I just had a retest on my thyroid function done. Original TSH levels were only a little elevated (range 0.30-4.00, my level was 5.0). On my retest they are up to 6.8, after only just under 3 months.

Trhey are still considered only borderline for thyroid, and my DR has said retest in a year, unless any of a list of symptoms start to occur, in which case we will retest there.

T4 and T3 are still well within the normal range, T4 stayed the same between tests, T3 went down.

Anyway, after the initial test and elevated result I began taking an iodine supplemnt as I know that my diet is lacking in it, it obviously hasn't had any impact. I would like to nkow if anyone has some natural supplements specifically for thyroid that they really rate (I do the general multi already), to try and improve function naturally. I would LOVE some energy back, I reallyl have much less than I used to, though it isn't bad enough to be a symptom.

Anyone? anyone at al?

I would love to know the same thing Felicis. I am slightly above the range and being tested on a regular basis not I find my energy levels are a little down and it is harder to lose weight. I noticed you have lost a lot of weight even with a sluggish thyroid - how did you do this?

2 years hard slog and being massively overweight Ping pongg, lol. And it has got harder and harder, and I still have another 20-30kg to go, but as my levels have gone up it has virtually come to a halt.

My thyroid seems to fluctuate between high and normal, I find stress and excitement seem to spike it and then it returns to normal... maybe take iodine and live a manic life?

My advice is not so helpful but didn't want to read and run.

High thyroid function just makes you hungry faster as you metabolize food really fast and get hungry again, its just as hard to lose weight with high as it is normal.

Maybe increasing exercise? That speeds up metabolism.

See I had increased exercise and taken iodine, but levels increased even with those measures. Wonder if there is anything else reccomeneded (natural other than iodine for thyroid function.

Thanks Clem, everything helps, and it has been a stressful few months compared to normal I guess, so it could be related to that. Maybe I will retest when life calms down in a month or so.

Well done on your huge weight loss! Not sure if you read my last posts regarding dairy allergy but I think this contributes towards my slower weight loss as when I stop dairy it seems that it speeds up.

If I find out anything additional regarding natural supplements - I will let you know.

Thanks pingpong. Have had allergy testing and all I have is environmental. Intersting that you see such an effect with dairy, I find similar with bread but it isn't wheat or anything for me, it is because I love bread and overeat if I let myslef eat it. I eat other wheat forms when I stop eating bread, and have no adverse effects you see.

I hope your stress eases, it could be your body's way of slowing things down so you can cope.

Mine speeds things up so i can get my A into G and get stuff done when under stress.

Thanks Clem That's really kind.

Felicis - Yes I have only just really noticed. Late last year I went to see a nutritionist who said just for 4 weeks go off coffee, alcohol and dairy but eat anything else you want and see what happens. I lost 5kg really easily! My nose etc cleared up and I felt a whole lot better. I then went back on most of those things and I felt sluggish and my blocked nose came back. My thyroid tests were still showing the same results though. I then decided to just go off dairy and once again my nose cleared up and I didn't feel as bloaty. So as of today I have decided to go back off dairy to see what happens again and I am also due for another blood test for my thyroid.

Apparently stress also causes your body to think it needs to store food. Something to do with hormones and therefore your body changes how it views food.

Another thing to consider is a flax seed oil supplement, that can assist in weight loss when you reach a plateau.

Does iodine work for over active and under active thyroids? DS has a problem with his thyroid causing it to produce too much of the thyroid hormone (so effectively overactive) and aswell as normal meds, we had to give him some pure iodine drops to bring the levels down.

Try Adrenal Support supplmement from Go Healthy NZ found at health stores. It supports the adrenal glands which directly affect the thyroid. It helps with energy levels. I have no thryoid gland as was removed because I could take anything & was getting very sick. Every now & then I get exhausted due to overdoing it & the adrenal support helps.

I have over active and I was told to avoid iodine.

Thanks Teapop.

Interesting re flaxseed oil Clem. How does that work? Must get some!

The gist of it.

