Re: side effects of supplements

March 11, 2012

Hello

and welcome to our forum where I hope you get the help and support you

need. It is true, that low levels of vitamins and minerals as well as too high

a level of nutrients can cause similar symptoms to those you mention, but

first, can you give us the results of any other tests you have had done.

The main one's we ask for are iron, transferrin saturation%, ferritin, vitamin B12,

vitamin d#32, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc. If you can get your ~GP to do

all of these, post the results on the forum together with the reference range

for each test done and we will help with their interpretation.

There

are MANY reasons and many medical conditions associated with thyroid disease

that stop thyroid hormone from getting into the cells, where it does its work.

I mention these over and over and over again - ad nauseum - people must be

bored with the same old stuff, but as each new member joins us, they need to

know about these. So go through each one of these by way of a process of elimination.

The

main condition responsible for stopping thyroid hormone from working is, quite

simply, a patient’s thyroid hormone dose is too low because the doctor or

consultant refuses to increase it, because the serum thyroid function test

results appear OK. Sometimes, the thyroxine dose is too high, yet patients

still don't feel well. They continue to suffer. Some reasons for this:

1.

You may be suffering with low adrenal reserve. The production of T4, its

conversion to T3, and the receptor uptake requires a normal amount of adrenal

hormones, notably, of course, cortisone. (Excess cortisone can shut production

down, however.) This is what happens if the adrenals are not responding

properly, and provision of cortisone usually switches it on again. But

sometimes it doesn’t. If the illness has been going on for a long time,

the enzyme seems to fail. This conversion failure (inexplicably denied by

many endocrinologists) means the thyroxine builds up, unconverted. So it

doesn’t work, and T4 toxicosis results. This makes the patient feel quite

unwell, toxic, often with palpitations and chest pain. If provision of adrenal

support doesn’t remedy the situation, the final solution is the use of

the active thyroid hormone, already converted, T3 - either synthetic or

natural. You can check for such a possibility by going to the FILES SECTION of our

forum http://health.grouops//thyroid treatment/files/

and scroll down to the folder entitled 'Medical Questionnaires' and complete

the Adrenal one. Let us know how you score. You can also get the 24 hour

salivary adrenal profile from Genova Diagnostics. See the File entitled

'Discounts on Tests and Supplements'. When ordering, write that Thyroid Patient

Advocacy is your medical practitioner. They will send out a kit to you and the

results will be sent direct to you. When you receive these, post the results on

the forum with the reference ranges and we will help with their interpretation.

2.

Then, we have systemic candidiasis. This is where candida albicans, yeast,

which causes skin infections almost anywhere in the body, invades the lining of

the lower part of the small intestine and the large intestine. Here, the

candida sets up residence in the warmth and the dark, and demands to be

fed. Loving sugars and starches, candida can make you suffer terrible

sweet cravings. Candida can produce toxins which can cause very many

symptoms of exhaustion, headache, general illness, and which interfere with the

uptake of thyroid and adrenal treatment. Sometimes the levels - which we

usually test for - can be very high, and make successful treatment difficult to

achieve until adequately treated. As above, do the 'Candida Questionnaire' and

let us know how you score, and again, you can be tested by Genova Diagnostics

to give you diagnosis.

3.

Then there is receptor resistance which could be a culprit. Being

hypothyroid for some considerable time may mean the biochemical mechanisms

which permit the binding of T3 to the receptors, is downgraded - so the T3

won’t go in. With slow build up of T3, with full adrenal support

and adequate vitamins and minerals, the receptors do come on line again.

But this can be quite a slow process, and care has to be taken to build the

dose up gradually.

4.

And then there are Food allergies. The most common food allergy is allergy to

gluten, the protein fraction of wheat. The antibody generated by the body, by a

process of molecular mimicry, cross reacts with the thyroperoxidase enzyme,

(which makes thyroxine) and shuts it down. So allergy to bread can make

you hypothyroid. There may be other food allergies with this kind of effect,

but information on these is scanty. Certainly allergic response to

certain foods can affect adrenal function and imperil thyroid production and

uptake.

5.

Then we have hormone imbalances. The whole of the endocrine system is linked;

each part of it needs the other parts to be operating normally to work

properly. An example of this we have seen already, with cortisone.

