After Helen's last set of results we decided to take things into our own hands and start with some supplements after a long discussion with Greygoose and Jaydee 1507 we have been useing the following:
1. Magnesium Bisgycinate which has been changed to Magnesium Citrate as Helen became bound up, However despite switching she has still had issues in going to the toilet and still has feels full but not bloated.
2. Vit D3 3000iu
3. Methyl B12 sublingual spray use 1st then go to B12 Complex
4. B12 Complex (B complex Thorne Basic B discontinue 4-7 days before any blood test). (Also individual B12 and Folate for that period prior to any testing.
5. Increase Potassium using natural sources.
6. Vit K2
7. Colloidal Silver nasal spray & XClear nasal spray to help clear her sinuses. I've been told using the spray should not interfere with T4 absorption.
8. Zinc
9. Selenium
10. Levothyroxin 100 mcg/day
Already on 2, 5, 8, 9, 10.
We are not taking the full recommended doses and Helen had a blood test last Tuesday after about 5 weeks on this regime and Blue Horizon have confirmed receipt of the sample last week. We have yet to have the results.
Can anyone explain why she is still having this feeling of abdominal fullness but not costipation and decrease in bowel movements. It is becoming frustrating for both of us but I guess until we can compare the blood results from her last medichecks and this Blue Horizon Test which I will do as % through the range as opposed to the actual readings to see what effect these supplements. I will come back with the results when we get them but if anyone has any ideas why Helen is having trouble going to the loo when she's started a supplement that should help her go isn't other than the fact she is taking less than she needs where she is tempted to stop it altogether as she was going better without the ssupplements.
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helenshubby
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Low Stomach acid would obviously have an effect on Helen’s nutrition intake yet we need to get all her bloods into the 3rd percentile including her T3 before we can see how she is progressing. I am trying to handle and manage Helen’s expectations, without a Dr onside because as far as they are concerned her bloods are in “range”, so don’t want to know despite her still not feeling well. Regarding
Blue Horizon have confirmed receipt of Helen’s bloods last Thursday and because it’s the full well woman test it’s a seven day turn round so I doubt we’ll get the results till tomorrow or the weekend. I am also having to deal with the fall out from my Dad’s death in March and to top it off my Mum died last week so we have got to get probate sorted for both which I am doing as my brother and sister are more involved in the hands on management and sorting the house out and only my brother lives close by, and is the only one of us still working.
This is in addition to my own spinal problem where information is slowly being drip fed out by the medics that suggests my lower spinal cord and cauda equina have taken 4 and possibly 5 separate hits in different places.
You have indeed got your hands full! I appreciate that. But I don't see what any of that has to do with Helen's stomach acid. Blood tests won't tell you that. And no point going to a doctor about that because they refuse to recognise that low stomach acid is a thing, although we hypo patients know it is a thing!
Get her to do the burb test and take it from there:
Hi, we've got Helen's Blue Horizon test results back and I am somewhat concerned about them. Firstly, they were supposed to be in a 24 hour tracked envelope to the lab and took 51 hours to arrive so I am concerned somewhat that her sample was haemolysed by the time it got there. Can I send you by PM the last 4 tests she's had done including the BH ones which show a high Ferritin at 355, Vt D barely moved up from last test done a few months ago despite sublingual VitD/k2, B12 >150 on only 300mcg sublingual/day. slightly high Selenium and magnesium, but normal copper and zinc as well as high Cholesterol with virtually unchanged T3, T4 levels. There's a few other things that concern me as well like a high MCV. We've stopped the magnesium and cut the selenium back to one every other day. I'd be interested in your thoughts. This really is difficult given the delay in getting it to the lab. Did the nurse hold onto it too long/put it in a post box where the next collection was next day etc etc.
I'm not sure who you were aiming this at as you have replied to yourself? I shall tag in greygoose and SlowDragon
The lab would have rejected the blood if it were too old or haemolysed so the fact you have results suggests no issue, best to post up results here where you will receive various input 🤗
helenshubby 'Can I send you by PM the last 4 tests she's had done '
We strongly advise against doing this. Neither greygoose nor anyone else here is medically qualified, and should not be expected to take personal responsibility in this way. The whole point of a forum is to share such information publicly, so that it can be fully moderated, challenged, commented on, and of help to others.
Don't know if this was in reply to me, but I agree with the other: post the results here.
In any case, these results won't tell you if she has low stomach acid - although they might suggest it. I don't understand why you're ignoring that possibility when I explained to you that it could be the reason for her constipation and feeling full. I would have thought you would want to explore all avenues - especially when it's only a matter of drinking a glass of bicarb.
Stopping the magnesium has started to ease Helen’s bloated tummy and it was her that made the connection so can’t argue there. Also cut Selenium down to one every other day as this was a suggestion by previous surgery.
