I have been reading here for a bit today and see there seems to be some confusion on Selenium.
Im sorry I don`t have the answer to this, but it seems over on Elaine Moore`s site, she recommends it to everyone as a part of their supplement regimen. Is this not true?
Im hyper and I am taking it, if I should`t be I`d like to know the answer to this too.
K

I was taking it too, until I heard about a connection b/w elevated FT3's and Selelenium, so not to take it if your FT3's are high or something. Still don't fully understand, but I stopped taking it.

Selenium is very helpful in aiding conversion. If you have a low FT3 but a normal FT4...taking Selenium will help bring your FT3 up. If your FT3 is higher than mid range its probably not a good idea to supplement with Selenium. It is recommended we receive 400mcg of Selenium per day for an adult. Unfortunately we only receive around 200mcg through our diets. Normally we would supplement our diets with 200mcg of selenium per day or eat one Brazil Nut per day to get our daily requirements. Big Hugs..Kathy

Wow, Thanks Kathy, so I guess 1000mg might be a little much. Also,. if I am being overmedicated with MMI how will I know? Is there a way to tell before my next blood draw? Whenever that is.

Do you know your latest lab results exactly? If not, I suggest you get copies of lab results and keep in folder. Make note of what your latest FT3 is before starting the Selenium.

{{{hugs}}}

I have mid to higher end free t3's but lower in range free t4's. From the info above I should stop selenium. But I have TED. What do I do?

Selenium helps TED heal..Elaine Moore stresses this. Its really hard to tell whats going on with you without your labs. The problem is...symptoms are deceiving...labs dont lie. I'm not comfortable without them. 1000mg is way to much...are you sure thats what it is? I agree with mmz...wait to start Selenium until you have a hard copy of your labs...insist your doc arrange for you to get one...Big Hugs...Kathy

Sorru Kathy, no I misread the bottle. It is actually only 100mcg of selenium, so no worries. My FT3's were 4.8 he said "almost normal." with a reference range of 2-4.3 I believe.

sorry, or more likely the reference range is 2.3 - 4.2. The lady I talked to said there was a punch hole through the top of the paper. Is it too soon to be "almost normal though? I'd only been on MMI for a month. 40mg for 1 week then 10mg for 1 week, then 20mg for 2 weeks. now he says to stay on the 20mg.

Your FT3 is out of range in the high end. If it were me, I'd hold of on the Selenium until the FT3 comes down and gets low. Otherwise hypER symptoms happens when the FT3 is too high.

{{{hugs}}}

K, that's what I'll do. Thanks Alot guys!!

Krisann...if your FT4 is lower than mid range you may want to up your FT replacement a bit. The goal is to reach mid range whether your on replacement hormones or ATD's...that is your starting point. From there you look at your symptoms...if your still feeling hypo you adjust either up on your replacements or adjust down on your ATD's If your feeling hyper...adjust down on your replacements or up on your ATD's. The FT3 should be around mid range...if its to high and its causing you symptoms...mimics hyper...you may want to go on a beta blocker to help with that. If its not causing you problems and its not that much higher over mid range...perhaps just wait it out until your next labs. When we dont have the actual lab results its so hard to address anyone's particular issue...its a lot of guessing

When your adjusting your meds after reaching mid range you do it by small amounts and then wait for your lab results. What your trying to do is find that sweet spot that your feel your best at and then try and hold it there.It took me a while to find mine by doing this but now I know exactly where I need to be to feel well. I have a very narrow set point to feel well so I have to really watch where I'm at.

Selenium aids in the conversion of T4 to T3...if you are below your mid range taking Selenium will help bring it up. If you are at mid range or higher...do not take Selenium for now. Here's an interesting studies on this...Big Hugs...Kathy

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009898103005321

http://www.preventive-health-guide.com/selenium.html

http://www.naturalpedia.com/V/Vitamin_E-selenium.html

Everyone wait!! Selenium is one of the elements related to hair loss, when taken in big doses! I found this out when I was researching my hair loss, prior to finding out about Graves. The other side effects of too much selenium sound like an unwelcome addition to thyroid symptoms....
I urge anyone to be very careful about the amount you take as a supplement... there is such a thing as OD'ing on vitamins ;/

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium

"What is the health risk of too much selenium?
High blood levels of selenium (greater than 100 mcg/dL) can result in a condition called selenosis [64]. Symptoms of selenosis include gastrointestinal upsets, hair loss, white blotchy nails, garlic breath odor, fatigue, irritability, and mild nerve damage [2]."

Maybe I'm a worry wart, but I'm very paranoid about taking supplements until i research what happens when/if I take too much...

This should help clear things up on Selenium...Big Hugs...Kathy

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/s-s00/recommend.html

Just a reminder...when your measuring Selenium its measured in micro grams not milagrames...there is a huge difference

also..if you read the links I gave earlier...your worries should be put to rest..