Help please awaiting diagnosis and feeling awful

[wendyvw]

Was recently rushed into hospital with chest pain further investigation showed bilateral pneumonia. Spent 6 weeks in hospital and only thing abnormal in all tests (bloods, ecg, X-ray, ct etc..) was intrinsic factor even B12 ok. Although better than I was still have chest pain and headaches/joint pain and extreme fatigue. Have suffered for a long time with severe fatigue, digestion problems, gas, mood swings, eye sight, aching limbs but put it down to my under active thyroid and getting older! (55yrs).

Over the past year I have had a couple of bad water infections (first in many many years) and a blood test showed high haemoglobin and haemocrit which was investigated at the time and was put down to lifestyle/dehydration etc... I would appreciate you thoughts here as this is surely opposite to pernicious anaemia???? Not sure about the type of red blood cell but can abnormal shapes etc.. still cause high cell count.

I am currently waiting for results from latest IF tests and then a ‘what to do next?!??’ I feel absolutely terrible and have done for a while, like someone much older than my years, I have even taken early retirement due to the fatigue. Please help could this be PA? Has anyone else had similar symptoms/problems who could help shed some light??

Please forgive the garbled post but I am at the end of my tether and feel that I have little to no quality of life at all.

Forgot to add I have very fast pulse/heart rate too.

[Mary-intussuception]

Hi

Just wondered - is your Hypothyroidism being properly monitored?

Do you have Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis?

I've heard that people with one Autoimmune Disease can also have another / others.

Have you had blood tests to check levels of any other nutrients - Vitamin D, Folate, Ferritin?

Ever had an Ultrasound scan of your Thyroid?

[wendyvw in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Hi

Thanks for your reply. I am seeing a specialist for my thyroid which is monitored every 3 months, but never had an ultrasound.

Taking VitD supplement and iron cane back normal. Only intrinsic factor was abnormal.

[Mary-intussuception in reply to wendyvw]

Do you have Hashimoto's

[wendyvw in reply to Mary-intussuception]

I really don’t know underactive thyroid diagnosed 20 years ago.

[Mary-intussuception in reply to wendyvw]

Do you have any blood tests results ?

Also - may I ask how much Vitamin D you are taking and for how long ? Is it Colecalciferol (D3) 800 IU ?

[wendyvw in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Bloods are in the normal range - I am taking 50mg levothyroxine and 20mg liothyronine (T3) also iron is colecalciferol (Fultium D) 800IU. 😀

[Mary-intussuception in reply to wendyvw]

So your TSH is below 2 or preferably below 1?

Do you take your iron and Vitamin D at least 4 hours away from your Levothyroxine?

Do you ever look at posts on the Thyroid forum on here.

[wendyvw in reply to Mary-intussuception]

I will check all my results in the morning and get back to you. I do look at thyroid posts but this really is different. Yes I take vitamin D on its own. Thanks so much for your support.

[Mary-intussuception in reply to wendyvw]

Wonder if you've ever had any Thyroid Antibodies tested?

It's possible that you have both Pernicious Anemia and Autoimmune Thyroiditis .

[Gambit62 Administrator]

iron anaemia is different from the type of anaemia caused by B12 and folate deficiency - iron makes the cells smaller and B12/folate make them rounder and larger - so the haemocrit and haemoglobin being high isn't necessarily incompatable with PA.

The symptoms you have could relate to PA - which is actually an auto-immune disorder affecting the gut. It can take a very long time for B12 levels in an individual to drop to the point where they become anaemic and 20%of patients first present without any signs of anaemia. A positive for IFAB is a good indicator that you have PA (though it can be skewed by recent supplementation). You can have symptoms of B12 deficiency well into the normal range. There are some clarifying tests - MMA and homocysteine - which may well have been done in the hospital.

[wendyvw in reply to Gambit62]

Thank you so much this is really helpful. I haven’t taken any B12 supplements so hopefully there should be nothing skewed.

I will ask/check the other tests you mention when I speak to the dr. I am just waiting for Latest IF results and endoscopy.

Thank you once again!