@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy, I have a doctor treating my thyroid but if she refused to, I would feel confident ordering from a Mexican pharmacy. I feel my best when my TSH is <0.1, but doctors always pull me off my med when it gets that low and I’m expecting my current doctor to do the same. I’ve spoken with her about it and she’s willing to treat my symptoms, but only to a point. If my TSH gets below range, she’ll most likely reduce my dose so I’ll have to supplement the Armour with TyroMax and stop taking the latter a month before I get new labs.

Ok, good to know. You've reminded me that Labs would still be good to have when self-treating, so if/when I start thyroid I will have to order those myself. I may start vitamin D3 first, then go to thyroid based on how that makes me feel, with pro-thyroid being the goal.

Yes, I find labs are important to keep track of my cholesterol level—Ray told me if it’s too low, thyroid can trigger stress hormones—but temp, pulse, achilles tendon reflex, urine output and symptoms have been better diagnostics for my thyroid function than blood values. With that said, my doctor won’t prescribe me medication without a thyroid panel, and I feel my best when my TSH is suppressed. I think that’s a good idea to start with D3. I do wish I had trusted my intuition and got on thyroid before exhausting every other thyroid optimizing avenue, but there was a learning curve even with NDT and for some people, D3 and diet are enough to turn the hypothyroid tide.

I appreciate your thoroughness and additional information. The fact that Ray said those markers are even better than blood values gives me quite a bit of confidence to go with those, at least for starters. I realize I won't know my cholesterol without a blood test, but if a stress response is triggered that would be obvious. I do remember you mentioning that you did feel best with a low TSH, "...as low as .008", so I have no problem attempting the same. Ok, so it sounds like you felt you wasted time and energy when you should've just gone to thyroid. If I wasn't so sensitive to supplements I probably would do that. I took 10,000 IU of D3 the night before last, with calcium acetate (calcium carbonate in vinegar) an hour prior to it (in an attempt to mitigate negative effects from the D3) and it has me a little wired, which turns into wired and tired at times, but not as bad as I can be on most supplements. Depending on how I feel by tomorrow, I will either continue with this current D3 (not certain about the calcium), possibly try the lichen-derived D3 (though the potency, being considerably less, wouldn't allow me to use 10,000 IU doses cost-effectively), or jump in with the thyroid—but it's that learning curve you and everyone else speaks of that I will have to be ready to deal with. It sounds like thyroid is better for you than D3, but that maybe thyroid is more involved and creates more of a dependency. Or am I misinterpreting?

Oh, Ray didn’t tell me that. I find them to be more reliable. Regarding vitamin D3–do you have a deficiency and if not, could you have taken too much? 10,000 IUs is quite a large dose. I usually take 2,000 IUs in the spring and summer and 5,000 IUs in the fall and winter. Thyroid is definitely better for me than D3 but is more involved, yes. I know it’s said that vitamin D is more like a hormone or pro-hormone but for me, it’s nothing like taking actual hormones. The latter is far more potent, IME.

I do have a vitamin D deficiency, which is why I tend to be determined to make supplementing with it work. My thought was to load up at first and then taper down to a lower dose. Here is a quote from Peat about a dose that high that has given me the confidence to try it. (This is someone else asking him the question, not me.) :

Q: “Was tested low in vitamin D. Would supplementing 8,000 units a day be too much?”

“If you figure that being in a bathing suit in the sun for 20 or 30 minutes enough to just start turning pink, that can make 10,000 or 15,000 units. So 5,000 or 10,000 units is never gonna be harmful. I've never heard of 10,000 a day being harmful.” - Ray Peat

You're lucky you've had such success with thyroid. If this experiment with vitamin D3 doesn't work out, I'll probably go to thyroid next.

Both times I had a deficiency (6 and 10), the treatment was 50,000 IUs once a week until I was replete so I don’t consider 10,000 IUs harmful, I just questioned if it was too large a dose for you given your reaction to it and sensitivity to supplements.

Ok, so maybe there would be something to this initial loading phase, and then tapering off. Good to know that this approach worked for you. I'm not exactly certain why I'm so sensitive to supplements, but for the first time in many years I've been able to take D3 and K2, every other day, and not crash with debilitating side effects. Though, to be cautious, that could still happen. I have a feeling the calcium acetate, which I've never taken before, helped assimilate the D3 and K2. Just a guess. As we all know, it's a lot of trial and error — some more than others — before we get to a place of consistent success.

