Thyroid :: Supplements That Really Help?
Oct 27, 2014
A year or so ago I woke up with heart palpitations. My heart beat was very irregular and BP was high. Because I am a heart patient, I went to the ER. They checked me out and said the only thing they could find was that my TSH was 7.9 and to notify my PCP. I thought he would put me through more testing, but instead he prescribed 25 mcg. I started to feel better right away, but after a week I felt terrible again, so I stopped taking it. Then I felt fine. When I went back for bloodwork it was "normal." I told him I was no longer taking the meds, so he testing again in 3 months. It was a little higher, but still normal to him. My reading since then have been in the mid to high 3s. (TSH 3.2, 3.7) He says that's normal, but I still get symptoms sometimes. Other times, I'm fine. So if he tests at a time that I'm feeling fine, he will get a good reading. He says my reading would not be going up and down. Recently, I have been feeling very cold, low body temperature, with dry flaky skin and constipation in spite of taking a stool softener, puffy face. On my own, I started taking 1/2 of a 25mcg tablet I had leftover from when he had prescribed the synthroid. Now I feel great! Temp is back to normal, sleeping much better, normal bowels, and I've even lost a couple pounds! But I know he is getting tired of hearing me request thyroid tests when he feels they are normal.
Also, he says that TSH up to 5 is normal, but I've heard that anything over 3 is high.
I know that a lot of people have it way worse than this, but there is such a big difference in how I feel when I'm taking this tiny bit of med.
My question is, are there any supplements I can take that will really help? I see so many touted as helping with thyroid function, but I don't want to waste my money on something that isn't really going to help.
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Take selenium supplements and avoid gluten
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I had an ultrasound today and it says that there is "a homogeneous appearance to the echotexture of the thyroid gland. Bilateral thyroid nodules are observed. There is evidence of a complex cystic and solid lower pole right thyroid nodule measuring 1.8 x 1.0 x 0.9 cm. Within the left thyroid lobe there is evidence of a hypoechoic midpole left thyroid nodule measuring 0.6 x 0.4 x 0.7 cm. Bilateral thyroid nodules. Dominant nodule is a complex cystic and solid lower pole right thyroid nodule measuring up to 1.8 cm. what does this mean?
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I have 3 thyroid nodules and 1 cyst. I have been advised to have a thyroidectomy. I do not want to go this route yet and am searching for some natural remedies. I have heard of using iodine but to be careful do to the fact that that might enlarge the nodules. I recently found out that I am very iodine deficient from a lab result. I have heard of iodine trapping, whereby the iodine taken in when their is a severe deficiency is immediately 'trapped' and held in the gland in order to preserve some iodine for the use of the thyroid. I would like to proceed with caution and try the iodine therapy.
Does anyone on this board have any experience with successfully dissolving or at least reducing the nodules/cysts?
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It wasn't long after I moved to an area within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant that I was diagnosed with an enlarged thyroid with nodules. And after a surgery I had, I became extremely depressed and I still am, this was three years ago. Also a feeling of not being myself.
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I am new to this site. I have been diagnosed as Euthyroid (antithyroid antibodies with a fully functioning thyroid) and I also have Anti-nuclear antibodies - Speckled 1:640.
I don't have Lupus as have been tested for that.
I am currently undergoing IVF and have had 2 failed rounds. I have been put on Aspirin (100 mg), Prednisolone 7.5mg a day and CoEnzyme Q10, folate and Vit B12 with no success.
I am desperately looking for anyone in my situation that can offer any sort of guidance, maybe a drug regime you are on or just anything at all. I desperately want children but it isn't looking too good. I'm terribly sad about the prospect of never having children.
Ive been trying for 3 years now and was pregnant once and miscarried at about 5 weeks back in 2011 and have never been pregnant since indicating a problem but I don't have any other issues except a low egg reserve which is from these other issues
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I'm trying anything now to try and make myself feel more normal and a big human if you know what I mean. I have been reading up on the internet and there is a website saying supplements can help menieres in a big way. Is this avenue worth trying I don't mind paying if it's going to work. It states you have to have these five supplements which u can buy almost anywhere.
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I need to get an idea of which brand of vitamins is best. I've taken many different brands and would like to get on one brand rather than get a vitamin in one brand and another vitamin in another brand. I just don't seem to be getting any satisfaction from the typical supermarket or drugstore brands. I'll list the ones I take so maybe I can get an idea of what some of you members think.
Mature Multivitamin
Vit C-1000 mg
Vit D3-2000 iu
B2-100mg
B12-2500mcg
Magnesium-500 mg
DHEA-25 mg
Fish Oil-1200mg, Omega 3-360 mg
COq10-300mg
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What are the best supplements to treat hemorrhoids? I have a few suggestions I am willing to compare.
