advice if possible please

[Goinginsane1]

I am at my wits end trying to get my thyroid levels right. GPs still refusing to refer me to an endocrinologist saying they won’t see me.

could someone take a look at my results graphs please?

the last one was done 1 month after the one before and I have been trying to eat more in that time as I haven’t been eating enough for a long time. I have been eating really healthy mind. I was eating pumpkin/sunflower seeds with every meal though which I have now stopped after readying about phytate acid and it blocking absorption of vitamins. Only stopped 4 days ago.

i had another test a week or 2 ago due to starting with acid issues and last time that was when my tsh went over. And sure enough it has again. But my t4 is still high too.

Only 1 week prior to the blood test the nhs blood test TSH was 2.1 and I felt really good.

It definitely something to do with either eating more food and the quantity (although only just having about 2000 calories) or something that I have been eating and I don’t know what as it’s been healthy.

[Goinginsane1]

t3

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[Goinginsane1 in reply to Goinginsane1]

T4

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[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Dieting or eating low carb can affect conversion of T4 to T3. If you want to even out your results and you think its related to how or what you are eating you need to eat a normal diet.

How do you take your Levo? Perhaps try taking it at bedtime to avoid food interferance.

That said you need a dose increase so insist your GP does this.

Did you start a B complex?

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Jaydee1507]

I don’t take a b complex. My folate and b12 were good and b12 high on the nhs test a week before these results.

I eat really healthy but was not having enough calories for a long time. Only just managing to now.

In a space of a week my TSH increased and I definitely think it’s due to either eating more of something I was eating or a depletion in vitamins or minerals due to eating pumpkin and sunflower seeds with every meal trying to be healthy and add goodness. Apparently they have phytate acid and this can deplete the vitamins which I think may have happened.

I have started taking an iron supplement again the last few days. But my anxiety is getting worse by the day.

My stomach acid isn’t quite as bad but having to limit certain foods. This is definitely due to my TSH going over as it has happened once before.

I spoke to go about these results and she said not to change dose as it was good the week before and it’s probably due to what I am eating 💁 I did slightly increase it for one day and my anxiety was awful but my t4 is high too and I feel like I am having symptoms of an over and underactive thyroid at the same time 😞

My blood sugars were dropping a few weeks ago too and probably due to not eating enough.

I am so scared to try and anti depressant but I feel like I am being forced to try citalopram next. The last few made me worse and cause me all sorts of problems though and had to stop 😞

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

Can you post the results from your vitamin tests along with reference ranges so they can be checked to be optimal?

A high B12 result if you arent supplementing can sometimes be what they call paradoxical in that you actually need it. Strange but true. iomcworld.org/articles/para...

You almost certainly need a good B complex if mental health symptoms are occuring.

Have you tested and are you supplementing vit D? Most people have to.

Are you remembering to take your Levo every day?

What problems are you having with food?

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Jaydee1507]

I take omega 3 fish oil that contains vitamin d.

I take levo the same time pretty much everyday.

I take a probiotic too. But that’s all. I eat really healthy but struggle to eat enough calories which I have been trying hard to increase the last few weeks which is when my TSH has gone over 💁 the only thing I can think of really is that I started eating raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds with every meal trying to add healthy calories but I have read about phytate acid and they can block the absorption of iron, magnesium, calcium and other nutrients apparently. I suspect this is what might have happened and that reduction in vitamins/nutrients has then affected my TSH levels and caused stomach acid problems.

I am eating 2 eggs a day to get extra calories too but I was eating them way before even when my TSH was starting to improve so I don’t think it’s eggs.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

Its quite possible you're overthinking the seed issue. I highly doubt that would affect your TSH to that extent.

What time of day do you take your Levo and is it on an empty stomach, 1 hour away from food or caffeine containing drinks?

Its very unlikely that vit D within an omega 3 would be enough to get your level to optimal although of course it will help. Which omega 3 product is this?

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Jaydee1507]

I take it when I’m still in bed int he morning. Generally go back to sleep for an hour or 2 and then get up and have breakfast.

It’s the omega 3 by seven seas. I have thought about taking 2 of them instead of one 💁

I know that I have not been eating enough for a long time and introduced more calories by adding more raw seeds with every meal and more wholemeal bread. Still very little sugar but added the odd bag of crisps too for more calories . Still only just hitting daily target of 2000 calories. I find it so hard. I’ve been eating more and losing more weight even when my TSH has gone up which doesn’t make sense either 💁

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

If its the Seven. Seas product I am looking at it only has 300mg omega 3 and you likely need 2,000mgs.

The vit D is equaly low at 10iu per capsule which is 400iu. You likely need 3,000iu+ but best to test first.

A minority of hypo people lose weight when hypo.

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Jaydee1507]

oh really? I need much more omega 3 than I’m taking? I am eating oily fish a few times a week too, salmon, tuna, mackerel.

Vitamin d was tested and has dropped to in the 50s so I probably do need more that what’s in the omega 3.

