would work.

If your diagnosis correctly identified that you need thyroid hormone, then vitamins are not things you can take instead.

(But you might need to look at vitamins and minerals as well.)