I am a 26 year old male and I thought I may have an overactive thyroid due to a number of symptoms I have been suffering from for a long time, including:
-Difficulty sleeping
-Shortness of breath (despite exercising regularly for many years)
-Intolerance to heat and excessive sweating
-Heart palpitations (particularly when lying down and trying to sleep)
-Eye sensitivity to light
-Rhinitis/sinus problems
I had a blood test for a number of things through my doctor, including thryoid function, which all came back as normal (except for low vitamin D). However, I decided to do the Medichecks Thyroid Check Ultra because I had read come across a post on this forum that said sometimes doctors only check one of the relevant hormones. The Medichecks results all came back as normal but I thought I would post them here anyway to see if anyone had any insight or other suggestions because I am just so fed up of suffering from these problems.
"There are a range of other problems that can mimic a thyroid problem. An Essential Blood Ultravit test covers the majority of these. If there is any menstrual upset then a Well Woman Ultravit would be more appropriate."
I'm hesitant to spend £129 (plus IV blood cost) to be told that everything is normal, and it was nice to see that the doctor was so thorough that he didn't even notice that I'm not a woman!
Thanks in advance.
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Xtrs2
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Hi. How frustrating certainly based on your blood tests there is no indication of hyperthyroidism but I do have a freind whom I am 100% confident has hyperthyroidism whos bloods have been normal for years.I would be inclined to work on getting your VitaminD up. You need to take it with K2 and need about 10,000 units a day to treat low levels 'better4u' do a good spray. Low vit D could cause these symptoms. Can I also suggest you ask the medichecks doctor which illnesses mimic hyperthyroidism. Ask for a list you can work through.
Has you GP done an ECG. May be you need to see a cardiologist re palpitations and breathlessness.
Thanks for the quick reply. I've been taking a vitamin D tablet daily (25ug) since I had the results without noticing any difference. It doesn't contain K2 though. Unfortunately I never actually got the figure from my test result, just confirmation over the phone that it was low so I will look into obtaining the actual result.
betteryou.com/vitamin-d-k2 Is this the spray you are referring to? I note this is 3000 units a day rather than then 10,000 you suggested though? Is this a case of "loading up" for a period of time to raise levels before reducing the dosage to maintain?
The only medication I'm on is a nasal spray for rhinitis.
No ECG, my GP did get me to do a peak flow test for asthma, which came back right at the bottom limit of "normal" for my age/height but he said that I don't have asthma.
No weight loss either, if anything I've gained a bit over the summer due to being away and work commitments disrupting to my normal exercise routine.
Your folate level is on the low side although it's not dire. It's recommended to be at least half way through it's range. A good B Complex will take care of that - look at Thorne Basic B or Igennus Super B, both have bioavailable ingredients and contain methylfolate rather than folic acid.
betteryou.com/vitamin-d-k2 Is this the spray you are referring to? I note this is 3000 units a day rather than then 10,000 you suggested though? Is this a case of "loading up" for a period of time to raise levels before reducing the dosage to maintain?
You can't possibly know what dose of D3 you need to take until you know your Vit D level, so don't go taking 10,000iu at the moment, that would be for someone who has a level below 30nmol/L.
BetterYou spray is good because it bypasses the stomach for better absorption, which is good if there is Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). If no Hashi's then a D3 softgel would be fine, it's cheap and often contains only 2 ingredients - D3 and extra virgin olive oil - Doctor's Best do a good one.
There are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council -
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds.
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds.
I wouldn't recommend that brand at all. All but the 10,000iu ones list soybean oil as an ingredient, and we Hypos should avoid soy in all forms unless fermented.
I need the 10k, so not an issue for me, and that strength isn't so easy to find.
But yes, for lower doses, there are better options.
Go with seaside susan on the vits as she is the expert on them. 25iu will do nothing. I think it unlikely you are hyperthyroid with these results and gaining weight but I think you do need to be investiagted furthur.The NHS the way it is these days it may be pulling teeth to get anything done. I go around my surgery talking to all the differnt doctors untill I get the work done that I want, going back to the same one rarely seems to work. Dont let them phob you off with anxious.
In order to determine the best vit D supplement level, would it be best to find out what my vitamin D levels were from my original blood test and base it on that? (as I've been taking a supplement for some time now) Or is it better to stop taking that for a while and have a new test done to establish a level?
I'll look at replacing my current multivitamin with one of the complexes you mentioned as well as replacing my magnesium supplement because I see it contains magnesium oxide, rather than one of the more desirable forms.
I go around my surgery talking to all the differnt doctors untill I get the work done that I want, going back to the same one rarely seems to work. Dont let them phob you off with anxious.
I moved to a new doctor recently because I was fed up with my old GP but I've been seeing the same doctor to follow up on rhinitis progress, but maybe I'll book in to see someone else and start from fresh with a full list of symptoms!
If you are still below optimal levels, you might need to increase your dose or change products (I do better on liquigel capsules than on tablets of the same dose). Some of us do need very high levels to eliminate deficiency (I was on 25k IU daily for a year) but that really really needs monitoring.
If you are edging up beyond optimum but not really high, you might want to try a moderate reduction (maybe 10k IU one day and 5k the next).
