Latest Test Results

[Polly2501]

Hi everyone, so my referral to the endo has finally been picked up and just wanted some advice on my vitamin tests. I have Hashi's and am currently on 125mcg of levothroxine. The hospital had asked my doctor to do some blood tests in anticipation of being seen, including cortisol. I was tested around 9am in the morning and it was fasting. My vitamin levels are all quite low and my cortisol was also low. I've detailed some of them below:

B12 - 295 (range 150-900)

Ferritin - 15 (range 15-300)

Folate - 16 (range <3.0)

Cortisol - 169 (no range supplied)

TSH - 0.07 (0.35-5.50)

T4 - 16.5 (7 - 17)

Total white cell count - 3.8 (4-11)

IgA - 2.88 (0.80-2.80)

She has prescribed iron but I'm going to take the gentle iron.

I wondered whether my B12 is too low and what to do about it? My doctor said that they would look at giving me the injections of my B12 went down to 200 but not before then.

Thank you in advance.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

your B12 may be fine - really you'd need other tests other than serum B12 to try and see what is actually happening at the cell level (eg MMA).

find the remark about 200 a bit difficult to swallow but then I didn't get to bed last night and I'm probably running on empty - including B12. Like telling someone with a serious leg wound that they'll only treat it when the blood loss has become so severe that their systems are starting to shut down. Whatever happened to an ounce of cure :).

serum B12: imprecise - misses 25% who are deficient and picks up 5% who are.

macrocytosis (larger rounder red blood cells) is a classic symptom but not present in 25% of people presenting with deficiency.

However, your iron looks like it is on the low side so you really do need to find some way of treating that

[Polly2501 in reply to Gambit62]

Thank yoh Gambit, that's really helpful. I've just got some iron supplements so will take those and maybe wait to speak to the endocrinologist about my B12?