But another example is the operation of sex hormones. The imbalance that

occurs at the menopause with progesterone running down, and a relative

dominance of oestrogen is a further case in point – oestrogen dominance

downgrades production, transportation and uptake of thyroid hormones.

This is why hypothyroidism may first appear at the menopause; the symptoms

ascribed to this alone, which is then treated – often with extra

oestrogen, making the whole thing worse. Deficiency in progesterone most

especially needs to be dealt with, since it reverses oestrogen dominance,

improves many menopausal symptoms like sweats and mood swings, and reverses

osteoporosis. Happily natural progesterone cream is easily obtained: when

used it has the added benefit of helping to stabilise adrenal function.

6.

Then, there is the possibility of mercury poisoning, caused through amalgam

fillings - these might need to be removed but you need to seek a Dentist who

specialises in the removal of amalgam fillings.

7.

One of the main reasons why thyroid hormone is not being utilised at the

cellular level is because you might be suffering with low levels of iron,

transferring saturation%, ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate,

copper and zinc - these have to be tested for, and treated.

When

you have been quite unwell for a long time, all these problems have to be dealt

with, and since each may affect the other, it all has to be done very

carefully.

Ask

your doctor to work with you to help you find the cause. The balancing of these

variables is as much up to you as to your doctor – which is why a check

of morning, day and evening temperatures and pulse rates, together with

symptoms, good and bad, can be so helpful. To this end, check out Dr Rind's

Metabolic Metabolic Temperature Graph http://www.drrind.com/therapies/metabolic-temperature-graph

If

your doctor tries to tell you that low levels of the above mentioned nutrients

have nothing to do with your low thyroid state, copy out the following of just

a few references to the research/studies that have been done to show that there

is a very big connection. Doctors are not taught about this at medical school,

so we have to help them where we can - so they, in turn, can help their other

patients.

Low

iron/ferritin: Iron deficiency is shown to significantly reduce T4 to T3

conversion, increase reverse T3 levels, and block the thermogenic (metabolism

boosting) properties of thyroid hormone (1-4). Thus, iron deficiency, as

indicated by an iron saturation below 25 or a ferritin below 70, will result in

diminished intracellular T3 levels. Additionally, T4 should not be considered

adequate thyroid replacement if iron deficiency is present (1-4)). 1.

Dillman E, Gale C, Green W, et al. Hypothermia in iron deficiency due to

altered triiodithyroidine metabolism. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative

Physiology 1980;239(5):377-R381.

2.

SM, PE, Lukaski HC. In vitro hepatic thyroid hormone deiodination

in iron-deficient rats: effect of dietary fat. Life Sci 1993;53(8):603-9.

3.

Zimmermann MB, Köhrle J. The Impact of Iron and Selenium Deficiencies on Iodine

and Thyroid Metabolism: Biochemistry and Relevance to Public Health. Thyroid

2002;12(10): 867-78.

4.

Beard J, tobin B, Green W. Evidence for Thyroid Hormone Deficiency in

Iron-Deficient Anemic Rats. J. Nutr. 1989;119:772-778.

Low

vitamin B12: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18655403

Low

vitamin D3: http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/content/abstract/113/3/329

and http://www.goodhormonehealth.com/VitaminD.pdf

Low

magnesium: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292768/pdf/jcinvest00264-0105.pdf

Low

folate: http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/content/full/47/9/1738

and http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/thy.1999.9.1163

Low

copper http://www.ithyroid.com/copper.htm

http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/copper_toxicity_syndrome.htm

http://www.ithyroid.com/copper.htm

http://www.rjpbcs.com/pdf/2011_2(2)/68.pdf

http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/content/171/3/652.extract

Low

zinc:http://www.istanbul.edu.tr/ffdbiyo/current4/07%20Iham%20AM%C4%B0R.pdf

and http://articles.webraydian.com/article1648-Role_of_Zinc_and_Copper_in_Effective_Thyroid_Function.html

NOTE: When your blood tests

come back, ask your doctor for a copy and remember to always get the reference

range and post them on the forum. This is because doctors will often tell you

that there is not a problem because blood tests have come back within the

reference range. You need to know where about in the reference range they are.

We will again, help with their interpretation.

Your

thyroid function test results look fine, but do you have any members of your

family who have a thyroid or autoimmune disease as this can run down the family

line, usually on the female side?