If you are too high, you could still it entirely for a few weeks then resume at a lower level.
If your level looks good, you'll still want a retest within the next year to be sure it's staying there.
Hopefully, your GP or nutritionist can help you with this.
Whatever the result, vitamin K is generally advised. It's another fat-soluble, so I look for best price per IU or mcg, and if it's a higher dose than I need, take it every second or third day.
Magnesium deficiency is endemic in most developed nations, and it's important to cardiac function, so you might consider taking Mg citrate or one of the chelated forms. (The usual drugstore stuff is a better laxative than supplement.) It also may help if you're getting leg cramps.
If you hate pills, another multivitamin option with the activated B vitamins some of us need is the SmartyPants gummy vitamins. The "Masters" versions for men and women 50+ include CoQ10 and some helpful antioxidants.
In order to determine the best vit D supplement level, would it be best to find out what my vitamin D levels were from my original blood test and base it on that? (as I've been taking a supplement for some time now) Or is it better to stop taking that for a while and have a new test done to establish a level?
You just need to test your current level now, see what it is and then come back and I can tell you what you need to do. Your original level is no longer relevant as you have been supplementing, you just need your new level now.
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Thanks Susie, I'm going to try and get in to see my doctor next week so I'll ask about them doing a follow up vitamin D test, but if they say no or it's going to take too long I'll get it done myself with medichecks.
But from 1st - 30th September Medichecks are doing 20% discount with code MED99 for any tests not already on offer so you could compare prices for the best deal
SeasideSusie I've had my vitamin D tested again through the link you provided and my level is now at 77nmol/L (having been supplementing for a number of months now), with D3 at 74.2nmol and D2 at 2.8nmol.
Although the level in my blood is now higher, would I be right in thinking that I may see some improvement once I start taking a better form of magnesium (awaiting delivery) to help my body utilise the vitamin D?
With your level of 77nmol/L, the Vit D Council advises the following doses to reach their recommended levels
To reach 125nmol/L 2500 IU D3 daily
To reach 150nmol/L 4600 IU D3 daily
As winter is coming and as we can't make Vit D naturally through the winter months, I would tend to go with the higher dose. You can't get a supplement that is 4,600iu so you could go for either a 4,000iu dose -7 days a week or a 5,000iu dose - 6 days a week to give roughly the same amount.
My personal favourite is a softgel (fine if you are not Hashi's) by Doctors Best, and I can't find a better price than this at the moment ebay.co.uk/itm/Doctors-Best...
You will need K2 as mentioned above, and again a softgel is best as they contain extra virgin olive oil to aid absorption (both D3 and K2 are fat soluble). This is the one I use and cheapest here amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-MK-7-N...
And magnesium will help the body use D3.
I would supplement through to March then retest and see what your level is then and I expect you will need to drop down to a maintenance dose. I personally keep mine at 150nmol/L and retest twice a year.
* Rhinitis/sinusitis and shortness of breath: Have you seen an allergist?? This last year or two have seen astoundingly high pollen levels, so many people are discovering allergies and asthma they didn't know they had.
And
* Palpitations, shortness of breath, sleep disorder, hyperhidrosis: These are all possible symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The ANS is the body's autopilot; mine, essentially, is a drunken 13-year-old. My regulation of blood pressure and heart rate is borked, so upright exertion or standing still can really do me in, and I turn breathless and blue after one flight of stairs, but I can crank away on a recumbent bike for an hour without ever getting out of breath or having my HR break 100 BPM.
* Rhinitis/sinusitis and shortness of breath: Have you seen an allergist?? This last year or two have seen astoundingly high pollen levels, so many people are discovering allergies and asthma they didn't know they had.
I've always had sinus problems since I was a kid and had various tests when I was younger, all came back negative so the doctor said it must be a dust allergy and from what I remember (well over ten years ago) they didn't really offer any possible treatments/solutions. I'm taking a steroid nasal spray to treat rhinitis now, I don't think its making much difference after 3 months but I'll see what the doc says! I'd be interested in testing for asthma properly because I do find my fitness level is below what I'd expect as I've always been active since I was at school but I still find I'm usually the most out of breath person in the room when I'm training in thai boxing/boxing etc. But maybe I just need to work on it more.
* Palpitations, shortness of breath, sleep disorder, hyperhidrosis: These are all possible symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The ANS is the body's autopilot; mine, essentially, is a drunken 13-year-old. My regulation of blood pressure and heart rate is borked, so upright exertion or standing still can really do me in, and I turn breathless and blue after one flight of stairs, but I can crank away on a recumbent bike for an hour without ever getting out of breath or having my HR break 100 BPM.
I'll look into this, I'm not sure it applies as my symptoms aren't as extreme as yours but I do find I can be a bit short of breath after walking up stairs and likewise I don't find riding an exercise bike raises my heart rate a huge amount, unless I push really really hard. Whereas sometimes after hitting boxing pads and doing a bit of sparring I can feel my heart pounding in my head!
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Thyroid results, FT4 over range. Tension and Panic attacks.
Thyroid - Results from recent blood test with Medichecks
Thyroid check . Please have alook at the results and comment .
Latest Blood Test Results
First test results for Thyroid UltraVit and Cortisol
