Getting Better?

[HypoTrish]

Hi

I'm new to this forum but have been posting on the Thyroid Health Unlocked site since October last year. In December 2017 I had a private blood profile taken because I was unable to get my GP to take a full profile test of my thyroid function. The test showed I was insufficient in B12 and D. Since sharing the result with my GP I have received 2 weeks loading doses injections of B12 and high dose oral Vit D supplement.

I do feel a bit better but still have a lot of muscular/skeletal pain, various skin and hair growth issues but cardiac symptoms have improved along with less oral soreness.

Have others experienced a time scale to get back to full health and does anyone have any tips to cope with pain. I cannot take Ibruprofen nor CoCodamol.

Regards HypoT

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi HypoTrish It is also important that your Folate level is monitored as this is essential to process the B12 you had injected.

There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance.

Symptoms of a folate deficiency can include:

symptoms related to anaemia

reduced sense of taste

diarrhoea

numbness and tingling in the feet and hands

muscle weakness

depression

Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body.

Are you continuing with the B12 and Vitamin D supplements?

It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 starts repairing the damage done to your nervous system and your brain starts getting multiple messages from part of the body it had "forgotten about" or lost contact with.

I sometimes liken it to a badly tuned radio on which you have turned the volume up high trying to catch the programme you want when all of a sudden the signal comes in loud and clear and the blast nearly deafens you.

A lot will depend on the severity and longevity of your B12 deficiency as to how long before there is no further improvement or recovery. Some symptoms will "disappear" quite quickly whereas others may take months or even years. There is no set timescale as we are all different.

It has been estimated that between 50-70% of people living in the northern Europe (where daylight length reduces your chances of receiving adequate sunlight in the winter) are deficient in this vitamin D by March each year. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include chronic pain, weak bones, frequent infections, depression and fatigue.

I am not a medically trained person but I've had P.A. (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years.

I wish you well.

[HypoTrish in reply to clivealive]

Thanks for your reply clivealive, my GP has prescribed 1000iu vit D supplement on repeat so I shall take those as long as possible. Vit B12 is now to be given every 12 weeks I belive that dosage is 1ml. I am supplementing oral B complex (off the shelf) daily recommended dose. I see my GP again on 21st Feb as far as I am aware they do not intent to re-test yet.

In November last year my serum ferritin level was 68 ug/L (13.0 - 150) which is not optimal but within range. My Red blood cell distribution width was 15.5% (11.5 - 16.0) at the high end I understand this to be indicative of B12 or Folate deficiency. Again my GP will only act on outwith range pathology. She is adamant I am not anaemic.

In December last year I had a private blood test taken as I could not get my GP to test full thyroid function and vitamin support. Those results were vit B12 206pg/mol (197 - 771) - Folate 7.3 ug/L (>2.9) Ferritin 35 ug/L (13 - 150) and 25 OH Vitamin D 39 nmol/L (50 - 200).All my thyroid tests were low end showing poor function but all within range. Having shown my GP these results they then prescribed the vitamin supplementation as above.

How long I have had the insufficiency/deficiency is hard to say but last year was awful for me I had sepsis from gall bladder disease and a seizure in August last year still going through some testing for both of these events.

[pitney]

Hi HypoTrish,

I dug out my old Tens machine recently that I used years ago for back pain and it did help, like you I cant use Cocodamol and Ibuprofen upsets my stomach.

[HypoTrish in reply to pitney]

Thanks for your reply pitney glad your Tens machine helped - I am sure I will get there eventually.