Help with vitamins

[Flossiewestie2020]

My ferritin and B12 keep going down despite the fact that I take supplements. Since being diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, Coeliac and SIBO they were steadily going up - I got my ferritin from 2 to 75, but in the last year it’s gone down to 39. My B12 is at 318 and was almost 500 a year ago. Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this and how to get my levels up? I’m starting to struggle a lot with fatigue again 👎

Thanks in advance.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Which supplements are you taking and what is the amount of B12?

Are you vegan or vegetarian?

[Flossiewestie2020 in reply to Jaydee1507]

I take these tablets and have just added the liquid as advised by a nutritionist. No, I’m not vegetarian or vegan. I don’t think I’m doing anything differently but they’re falling every time I have blood tests 🤷‍♀️

New supplements

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Flossiewestie2020]

Which tablets?

The Biocare liquid is only 50ug, the B complex's that we recommend contain around 400ug so it may be that you're just not taking enough.

Suggest that you get a mouth spray or sublingual with at least 1,000ug.

cytoplan.co.uk/vitamin-b12-...

amazon.co.uk/Better-You-Boo...

[Flossiewestie2020 in reply to Jaydee1507]

These are the tablets I take and have been taking for ages.

Supplements

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Flossiewestie2020]

The tablets are a relatively low dose of B vitamins. It cntains about half the amount of the B complexes we recommend here and the same for B12.

You could switch to the igennus brand (you need 2 a day) or Thorne Basic B or one of the others in our list of B complexes.

Check the label that I have attached here and compare what you have and you will see its much lower %'s.

B complex suggestions: Slightly cheaper options with inactive B6:

amazon.co.uk/Liposomal-Soft...

Contains B6 as P5P an active form:

bigvits.co.uk/thorne-resear...

healf.com/products/basic-b-...

Explanation about the different forms of B6:

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

B complex comparison spreadsheet:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thorne basic B contents

[Flossiewestie2020 in reply to Jaydee1507]

Ok, thank you for that 😊

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What are your most recent TSH, Ft4 and Ft3

How much levothyroxine are you taking

Always test early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

which brand of levothyroxine

Are you dairy free as well as gluten free

[Flossiewestie2020 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi, I take Armour. Two grains a day. I had my blood tests at 9am and hadn’t take it since 12pm the previous day. I’m not dairy free.

[Flossiewestie2020 in reply to SlowDragon]

Here are my latest results.

Thyroid results

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flossiewestie2020]

So you look under medicated

Day before test, split as 2 or 3 doses spread across the day with last dose 8-12 hours before test

[Flossiewestie2020 in reply to SlowDragon]

I think I found it too much when I increased the dose before 🤷‍♀️

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flossiewestie2020]

How much did you increase by

Usually 1/4 grain maximum

Alternatively lots of people add Levo alongside NDT as NDT contains higher dose T3 to T4 than human thyroid levels

[Flossiewestie2020 in reply to SlowDragon]

It would have been a quarter. Would you say 25 mcg of Levo?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Flossiewestie2020]

Yes

Retest 8 weeks later

[SlowDragon Administrator]

With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement

As well as 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

Highly effective 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...

Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid supplements

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

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

Post discussing different B complex

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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 can be difficult to find at reasonable price, should be around £20-£25. iherb.com often have in stock. Or try ebay

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

Post discussing how biotin can affect test results

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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

[Flossiewestie2020 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks. I’m just starting to take a separate B12 supplement so hopefully that will help. I stopped taking the B-complex a week before the blood tests. Any thoughts on the iron levels going down?