I actually read about it ages ago and then read the book Diary of a Fat Man and it was mentioned there as recommended for the plateau he suffered.

Right, off to get some flaxseed oil. Thanks for that info.

Oh cheers teapop, will have a look for it.

KH25, I thought the same as Clem. Is DH confusing the TSH level being elevated as meaning overactive (means the opposite) perhaps?

It's my 5 mth old DS with the problem. He has been diagnosed with "Resistance to the thyroid hormone" which basically means his pituatary (sp?) gland isn't recognising that the thyroid is producing the hormone so it is telling it to produce more, therefore meaning it is overactive. He had most of the symptoms (agitated, high heart rate etc) but was putting on weight well which is normally the opposite. Apparently it is extremely rare, as in the specialists haven't treated anyone with it in NZ before. It is his FT4 that was elevated but is now in the normal range, and his TSH is low (should be 1.0-8.0 and is 0.01) He wasn't responding well enough to the normal meds so the head Paed Endocrinologist from Starship recommended giving him pure iodine (called Lugols Iodine) and it worked to bring the levels down to normal.

The TSH is your brains(Pituitary gland) control of the release of thyroid. It can be very different from the actual thyroid level.

In my case my TSH can get really low, like 0.02 but my T3 and T4 get massively high. So my brain was trying to slow their release.

If your T3 and T4 are low then your brain will produce more TSH which stimulates the thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormones.

Its like a see-saw usually, but one looking for balance.

Right, that makes sense. I don't really look at the TSH levels as the docs said they use it as a guide but it doen't mean too much, FT4 level is much more useful for Zac.

Wow, that is so interesting KH! Fancy having such a rare condition - I hope you can get the balance sorted out for him, must be hard when it is such an uncommon thing.

Hi Felicis - I came across this article which I thought you might find interesting. It gives some suggestions as to how to help the thyroid function.

http://www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/thyroidandmenopause.aspx

Hi Felicis

I had a look in my herbal medicine books and online and found this relating to diet and supplements:

http://www.natural-hormone-health.com/natural-treatment-for-thyroid-problems.html

And in my books:

Overactive - herbs that are good are Bugleweed, Nettles, Valerian, Yarrow

Underactive - Bladderwrack (great name!), Kola, Nettles, Oats, Wormwood

So you could look for some herbal teas containing the appropriate herbs or have a look in a health store for a tonic or tablet containing some of the above.

I also found this: https://secure.zeald.com/malcolmh/results.html?q=thyroid

Malcolm Harker is a brand I really trust, they've been making herbal tonics for years.

thanks for this, I had a quick read then a lightbulb - had forgotten that my Dr had said to come back and see him should any particular symptoms flared up. Had throught that I was feeling the cold as the weather had changed and it was cooler, but apparently in a house where the HRV thermostat says nothing below 20 degrees, it isn't normal to need to sleep in t short, trackpants, having had the lelectic blanke ton, with the duvet pulled right up...So I guess low cold toerance has flared up. Also noticed the fatigue hitting pretty badly again, so will have a visit to the GP soon. Thankfully the anxiety hasn't flared up this time - yet!

Pudding, thanks for that, will see how my bloods go and then investigate further.

Just to update, saw Dr today and will be starting low dose thyroid meds the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow I have a gazzillion bloods to get done, to check the levels are still similar (or worse) to/than last time, as well as other potential symptom causers, and other things that can help. My GP is awesome.

Hoping that the tablets are the magic cure and I get a return of energy levels and warm up a bit in a few weeks time!

Well, it seems like you have underactive thyroid problem which occurs due to insufficient production of thyroid hormone. To combat the disease, you can take thyromine. It is best homeopathic Thyroid supplements. It stimulate the thyroid gland to secrete thyroid hormones.

No. My thyroid levels get too high.

Just wondered about Kelp Felicis, whether that was something you have tried? Its something I have to avoid.

Nah, after trying the intensive iodine and things got worse I figured it was time to go with meds - took nearly a year but I am finally in the normal zone again, woohoo! Just have to retest every few months in case things change.