I’m sensitive to supplements too so I understand. I’m really glad to hear D3 and K2 aren’t causing debilitating side-effects. Fingers crossed you continue to tolerate them.

If I recall correctly, Ray thought mature coconut (and even coconut sugar) was potentially allergenic. That’s why he recommended refined coconut oil over virgin. Even when I was reacting to most foods, I never had an allergic reaction to mature coconut, which I’m grateful for because it’s one of my favorite foods.

@Serotoninskeptic said in Is it safe to eat raw coconut meat, ground dehydrated or a coconut butter?:

@Jennifer Thats a great sign you have some healthy hormone balance !

Actually, it’s no different when my thyroid is struggling and my cycle is off. It’s more like self-worth and honest communication so I have healthy boundaries and don’t bottle things up inside that would lead to upset. Hormones only heighten my emotions or more like make me aware that something actually bothers me because I was taught to suppress my emotions and ignore my needs, similar to the average man who was taught by society the harmful belief that men are meant to be stoic and are disposable. The most “temperamental” people I’ve known have been men. If I’m not mistaken, suicide is highest among men, too.

@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy, I have a doctor treating my thyroid but if she refused to, I would feel confident ordering from a Mexican pharmacy. I feel my best when my TSH is <0.1, but doctors always pull me off my med when it gets that low and I’m expecting my current doctor to do the same. I’ve spoken with her about it and she’s willing to treat my symptoms, but only to a point. If my TSH gets below range, she’ll most likely reduce my dose so I’ll have to supplement the Armour with TyroMax and stop taking the latter a month before I get new labs.

Ok, good to know. You've reminded me that Labs would still be good to have when self-treating, so if/when I start thyroid I will have to order those myself. I may start vitamin D3 first, then go to thyroid based on how that makes me feel, with pro-thyroid being the goal.

Yes, I find labs are important to keep track of my cholesterol level—Ray told me if it’s too low, thyroid can trigger stress hormones—but temp, pulse, achilles tendon reflex, urine output and symptoms have been better diagnostics for my thyroid function than blood values. With that said, my doctor won’t prescribe me medication without a thyroid panel, and I feel my best when my TSH is suppressed. I think that’s a good idea to start with D3. I do wish I had trusted my intuition and got on thyroid before exhausting every other thyroid optimizing avenue, but there was a learning curve even with NDT and for some people, D3 and diet are enough to turn the hypothyroid tide.

I appreciate your thoroughness and additional information. The fact that Ray said those markers are even better than blood values gives me quite a bit of confidence to go with those, at least for starters. I realize I won't know my cholesterol without a blood test, but if a stress response is triggered that would be obvious. I do remember you mentioning that you did feel best with a low TSH, "...as low as .008", so I have no problem attempting the same. Ok, so it sounds like you felt you wasted time and energy when you should've just gone to thyroid. If I wasn't so sensitive to supplements I probably would do that. I took 10,000 IU of D3 the night before last, with calcium acetate (calcium carbonate in vinegar) an hour prior to it (in an attempt to mitigate negative effects from the D3) and it has me a little wired, which turns into wired and tired at times, but not as bad as I can be on most supplements. Depending on how I feel by tomorrow, I will either continue with this current D3 (not certain about the calcium), possibly try the lichen-derived D3 (though the potency, being considerably less, wouldn't allow me to use 10,000 IU doses cost-effectively), or jump in with the thyroid—but it's that learning curve you and everyone else speaks of that I will have to be ready to deal with. It sounds like thyroid is better for you than D3, but that maybe thyroid is more involved and creates more of a dependency. Or am I misinterpreting?

Oh, Ray didn’t tell me that. I find them to be more reliable. Regarding vitamin D3–do you have a deficiency and if not, could you have taken too much? 10,000 IUs is quite a large dose. I usually take 2,000 IUs in the spring and summer and 5,000 IUs in the fall and winter. Thyroid is definitely better for me than D3 but is more involved, yes. I know it’s said that vitamin D is more like a hormone or pro-hormone but for me, it’s nothing like taking actual hormones. The latter is far more potent, IME.

I do have a vitamin D deficiency, which is why I tend to be determined to make supplementing with it work. My thought was to load up at first and then taper down to a lower dose. Here is a quote from Peat about a dose that high that has given me the confidence to try it. (This is someone else asking him the question, not me.) :

Q: “Was tested low in vitamin D. Would supplementing 8,000 units a day be too much?”

