I have pins and needles, especially in feet, is this common with hypothyroidism?

[patterf]

My GP has currently increased my levothroxine to 125mcg from 100 about 3 weeks ago. I still have much the same symtoms, may be slightly more energy, but I work full time and have good days and bad. is this yet another symptom I have to get used to??

[nobodysdriving]

Please get your vitamin B12 checked, then publish the result on here. Anything less than 550 and you're most likely deficient

[Hidden]

You need B12 and folate tested, they usually test them together.

Your GP might only order an FBC as they are often under the mistaken impression that you can only have a B12 and/or folate deficiency if your bloodwork shows signs of macrocytic anaemia (enlarged red blood cells). This is wrong. As nobodysdriving says, anything low normal is usually not OK.

Here is a Pernicious Anaemia symptom checklist in case you are interested:

pernicious-anaemia-society....

Hampster

[PinkNinja in reply to Hidden]

Wow! I used to have almost every symptom on the list! I still have a few. I found the vertigo interesting. I ran out of my usual 5000mcg B12 tablets and had forgotten to order more. I was without it for a few days by which time the vertigo started to return. It was then that I realised I had found the cause of the vertigo that used to plague me almost constantly. Within 2 days of taking the B12 again the vertigo had improved.

My mum also has most of the symptoms. I have been persuading my dad to ask for my mum to be tested for B12. Hopefully he will do it at her next hospital appointment. I have to ask him because my mum won't remember. She is very unwell due to a brain tumour (benign) and the radiotherapy she had a couple of years ago. Doctors, and my dad, are too ready to except this as the reason for her symptoms and won't look at anything else!

Thanks for posting this link. I will send it to my dad. As it includes some of the other symptoms, like aphasia, that she has he might actually listen to me!

Carolyn x

[Hidden in reply to PinkNinja]

PA is very strongly hereditary I believe, I've found some in my family (maternal side) since being diagnosed. Would be interesting for you both to have the antibody tests (intrinsic factor, parietal cells) but very hard to get a doctor to do them sadly. H x

[patterf in reply to Hidden]

My mother and all my sisters have hypothyroidism so I would think there was a good chance on the pa front, for my siblings too, thanks very much you can but ask !

[Clarebear]

Food me it was under-medication for hypothyroidism. As I increased my dose of Armour it went away. I have recently reduced my dose as a trial, and this symptom is creeping back. Xx

[patterf]

Thanks for your replies, I have spoken to a GP and will see her on Monday for a blood test, I'll take your advise and discuss my previous fbc before she requests bloods b12/folate and post back. Thanks again

[Hidden in reply to patterf]

You should ask for the B12 and folate tests anyway, regardless of the FBC.

If you are looking at the FBC with your doctor, the number to look at is MCV. This would be high end of the range with a B12 or folate deficiency. However, iron anaemia causes a low range MCV, so if you have both types going on then it normalises the MCV (they cancel each other out). This is why you can't rely on the FBC alone. It is also very well evidenced that you can have neuro symptoms without any sign of anaemia anyway.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hello Hampster. I found your comments interesting on MCV. In 2011, I had a private FBC done showing MCV just over range at 99.1 (80 - 99) with B12 at 381 (191-663) and folate at 5.5 (4.6-18.7), but as these were in range (or a tad over for MCV) the doctor did not think there was a problem. Now under an endo and had results from tests he requested a week ago, B12 is 475 ng/L (180-900), no folate done and no MCV.

In 2011, I had really bad tingling legs and toes, in fact 3 of my little toes felt completely numb and I was often forced to take an analgesic just to get to sleep. 18 months on, with an increase in T4 and a recent trial of T3, the tingling has subsided but it still hasn't gone and I still don't feel 100%.

I have never taken any B12 supplements and not sure what you take for low folate, but do you think I need to supplement. Not going back to endo until September but would would like to get rid of the tingling - it drives you nuts.

Thanks so much,

Jan

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I really don't get why docs are so slavish to the ranges when there are symptoms present. I don't know, maybe these levels are OK in a healthy person, but we're not healthy, are we? We need all the help we can get! I get B12 injections but I also take the following supplements which you could try:

Jarrows Methyl B12 sublinguals (1000mcg or 5000mcg strength). Put under the tongue and keep there for as long as possible, at least 45 mins if you can.

Folic acid (for folate). I get mine on prescription at 5mg strength (5000mcg), dose 1 a day. You can buy 800mcg from Holland & Barrett if your doc won't prescribe, you might want to consider taking something like 3 a day until you get your levels up, and then a maintenance dose. See if you can get your folate retested first so you know your starting base.

Jarrows B-Right. This is a general B-complex, as you don't want your other B's to get out of balance. Need to take with food to avoid "niacin flush". Note this also contains 400mcg folic acid.

I also take some vitamin D and Spatone (iron), as I am low normal on these, but you need to know your levels as too much of these are not good.

I hope this helps, H x

[Amber12345]

Hiya have you checked your b12 levels for a long time I was suffering with Pernious Anemia without GP testing even though I told him about pins and needles shaky legs etc