Tell

us the amount of B12 and D3 you are taking and the brand names, and are you

taking the B12 taken orally or sublingually?

I

think if your present symptoms were from a return of Guillaim-Barre syndrome, it

would have gotten worse by now. Did the tingling start in your toes and work up

to your feet and then your ankles and calves etc. ?This is important

If

you are concerned, see your doctor and report these symptoms to him/her without

delay. Write down any symptoms and how long you have had these. It will help

your GP to have as many details as possible about when your symptoms first

appeared and how they may have worsened or spread over time.

Write

down your key medical information, including any recent infectious illness or

medical procedures you've had, including vaccinations and surgery. Also write

down all medications you are taking, and when these were increased last.

Take

a family member or friend along. Guillaim-Barre syndrome is a medical emergency

as you will be aware as you have already sufferered with this over 8 years ago.

Take somebody who can soak up all the information your doctor provides and who

can stay with you if you need immediate treatment.

Last,

don't forget to write down all the questions you want to ask your GP.

Luv

- Sheila

I'm 37 and was diagnosed as hypothyroid about 15 years ago. I'm currently on

125mg Levothyroxine and my recent blood tests are OK.

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 1.91 mIU/L 0.27 -4.2

FREE THYROXINE 18.5 pmol/l 12.0 -22.0

FREE T3 4.4 pmol/L 3.1 -6.8

However my ferritin level was *5 ug/L 13 -150 so I did some investigation and

have started taking feroglobin (I can't tolerate anything stronger

unfortunately), B12 and D3. Apart from tiredness, being cold, etc I have felt

reasonably OK over the past few years and have been leading a busy life. Since

starting these extra vitamins I've been having tingling/pins and needles in my

legs and have been feeling a bit weak and wobbly. This is really scary for me

as I had Guillame Barre syndrome about 8 years ago so I am very familiar with

all these feelings. I don't think it's GBS as it's been coming and going rather

than getting consistently worse, but it is extremely frightening. Is it

possible that these weird feelings are a side effect of the extra vitamins?

March 12, 2012

Hi Sheila,

thanks for your reply yesterday. I'm very relieved to say that after a whole

week of strange tingling and twitching my legs finally seem to be returning to

me so it definitely isn't a GBS attack. They are certainly still feeling tired

so I won't be rushing out to do much exercise in the near future but I'm feeling

a lot less stressed about it now. It did all start around the time I started

taking the D3 (2000 u/i per spray) and B12 (solgar 1000mg sublingual nuggets)

and I wonder if my system was a bit shocked by the sudden influx of vitamins. I

also take berocca and feroglobin which also have B12 in so maybe there was too

much all at once?

Re the test results, those are the only ones I've had as my GP is not very

helpful and I have had to wait up to a month to get an appointment in the past

so I got the tests done via blue horizon and I'm trying to keep the costs down.

My temperature first thing in the morning is usually between 36 and 36.2 and

I've got the usual weight gain, tiredness, dry skin, thin hair (and extensions

which are great!)but I'm keeping going OK generally. I'm trying to work through

things by myself with the help of a brilliant chiropractor who is also making

various suggestions, so I'm thinking it may be best to make small changes and

see how things go. I think my first aim should be to sort out my ferritin levels

and then see if I feel better.

Many thanks for creating this site. It is hugely informative and supportive.

Best wishes

>

> Hello and welcome to our forum where I hope you get the help and

> support you need. It is true, that low levels of vitamins and minerals as

> well as too high a level of nutrients can cause similar symptoms to those

> you mention, but first, can you give us the results of any other tests you

> have had done.

>

March 16, 2012

Hello

I wonder if you are unable to tolerate the vitamin D3 - there

are quite a few people who have a bad reaction when taking D3 and perhaps you

need to look into that. You could try stopping it for a few days (but don't

take any new supplements during that time) to see if you start to feel better,

and if you do, introduce it back again. That is about the best way to find out

whether your body is intolerant of a particular supplement. I very much doubt

it would be the B12 causing such problems.

Check out the medical questionnaires in the FILES SECTION of

this forum and see how you score. These will tell you whether you might have a

problem with adrenal fatigue, systemic candidiasis or magnesium deficiency.

Luv - Sheila