I couldn’t sleep at all last night due to anxiety and a bit of heartburn 😞

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

If you're eating a good amount of oily fish you probably don't need more omega 3.

Can you post your other vitamin results?

Looks like you need a separate vitamin D + K2 containing a higher amount.

Thyroid hormone wont work well if all vitamins are not optimal.

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Jaydee1507]

my latest results a couple of weeks ago

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[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Goinginsane1]

I forget now if you said you are taking a multivitamin or any supplements?

Your ferritin is slightly low. Its suggested that a level of 90-100 is best for use of thyroid hormone. Can you try and add in more chicken liver pate or chicken livers, red meat etc

Vit D could be improved. Suggested optimal level is 100-150 so you need to increase what you seem to be taking.

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Jaydee1507]

I am eating really healthy and over the last few weeks have been trying to eat more. Was only reaching about 1600calories prior to this and lost so much weight. Trying to eat around 2000 now but it’s a struggle. I am just about managing it though. I am 8st 7lbs now and frustrating lost a pound even after eating more, either due to my tsh going over range or my metabolism working quicker maybe 💁

I only take omega 3 with added vitamin D with my lunch. And 2/3 probiotic tablets with food (biokult everyday).

The last few days I have started taking the iron supplement from the drs that I was prescribed a few months ago as my ferritin dropped to 30 as I suspect my iron to be dropping again now.

I tried taking magnesium a while back and it caused me awful anxiety when I took it and had to stop.

I also tried taking a b complex a while back and that caused me to have tingly arms and hands 💁

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Jaydee1507]

this is the graph of my ferritin levels on the blood tests I’ve had and is clearly dropping again 🙄

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[Lalatoot in reply to Goinginsane1]

I lose weight when my TSH goes up and I am undermedicated.The clearcut lists of hypo and hyper symptoms you see on the internet are misleading. There is a big overlap of symptoms. I suffered the same symptoms when I was truly hyper as I did when I was undermedicated hypo.

[Wua13262348 in reply to Goinginsane1]

The phytate acid in the sunflower and pumpkin seeds , I think , can be avoided by soaking overnight in water to remove it.

I have a Hemsley and Hemsley recipe with both seeds in. The seeds are soaked overnight to remove phytates. Hope this helps.

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Wua13262348]

does soaking them remove the phytate completely? Do I have to dry the seeds out again and then eat them? Would they still have all the nutrients in them like zinc do you know?

[Wua13262348 in reply to Goinginsane1]

If you search on Google, on various sites, they say that nuts and seeds should be soaked in water so that essential nutrients like iron, protein,calcium and zinc can be better absorbed by the body. The water removes the phytic acids present which cause indigestion. The sites say that soaking improves digestion to reap the benefits of the nutrients. The different sites give suggestions re. their use e.g.roasting.

You don't need to dry them out in the hemsley and hemsley recipe I have, which is from one of their cookbooks I requested from the public library. The recipe for "Apple and Raisin Quinoa Slices" has pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and quinoa which are all soaked in water overnight. The recipe has 1 large egg white in it which is my worst food intolerance. I substitute 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water brought to a low boil , instead of the egg white.

[Forestgarden]

That's a huge jump in your tsh. Something to do with the actual test not quite working? Your tsh will vary naturally over the course of a day, and will be affected when you take your levo. Do you get your bloods done at the same time of day? Before taking levo? No biotin for a week before? (Its been drummed into me by this forum 😉)

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Forestgarden]

yeah I’ve been trying to figure out what I’ve done differently in that weeks of it changing from 2.1 to 4.7 and me suddenly starting with stomach acid issues.

I have been eating more but my TSH was starting to improve when I did this. The only thing I can think of is I was eating raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds with breakfast lunch and dinner trying to add healthy calories but I have read that these contain phytate acid which binds to iron, magnesium and other nutrients and blocks their absorption. That’s the only thing I can think of. I have stopped eating them now for the last few days but I still feel some acid and my anxiety is really quite bad. I have started taking an iron supplement again and trying to eat well and enough still but it’s so hard.

I have been eating 2 eggs a day as well but I’ve been doing that for a good while now even when my tsh was improving so I don’t think it’s them.

I never take my thyroxine before the blood test and it’s always before 9am.

My t4 has been consistently high on all tests even when TSH low which is annoying. I feel like I have symptoms of an under active and over active thyroid 😞

Trying to accept how I feel right now and praying that the iron tablets help (which it normally does) and I guess it may take some time for the nutrients from food to get back in my system if the seeds have reduced their absorption 💁

No biotin.

[Batty1]

Were you tested for low iron? If you weren’t it’s probably not a good idea to supplement that … Do you have Hashimoto’s?

[Goinginsane1 in reply to Batty1]

my ferritin was checked and it has dropped so I have started taking the iron supplement from the drs again over the last few days but I guess that will take time to get in my system and start to work? Haven’t really noticed any difference yet although the stomach acid has eased a little bit and I am managing it with what I’m eating and not needing gaviscon now.

I dot think I have hashimotos. They say it’s primary hypothyroidism, well thats what they told me years ago 💁