appointment - other issues clarified

[Guest guest]

There has been a lot of talk about Feritin and Selenium so I cleared those up at

the appointment yesterday.

As my Feritin has been 31 and 39. There is no recommendation for prescription,

but to take Iron as a nutritinal supplement.

It was the consultant who suggested Selenium so I asked if it's a nutritional

supplement to buy or can it be prescribed. He put Selenium on the sheet to the

GP, so all being well, I will collect the prescription for that tomorrow.

Getting Selenium prescribed will save me £2.63 a month - so in that respect can

the NHS spare it but be grateful for small mercies if I get it.

How does Selenium work? I asked the consultant and he just smiled and said he

didn't know but people have said they feel better on it. Does it show up on your

bloods somehow? In terms of trying to get T3 on the NHS would it make sense to

take Selenium for now, but not on the run up to any blood tests, in case it

affects conversion? I am just thinking of ways of helping myself get the help I

need on the NHS this year you see.

I also cleared up the issue about different forms of Levothyroxine and the

consultant agreed that people have found differences. He said to take it up with

the pharmacy and order the one I want as GPs will just prescribe generic

Levothyroxine.

I do wonder what the drug companies are doing to us, if the other week, I felt

like I had gone all week without taking tablets, just after a couple of doses of

a certain maker. Then somebody posted about their poor Mum having an allergic

rash and an incoherant phone call. I also know somebody who attributes her

symptoms creeping back last year to changing brands that time. My friend said

she cannot prove it, but it looks that way.

So in addition to my intense appointment, I went to three pharmacies, so it was

a good job I had my husband driving me about. The first pharmacy staff thought I

was mad for asking. (So they don't have to get my custom in terms of other

prescriptions, toothpaste and deoderant then).

However the Lloyds pharmacist was nice and said that there are other customers

who want to request a certain maker of Levothyroxine and that's fine by them. He

said that Actavis is a manufacturer that's in stock this week and it's one of

the standard ones that they keep in anyway. If Actavis Levothyroxine are not in

stock, they will be in the next day and can order them in, which is fair enough.

Then we returned the tablets that made me ill to the third and final pharmacy.

At least sticking with one pharmacy and making arrangements, I can prevent

adverse effects again.

Any thoughts and experiences with taking Iron and Selenium supplements? Plus the

progress that I am likely to make taking these in addition to my other

supplements? I still assume that T3 will become an issue.

Basically I have Calcichew D3 forte prescribed. I take CoQ10 high dose Vit C.

Adreno Lyph Plus. Siberian Ginseng and Liquorice Tincture, Zinc, selenium and

iron. Collectively it mounts up doesn't it. So I am sure I have all the

nutritional bases covered as recommended either By Dr P in the past, the Zinc I

remember being discussed here and the changes this week. Sometimes I wonder if

others swallow as much stuff ha-ha.

I am sure the nutritional aspects help and it's probably important to support

the thyroid and adrenal systems nutritionally. But perhaps the most crucial

thing is to be sure your T4 and T3 levels are the best they can be by taking

appropriate tablets.

Cheers

Fiona

[Guest guest]

I just wanted to bump this topic too, please do take a look at my main info.

> As my Feritin has been 31 and 39. There is no recommendation for

prescription, but to take Iron as a nutritinal supplement.

>

> It was the consultant who suggested Selenium so I asked if it's a nutritional

supplement to buy or can it be prescribed. He put Selenium on the sheet to the

GP, so all being well, I will collect the prescription for that tomorrow.

>

> Getting Selenium prescribed will save me £2.63 a month - so in that respect

can the NHS spare it but be grateful for small mercies if I get it.

>

What I am wondering is when other people's Feritin has been 30 something, have

they just taken Iron as a nutritional supplement on an ongoing basis, or have

they taken Ferrous Sulphate, bought over the counter for a while, then gone onto

Iron supplements. It's an odd situation when a consultant recommends I take Iron

but cannot recommend a prescription.

Anyhow how much improvement am I realistically expected to have doing the above?

Please bear in mind my desperation regarding having to wait 3 months to iron out

T3 aspects on the NHS and no sooner appointment available.

I know my consultant wants me to try Iron and Selenium but I wonder how much

difference it will make.

Has anybody else been on max T4 and then taken such additional supplements, in

addition to supplements recommended in the past and if it made much difference?

I just wouldn't mind sharing others thoughts and past experiences if they were

at this point in the past that's all.

