I have been self medication on armour for six years or so , found myself fine on two grains in all that time , though due to illness October last year took my eye off the ball with my afternoon dose and got a shock when I went to go. I was feeling very ill with some red flag symptoms and was tested for pancreatic enzymes and liver Enzymes given a ct scan of brain chest abdomen pelvic area . Nothing found . Thought as I had nasty gut issues malabsorption might be the issue , I have horrid Ibs issues . I changed time of day , took my two grains at the same time instead of splitting and both my gp who is anti t3 and blue horizons tests confirmed significant improvement and I see my hair stopped falling out my nails stopped splitting and I felt the fatigue lift a bit. I ead put on beta blockers for blood pressure . This i provene t last a month or two . Now I am feeling very well . I have an intermittent pain side of my throat , no obstruct or anything , voice hoarse hair ruining rapidly , extreme fatigue s feeling of heart just struggling a bit etc . I have increased by a quarter a grain but my feeling is, given my results , something is stopping the efficacy of the armour it’s in my blood stream when measured but does not seem to be getting to where it’s needed . If I am referred back to the consultant they will insist I cond of armour and go back to Levo so am stuck . I will attach my last private labs and will get another kit thank you my crp had gone down to six but has risen again
numbers not bad but feeling very hypothyroid - Thyroid UK
numbers not bad but feeling very hypothyroid
Ferritin extremely low at 20
Folate low
Can’t see vitamin D result
What vitamin supplements are you taking
Thank you .I take vit b12, folic acid (1000mg). vitcd3/k ,selenium ,vit c 1000.pomegranate supplement. I take one cup of liver detox tea organic at night .thank you. How can I increase foliage or ferritin my go said not to take iron for some reason
Exactly which B12
Better to take a vitamin B complex that contains folate than folic acid
Low folate
supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid)
This can help keep all B vitamins in balance
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
All good advice thank you I take nu u ( makes) vitamin b12 ,1000ug so moving to a complex including foliage makes sense .will try igennus as suggested .will change to after breakfast . I will order another private test shortly once the extra quarter grain has had a chance to show up and will stop the vit b a good week before that test . I will also order the jarrow foliate to take in the period before the next test . I cannot thank you enough for helping with a gp and endocrinology consultant who both believe armour useless and harmful and Levi fine for everyone it’s hard fighting my corner and because of the gut issues I have taken my eye of the ball and got a bit lost. Thank you.
I think I may increase to 2.5
my go said not to take iron for some reason
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/when 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. Increase the amount of red meat you eat, other foods include 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
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.
I'm sorry, I don't understand. How can you say that your numbers are 'not bad' when your TSH is 17.54 and your FT4 is well under-range? And your FT3 has only just scraped into range by the skin of it's teeth. Those numbers are absolutely dire.
my feeling is, given my results , something is stopping the efficacy of the armour it’s in my blood stream when measured but does not seem to be getting to where it’s needed .
But it's not in your blood stream. There's practically nothing there. I'm surprised you don't have more symptoms than you actually do.
Do you take your NDT on an empty stomach and wait at least one hour before eating or drinking anything other than water? Do you leave at least two hours before taking other medication or supplements? Two grains is not a high dose, but I would have expected better numbers than that. Or am I missing something?
I take my two and a quarter armour at around six thirty am on an empty stomach and rarely eat before 10 am.. am not great at reading results will se if I can find tha labs doctors comments as I recall he said had I not been on t3 the rsuktveouod have been more worrying but were more in line with someone on t3 and asked me I was on that . I am feeling unwell any effortcleaves mr feeling very weak short of breath etc . I supplement vit b12. a spray with d3/k, high dose. It c , selenium and ferritin . My symptoms that I has my scans and blood tests for were red flags for serious liver or pancreas it bowl issues but gp said as they were good there is nothing else I should do .thank you .
Well I think these results are very, very worrying.
How long was the gap between your last dose of NDT and the blood draw?
As take my ndt 6.30 am and not on The morning of the test it would be 24 hours I guess
What beta blocker are you prescribed
Thank you ramisil I think not got in front of me not a high dose .I am perplexed as two grains worked well for years so trying to find out why I have slipped back so much
Has your weight increased
Day before next test split your NDT …..with last dose approx 8-12 hours before test
Your high TPO antibodies confirms cause of your hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s
Are you on gluten free diet and/or dairy free or tried either
strangely years ago I was first diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and was given rai which made me under .at the time my husband said he was convinced I had hashimoto disease my my nhs endocrinologist refused to test for it my husband has just looked up the symptoms and says I have every single one of them. Many years ago because I had such bowel issues which have worsened I trusted for gluten intolerance and was negative . I understand more now that I should still try again to be gluten and dairy free .your comments are making me feel geardcand supported thank youvso much. Myvwiggtvhas increased hugely and as I suffer from lipdodeoma it’s now very hard to exercise but am working on that .
Over 24 hours, SD. See above.
Yes thanks ……I saw that …..hence why said it’s important to split dose day before test
henhouse slow dragon , thank you agai for your help thus far .today I received my order of vit compkex and the jarrow M foliate . Could I ask I see the b complex contains folic acid so I will stop taking that separately but as for the M folate you recommended would you think I should start supplementing with it . I now realise a lot of the severe gut issues could be linked to hasimoto type symptoms , my endo refused to even let me talk of that. I became hypothyroid after RAI . As I said was on two grains for years and was well now am feeling very unwell, I can tell my heart is needing more of the active hormone. If I go back to the nhs gp or endo they will insist I revert to Levothyroxine. So I need to do what I can .I have a holiday coming up much planned and longed for my granddaughter after which I will try hard to rid myself of gluten etc. I have tirated to 2.5 grains of armour and will go higher if needed ,the cost is astronomical so I do need to find any other measure to help the efficacy of what am taking . I hate taking the beta blocker but my bop became suddenly dangerously high end of the year and I was given no choice.
Sorry what a ramble my question was if you were me would you take both the vit complex and also the methyl folate as part of my daily regime or keep the later for the week prior to testing when I won’t be on the complex . I will perfectly understand if you feel am asking to much and am thankful for you pointing out just what I had missed in my numbers
I made it to Optimal! 
Getting My FT3 back up again and what about RT3?
Sore joints after an increase in armour
Feeling very unwell - do my blood results explain why? What to do next? 