There was a caution on the results re RBC’s due to delay and response by the BH Dr was plain weird. Having spent a large sum of money on two full blood tests plus 24 hour cortisols x 2 I’m a little disappointed with PO not getting a 24 hr tracked to the lab in time. Whether the nurse stuck the bloods in our local post box which is collected at 0700 or it was simple incompetence on the part of Royal Mail is a matter for conjecture. If the nurse I would expect her to at least read Collection times on the box before posting and if RM it’s pretty disgusting if she took it to a box that’s emptied regularly. I will be taking up with BH as to be honest I not sure which results we can rely on and which are dubious. The BH GP was suggesting Helen may have liver issues when her LFT’s are within range. It’s going to take a while to put the last 4 bloods together from early last year up for comment but I’m puzzled by the ferritin and TFT results and singular lack of movement on max vitD/K2 spray as it’s barely shifted despite an increase in dose to 3000iu which is the max we can put into her. Helen’s TFT’s show her T4 at 20.2 and and T3 at 4.4 which is almost identical and a TSH a bit higher than last time when it should be around 1. I doubt if I’ll be able to post anything til Tuesday as we have so much going on as a result of losing Mum so folks can view the findings.
Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:
Females 18 ≤ age < 40. 30 to 180
Females 40 ≤ age < 50. 30 to 207
Females 50 ≤ age < 60. 30 to 264l
Females Age ≥ 60. 30 to 332
Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442
Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518
The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven
Vt D barely moved up from last test done a few months ago despite sublingual VitD/k2,
what’s the result
How much vitamin D is she taking
Very common to need higher dose with thyroid disease
B12 >150 on only 300mcg sublingual/day.
that’s normal on B12 supplements
you can swap to just vitamin B complex now
slightly high Selenium and magnesium, but normal copper and zinc
We've stopped the magnesium and cut the selenium back to one every other day
Reduce, rather than stop magnesium
Selenium….perhaps just taking twice week
high Cholesterol with virtually unchanged T3, T4 levels.
What are Ft4 and Ft3 levels
High cholesterol directly linked to low thyroid levels
TC was 6.89 but HDL Cholesterol was 1.7 and TC/HDL ratio was just over 4. When Underwriting we took a ratio of less than 5 as being OK regardless of TC levels.
FT3 4.4 and FT4 20.2. FT 4 higher than last time when it was just over 19. I will set up a table of Helen's last 4 bloods going back to Feb '23 to see if anyone can spot some trends & post sometime next week. We've been hit by so many things lately we don't know if we are coming or going!
TSH 1.53 (0.27 - 4.20) Free T4 (12.0 - 22.0) Free T3 (3.1 - 6.8) on 100 Mcg over a year and luckily same brand until recently. Lloyds bailed out of our local pharmacy and now it's independent but run by ?NHS Helen's had Teva [in the past, And Accord and current ones are Hillcross but show MA holder as Accord. Contents: Anhydrous Levothyroxine sodium, lactose, magnesium stearate, maize starch, stearic acid and pre gelatinised maize starch.
Takes Arlo Lactose free skimmed Milk, Lemon Tea, DeCaf Tea, water, Actimel which I think you can only get as dairy as there is a cow's head imprinted ion the bottles. Gluten free seedless bread Kirstie's apple pie, Gluten free Lemon dessert from Morrisons. Rest of diet Fish, Red/white meat, fresh vegetables and fruit, some frozen. And Galaxy Chocolate a couple of nights a week. Can't really think of Much else except a Cream Horn once a week. Also Morrisons Gingerbread offerings!
Can't think of anything else. So what do you suggest we do?
Hence significant numbers of patients need SMALL DOSES of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine
Here’s link for how to request Thyroid U.K.list of private Doctors emailed to you, but within the email a link to download list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologists who will prescribe T3
Ideally choose an endocrinologist to see privately initially and who also does NHS consultations
This is what we’ve swapped to Magnesium Supplements High Strength 1480mg - 240 Magnesium Citrate Capsules (not Magnesium Tablets) 444mg Elemental Vegan Magnesium Powder Capsules for Women & Men - 4 Month Supply - VitaBright UK from Amazon.
VitC can also help improve gut motility - keep increasing to bowel tolerance...
Diet ? Water ? I have had a few gut surgeries for Crohns since diagnosis some 50 years ago - have managed without drugs and focus on diet to the best of my ability. Also good quality water...
We need to see what benefit the extra B12 and b complex vitamins are providing so unless there is a specific effect on other test results we won’t be doing that. We need to know how much the 300 mcg Helen is taking sub lingularly are increasing her levels to somewhere in the 3rd percentile of the range but thanks for the info.
Most of what you are talking about I can't address with surety, but the constipation. fullness I will address because when you put food in it must be processed and eliminated to remain healthy or else your body goes TOXIC ! What works instead of a lot of OTC chemicals that can actually cause possible problems I recommend unsweetened apple sauce 1/4 cup with a TBSP or 2 of grd. flax seed and plain yogurt about 1/4 c or more if you like . You have your prebiotics and probiotics which your gut needs to function well . It is really healthy and found this on you tube put up by a couple of physical therapist it works and will also reduce your BP . You also need to stay hydrated about 8 glasses of fluid a day and physically active as best you can . It works for me. I use Magwell Magnesium which is a combination with Zinc and Vit D3 and like that product as well and can be purchased on Amazon . I use Amazon a lot cause stores her in U.S.A. are not all that well stocked with a variety. Wish you well !
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GP wants to lower my thyroxine? (help!)
Please could I have help with my results? 
Advice for my 76yr old Hypothyroid mum
New blood test results received, and ready to switch from Levo to NDT.
A long explanation but hopefully a shorter answer
