I posted recently about my daughter's results and will get back with an update soon.
But here are mine!
Hypothyroid for about 18 years, on Levothyroxine 75mcg. Menopausal but not quite through it yet, on HRT patches and Mirena.
Folate is awful, dropped from March level (when I wasn't supplementing) despite supplementing 400mcg since then (as part of Yippmai Liposomal B Complex). I thought it would have gone up?
B12 Active also not good, nothing to compare as previous test was inactive type. The Medichecks Dr suggested an MMA test. I have been supplementing 500mcg B12 also since March and again, was expecting some improvement.
What could explain these levels?
Iron Panel - can someome help with this? I haven't been supplementing iron, and don't have the Haemochromatosis gene. Transferrin saturation is above top of range - is this important?
My thyroid hormones have also dropped and I'm asking on TUK group for help there.
Basically I've seen drops in Folate B12 and T4 T3 when I was expecting some improvement due to supplementing. I'm still very fatigued (CFS diagnosis years ago). I have a lot of stress with family illness and relationship stuff ongoing.
Thanks for your help.
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Sneedle
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Hello! Please see inline below. I put your statements in bold. Some of this will also apply to your daughter.
Folate is awful, dropped from March level (when I wasn't supplementing) despite supplementing 400mcg since then (as part of Yippmai Liposomal B Complex). I thought it would have gone up?
Indeed, you would expect folate to go up with supplements. If you're not absorbing them well, low stomach acid or some filler in the tablet, then that could be one explanation.
B12 Active also not good, nothing to compare as previous test was inactive type. The Medichecks Dr suggested an MMA test. I have been supplementing 500mcg B12 also since March and again, was expecting some improvement.
I'm not as familiar with active B12 tests, and I don't think you can just compare % through range like that between the serum B12 and active B12 tests. (BTW It's total B12 or serum B12, not "inactive" )
In general, if someone is not absorbing B12, then it points to a B12 malabsorption issue, often pernicious anemia. Have you already seen some of these links?
Testing for PA includes serum B12, active B12, homocysteine, MMA, intrinsic factor (IF) antibodies, and gastric parietal cell antibodies. Ideally you want to be off supplements for a minimum of 4-6 months otherwise you can get a false negative - B12 will appear normal when in reality it isn't. In those cases, homocysteine and MMA should show some abnormality, but not always. IFAB is also a difficult test - a positive result means you have PA. But in half of people who actually do have PA, it may come back negative. So a negative result is not definitive either way. In this case, symptoms are very important, especially any neurological ones.
The problem is that most dcotors will say that your B12 levels are "fine" or even "perfect". In any case, there can be many causes of (functional) B12 deficiency b12deficiency.info/whos-at-...
Iron Panel - can someome help with this? I haven't been supplementing iron, and don't have the Haemochromatosis gene. Transferrin saturation is above top of range - is this important?
Indeed these are all trending high. Are you sure there isn't some hidden iron in any of your supplements? You might want to ask for a referral to hematology. and/or a retest to make sure it wasn't some issue during transport or similar. I don't know more than the basics regarding iron, but I would definitely followup on this.
My thyroid hormones have also dropped and I'm asking on TUK group for help there.
Good Do you have hashi's? When you have one autoimmune disease you're more likely to have others, such as pernicious anemia. It also runs in families, so if either of you have PA, the other is more likely to also have or get it.
Hope that gives you enough info to start with. Please write back with any questions or feedback
Hi - can you tell me what products you are taking for B12 and folate - I notice you are saying mcg - is that correct - or do you mean mg - as mcg is a very small amount. Also you need to take Vitamin C for iron to be absorbed - you may be low on C.
You are right they are small amounts - mcg is on the bottle (ug).
I eat a lot of fresh foods and juices but without measuring, I don't know how much Vit C I'm having. It's a good point - do you think I should supplement it?
Hi jade_s and thanks for your reply and the information.
Iron -Indeed these are all trending high. Are you sure there isn't some hidden iron in any of your supplements? You might want to ask for a referral to hematology. and/or a retest to make sure it wasn't some issue during transport or similar. I don't know more than the basics regarding iron, but I would definitely followup on this.
Do you mean a Medichecks retest? On the basis that I'm not supplementing any iron, and so how come the results are trending high, as you say? I read a post either here or the TUK group that menopause can affect iron levels, sending them upwards because you are no longer menstruating each month and so the iron level can go up. I can't find the post, but in theory this is a possibility for me as it has been about 10 months since my last period.
Folate and B12- as pointed out by posthinking01 below, the amounts I've been taking of these are very small - they are in mcg on the Liposomal B Complex bottle, not mg. So perhaps I could try supplementing a lot more methyfolate for starters?
Total B12 - noted!
I'm going to go to the gp with my Medichecks results and request an IFAB test, so I won't supplement B12.
I don't have Hashi's (as far as know) as my antibodies were very low in a recent test.
I think I'll stop there for now and go away and read some of the links you sent. I don;t think I have any overt neurological symptoms, but want to have a read and see.
Hi! I don't know much about iron beyond the basics. The menopause link is indeed possible, but unless you're supplementing, i don't think it should go excessively high? I would ask GP to recheck, or test privately, but probably a hemotology referral is warranted if it keeps going higher, eg to check for hemachromatosis or some other cause.
One can have Hashi's even if antibodies are low, there info on TUK about this.
500mcg B12 is not by any means a small amount. It's 100 times the daily recommended amount, so in a 'normal' person that should be more than enough to raise levels A standard b12 injection contains 1000 mcg, or 1 mg.
For folate, likewise 400mcg is what they recommend pregnant women take, so it's not a small amount either. Though some people do need more, up to 5mg, or a different form if levels still low (folinic acid, methylfolate).
Three months ago I increased my methyfolate (Jarrow product) from 400 mcg per day, to considerably more. I was getting 600 mcg with my B complex every other day. I decided to try increasing the methylfolate to 2500 or 3000 mcg and I had amazing results. Suddenly I felt like a normal person. However, after about a month I realized I was having facial flushing and a 'busy bladder'. I cut back and those problems cleared up. I also added sublingual B-12 in between my injections starting a week into the shots. Now I'm just experimenting, hoping to maintain my new found energy. I've also been able to go longer between B-12 injections.
I've never had my folate level tested, but next chance I get I'll do that.
Thank you for this that's really interesting and fantastic you feel so good! Out of interest what did you lower the methylfolate dose to?
I know I need to get my folate up pronto, but am a bit unsure about how fast you can safely do this. Did you start straight away on the really high dose, or titrate up?
Initially I was averaging 500 mcg of folate a day. I started increasing by increments, maybe adding 1000 mcg a day. I also increased my B6 by taking my B complex everyday instead of every other day. That wasn't a big increase. I got up to about 3000 mcg of folate. Then I realized it was too much.
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Do you have hashi's? When you have one autoimmune disease you're more likely to have others, such as pernicious anemia. It also runs in families, so if either of you have PA, the other is more likely to also have or get it. 
New to all this, please help with test results
Iron deficiency and mental health 
There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another.
Balance of b12, folate and iron??