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I was diagnosed with High a risk HPV 8 months ago. The doctor said I didn't need to do nothing because it usually clears up on its own. Oooh too bad I listen and didn't started doing something on time. I'm a 28 yr old female. Based on other testimonies I just started my own regimen. So I was wondering if this supplements will help:
Methyl Folate, DIM- Plus, Curcumin, Monolaurin, Food Carotene (vit A), 3000 mg vitamin C, Host Defense Mycommunity (comprehensive immune support) and I will start a mostly vegetarian diet, no alcohol or sugars (just stevia)...adding also fish oil, vitamin E, B-complex- probiotics and D3... any suggestions?
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I read on the RSA website that Magnesium supplements may be useful in Raynaud's. Anyone got experience of using it, and how much to take?
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Since my symptoms started over two years ago (I was 22), I have lost 70% of my hair. My iron status at the onset of symptoms:
Hemoglobin 13.5 (11.7-15.5)
Hematocrit 39.3% (25-40)
Iron, total 160 (4-175)
Ferritin 18 (10-154)
After supplementing with 150mg of elemental iron for 6 months (per a dermatologist that diagnosed me with telogen effluvium and advised that I increase my ferritin to 70-80 to stop hair loss):
Hemoglobin 13.1 (11.1-15.9)
Hematocrit 39.6 (34-46.6)
Iron, total 103 (35-155)
Ferritin 62 (13-150)
Reticulocyte count 0.6 (06-2.5)
After supplementing with 100mg of elemental iron for about a year after that:
Hemoglobin 13.9 (11.1-15.9)
Hematocrit 42.0 (34.0-46.6)
Iron, total 82 (35-155)
Ferritin 59 (15-150)
Iron saturation 28% (15-55)
TIBC 291 (250-450)
Reticulocyte count 0.4 (0.6-2.6)
I stopped taking iron supplements because I was not getting better, and because I had a few doctors tell me that I should not be on iron supplements because my hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, and RBCs were in the normal range. So I stopped for 3 weeks. Yesterday, I had a ferritin test done with a result of 87. This makes absolutely no sense considering I have not taken an iron supplement.
A physician I saw theorized that I could possibly have anemia of chronic disease, due to a low reticulocyte count, low TIBC and normal MCV. But that doesn't make sense to me either because although my ferritin did increase for some strange reason, it was on the low side before I started supplementing. And, my RBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit have always been in range, and do not vary much despite supplementation.
I'm nervous that I shouldn't be supplementing with iron. In addition, my TSH (3.3), and midrange FT3 and FT4 have not changed despite supplementation--one physician theorized that maybe if I increase my ferritin levels, my thyroid levels will get better and I will stop losing my hair. Also, when I went on Naturethroid (went up to 2 grains over 6 months), my TSH decreased, but my FT3 and FT4 did as well--I felt awful.
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I am terrified to get off this drug. I have only been on it for 3 months at most and going through all the symptoms of withdrawal described. It seems like even weaning is no use. Does anyone have any over the counter supplements that can be taken to feel decent and stop taking this?
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Has anyone tried Q10 supplements, and are they alright to take with pred.
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I received a pancreatic resection of my tail in May of last year and have just been diagnosed with a 10 mm cyst in the head. I'm told all that can be done is manage pain/rest and food. Energy is lacking. Has anyone had any luck with B12 shots?
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which supplements to buy to help me with withdrawal of Effexor!
I've read that a good quality Omega 3 supplement will help and maybe 5 htp?
It's day 3 of withdrawal and I'm feeling so so tired and in need of some energy!
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I have been recommended to use NAC as a COPD therapy so I guess I would like to hear something about this medication. Will it works, what are the possible side effects. I have also heard that if you are using it for a long time, combining it with copper supplements would be a smart thing to do. Why is that?
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Anyone ever told to take Vitamin D, my lab work came back that I was deficient in it, was told to take Vitamin D 1000 daily? I don't know what my level was, but I am looking it up on the internet and see there is D3 and D2? Looks as though the D3 is best?
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I've been struggling with my Hashimoto's diagnosis. I am actually "alright" at this present moment, but it was a long and rocky road. My Endo is not very informative at all and does not answer my questions. Last time I asked her about taking supplements. She stated she is biased because she practices Western medicine and won't comment on whether or not she thinks it's a good idea to take supplements.
I decided a little over a year ago, to take 200 mg Selenium as an added supplement, because I've been reading on here, that it will help with getting the antibodies down and I must say, I can tell a difference in how I feel today from before.
Now here is where I'm confused: my best friend since Kindergarten got diagnosed with Hashi's last year. She's really been having a hard time with it. Last time she saw her Endo, she asked the Selenium question. Her Endo said don't take it, because your risk of developing diabetes increases! That's something I've never heard about. So all day today I've been reading and researching this and I'm reading either it's so good to take when you have Hashi's and then some study they did that confirms my friends' Drs' point about the increased diabetes risk. Any thoughts?
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I have never written any sort of review or comment online but I wanted to get this out there because it changed my life and it was something the Dr's hadn't even considered and even now, when I have brought it up with them they find it "unlikely". Yet it has worked, and not just for me.
