Please interperate my results

[Kaz39]

I have been feeling pretty rubbish on and off for a few years, had blood tests done at docs a while back and they said everything was fine. I've just tried to carry on and not go back to the docs but I've looked a bit more in depth at my results and some I believe are in the lower end of the normal region.

Please could someone have a look and advise if u should go back to docs.

Serum ferritin 34ug/L

Serum folate 8.4 ug/L

Serum Vit B12 322 ng/L

TSH 1.1 mu/L

Thank you

[Nackapan]

When my ferritin dropped to 29 I was symptomatic. I was told by a doctor under 50 one can get symptoms. The range started from 10 ug/lon the meadurement they used. I.I've since been prescribed iron. It took a year to raise it to 58 ug/l bit the breathlessness and palpitations and shaking stopped earlier. For me it's the shaking that improved first and returned when I thought I'd stop the iron!! I'm still ashen most of the time?

I used to have a really good complexion. My folate was 9 . Now 20. I took folic acid in a modest doses of 400mcg but didnt need it. It went above range . So if you want to take folic acid 200mcg normally in a multivit. That's what I do 3 x a week contains 14mg of iron. The prescription for iron I coukdnt tolerate. So o take 210 ferrous fumerate every other day. Spartone and or solgar gentle iron on other days . Gp should support and monitor any iron supplements. I have regular blood tests 3 monthly initially . B12 is in range . Is it your first one? If so if its checked again before any supplements you will see what it's doing. You have a bench mark. Many people are fine at that level.

Thyroid to thought about 2. Ask on the thyroid forum . They have very good advice on any further tests .

Hope you get some answers

[kickinit7 in reply to Nackapan]

hi, i dealt with thyroid issues when i gave birth to 1 of my sons almost 9 years ago. told my dr. had sore throat,dry he felt it it and said yeah its swollen in ur thyroid. So forgive me with the bloods per/ect. they tell us and don't give us paper results so... i had my boy i was iron deficency and had to get blood transfusion in order to leave hosp. i also didn't realize how i looked every1 else said it i was big then.. carrying him i went to 128 lbs my arms chicken bones my eyes black,pale and you could see my bones in chest neck arms and i didnt know cuz in my mind i was still big! but any ways 8 years my family dr. stuck by me sent me to a few specialist and he ordered xrays, iodine nuclear scan, ultrasounds and repeated then specialist 1 said fix ur iron other said take iron pills the other called the city hosp they said bloodwork evey 6 months this is all with in 8 years my family dr was the one who could see trough blood work somthing not right to even give meds they were bouncing my ts 3 tsh 4. ok he said im sending you off to another bang! got the right one scope biopsies hand half a thyroid out all in a month no meds nothing to this day! but i am b12 deficency, iron deficency back on shots after 2 years and worse than b4 now when getting shots again its bad!.. just saying don't let drs. rule you you know ur body and when somthings wrong keep at it b4 its too late on everything can be very dangerous! just saying done everything and starting all over with it again but worse!!!

[JanD236]

It would be helpful if you were able to edit your post to show the range relating to each result. Also, are you supplementing/injecting B12 and are you on thyroid medication?

[Kaz39]

Thank you for the replies. I'm not currently taking supplements or any b12 injections, not on any medication for thyroid either, now and again I'll take vitamins. To be honest I'm not great at taking vitamins, I take them if unwell e.g cold or have a bug but stop once i feel better.

Here are the results with the ranges

Serum ferritin 34ug/L (11.0 - 307.0)

Serum folate 8.4 ug/L (3.1 - 19.9)

Serum Vit B12 322 ng/L (180.0 - 914.0)

TSH 1.1 mu/L (0.38 - 5.33)

[JanD236 in reply to Kaz39]

Your blood test results are all in the normal range. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem but it makes it less likely.

When you say you feel rubbish on and off, what do you mean? What are your symptoms?

[Kaz39 in reply to JanD236]

Thank you for your reply, i just feel really tired constantly regardless of how much sleep i get. I have been getting bad back pain on and off for about a year and have been prescribed tramadol as nothing else touches it but i only use it when i really need too. Headaches pretty much every day, brain fog and my hands and feet are always cold.

[Narwhal10]

Hi Kaz39

The body does need to be nurtured so it’s preferable not to struggle on. But at the same time I can’t tell you what to do.

When you say rubbish - do you mean fatigued ? Listless ? Symptoms, no matter how insignificant you think they are, they are a better indicator than numbers of blood tests as we are all individuals.

Anyway wishing you well soon.

X

[FlipperTD]

Scientist's answer:

When results are reported it's always easier to interpret them if the reference ranges issued with the results are included. They're as important as the measured value.

Different laboratory methods are in use. Whilst they measure the same analyte, they can have different sensitivities and consequently have different ranges. Without the reference ranges this can be confusing or even misleading. These results however all look 'normal'.

[Litatamon]

Hi Kaz,

Vitamin d testing?

I had intense daily headaches for about a year. It was apparent something was wrong as I was never one to get a headache. I also had a lot of pain and stiffness. Low vitamin d can cause softening of the bones, which can causing constant aches in many parts of the body. I was 7.6/19 for vitamin d. Since supplementing I rarely have a headache.

All the best on figuring out what is going on with you.