thyroid support supplements?

[Tiredcoldachy]

I have seen on fb a lengthy presentation about thyroid support supplements . Mainly using selenium ( selenonmiothine) and aloe Vera plus 8 other ingredients. It’s a company called NationHealth MD . I would never buy without checking out and thought this Thyroid UK Group would be the best to ask . I’ve been on underactive thyroid meds for over 30 years, diagnosed in my 20’s. I’m ridiculously overtired , cold , achy etc and I’m having more in-depth tests done at the minute as I’m so fed up of feeling like this . Any info would be grateful . Thanks

[helvella]

Let us assume that this formulation is spot on exactly what someone, somewhere needs.

Why do you think you need exactly the same as that person?

The company is pushing you to buy their product. They know nothing about YOU.

Selenium might be something you should consider. But you don't want to over-do it. Our typical requirement is usually said to be about 80 micrograms a day.

But many who supplement with selenium have taken 200 or even 400 micrograms a day. And that can be too much in the longer term. Ideally (and I appreciate this is often not easy to achieve through NHS or afford privately) a selenium test would be done.

Selenium intake varies - depending on what you eat. Parts of the UK have a reasonable amount in the solid, parts are low. And much food is imported and that makes it difficult to have any idea.

I would rather take a separate selenium product so that I could start and stop as I felt the need. You can reduce the dose by taking alternate days - it is not something you need to take the same every day.

And what would the other ingredients do for you?

helvella - Thyroid Support Products

A short discussion about the various thyroid support formulas and similar products.

Last updated 13/02/2025

Link to blog:

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

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to helvella]

Thank you , wow there is so much to learn.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Welcome to the forum Tiredcoldachy,

So we can offer better advice, can you tell us more about your thyroid condition, eg when you were diagnosed, cureent medication & dosage, plus blood test results (with ranges in brackets) for:

TSH

FT3

FT4

Plus any antibody and key vitamin tests (ferritin, folate, vitamins D and B12)

If your GP is unable to complete all the above (eg if TSH is within range, some surgeries may not be able to access FT4 and FT3 tests), you could look to do this privately, as many forum members do, for a better picture of your thyroid health:

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

In the first instance, do ask GP for the above. We don’t recommend supplementing key vitamins without testing first (and sharing results with us).

As  helvella has advised, do be mindful of how much selenium you take. You need to be careful not to go above range. Studies have shown that those supplementing high doses (400ug daily) may have toxic levels. As such, it’s recommended to take no more than 100ug daily as a supplement (or 200ug if you have active Thyroid Eye Disease) or eat 1-2 Brazil nuts (as each nut may contain 50-90ug selenium dependent upon soil type).

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you for your message . I had bloods done last week asking for most of the tests you mentioned . They said they can’t do the FT3 levels . I’m on 100 mg of levothyroxine and have been on this since about 1998. My last results for TSH (2.9)and FT4 (16.8) always show up as normal. When I get my results I will discuss it further with my Gp to get to the bottom of it if I can . As you say messing about with e can cause issues but I feel so desperate , I’m so fed up feeling tired .

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

Can you add ranges for blood tests (in brackets after results) as these can vary between laboratories.

TSH should always be under 2, with most members here reporting they feel best when it drops closer to/ under 1. It would be useful to see FT3, and key thyroid vitamins. Do share any more results, if/ when you get them.

A patient to patient tip for your next blood draw is to get the earliest test (before 9am) and take daily dose of Levo after the blood draw (as TSH highest early morning). Drink nothing but water before the test.

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to Buddy195]

Hi ,

Thanks for your response . The results for my last test in November were as follows

Serum free T4 16.8 ( 11-23)

Serum TSH 2.9 ( 0.27-4.5)

I should get my other results this week and I did have them done before 9am but had eaten . Usually my tests are done in the afternoon.

I will be in touch when I get my latest results .

Thank you

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

I would push for an increase from 100mcg to 125mcg Levo. Personally, I like to add increments slowly, so would add 12.5mcg initially, then an additional 12.5mcg when well tolerated

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to Buddy195]

Ok I will discuss with Dr when get my results . Thank you .