Fiona

[Guest guest]

Hi fiona, Remember not to take calcium and iron within 3 hours of thyroid meds -or they may block the thyroid meds. Selenium and zinc which are low in UK soils work in the conversion of T4 to T3.> thyroid treatment >> > > Basically I have Calcichew D3 forte prescribed. I take CoQ10 high dose Vit C. Adreno Lyph Plus. Siberian Ginseng and Liquorice Tincture, Zinc, selenium and iron. Collectively it mounts up doesn't it. So I am sure I have all the nutritional bases covered as recommended either By Dr P in the past, the Zinc I remember being discussed here and the changes this week. Sometimes I wonder if others swallow as much stuff ha-ha.> > I am sure the nutritional aspects help and it's probably important to support the thyroid and adrenal systems nutritionally. But perhaps the most crucial thing is to be sure your T4 and T3 levels are the best they can be by taking appropriate tablets.> > Cheers> > Fiona> > > > ------------------------------------> > TPA is not medically qualified. Consult with a qualified medical practitioner before changing medication.> >

[Guest guest]

Thanks to and Shiela for your thoughts.

OK it's clear to me that Selenium is essential. Something that surprised me for

something so crucial is that it wasn't in stock at the pharmacy and the

pharmacist said he had to fax the request and get some. Clearly to him it's

unusual to be prescribed it and it's not one of the common things they keep in

stock is it. So I will be starting it next week when I get it ha-ha. If it's

hardly ever prescribed, that must mean that people are either buying Selenium or

not having any then.

Don't worry I will be keeping such supplements away from the Levothyroxine.

How long will it take to get the benefits from the Selenium and Iron then?

Time and time again I read about how important T3 is. I feel it is a delaying

tactic, even if Selenium is part of the solution. Or is there a slim chance for

some people that Selenium is effective and T3 isn't needed after all? I find it

hard to imagine that's the case really. I am sure supplements are crucial but if

you need a hormone you need it...

I feel very discouraged at the moment. But hey as I have no choice but to wait

for 3 months, at least it will be longer on the supplements and making the

assumption it's not the answer, at least I can say I have taken the tablets

properly, done what he suggested and given it even longer...

Fiona.

[Guest guest]

" If your ferritin is very low, you often need to start taking 200mgs Ferrous

Sulphate or something else 3 times daily, and this can work out quite

expensive. "

The ordinary dose of an Iron supplement is 14mg once a day. i.e. what's for sale

in Boots or Natures Best etc. So you are trying to say that may not be

sufficient if my Feritin was 30-something? Being brutally honest, now you can

see why I feel discouraged because the consultant didn't imply such large doses

of the supplement (why would he I guess). He actually implied an amount that was

hardly worth bothering with: i.e. " get a supplement with some iron in it " which

is why I got the proper Iron supplement.

I am wondering after 3 months of taking 14mg daily, if I ought to get re-tested

on the NHS. I have no idea without testing if taking a a single iron supplement

will be sufficient in rising Feriting from 31 to 70-90, or if I would need

Ferrous Sulphate for that, or as you say take it three a day, rather than the

once.

I am wondering if it's going to be hard to find the right iron supplement or at

least the correct quantity for me.

In my mind if you are needing 3 of such and such a supplement a day then in

theory you would think it's a quanitity that ought to be prescribed if it's so

crucial. It is annoying isn't it.

So not only are there controversies about thyroid levels, there are issues with

Feritin levels that the NHS will only treat if it's so low, yet it's possible to

have symptoms as being at the low end of normal is in fact not normal, it's ill

in this respect.

I wish now Feritin was ticked on the blood form, unless I do this at the GP.

If Iron is crucial to get the thyroid hormones utilized, I wish it could be

prescribed but that's an ideal world we don't live in isn't it. Perhaps if there

was a Selenium test, they would riggle out of that too.

At least to be fair Iron and Selenium are aspects that I have not done before.

Fiona

[Guest guest]

I know where you are coming from, I have to say I have never noticed doctors

show an interest in nutritional aspects or wanting to know what nutritional

tablets you are taking ha-ha. I know what you mean, it defeats the object if you

take a dose that's hardly worth bothering with, if you are talking about any

crucial supplement. Clearly I need more than I initially thought.

Vega - Iron (Bisglycinate) 50mg Non-Constipating

http://www.yournutritionshop.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=3449

Anybody taken this form of iron?

I noticed that it's also a higher dose than the typical 14 that you see

elsewhere.

I have to say I do need to be careful constipation-wise, it's one of my issues.

Needless to say the high dose of Vit C's will continue.

I was wondering if something like this would be better for somebody like me who

gets constipated at the best of times. i.e. take a few a day to get to the 200

dose, rather than ferrous sulphate/gluconate. I don't know what's different

about it that makes it non-constipating, but hey if that aspect works, that

appeals, rather than risking something that would add to the constipation. I

take Fybogel (ewww) as it is you see.

Plus I noticed a discount code which could help matters.

Fiona.

[Guest guest]

PREVIOUS MESSAGE REDUCED-MODERATOR

Do you drink enough pure water Fiona ...many times lack of proper hydration can

be the cause of constipation (and headaches) so I was just wondering. If you

only drink water when you are thirsty, then I believe it is already too late (as

it were)

Trish

>

> I have to say I do need to be careful constipation-wise, it's one of my

issues. Needless to say the high dose of Vit C's will continue.

>

>

> Fiona.

>