I did not know niacin speeds up metabolism. I think I’ll give it a try. Luckily, my cholesterol profile came back to normal with thyroid treatment and omega-3 pushed the HDL up nicely.

Have you tried taking an 81 mg aspirin 1/2-hour before the niacin. The cardiologist I work for suggests it to anyone that has flushing with niacin. It often works but not always. There is a new brand of niacin OTC that is supposed to help prevent the flushing but I don’t remember the name of it. You can probably Google it and find it that way or ask a pharmacist. There is also prescription Niaspan; ppl tend to have less problems with flushing but I hear it’s expensive. Not sure if insurance covers it.

I hope your thyroid continues behaving. Good Luck!

Katie, your D is so low you need prescription strength, 50,000 or 100,000 if you haven’t already. For a D value under 20, I thought the norm was to treat with prescription strength until it’s normalized, assuming nothing else is causing it.

Katie,
I take 5,000 units of Vit D daily. Most I take at night cuz it makes me sleepy. I tend to sleep better then. I am also defecient in B’s and Calcium (who isn’t- right?) I am sometimes not the greatest Thyroid patient and don’t take my vitamins for a few days. This I am trying to change in 2010! Hopefully I can do it!

Thank you for chiming in and sharing your two-cents re: what you’ve tried and what’s working.

We’re SO HAPPY FOR YOU! We want you to feel great and we want more great stories from you and other patients. They are all very inspiring!

xo

Thyku is fun. I enjoy writing it, but it just has to come when it inspires itself, yaknow?

I’m on the niacin because of hypertriglyceridemia. This is often a side-effect of thyroid disease, my my numbers are so high my doctor’s convinced it’s a genetic problem instead, that’s only aggravated by the hypothyroidism. It’s quite resistant even to the top-end anti-lipid drugs. However, I’ve felt a lot better since I’ve been on it (I’m at 1,500 mg/day now). I worked my way up in 125 mg increments over several months so minimize the flushing. But, niacin has been known to boost metabolism, so maybe that’s why I feel better. I may keep taking it even if it doesn’t put a significant dent in my triglycerides.

Something they didn’t teach you in school: Plants are not the only organisms that engage in photosynthesis. The process in humans of creating Vitamin D in the skin using sunlight is also photosynthesis. Vitamin D deficiency is a problem these days with our indoor living and photophobia (ZOMG!!! must use SPF1,000,000 even at night!!!)

Makes you wonder how humans even evolved at all… sometimes I think we haven’t.

You’re such a honey! How Vitamin D deficient are you? I am too, which is why I’m asking. If I could get my numbers up I wnder if I’d feel better, too.

I’ve heard of those Happy Lights, supposedly they really do work and you are living proof that they do. YAY. Gotta check it out. Where did you get it, if you don’t mind me asking?

So glad you’re feeling beter, too.

xo

I also bought a “Happy Light”….yep, no shit, that’s what it is called! It’s for those of us who also suffer with SAD.

May you always feel as well as you do now!!!!!!
Cyndi

I miss Mike’s Thyku’s, too. http://bit.ly/6QSHVT (we want more, Mikey)