Understanding results

[kimberley60]

Serum ferratin 16 ug/L

Serum folate 5.2 ug/L

Ferritin 20<

Serum folate values <3ug/L

Serum vitamin12   109 pmol/(115-1000) low

Haemoglobin estimation 116.0 g/L (120.0-160)low

Red blood cells 3.9910*12/L (4.00_5.20) low

Haematocrit 0.347 (0.360-0.460) low

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Bit confused by what appears to be 2 different serum folate results but neither looks good.

If I understand the above properly you have a B12 deficiency, your folate levels are low (which won't help with B12) and you seem to have an iron based anaemia as well - ferritin is low as is haemocrit - indicating that you aren't managing to absorb iron from your diet, or that you are losing iron eg through a bleed.

This is a link to a checklist of symptoms of B12 deficiency

pernicious-anaemia-society....

suggest you complete everything that applies and share with GP, and also draw your GPs attention to this information:

a) PAS guidance for health care professionals

pernicious-anaemia-society....

b) BCSH guidance on folate and cobalamin (B12) deficiencies - especially the two treatment regimes on p8

bcshguidelines.com/document...

B12 deficiencies can be dietary - if you have little or no meat, dairy or fish in your diet but absorption problems are much more common.  PA - an autoimmune problem is one possibility - others are a) lowering of stomach acidity (similar symptoms to high stomach acidity so often treated with PPIs and anti-acid treatments that make the problem worse), b) gastric surgery affecting the ileum - which is where 99% of B12 is absorbed, c) genetic abnormalities affecting the ileum, d) drug interactions - including metformin, anti-convulsants and NSAIDs

If you have an absorption problem this also affects your ability to store and recycle B12 - generally very efficient so RDA for B12 is very low - but the re-absorption relies upon the liver releasing the stored B12 into the ileum in bile and if there is a problem there then most of it is just going to leak away and pass straight through you.  

It can take years for a full blown deficiency to occur so when you are looking at the list of symptoms don't dismiss something as not being related because it has been a problem for years - I had 40 years of depression and 30 years of mild neurological problems before I was finally diagnosed - thought they weren't connect but the depression has gone with getting the treatment I needed - and the neurological problems have decreased.

[kimberley60 in reply to Gambit62]

Thankful for your help 

appreciatedappreciated

[judburke]

Your ferritin is very low which will be giving you symptoms of tiredness, muscle aches, hair loss and more. You should consider supplementing with iron to raise the levels. It should be taken 4 hours after thyroid meds and taken with Vit C that will improve absorption. It can take several weeks for levels to improve and then a few weeks more for symptoms to improve. You haven't put the lab range on there - some people say to aim for half way but you will feel better as you start to get it higher. 

If you supplement and the levels do not improve you should ask your doctor if it is possible that you have a gut absorption problem - for example Coeliac. I had problem raising ferritin levels but I had undiagnosed Coeliac - the levels improved once I had that under control

Good luck getting the levels up  

[kimberley60]

Thankyou judburk.

I've been taking iron tablets ,levothyroxine  and had 6 b12 injections now have to wait 3mth till the next .

I havnt improved web on iron 4weeks now .I eat red meat and eggs so don't know why I'm enaemic..I'm exausted and cry all the time as I'm so down feeling like I've been kicked from pillow to post .

I have to work a physical job and can't cope at all ,but have no choice ..I nearly fainted last week so had to sit for a moment till it passed ..

I wish I understood all the medical results so I could stand my ground with my doctor.thankyou for the help as didn't know to take iron 4hrs after thyroxine...I will do that from now 

[judburke in reply to kimberley60]

I feel for you. Its hard trying to take control of your own health and at times it is overwhelming. I was in a similar place to you 2 to 4 years ago and I wasn't well but thank goodness for sites like this where you can start learning and take control. Take baby steps and keep learning - It took me a while to get a bit better but the support and knowledge on here is fabulous.

Has the doctor tested you for thyroid issues?  If he has then get the results with the ranges and post them on this forum for "Thyroid UK".  It is common for people to have more than one auto-immune issue and underactive thyroid can affect tiredness, mood etc

Regarding your Iron/ferritin/low bloods - is the doctor going to retest you soon?  Like I said above I couldn't get iron/ferritin up despite eating meat and eggs etc - Thats when I found out that I have Coeliac which had damaged my gut and I couldn't absorb any nutrients or supplements properly.  If your levels do not improve you must ask the doctor to find out why.  Sometimes low iron might be the only symptom of a gut damage issue i.e. Coeliac.  I didn't get tested for years as I didn't have classic symptoms of losing weight, running to the toilet etc

Stay strong and don't give up - If you can get your levels higher you will start to feel a bit better but it will take time as your levels are very low

[kimberley60]

Thankyou judburke yes they tested my thyroid and I'm hypoththyroidism so take the pill each morning ..

I will right all these questions down for the next gp appointment which is so hard to get ..it's a 4week wait .

keep well x