I am 27yrs old and started having what seemed like panic attacks just under a year ago. The first one was unbelievable, I had no idea what was happening to me and thought I was going to die. It lasted for hours and I felt like I couldn't breath and that my chest was tight, I felt dizzy and a bit sick and had a tremendous pain deep into my neck and skull base. Adrenalin seemed to be pumping round my body consistently and it was all I could do to make a concerted conscious effort to breathe in and out - as if my body wasn't going to do it on its own. After it finally subsided I was tired and relieved it was gone but was left feeling not quite normal but thought this would pass. I had had a small cold at the time and attributed the experience to breathing difficulties and a tight chest and throat. However, from that time onwards I was aware that I didn't feel quite right but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then I started getting these "attacks". It would suddenly hit, seemingly out of nowhere and I would get a sudden hot sweat followed by dizziness and then the breathing thing would start again. Sometimes they were milder, other times they would become severe and I would be totally chair bound and in fear I would stop being able to breathe. All the physical symptoms that you see listed under "panic attacks" were there and I realised I had to see a Dr.
When I saw my Dr he confirmed what I had suspected from my own web findings and he felt that antidepressants would be the way to go. However, I should note here that I was not or am not depressed, I felt no worry or anxiety except about these attacks that were happening. So when my Dr thought that it could be depression or general anxiety disorder (GAD) it didn't seem right as I had no mood problems. I was happy in my life and content with what I was doing - so these attacks had literally come from nowhere.
I was on antidepressants for 5 weeks when I realised these were not helping me, the attacks were fewer, but I still felt weird and on top of that I felt a bit spacey. So then the Dr put me on beta blockers and I felt as though I was always walking on sponge and that my stomach was turning all the time.
This problem started to cause me to avoid situations, not want to go out, not do too much, not do too little - it was the fear of oncoming attacks that started to live with me all the time. I stopped enjoying the things I had enjoyed and was starting to get very down about why I felt all wrong.
So I started to research panic disorders and causes and alternative ways of treating them. I had always known that it was very psychological and had felt guilty and ashamed of having some sort of "neurosis", but had not really tried any of the psychological or relaxation exercises that are suggested. It was hard to think straight at the time of an attack and I would find it difficult to try and "relax", even though I had found out that this is a very important part of the panic attack syndrome.
Anyway, I've put this history in of my experience so that you can see what was happening to me personally.
I started finding references to various deficiencies in the body as having direct links to panic attacks and the very same symptoms, so I started to investigate this.
I came across lots of personal references and people's experiences of being deficient in various vitamins and minerals and discovering that this was the cause of their GAD. I also found some medical references to such findings when I dug a little deeper.
What I found out was that not enough of the B-vitamins in the body can cause lots of the same symptoms of panic disorders, there were ones in particular but I found that the best way was to get a good b-complex as they all help each other to be absorbed into the body etc. I also found that magnesium deficiency brings about the same symptoms and iron and folic acid.
So I ordered a range of supplements willing to give it a go, mainly the b-complex vitamins (but for good measure I got multi vits, vit c and zinc, iron and chelated magnesium - NOT magnesium oxide)
I have been taking them now for about 2 months and I feel normal again, NO panic attacks and no feeling of being "not quite right". I feel great! Better than normal and I can enjoy the things I had enjoyed again!
It has really worked, and the evidence after I started taking the supplements is, for me, indisputable - I feel as though my body is saying yes, this is it, this is what we wanted. An undoubtable feeling of normalcy and health. I KNOW that this is what was causing me panic attacks and to never feel quite right. Any day at any time I was aware that I didn't feel myself - this has completely gone.
There has been a noticeable difference in my energy, skin, ability to function well, my mood and so many other things it would be too long to list.
I feel like I did not have GAD or panic disorder, I was not suffering from a neurosis and I did not need medical treatment and drugs. I simply was deficient in some things.
So I wanted to put this out there for anyone going through those awful symptoms - try these vitamins, suppliment your diet, it can do no harm and if it IS a deficiency then my god, you'll know it and feel better!
The relief is so massive I can't tell you.
I have since discovered quite a lot of online content with others experiencing this very thing - being "cured" of an "anxiety disorder" (that had sometimes been lived with for years!) simply by supplementing their diets with the right vitamins.
Of course, this may not always be the case, obviously, but it is certainly worth a try - especially if you have that feeling I had of ALWAYS feeling like you were not feeling "right" in yourself. I found out afterwards that GAD sufferers feel normal and ok until an attack happens.
Good luck and I hope this helps some people to get back to a normal life!
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I want to offer what help I can, I have dealt with anxiety/depression for years and want to share what I use to calm myself and to feel more content inside. Anyone ever researched Magnesium L-Threonate? Or the type of b vitamin called Inositol? There is a lab in California called Sabre Sciences that can make custom supplements based on amino acid testing they do for brain health, but they also have really clean otc supplements. They have a product called i-magT which is calming to the brain and can help take the edge off.
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