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to Buddy195]

Hi , I’ve just been online to retrieve my results as hadn’t heard from Dr . They say if you don’t hear all is ok . However quite a few tests results said ABNORMAL but NO FURTHER ACTION NEEDED !

Serum thyroid peroxidase antibody concentration 68 IU/ml ( <34) * out of range

Serum Vit B12. 627mg/l(197- 771)

Serum folate level 12.1 ug/l ( 2- 18.7)

Serum ferritin 44.2 ug/l (20-260)

Serum free T4 level 16.2pmol/l(11-20) said borderline

Serum TSH level 5.4 mul(0.27- 4.5 ) * out of range

Vit D 78

Just looking at the TPO antibody that’s way out of range . It’s funny that the notes for the Dr said no further action needed .

What can you suggest from these results . Thank you .

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

As TSH should always be under 2, definitely push your GP for an increase in Levothyroxine. Ensure they also retest levels 6-8 weeks after a dose change.

I would try to improve ferritin levels by including iron rich foods in your diet (I like to follow tips from dailyiron.net). I improved my folate by taking a good B complex, such as ThorneBasic B or Ingenus Super B. SlowDragon is very knowledgeable on vitamins, so do have a look at her posts/ recommendations.

Positive antibodies show your condition is auto immune, AKA Hashimotos.

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you . Will call the Drs tomorrow . Hopefully with some adjustments I can feel more alive .

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

Do keep posting and let us know how you get on! 👍

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to Buddy195]

I’ve just spoken to the Nurse practitioner who was ringing to tell me all my tests were ok just borderline . However I the told her I’d been in touch with Thyroid Uk and what had been said. She’s now agreed to up my dose of levothyroxine to 125mg with a blood retest in 6-8 weeks and also for me to take iron supplements for my ferritin levels . Although she said it wasn’t low but would go on advice given . The problem is they don’t know a lot about thyroid and the vitamins and things that affect it , if I hadn’t been in touch with this sight I would have just carried on feeling rubbish .

I will get some Vit B , Vit D and Iron and my increased dose , which I will increase by 12.5 and 12.5 as advised by someone on here and take it from there . Feeling very optimistic . It’s also been confirmed I have Hashimoto disease but she didn’t have anything to say about that .

Thanks for your help , will report back in 2 months time .

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

It’s great news that you have an increase in Levo. I would follow recommendations provided by SlowDragon re vitamin supplementation.

Do keep posting if you have further questions- remember to do this in a new post, as this alerts more members.

[RedApple]

' I’ve been on underactive thyroid meds for over 30 years'

Which strongly suggests that any thyroid support supplement is a total waste of money for you. Your thyroid doesn't work, so you can't 'support' it. You need full thyroid hormone replacement, either as T4 only, or possibly T4 with a little bit of T3.

A 'lengthy presentation' on FB is something to steer clear of in my opinion. It's just marketing hype created for the purpose of emptying your bank account in order to fill theirs!

Once you've had your 'more in-depth tests done', do come back with the results so that members can help you understand them and hopefully point you in the right direction to get your health back on track.

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to RedApple]

Thank you will do .

[HealthyBefore in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

Have you checked for coeliacs? or low iron, these are two big issues that lead to your symptoms.

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to HealthyBefore]

Yes to the iron but no to coeliacs. I’ve just got test results back for thyroid and things and some are not normal.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

My last results for TSH (2.9)and FT4 (16.8) always show up as normal. When I get my results I will discuss it further with my Gp to get to the bottom of it if I can .

