Vitamins and Thyroids

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2004
Vitamins and Thyroids
14
Tue, 07-06-2004 - 8:09am
Hi, I was just wondering about what is the best vitamin to take for underactive Thyroid?

I am on medication for it but don't know what the best vitamin is to take with it. I also on medication for high blood pressure. Thanks for your reply.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Tue, 07-06-2004 - 12:12pm
Hi Mary ann - a good multivitamin with WITHOUT an iodine supplement is a good place to start but you can't take it with your thyroid medication. You need to take your thyroid meds on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. No food or any other medications can be taken for the next hour.

There are a lot of supplements that support your thyroid if you want to go beyond a multivitmain. The list includes GLA or evening primrose oil; all the essential fatty acids like Flax seed, Fish and borage oils; a good vitamin B-complex is recommended, as well as vitamin C, Vitamin E. Zinc is important and so is a good calcium/magnesium supplement if you don't get your servings of non fat or low fat dairy calcium everyday. But ...... calcium can interfere with your thryoid medication's absorption so take this at least 1 hour and some people recommend up to 4 hours after your medication. Co-enzyme Q10 is good for thyroid support for an underactive thyroid only and helps your energy level. And L-Lysine helps with hair loss if you're experiencing that.

I take about 20 pills a day between my morning supplements and evening ones!! And I never used to like to swallow pills but they really help me feel my best. Just buy whatever you take from a good health food or vitamin store so that you can get a reputable product. I hope this helps! Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-03-2004
Tue, 07-06-2004 - 2:23pm
Wow! I'm impressed! You know so much about this. Is there a particular vitamin that you can recommend? I take the One a Day for Women vitamin (just started). Is there another one for women with thyroid/Hashimoto (and polycyctic ovaries) that you could recommend? By the way, why is iodine bad? It would be listed on the side panel if it's in the vitamin, right? Thanks!!

Shannon

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-21-2003
Tue, 07-06-2004 - 2:25pm

I take a calcium supplement, vitamin b supplement, flaxseed oil and folic acid..... I am not taking those right now, nor a multivitamin, while doing all this blood work to get regulated. Just incase it was causing an conflict.... I just had my Synthroid upped again on Friday from 100mcg to 112. I've gone from 50, to 75, to 100 and now 112 since April.


iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Tue, 07-06-2004 - 3:46pm
Well, I just started taking Shaklee vitamins and supplements and they are supposed to be very pure and potent. I would ask someone in a health food store what brand of multivitamin they recommend. There are so many different types out there. I've never compared them in terms of which is best - mostly because I've never taken a multi. I just ordered one from Shaklee and it has iodine in it so my husband is taking it now! :) Iodine is one of those things that can block absorption of your thyroid replacement hormone. Some people react just fine with it - and I'm starting to think that perhaps that's because they don't have enough iodine in their system so the addition of it doesn't affect them badly. But for others, the iodine causes a thyroid "crash" - a type of fatigue that you'd know about it if you're hypothyroid and hadn't been diagnosed or if your medication is off. It's very unpleasant - and something I've felt so often in the past that I'm not willing to risk it again now. Not for a multivitamin!! I'm looking for a good list of foods etc to avoid if you're hypothyroid - and perhaps there's some if your hyperthyroid - and I'll post it when I come across it.

The list of vitimins that I posted for Mary Ann is a list that's good if you're hypothyroid. They are all geared toward supporting your thyroid and your metabolism in some way. I had another list of supplements that I was taking in the past and I've posted them here, too. But I've stopped taking some of those now because it was getting too expensive! LOL! So the list I gave Mary Ann is most of what I currently take. I don't take Lysine -mostly because it comes in a chalky tablet that I have a hard time swallowing - and I also take DMAE and L-tyrosine but I'm nearing the end of my bottles and may not buy more.

