Back in April 2011, I posted in a different thread that I felt I had an FT4-to-FT3 conversion
problem. My FT4 was rising, while my FT3 was staying the same. My hypothyroidism symptoms
(arthritic pain in hands, pain in knees, sluggishness, memory lapses) were bad.
Here is the thread:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid-Disorders/I-Stop-Taking-Vitamin-D-Free-T4-Goes-Up-Free-T3-Stays-Same/show/1500525
The poster known as gimel said that I should be tested for the following:
(vitamins A, D, B12) and (RBC magnesium, zinc, and selenium).
gimel said that deficiencies in some or all of these can cause hypothyroidism symptoms.
I sent an email to my endo, asking for these 6 tests. The endo said that he would order the
vitamin D test but that the other 5 tests are not tests that he normally orders. The endo said
that I should ask my primary-care physician (PCP) for the other 5 tests.
I sent an email to the PCP, asking him for these 5 tests. Like the endo, the PCP said that he would
be willing to order the vitamin D test. However, the PCP wanted to see some information about the
usefulness of the other 5 tests.
So, I did some research.
I found the following website:
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/topsupplements.htm
This website shows the relation between thyroid function and vitamins E & D, selenium, and zinc.
The website also mentions vitamins A & C, Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, and free-form amino acids.
I also found this website:
http://www.*************************/lab-values/
This website explains the tests for vitamin B12, ferritin, and RBC magnesium.
However, the most shocking discovery that I made was this website:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/arf-vdm040809.php
This website explains that, if a person has autoimmune disease, then vitamin D may make the
autoimmune disease WORSE. My hypothyroidism stems from autoimmune disease. If vitamin D will
make my autoimmune disease worse, then that may explain why my FT4 and FT3 levels went down
when I used vitamin D, even though I used vitamin D and Synthroid far apart from each other.
So, I sent an email to the PCP, telling him about all 3 websites. I said that I should
*definitely* be tested for vitamins E & D, selenium, and zinc. I said that *maybe* I should
also be tested for the following: (vitamins A, C, B12), RBC magnesium, ferritin, Omega 3 & 6
fatty acids, free-form amino acids, and the adrenal glands and stress hormones.
The PCP said that he sees no usefulness to any of these tests, other than the vitamin D test. The PCP
did, however, say that he suggests taking a vitamin and mineral supplement + vitamin E.
First of all, why did the endo tell me to ask the *PCP* for the following 5 tests: (vitamins A, B12)
and (RBC magnesium, zinc, and selenium)? If these tests are thyroid-related, shouldn't the *endo* be
handling them?
And why would the PCP tell me to take vitamins and mineral supplements without first testing me to
find out which vitamins and minerals I am deficient in? He tells me to take vitamin E without testing
my vitamin E levels. Without a blood test, how do I know how much of a dosage of vitamin E I need,
if any?
And the one test the PCP *does* want to give me is for the substance (vitamin D) that I can't
swallow, no matter what, because that substance makes my autoimmune disease worse.
What is going on here?
Thanks for any answers.