I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism nine months ago, and prescribed 50mcg levothyroxine per day. No mention was made of Vitamin D results or any related issues like ferritin,or B12. I take Vitamin D 2200iu throughout Winter, and, as of October 23, after some online research, added Vitamin K2, 100 ug. Is it advisable to take Vitamin K2 with Vitamin D ?
I am in the process of arranging private blood tests after very helpful advice from members on this site, as my recent annual blood tests showed my TSH had risen to 2.69, from 1.5 last September. GP feels this within range, so unwilling to review my dosage of levo ! Ferritin and B12, folate results were all very good, so she cannot see any reason for retesting, or altering the dose. After I get the private blood test results, I can take this matter up with her. However, I just want to be certain I'm combining the right vitamins.
Wish there was a comprehensive handbook issued after diagnosis as GP's seem to have no idea about requisite Vitamin and mineral supplements in thyroid situations.
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lalage1979
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Doctors know absolutely nothing about nutrition. They just don't learn about it in med school. So, all they have are the weird ideas and brain-washing that the general public has, no more no less. But having such enormous egos, they believe they have to be right!
To work well, vit D has a co-factor: magnesium. Taking vit D without magnesium will just deplete your stock of magnesium - which is probably low, anyway. But the two work together so best to take them both.
When you take vit D, it increases absorption of calcium from food. So, to make sure that extra calcium goes into the teeth and bones, and doesn't build up in the soft tissues and arteries, we take vit K2.
There are two types of vit K2: MK4 and MK7. MK4 is synthetic and doesn't stay in the system very long. MK7 is natural, made from soy (but ok to take) and hangs around much longer. So, that is the best one to take.
I too wish there was a hand-book for supplementing nutrients. But the problem is that it would rapidly become out of date and new discoveries are made. For example: B12 and vit C. To begin with, we are told that vit C increases absorption of everything! Then, suddenly, oh! You mustn't take vit C with B12 because... Then, a bit later, oh! You can take vit C with B12 but only a small dose. Ideas are constantly changing, so it's very difficult to keep up.
Vitamin D3 ensures that calcium is absorbed easily and vit K2 activates the protein, osteocalcin, which helps take calcium to the hard tissues eg bones and teeth and prevents it going to soft tissue instead eg arteries
Without both D3 and K2, calcium cannot do its job effectively.
Has your GP tested for thyroid antibodies TPO and Tg which if raised indicate thyroid autoimmune disease/ Hashimoto's. This is common cause of hypothyroidism and if confirmed, and if your GP is clued up which I doubt, may help the initiation of replacement thyroid hormone/levothyroxine.
my TSH had risen to 2.69, from 1.5 last September. GP feels this within range,
It might be in range, but it’s too high for someone on replacement thyroid hormones
There are guidelines for GP (if they knew where to look)
Guidelines of dose Levo by weight
approx how much do you weigh in kilo
Even if we frequently start on only 50mcg, most people need to increase levothyroxine dose slowly upwards in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase) until eventually on, or near full replacement dose
In the majority of patients 50-100 μg thyroxine can be used as the starting dose. Alterations in dose are achieved by using 25-50 μg increments and adequacy of the new dose can be confirmed by repeat measurement of TSH after 2-3 months.
The majority of patients will be clinically euthyroid with a ‘normal’ TSH and having thyroxine replacement in the range 75-150 μg/day (1.6ug/Kg on average).
The recommended approach is to titrate thyroxine therapy against the TSH concentration whilst assessing clinical well-being. The target is a serum TSH within the reference range.
……The primary target of thyroxine replacement therapy is to make the patient feel well and to achieve a serum TSH that is within the reference range. The corresponding FT4 will be within or slightly above its reference range.
The minimum period to achieve stable concentrations after a change in dose of thyroxine is two months and thyroid function tests should not normally be requested before this period has elapsed.
TSH should be under 2 as an absolute maximum when on levothyroxine
If symptoms of hypothyroidism persist despite normalisation of TSH, the dose of levothyroxine can be titrated further to place the TSH in the lower part of the reference range or even slightly below (i.e., TSH: 0.1–2.0 mU/L), but avoiding TSH < 0.1 mU/L. Use of alternate day dosing of different levothyroxine strengths may be needed to achieve this (e.g., 100 mcg for 4 days; 125 mcg for 3 days weekly).
Consider starting levothyroxine at a dosage of 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (rounded to the nearest 25 micrograms) for adults under 65 with primary hypothyroidism and no history of cardiovascular disease.
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