hypothyroid help

[Roobedo]

I've been taking 75mg thyroxin for a about 18 months, my blood tests come back now as normal and still having issues with brain fog, constipation and join pain. Wanted to seek some alternative help, thought may be a nutritionist. Any ideas if this is a great idea or if anyone has found help to manage the condition?

Tried th GP but so far nothing they can do as they see it as the thyroxin as working well.

I’m sorry you’re still experiencing those symptoms! It’s such a difficult way to get through the day, feeling like you’re wading through thick (painful!) soup.

While the symptoms you mention line up with your hypothyroidism, they also line up with other auto-immune conditions and sometimes these things come in clusters. Have you had an antibody test and was it negative? If not, I would recommend pushing for one and if it’s negative, then there are a few possibilities.

One is that the thyroxine, while getting you to acceptable test result levels, is still leaving you a little below what your body needs. There are things that research indicates can help raise your thyroid levels which you can discuss with a nutritionist, such as moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise and a higher protein diet (please let me know if you’d like sources for these to take to a nutritionist to discuss). The second option may be that you’re experiencing side effects from the thyroxine, BUT the symptoms you mention are not its most common side effects. Still, it’s not impossible.

So those would be my next steps if I were you: push for an antibody test, see a nutrionist to discuss a hypothyroidism diet, and then if you make no progress, I may have other ideas.

Good luck and have these as I hope you feel better soon.

RightYesButNo thank you! Not had an antibody test and will ask for one when I go back to the GP. Yes if you could let me know a good place to find reliable information on higher protein diet, that would be brilliant.

I think this article is one of the most broad-reaching and easy-to-read about several possible dietary changes for hypothyroidism, and it makes them very easy to understand. Most of the changes it recommends have to do with scientific studies that show certain things can provably speed up your metabolism:
www.healthline.com/nutrition/hypothyroidism-diet

The scientific paper they use that shows protein may help “speed up” one’s metabolism is this one:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258944/

This is obviously not a “cure all,” and it’s tough to say how much difference it would make if your metabolism was not already “slowed down” by hypothyroidism, but if it is, then attempting these changes could not hurt. However, part of why I would discuss them with a nutritionist is because you don’t want to consume too much protein, more than your body can process, which can lead to issues.

Good luck!

thank you so much RightYesButNo

Definitely get your vitamin d levels checked. I felt awful when my levels were so low.

A doctor's idea of "normal" may be anything but - they think a TSH being in range is all that is needed but, once you are on thyroid medication, is should be ideally nearer 1.0. A full thyroid panel would give you a better picture, but the NHS will rarely do that (TSH, T4, T3, antibodies), so many people get them done privately.

And we can often have issues with nutrient deficiencies, so testing vitamin B12, D, ferritin and folate are a good idea. Again, persuading your GP to do them can be a frustrating exercise, and they will often tell you that everything is "normal" but it is important to know the exact results. You can also get all these tested alongside the thyroid tests, it's dead easy to organise.

Ask for a copy, including ranges, of your test results for a start though. You are legally entitled to them.

And, yes, a good nutritionist can be extremely helpful too (I have one!)

IsJustMe thank you!

Hope it helps

Sorry to jump in here, I've recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I had no idea about joint aches! I'm on 50mg a day currently, due another blood tests soon. But, I'm also on my second week off from work due to sciatic pain and lower back pain. Could these be connected?

Hi Nottalottam I'm not sure. Ive been on 75mg daily and been having issues - when you next see your GP do mention it. I think from what I have learnt here its worth persevering with the GP, but keep mentioning all symptoms and persisting.

Can you ask for a copy of your bloods and post the actual levels here? :)