Obviously need range on Ft4 and need to test Ft3, vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 together

ALWAYS test early morning, ideally before 9am only drinking water between waking and test and last dose Levo 24 hours before test

Do you always get same brand Levo at each prescription

Most people when adequately treated on levothyroxine only will have Ft4 at least 70% through range and Ft3 at least 50-60% through range

Vitamin levels need to be OPTIMAL for good conversion of Ft4 (levothyroxine) to Ft3 (active hormone)

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you , have just put ranges on reply to Buddy 195 . I usually have same brand but they do change occasionally . I’ve also recently swapped to taking them at night as read on Thyroid Uk that it was better to do that . I think I will have to have FT3 tested privately as the Dr won’t do it . kind regards

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

Many people take Levothyroxine soon after waking, but yes it may be more convenient and perhaps more effective taken at bedtime

verywellhealth.com/best-tim...

markvanderpump.co.uk/blog/p...

markvanderpump.co.uk/blog/p...

No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap.

Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away

(Time gap doesn't apply to Vitamin D mouth spray)

If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test so that last dose levothyroxine is still 24 hours before test

If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for the useful info , especially about the bloodtests . I do take omneprazole and have been trying to not take it at same time for a while now but didn’t realise about Vitamins as I take a multivitamin .

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

Why are you taking Omeprazole

Multivitamins never recommended on here

best to supplement a separate vitamin D, separate magnesium, separate vitamin B complex

Vit D 78

Aim for vitamin D at least over 80nmol and 100-125nmol might be better

Serum Vit B12. 627mg/l(197- 771)

Serum folate level 12.1 ug/l ( 2- 18.7)

Vitamin B complex best taken after breakfast

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance

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 and may need 2 per day and/or may need separate methyl folate couple times a week

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 3-5 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results

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)

Serum ferritin 44.2 ug/l (20-260)

Very low

Aim to maintain over 70:

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing.

It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron

Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test

If taking any iron supplements stop 3-5 days before testing

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/anae...

10% off code here

thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you so much for all that in-depth information . I will have a read of all the information and will aim to increase the levels that need increasing .

I take Omneprazole for acid reflux as I have a burning throat all the time and hoarse voice if I don’t take it .

Thank you

[annealing in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

Hi Tiredcoldachy and others ,

I haven't been on here for a long time , my health is getting worse , so have decided tohave re-test thyroid bloods nhs and private and then whether to try alternaive vit herbs route or synthetic thyroid meds once gp confirms from tests if I have a hypothyroid issue. Also re read a thyroid scan I had to check if it was damaged [recommend by you ladies here -as it is a better inidcator of early hash than bloods] report recommends ''specialist referral ,as possiblity of low thyroid and few reactive cervical lymph nodes are identified ''???, this was back in 2021 [ my priority has been with the demise of 3 family members].anyway enough about me , Also suffer with acid reflux sore throat, constant dry cough Today was talking about this with gp taking thyroid bloods and they suggested PPI, but after checking info online wouldn't recommmend long term use , here as some allternatives in an article i found . I have tried slippery elm , but its expensive and pretty disgusting . ACV can irrtate a delicate stomach and gut . i may try marshmallow root and liqurice root once I find out best recommendations .

Hope it gives an allternative to the PPI you are taking

totalhealth.co.uk/blog/top-...

The pharmaceutical drugs normally prescribed for GORD are known as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs). These drugs are generally highly effective at reducing the acid and so relieving symptoms. Indeed, 73 million NHS prescriptions for PPIs are dispensed in England alone each year; making them one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the country. However, there are inevitable down-sides to eliminating stomach acid and the therapeutic approach can come at a high cost to other aspects of health. For example:

Increased risk of fracture…Cardiovascular disease…Dementia…Chronic kidney disease…Vitamin/mineral deficiencies, and Infection

Prolonged use can also lead to hypochlorhydria, which is a converse deficiency of stomach acid. If you don’t have enough stomach acid, you can’t digest food properly or absorb its nutrients. This leads to indigestion, malnutrition and sometimes bacterial overgrowth.

Difficulty with acid rebound

Prescription of PPIs should only normally be short-term, however, stopping the medication can have a major 're-bound' effect, where the acid and symptoms come back with a vengeance. This can make the drugs difficult to quit. It is therefore not surprising that patients seek natural alternatives.

