Thyroid meds and low iron/ferritin

[GreenTealSeal_]

Hi guys,

I’m still trying to work things out but am just wondering that is my iron/ferritin always being crap be why I find it impossible to tolerate thyroid meds? Could PA also play a role in the intolerance?

I’ve been experimenting and my restless legs don’t bother me much until I take any kind of thyroid med and then they go crazy and are almost painful!? I keep my partner and my myself awake all night kicking and flailing! I also feel extra tired and breathless so it feels like the thyroid meds exacerbate the anemia?🤔

I managed to get my ferritin up to 90 last year but I hadn’t taken any thyroid meds for months and months and didn’t retry them until the end of the year. When id stopped supplementing.

I tried a small amount of NDT earlier this year which I felt some benefit from but the restless legs got so intolerable I had to stop it after 10 days

I’m also being tested for pernicious anemia next week but I spoke with a dr who thinks I have it and we’re going to trial injections anyway as so many of my symptoms fit!

Thanks and sorry to ramble on!

GTS🦭

[GlowCoach Administrator]

The trick with supplementing vitamin levels is that once you've got them to a good level you need to continue supplementing.

Almost certainly low ferritin will be factoring in to intolerance of thyroid replacement hormones.

Have you managed to restart your supplement regime now?

[GreenTealSeal_ in reply to GlowCoach]

I have, but still having issues tolerating thyroid meds so maybe I need to give the supplements time to work before adding in any medications 🤔

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to GreenTealSeal_]

Give it a few months for the supplements to work better. Ferritin can take quite some months to raise though so that will likely take longer.

[FallingInReverse]

Iron and b12 both play a role in hemoglobin, red blood cells and therefore oxygen.

I’m not well versed on B issues as my B is ok, but obviously iron and b are interrelated when it comes to red blood cells etc.

Thyroid hormones increase metabolic demand, and therefore oxygen demands. And when that happens - if you have low iron (or even PA low B) these things can have a chain reaction on your already struggling hemoglobin/red blood cell production.

With a little googling to refresh on my biology knowledge - Oxygen binds to hemoglobin (which needs iron in it to bind) and that is transported in red blood cells through your body.

Thyroid hormones increase your need for oxygen faster than your iron or b12 anemia allows. So when iron anemic we get breathless and tired. And PA limits red blood cell production - so limiting oxygen transport and leading to breathlessness, tired etc.

I had restless leg when post-partum a long time ago, I get hints of it now and again. It is absolutely maddening.

Again - a Google refresh - iron is needed for dopamine regulation, which is a cause of RLS, and so again the increased metabolic demand of thyroid hormones could increase dopamine turnover and prompt Rls symptoms.

The above is based on biology knowledge that if tested I’d need an open-book exam to pass : ) all logical of course but not sure if useful to you!

[GreenTealSeal_ in reply to FallingInReverse]

thank you FiR, sorry for the slow reply!

I definitely feel like the iron is making a difference already! I don’t wake up craving freezing water with ice anymore!!

It does seem likely that the thyroid meds are exacerbating the low iron, will try the meds again in a few months!

[humanbean]

I’ve been experimenting and my restless legs don’t bother me much until I take any kind of thyroid med and then they go crazy and are almost painful!

Personal anecdote :

My restless legs and cramp respond well to (in order of usefulness, iron being the best one to start with) :

Iron - I don't take iron every day, I just take a single iron pill when I get restless legs

Magnesium - I take magnesium citrate but there are other forms of magnesium that help :

drjockers.com/best-magnesiu...

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

Potassium

drmalcolmkendrick.org/2013/...

Read the comments as well as the article for suggestions on the form of potassium that people find helpful. Be wary with potassium and don't overdo it. It affects the heart and blood pressure.

Vitamin D

Salt/sodium

When I treat cramp and restless legs I try an iron tablet. If it doesn't help after ten minutes I take a dose of magnesium, wait ten minutes then if I'm still suffering I'll try potassium. I rarely have to take the vitamin D or salt to fix things.