Frannie58: I am new member, 56 year old, have... - Thyroid UK

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Frannie58

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I am new member, 56 year old, have mother and brother who are both hypo. I have been having symptons for a few years but put it down to menopause. I also have Asthma, chronic spontaneous urticaria and idiopathic angioedema! Meaning i have occasional allergic reactions that involve me going to A&E and being treated by iv drugs. Am on a mission to try to get to the bottom of my symptons and allergic reactions and have had some blood testing, listing below what I think may be important.

16.01.14 3.30pm

tsh 4.4miu/L (0.2-5.5u)

Tpa <20iuml (0-60u)

17-02-14 9am

tsh 3.9 (0.2-5.5)

FT4 17.3pmol/L (10.0-24.5)

FT3 5.0pmol/L (3.9-6.7u)

cholesterol 6.2

serum B12 304 (180-1000)

serum ferritin 52 (10-300U)

serum folate 5.3 (.4.00)

mcv 90.8fl (80-100)

mch 30.6 (27-32)

neutrophil count 2.97 10*9/L (1.9-7.5 U)

haematocrit 0.418 1/1 (0.37-0.47 U)

Not quite sure if these are right things to post. Would like opinions - seeing gp on Friday to discuss, I think i am low on B12 etc although results say normal. Get very tired especially in afternoons, terrible insomnia/restless sleep, weight gain, poor mood. Second tsh test followed a very stressful few days which left me mentally exhausted and feeling very low, I understand stress can suppress tsh, I was expecting it to be higher than first test as it was done much earlier in the day. Would be grateful for any advice about what to discuss/ask my gp, i think she may be reasonably receptive, I am a new patient having moved recently so don't know her that well. I know Hamster1 has good knowledge on B12 so maybe can respond, thank you all, have learnt so much from the site.

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Frannie58
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Hello! I just responded to someone else with some info you might find useful:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I was deficient with a serum B12 of 310 (I had the MMA test which was abnormal), whereas my husband was not deficient with no symptoms at 190ish. It is a rubbish test!

Frannie58 profile image
Frannie58 in reply to

Thank you am ploughing through it all! What is optimum for folate pls

in reply toFrannie58

Higher than yours! I have research suggesting you need to be above 8, see here:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/243...

However, I suspect that applies to otherwise healthy people. Everyone is different and, for example, if you are on frequent B12 injections you need to maintain a high level of folate (they work together).

I think I have just as much problem absorbing folate as I do B12, I need to take 5mg about 5 times a week, any lower than that and I get deficiency symptoms back and my B12 injection doesn't work as well (I inject once a week). It's trial and error to work out the correct maintenance dose. The Patient UK article on correcting folate deficiency says treatment is 5mg every day for 4 months, then reduce to a maintenance dose of 5mg 1 to 7 times a week. So it actually recognises that for some people maintenance is the full amount. I've tried reducing my dose 3 times now, and I regret it every time!

H x

Frannie58 profile image
Frannie58 in reply to

Thanks, am I right in thinking that with undiagnosed Hashimoto's tsh can move up and down?

in reply toFrannie58

Think so, Hashi's swings? I have Graves so not sure.

Marz profile image
Marz

I think once you have improved your B12 levels you will feel much better. Vitamin D ? Can't see results for that. Much needed in the body and most people are LOW - causing all sorts of problems.

vitamindcouncil.org

Frannie58 profile image
Frannie58 in reply toMarz

Thanks I hope so, did ask for vit D but not tested!

Marz profile image
Marz

gov.uk/government/publicati...

You could have the VitD test done privately at City Assays in Birmingham - by post and 25 pounds. Sorry Greek keyboard so no pound signs !!

The above link was from spareribs profile - so Docs have been informed of the importance of VitD but forgot to mention Thyroid sufferers :-) You could print off and show your GP.

I have lived in Crete for 10 years but when tested a couple of years ago I was insufficient - have noticed an improvement with a BIG dose.... ( I have Crohns so it helps that too ) Low VitD is a worldwide problem. For those of us born after the war we were dosed daily with Virol - malt with codliver oil I seem to remember. Tasted awful :-)

Frannie58 profile image
Frannie58 in reply toMarz

I remember cod liver oil! Will follow up Vitamin D test will ask GP again on Friday otherwise will do myself.

Marz profile image
Marz in reply toFrannie58

:-)

Frannie58 profile image
Frannie58

I have not heard of this, will research thank you

Frannie58 profile image
Frannie58

This is an update, don't know if it will work. Vitamin D insufficient so doctor prescribed me some. Have recently had Active B12 test 53 pmol range 25.1-165. All thyroid antibody tests negative/normal. Just about to start with sublingual vit B12 and B complex, also taking magnesium and zinc. Wondering if I should also do mma test or just start self supplementing.

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