In his fully referenced article for Total Health, Dr David Cartland provides a list of the top natural alternatives for GORD. In summary, these include:

Natural alternatives to PPI:

Over ripened papaya and banana:Eating overly ripe banana/papaya can relieve stomach symptoms, alleviate bloating and indigestion, and stimulate the stomach.

Apple cider vinegar:Gastritis can be due to low hydrochloric acid and stimulating this as a home remedy made of apple cider vinegar mixed with honey and diluted in water boosts hydrochloric acid production, improving digestion and easing inflammation.

Chamomile Tea:Drinking chamomile tea is good for gastric conditions. It helps manage symptoms of stomach illness and prevent further damage, containing significant amount of essential oils which work to ease the underlying cause of digestive disease and relaxes stomach muscles.

Cat nip (Nepeta cataria):Catnip tea is most commonly used to treat symptoms related to gastrointestinal upset, including indigestion, cramping, and gas. It has additional benefits around anxiety and insomnia.

Pre and probiotics:Probiotics are live microorganisms that when consumed orally in adequate amounts provide many health benefits. Currently, studies indicate that probiotics are promising for future applications in the management of gastric ulcers. They are thought to help by protecting the gastric mucosal barrier, increase prostaglandins, mucus, growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines, increased cell growth/healing and stimulating blood vessel growth.

Marshmallow root powder:Marshmallow root is high in mucilage, which may be advantageous for people with gastritis because its slippery nature soothes irritated mucus membranes. It is available in capsules, powders, syrups and teas.

Slippery Elm:People use the inner bark for of the slippery elm tree native to the USA for medicinal purposes. It contains “mucilage,” and when mixed with water it becomes a gel which can coat different parts of the body and may provide relief of inflamed tissues in the gastrointestinal tract, which could be useful if you have acid reflux. It can also help stimulate more mucus production in the intestines.

Peppermint tea/oil:Peppermint oil is a popular essential oil for treating gastritis. It has a cooling and soothing effect on the stomach, which can help to relieve the bloating/pain and discomfort associated with gastritis.

Liquorice root:Glycyrrhizin in liquorice root offers potent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, making it effective in treating ulcers and gastritis. It is an anti-inflammatory to the gastric lining, soothing irritation, and helping the body combat harmful bacteria. Also rich in flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants.

Ginger:Ginger treats gastritis effectively due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, reducing inflammation and treating flare-ups.

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to annealing]

Thank you for this information . Interestingly I have recently been drinking peppermint tea and camomile tea and my acid reflux symptoms have been better . I would not have realised the connection if I hadn’t read your info . Thank you . 🙏

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

I take Omneprazole for acid reflux as I have a burning throat all the time and hoarse voice if I don’t take it .

Acid reflux is common hypothyroid symptom and should improve once you get thyroid levels better managed

You have to ween off any PPI very slowly……don’t try to do this until TSH around or below 1

Thousands of posts on here about low stomach acid

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

Web links re low stomach acid and reflux and hypothyroidism

nutritionjersey.com/high-or...

stopthethyroidmadness.com/s...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

How to test your stomach acid levels

healthygut.com/articles/3-t...

branchbasics.com/blogs/food...

meraki-nutrition.co.uk/indi...

huffingtonpost.co.uk/laura-...

lispine.com/blog/10-telling...

Useful post and recipe book

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to SlowDragon]

Ok so I’ve been told to take iron supplements for my low ferritin levels but confused about Vitamin B complex , if I take a Vit B one like you suggested do I not need to take iron ones ? Thank you

[Tiredcoldachy in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

Also if my Vit D levels at 78 what strength tablet should I be taking to increase it ? Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

Is that vitamin D 78nmol - U.K. units

or 78ng/ml - USA & EU unit of measurement

If 78ng/ml that’s high - reduce your daily vitamin D intake a little

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tiredcoldachy]

iron is separate to folate

You will need to take iron supplements at least 4 hours away from levothyroxine and at least 2 hours away from other vitamin supplements