Results Advice Needed Please

[MindfulMoments]

Hiya!

I'd be most grateful if the wise owls of this forum can shed some light on my results, especially the vitamin tests. I am pretty much constantly symptomatic even though my thyroid results seem pretty optimal for NDT use. I also have early onset menopausal osteoporosis, which is being managed.

I am currently on Thyroid S, and have been for several years with varying success depending on batches.

So, here we go:

FT3: 5.7 pmol/L. Norm Range 2.4 - 6.0

FT4: 13.5 pmol/L. " 8.0 - 19.1

TSH: < 0.01. Suppressed due to T3

Vit D: 100 nmol/L. No normal range given

VIt B12: 628 ng/I. Norm Range: 200 - 700

Ferritin: 41.3 ug/I. " 10.0 - 250.0

Symptoms include: Fatigue, Bloating / Weight gain, Driving sensation in general system, Acheyness, Jaw tension, Intermittent headaches which could have multiple causes by jaw ache and dosing. Increasing gastric issues which never had until recently.

Some issues could be as a result of the Thyroid S reformulation, I.e gastrics. I just feel under par all the time lately. Could my body be rejecting NDT now?

My thyroid treatment history is as follows:

Levothyroxine: Caused fatigue and increasing weight gain. Eventually found out that I didn't convert to T3 too well.

Thyroid S: Lost the weight, felt much better fatigue wise until a few dodgy batches, pre reformulation.

Synthetic T3 monotherapy: Trialled after a dodgy NDT batch: Could not tolerate significantly high enough dose. Had driving aching and increasing fatigue.

Compounded NDT: Financially unable to keep tweeking dose to get optimum levels.

Finally back to Thyroid S with the above Symptoms.

(Cannot afford Armour and Erfa long term)

Diet: Gluten Free, Soya Free, Decaff Drinks mostly. Dairy Free tested, no allergies or intolerance.

Any advice where I may be going wrong please. Much appreciated! Thanks 😊

[Bertwills]

Sorry nobody has replied! I’m afraid I don’t know about NDT, I’m a T3 only person. Only thing I picked up on is your low ferritin. Maybe reformulate your post and ask about effectiveness of recent Throid S batches?

Ask about raising ferritin too. I can’t help as mine’s too high!

[MindfulMoments in reply to Bertwills]

Thank you for your reply, appreciate it. I can't believe the laboratory nor the GP thought it was low. I did post a similiar question on another forum and had several replies. All said my Ferritin is low. I have started taking iron and vitamin c from yesterday, so hopefully that will help. Thanks again!

[pennyannie]

Hello Mindful Moments :

I think you will feel a whole better when you manage to double up your ferritin -

I now aim for ferritin at around 100 - folate around 20 - active B12 125 ( serum B12 - 500 ++ ) and vitamin D at around 125.

Everywhere I researched when my ferritin was down at 22 suggested that no thyroid hormone replacement worked well until ferritin was at least over 70.

[MindfulMoments in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you pennieannie. I have just started taking 'Better You' iron spray and extra vitamin c hopefully that will suffice and raise my levels. What do you take to increase your ferritin and folate? I have just taken the fact I am so symptomatic is because the NDT isn't working properly anymore whatever dose I try as well as being menopausal in the mix. If it's down to the ferritin, it could be more hopeful. Thanks for the advice.

[pennyannie in reply to MindfulMoments]

Well I think a couple of things are probably at play -

the potency issue of Thyroid S directly after reformulation seems have upset many of us though pleased to say I'm now back to my normal on batch prefixed 23 - and just hope the reformulation of the reformulation now sorted :

Menopause probably throwing a spanner in the works - mostly out of your control -

then these core strength vitamins and minerals -

so - with a bit of luck and work 2 out of 3 maybe enough to carry you through.

I was taking Solgar Gentle Iron, ( though any iron bisglycinate will be kinder on your stomach ) Spatone x 5 a day and eating liver twice a week ( my ferritin was down at 22 ) -

I now maintain my level by making my sort of a liver pate, mushed up with some Helmans Mayonnaise which I keep in an old jam-jar in the fridge and a spoonful a day helps this medicine go down.

[MindfulMoments in reply to pennyannie]

Thanks pennieannie. I was thinking that all the nasty binders, fillers and E:no's in the Thyroid S are messing up my system gastric wise. I don't like the fact that it contains aluminum either which long term can cause onset dementia, parkinson's and obesity. The other NDT's aren't really in my budget, so I plod on with Thyroid S. I will try the 'Better You' Iron for now, but I may look for something else. Now it's trying to fit that in with the addition of my osteocare vitamin supplements and Thyroid-S do they don't all react with each other. Not enough hours in the day! 😅

[pennyannie in reply to MindfulMoments]

Well it's not ideal but financially I'm in a similar position to your good self -

I'm just being pragmatic about it all as I see the benefit outweigh the possible.

[Cheapskate]

I took Thyroid S for a few weeks only and it affected my liver. Have you had any blood tests for the liver? I didn't feel right at all when taking it.

[MindfulMoments in reply to Cheapskate]

That's interesting. How did you find out? What symptoms did you get? Also what do you take now?

[Cheapskate in reply to MindfulMoments]

I had a routine blood test which was for another issue unrelated. The blood test checked the liver and all the results were way out of range. Symptoms were really non specific. I didn't feel right but couldn't really say why or how. I'm not taking anything right now I want to get my liver right before I try again.

[MindfulMoments in reply to Cheapskate]

All the best 🤞😊

[WitchingHour2point0]

Are you on HRT?

[MindfulMoments in reply to WitchingHour2point0]

No I'm not. I am very reluctant/ wary of taking it. As my Ferritin seems to be low in thyroid terms, I have just started taking iron and vitamin c. I'm hoping things improve if I can raise my levels.

[WitchingHour2point0 in reply to MindfulMoments]

Even with optimal vitamins I couldn't find a stable dose of thyroid hormones until I started HRT.

HRT was a game changer for me.

[MindfulMoments in reply to WitchingHour2point0]

Did it make you put on weight? That is my biggest fear, as well as the need to be on it for the rest of my life otherwise the menopause will just come later. Can't imagine tolerating menopausal issues in my 70's and 80's.

[WitchingHour2point0 in reply to MindfulMoments]

I felt so utterly wretched without oestrogen so, for me, the nuisance of being medicated forever outweighed going without it, so it's something you have to weigh up.

Yes, HRT did cause me to put on weight but I was very underweight, and had been for a lot of my life. (At one point I has 8.5 stone and standing 6'1".) So I think it's helped me to get back to a healthy weight, rather than putting on weight, if that makes sense?