I have my results which are interesting/alarming. Blue Horizon have mistakenly sent them to me before they have been checked by the doctor so I've been relying on Google! I won't get the doctors findings until Tuesday.
As you can see my Ferritin is very high. I do drink wine regularly which I will now stop and I take a multivit with iron which I have also stopped. Obviously I am thinking haemochromatosis. The symptoms sound very similar to Hypothyroidism although wouldn't explain the horrible feeling of a permanent lump in my throat!?
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies - Negative
THS - 1.34 (range 0.270 - 4.200)
Free T4 - 13.68 (range 12-22)
Free T3 - 5.3 (range 3.1 6.8)
Vit D - 32.7 (range 25-27 mild deficiency)
B12 - 289 (range 191- 663)
Ferritin 341.4 (range 13 -150)
GGT 77 (range 0-40)
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Written by
didcot
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Your thyroid results are not great, but they aren't dire. Your Free T4 is about 17% of the way through the reference range and your Free T3 is about 59% of the way through the reference range. It suggests you are converting well, you just don't have enough of the raw material to convert (you don't have enough Free T4 I mean). I don't think you would find a doctor in the UK who would treat you for low thyroid.
In your shoes I would suggest trying to improve your nutrient levels as a starting point. I'm puzzled by your Vitamin D. The reference range you've given is non-standard and is quite different to the range I've been given by Blue Horizon. Can you tell us what the units of measurement are please.
The units of measurement that BH have used with my Vitamin D results are nmol/L and the range I've been given is :
<25 nmol/L : Severe Vitamin D deficiency
25 – 75 nmol/L : Borderline ranging to insufficiency
75 – 200 nmol/L : Optimally replete
>250 nmol/L : Possible toxicity, if sustained
I supplemented vitamin D with the aim of getting my levels up to 100 nmol/L or even slightly over. As you can see from the range I've given it isn't an extreme level to aim for. I achieved my goal and I feel a lot better. It is definitely worth doing and supplements can be easily purchased from sites like Amazon. Make sure you buy vitamin D3 supplements, and take them with your fattiest meal of the day.
Your Vitamin B12 level is too low. The reference range for B12 in the UK is a sick joke - it's far too low. Neurological damage can occur with levels lower than 500. In Japan any level lower than 500 would be treated. The supplement I use is Jarrow methylcobalamin 1000mcg per day - easily found on Amazon - check out the reviews. Some people prefer Solgar's version of the same thing. The tablets must be put in the mouth, under the tongue, or under the top lip, or between teeth and cheek, and allowed to dissolve slowly. Don't suck or chew it. The idea is to make it last as long as possible. (There are several different kinds of B12 - methylcobalamin is one of them.) B12 isn't toxic and any excess is excreted.
Along with the B12 it is a good idea to take a B Complex as well. Methylated B vitamins are a good choice - much better than standard cheap ones. I use Thorne Research Basic B Complex, one a day.
As for your ferritin and your GGT, obviously this needs to be checked out. Haemochromatosis is a possibility, obviously.
If it is any comfort I know someone with the hereditary form of this disease. He deals with it by regular blood donation. It doesn't affect his life in any way at all and he has no obvious health problems as a result of it. Don't despair!
I found this paragraph (my bold) :
"Monitoring[3]
Serum ferritin is the main investigation used because it correlates with symptoms and the risk of complications.
When serum ferritin is less than 1000 μg/L the risk of serious liver damage is below 1%. Serum ferritin levels above 1000 μg/L are an indication for liver biopsy because of the risk of cirrhosis.
When a liver biopsy shows cirrhosis, periodic screening for hepatocellular carcinoma, using echography or magnetic resonance imaging, is essential."
Your result is much lower than 1000 ug/L, so I doubt you have cause to panic.
The other obvious causes of a high ferritin are excessive supplementation (which doesn't sound like it applies to you) and inflammation. You really need to go to your doctor and show him/her your results because a high ferritin can't just be ignored.
A high GGT might be related to the high ferritin. You've already mentioned knocking the wine on the head which is a good idea.
Overall, if you improve your nutrients, and sort out the reasons for your high ferritin and high GGTand get it dealt with, you may find your thyroid levels improve enough to make you feel better. If your levels stay less than ideal and you still feel like crap then you may have to self-medicate.
Thank you so much for such a helpful reply. Your link re Ferritin was very reassuring - I must admit I did panic a bit! I have bought some D3 and will order B12 and B complex from Amazon as you suggest. I was very interested in the difference between our range and that in Japan. I had misread previous blood tests as showing me high in b12 whereas the opposite is actually true and I have been on the low side for ages. Why don't the silly bloody doctors tell us to try some b12 if it's looking low and we are presenting with fatigue. Robots!
Didcot, Ferritin 341 is over range but doesn't suggest haemochromatosis. Ferritin is an iron store house and levels fluctuate throughout the day as iron is drawn from ferritin and excess iron is dumped back in. High ferritin usually indicates inflammation, often from an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto's, or a virus or cold at the time of testing. Iron is dumped into ferritin to starve bacteria and virus of iron. I had a similar result to yours over a year ago when I was very unwell and in a lot of pain. I didn't bother to retest but if you are concerned have another test in 3-4 months.
My ferritin level tends to come in about 320 and the Dr gets me to retest 3 months later, it drops a little so they say nothing to worry about. It goes back up though next time. Interesting that can be marker for Hashimotos. I thought it would drop quite a bit following B12 jabs but it didn't. I like the active B complex - from Amazon -Integrative Therapeutics - Active B-Complex 60 vcaps Integrative Therapeutics - Active B-Complex 60 vcaps
Sold by: Natural Health Store
They take forever to arrive though so need to plan in advance.
Have ordered B12 and complex from Amazon and have just started taking D3. I had a Thyroid scan today which show 2 cysts and a node?? I have a family history of Hypo. Would cysts and nodes be indicated in Hashimotos? I stopped Googling when cancer came up!
From what I've read online cysts are very common so GP will probably waft me away again.
Thanks again, this forum is becoming a life line xx
My mom has haemochromotosis and has her blood checked and drawn once a month and copes really well. I am a carrier of the gene and have my iron checked once a year.
I think the key is to have the diagnosis confirmed and once this happens you will be left to a specialist in this field who will look after you - and stay off the iron rich foods and red wine x many cereals are full of iron.
My mom doesn't overly watch her diet and is fine though - if her levels go up too much they take a bit more blood, so don't put to much pressure on yourself
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