Regimen help with supplements, levothyroxine and other medications.

[Dshadzz07]

Despite being 23 I suffer with a lot of health conditions (mainly mental) so take a bunch of medications.

Levo (obvious reasons aha)

Pregabalin (nerve pain)

Vortioextine (antidepressant m)

Diazepam (anti-anxiety)

Diltiazem (Calcium channel blocker as they believe I may have vasospasms)

Omeprazole (GERD)

So that’s my medication aha, now supplements in previous posts I’ve shown I lack vitamin D, folate, ferritin a little low and B12.

These are my supplements, others for other reasons.

Magnesium gly (sleep)

Boron (inflammation)

Berberine (Cholesterol and Blood sugar)

Lysine (Cholesterol)

Vit C (Gut and cholesterol)

Thyroid vitamins:

Vit D +K2

Vit B complex

Methylfolate (folic acid doesn’t do much)

Vit B12 drops (do I add these in?)

Iron

So as you can see there is a lot there and need the schedule to start taking them in the best order. Let’s say I wake up at 9am and sleep 11pm. Start day with Levo and end with magnesium gly. How and when do I fit the rest in for timing.

*There are very little to no interactions with these except omepazole and Levo.

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

hi!

Do you take heme iron or ferrous/biglycinate forms? The latter are 4 hour jobbies. Heme is less fussy.

My approach is Levo first

2.5 hours later Bs folate zinc lysene

Mid afternoon heme iron

Evening D drops

Bedtime Magnesium

I don’t take some of the others but suggest you take them mid morning/afternoon to avoid interactions with Levo. Or bring magnesium earlier and take at bed time.

The antacid is a tricky customer, personally having spent a long time talking with my friendly ENT about reflux I’ve learned they shouldn’t be taken at all. (Unless obvs there is a medical reason that isn’t GERD or reflux) More of this in my past posts.

Most hypos have low stomach acid, these medications lower it further, reducing absorption. Making us more hypo etc etc.

The reflux symptom is often caused by low FT3 which affects the operation of the stomach and small intestine hence causing reflux, the treatment ought to be to raise FT4 and FT3 and raise stomach acid via diet and or Betaine Hcl with pepsin.

Anxiety is also a symptom of under replacement, are you optimally replaced?

[humanbean]

I used to suffer from anxiety and depression when I was younger. I was put on several SSRIs (one at a time, not all at once). None of them did anything for me or my mental health.

In the end I discovered what cured my anxiety and most of my depression was optimising my iron and ferritin (iron stores). I'd been low in iron, and anaemic several times, probably my whole life. I absorb iron poorly. I ended up treating my own iron and ferritin for 7 years - nearly 2 years at maximum dose to get my ferritin up to mid-range, then 5 years at a maintenance dose to keep my ferritin optimal. Near the end of that time my serum iron started to rise for the first time. When I got all my iron-related levels to optimal I stopped supplementing, and for the first time ever they didn't drop like a stone as soon as I stopped.

At the beginning of the process of raising my iron my doctor had given me a prescription for two months worth of iron supplements. It would have been like spitting in the sea and expecting the sea level to rise. I discovered that I could buy iron supplements of the type that doctors prescribe without a prescription from UK pharmacies. So now I test and treat my own iron a couple of times a year, and have done for years. In that respect at least, I can keep doctors out of the process and no longer have to beg and plead for iron supplements.

Raising my Serum B12 to about 1000 ng/L with methylcobalamin has helped my general health a lot too. I also aim to keep my folate at about 20 mcg/L with methylfolate (never folic acid).

The body stores B12 in the liver. But folate is not stored and must be eaten or supplemented regularly. It is also essential to keep other B vitamins at good levels. Many of us take a good quality B Complex, and only add extra B12 and/or folate if necessary.

Optimal for vitamin D is around 100 - 150 nmol/L. Some sources say specifically 125 nmol/L. You might find this link helpful when deciding your dose to raise or maintain your level :

grassrootshealth.net/projec...

[jgelliss in reply to humanbean]

Thank you Human bean. Great and Very Informative post.