Statins and underactive thyroid

[Job0601]

I've tried 3 lots of different statins but all give me muscle aches especially at night. Should I be taking statins with an underactive thyroid

[DippyDame]

No! *if your thyroid replacement is at the correct level you shouldn't need statins

Do you have recent test results .....basically TSH, FT4 and FT3?

[Job0601 in reply to DippyDame]

My tsh is 0.1 and FT4 16.6. I take 100 thyroxine. No ft3 results. I self medicate with B12 otherwise it is low.

[DippyDame in reply to Job0601]

We need reference ranges please.

Consider including FT3 in your next test....it is important

[GlowCoach Administrator]

Please share your latest blood results to include reference range for each test.

First thing to check is a full thyroid panel - TSH, FT4 & FT3.

Have you tested other key vitamins - ferritin, folate & D3?

This post explains some options about raised cholesterol: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

what’s the range on Ft4 result

Do you always get same brand of Levo at each prescription

Absolutely essential to test Ft3 and all four vitamins at least annually

If taking B12 are you also taking good quality daily vitamin B complex

Are you taking any vitamin D?

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Is this how you do you tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

Post all about what time of day to test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing

thyroiduk.org/testing/

Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

support.medichecks.com/hc/e...

If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood 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

Monitor My Health (NHS private test service) offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65

(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies)

monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...

10% off code here

thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...

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 days before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12 if last test result serum B12 was below 500 or active B12 (private test) under 70

[Job0601 in reply to SlowDragon]

I take Vit D during the winter months, without b12 supplement, reading is under 150, now due to supplement above 450. Ferritin 25 range 12 to 240. Folate 9.4. I follow blood test instructions but haven't stopped B12, though no biotin in supplement. I am also coeliac. Thyroxin is accord I cannot take teva it makes me ill. FT4 range 7 to 17. TSH range 0.38 to 5.33. Thanks a lot for all the advice

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Job0601]

Ferritin 25 range 12 to 240

Ferritin is deficient

Request full iron panel via GP or test privately

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...

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.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Job0601]

What’s the range on Folate

Suggest you add a separate Vitamin B complex

supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid)

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too

Difference between folate and folic acid

healthline.com/nutrition/fo...

Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid supplements

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

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) and continue separate B12 if last test result serum B12 was below 500 or active B12 (private test) under 70

Suggest in month or so you consider trying Vencamil Levo

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Likely necessary to take vitamin D continuously

What was vitamin D at last test

GP will often only prescribe to bring vitamin D levels to 50nmol.

Some areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol or even 80nmol

leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

But, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly when supplementing

Can test via NHS private testing service

vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.

There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7.

One spray = 1000iu

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

It’s trial and error what dose we need, with thyroid issues we frequently need higher dose than average

NHS Guidelines on dose vitamin D required

panmerseyapc.nhs.uk/media/2...

Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease

newscientist.com/article/23...

Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

[Job0601 in reply to SlowDragon]

Last vit D test was jan 24 it was 64.5 range 50-250. Folate range was above 2.9. All other blood tests were beginning of Feb 25. No FT3 test though. Thanks again

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Job0601]

suggest you test thyroid and vitamin D now

10% off code here

thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...

Just TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 test - £32

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

10% off code here

thyroiduk.org/testing/priva...

Work on improving low vitamin levels and then retest in 2-4 months

[Tina_Maria]

Hypothyroidism is a known cause of elevated cholesterol levels and even the NHS acknowledges that this underlying cause should be treated first:

nhs.uk/conditions/underacti...

The active thyroid hormone T3 is involved in lipid and cholesterol metabolism, hence we need good levels of T3 to be able to effectively clear cholesterol from the circulation and liver. This is why it is important to measure levels of T3, because even if your T4 is good, you might not be converting enough T4 into the active T3 to help your metabolism. Sadly, many GPs do not understand this relationship, as they do not measure T3 or are not interested. Low levels of vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 can all affect the conversion of T4 to T3, hence optimising these nutrients will help you to get the most out of your T4 medication. I would get a test and measure the T3 as well, so you have a clearer picture of where this is at present.

High cholesterol in your case is not likely to be a dietary problem, it is a metabolic problem, caused by insufficient thyroid hormones. Dietary changes will not have much of an effect and statins are just a 'plaster' and do not treat the root cause, which is a lack of thyroid hormones. You may have room for an increase in your levothyroxine, but I doubt that your GP would agree to it, as your TSH is already on the lower end. In any case, I would not agree to any reduction (if the GP suggests that based on your TSH) in levothyroxine, but would work to optimise your nutrients to see, if you can improve your conversion rate.