“If you figure that being in a bathing suit in the sun for 20 or 30 minutes enough to just start turning pink, that can make 10,000 or 15,000 units. So 5,000 or 10,000 units is never gonna be harmful. I've never heard of 10,000 a day being harmful.” - Ray Peat

You're lucky you've had such success with thyroid. If this experiment with vitamin D3 doesn't work out, I'll probably go to thyroid next.

Both times I had a deficiency (6 and 10), the treatment was 50,000 IUs once a week until I was replete so I don’t consider 10,000 IUs harmful, I just questioned if it was too large a dose for you given your reaction to it and sensitivity to supplements.

@Serotoninskeptic, thank you. That’s great!

LOL @Serotoninskeptic. I don’t even have mood swings when it’s “that time of the month” so no worries about fluctuating hormones.

@Insomniac, you’re welcome.

@Serotoninskeptic, radical self-love/acceptance and release work were the most transformative tools for me—I’m a firm believer that complete and lasting healing is an inside job and taking our healing one step further passed the cell back to the self—but thyroid was the most helpful supplement in supporting the process.

@Serotoninskeptic ️ I’m sorry you could relate to me, but at the same time I’m glad you did.

If we’re the same person, can we be you this way I can finally reach the upper cabinets and pee standing up?

And yes to coconut. It’s the only food that satiated me on the fruitarian diet. I consume coconut milk and young coconut meat regularly. I buy the coconut meat in bulk (18 lb) so my freezer is always stocked:

@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Jennifer said in Your top daily supplement? If you had to pick just 1:

@Mossy, I have a doctor treating my thyroid but if she refused to, I would feel confident ordering from a Mexican pharmacy. I feel my best when my TSH is <0.1, but doctors always pull me off my med when it gets that low and I’m expecting my current doctor to do the same. I’ve spoken with her about it and she’s willing to treat my symptoms, but only to a point. If my TSH gets below range, she’ll most likely reduce my dose so I’ll have to supplement the Armour with TyroMax and stop taking the latter a month before I get new labs.

Ok, good to know. You've reminded me that Labs would still be good to have when self-treating, so if/when I start thyroid I will have to order those myself. I may start vitamin D3 first, then go to thyroid based on how that makes me feel, with pro-thyroid being the goal.

Yes, I find labs are important to keep track of my cholesterol level—Ray told me if it’s too low, thyroid can trigger stress hormones—but temp, pulse, achilles tendon reflex, urine output and symptoms have been better diagnostics for my thyroid function than blood values. With that said, my doctor won’t prescribe me medication without a thyroid panel, and I feel my best when my TSH is suppressed. I think that’s a good idea to start with D3. I do wish I had trusted my intuition and got on thyroid before exhausting every other thyroid optimizing avenue, but there was a learning curve even with NDT and for some people, D3 and diet are enough to turn the hypothyroid tide.

I appreciate your thoroughness and additional information. The fact that Ray said those markers are even better than blood values gives me quite a bit of confidence to go with those, at least for starters. I realize I won't know my cholesterol without a blood test, but if a stress response is triggered that would be obvious. I do remember you mentioning that you did feel best with a low TSH, "...as low as .008", so I have no problem attempting the same. Ok, so it sounds like you felt you wasted time and energy when you should've just gone to thyroid. If I wasn't so sensitive to supplements I probably would do that. I took 10,000 IU of D3 the night before last, with calcium acetate (calcium carbonate in vinegar) an hour prior to it (in an attempt to mitigate negative effects from the D3) and it has me a little wired, which turns into wired and tired at times, but not as bad as I can be on most supplements. Depending on how I feel by tomorrow, I will either continue with this current D3 (not certain about the calcium), possibly try the lichen-derived D3 (though the potency, being considerably less, wouldn't allow me to use 10,000 IU doses cost-effectively), or jump in with the thyroid—but it's that learning curve you and everyone else speaks of that I will have to be ready to deal with. It sounds like thyroid is better for you than D3, but that maybe thyroid is more involved and creates more of a dependency. Or am I misinterpreting?

Oh, Ray didn’t tell me that. I find them to be more reliable. Regarding vitamin D3–do you have a deficiency and if not, could you have taken too much? 10,000 IUs is quite a large dose. I usually take 2,000 IUs in the spring and summer and 5,000 IUs in the fall and winter. Thyroid is definitely better for me than D3 but is more involved, yes. I know it’s said that vitamin D is more like a hormone or pro-hormone but for me, it’s nothing like taking actual hormones. The latter is far more potent, IME.

You’re welcome, @Serotoninskeptic.