But that's about it!! Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2004
Wed, 07-07-2004 - 8:08am
Hi Cathy, this is a great board and I'm glad I found it. It's wonderful to talk to someone that knows about this subject. I am impressed. I read that Twin Labs is good for B-Complex Vitamins. I was looking at 100 Stress B-Complex formula. Would this be good to take? Also should I ask the Doctor to change my levoxyl to another brand? I still feel sluggish and can't seem to diet like I use to. I feel like I have no energy. I'm wondering if the B-Complex would help..

Thanks again, Mary Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2004
Wed, 07-07-2004 - 8:24am
One more thing, can you take both a B-Complex and Co-enzyme Q10 at the same time?
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Wed, 07-07-2004 - 2:26pm
Hi Mary Ann - I'm taking a B-complex for the first time and I'm looking forward to seeing if it helps me with water retention- that's something that I've read that it's good for. That and the zinc, calcium/magnesium, Vitamin E and GLA.

I can't recommend a brand or anything but if it contains all the B vitamins plus biotin, then it's a good one. I've heard that biotin is a very expensive component of the B-complex and most manufacturers don't include it to keep expenses down. It yours doesn't have it, you can buy it seperately. I don't take a multi because I eat really well and figure that I'm getting most of what I need from my food at this point. I take the additional vitamins seperately so they can address things like the water retention, energy levels and most importantly, my immune system. My endo said that taking anti-oxidents etc to bolster my immune system can't help with the autoimmune conditions of being hypothyroid but ....... I haven't been sick in years!! And I work in a school one on one with kindergarten and first graders who are always doing gross things with their noses, hands and spit!!LOL! Then, to top it off, they sneeze all over me! LOL! Anyway ...... I'm digressing.

You can take the co-enyzme with the b-complex as far as I know. ANYONE WHO IS HYPERTHYROID should NOT take CO-enzyme Q10. It acts as a stimulant and there is a warning on the bottle. I wouldn't ask your doctor to switch medications - they don't like to do that. Unless you have bad doctor like one of my former ones, who switched me from levoxyl to Synthroid without even telling me! What's wrong with your medication? Perhaps you're undertreated? Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2004
Thu, 07-08-2004 - 8:16am
Cathy, I'm thinking of ordering B-Complex from Twin Labs and also Co-enzyme Q10. I have an underactive thyroid so it should be alright to use Co-enzyme Q10. I'm glad to hear about that B-Complex is good for water retention because my left ankle has been swollen also.

I don't think that I'm undertreated yet. Its just that my Doctor is Muslim and he dosen't tell you much. He specializes as an Internist and Endo. Doctor. So on my next visit I'm going to ask him for an ultra-sound and see what he says. I didn't even ask him how the blood test read; he just told me that the medication is working fine. Now I know what to ask him..

Just want to let you know that my effects on my right side have been buzzing in ear, been having trouble with hemmroids too. (bleeding, constipation as well); plus the swelling as also been on my right side. On my left side it has just been with my left ankle as always been swollen. That's probably due to my weight problem. I never realized that one problem could lead to others. What an experience I'm getting with all of this.

I wish I was young again... By the way, I'm 54 so I just started with things happening. And I thought it was going to be a breeze for me going thru my changes. Ha.

P.S. What does LOL mean!

Have a great day. Mary Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Thu, 07-08-2004 - 9:22am
Hi Mary Ann - LOL means Laugh out Loud! Sorry!! :)

Well, think of it this way, you can get it all together in your 50's and then REALLY enjoy your 60's!! It's an odd process, I agree, growing older. Sometimes you don't know what you just have to live with and what can really be changed. Hopefully, you'll be able to get some answers and then feel better over all. The biggest thing is that this takes some time to sort out and time again to be treated correctedly. It's pretty wearing ..... but then, it could be worse!! :) Hope you have a great day! Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2004
Thu, 07-08-2004 - 10:10am
You're great Cathy. Thanks for everything. I love that LOL now that I know what it means. I recommended this site to a close friend of mind. She's big on vitamins and nutritions and follows the Dr. Atkins rule. I will let you know the out come of my next office visit. Take care, Mary Ann

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