Hi, I've received lots of help on here and through this have raised my ferritin and vit d levels, thank you.
Ferritin has risen from 12 ug/l to 132 since Nov
Vit d has risen from 28 to 99 since March on 1000iu drops per day.
I've had 5 months of recurrent sinus and inner ear infections which I thought I'd eradicated years ago and am currently on 3rd dose of antibiotics, have stomache pain, nausea, lost few pounds (6 st12) exhausted, anxiety, sleep probs, etc.
I wondered if anyone can look at my recent results or make any suggestions as to what I could try next please?
B12 was 456 nov, 261ng/l now (130-1100)
mCH just over range 32.1 (27.00-32.00)
TSH dropped from 1.88 no to 0.42 now (0.35-3.50)
Ft4 risen from 15 to 17 (8-21)
Neutrophil just over range 7.37 (2.00-7.00)
Lymphocyte just under 0.77 (1.00-3.00)
Total white cell risen from 5.5 to 8.8 (4.00-10.00)
Magnesium just over 0.94. (0.70-0.90)
Cortisol 700nmol (101-536)
Have had an equivicol Helicobacteur pylori result so being retested.
I intend to have an active b12 test now, seeing as it has dropped after eating extra meat, etc for iron.
Have had diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome for past 16 years.
Many thanks, any help really appreciated...
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Jo5454
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B12 is rising so that is good - keep up the supplementing.
mCH (*) is just over range and could be linked to previous low B12 levels.
TSH has dropped - thats good.
T4 has risen - thats good.
WBC is slightly raised indicating infection or Hashimotos?
Magnesium just over range. - fine.
Cortisol over range - might improve as you get well.
(*) mCH I didn't know what this was so googled it and found this....[.. High MCH levels can indicate macrocytic anemia, which can be caused by insufficient vitamin B12..]..
Are you having help to re establish your gut flora and health to avoid malabsorption problems?
I had the active B12 test and it corresponded with my blood serum. I don't think you need to take it because having CFS your need for B12 is huge and it is hard to over supplement.
Flower, you've misread the B12 result. It has dropped, not risen. It was 456, but is now 261 ng/L.
Hi Jo5454,
Taking iron pills will cause ferritin to rise (assuming that you can absorb it), and inflammation will do the same. The fact that your ferritin has risen so much while you have also had recurring infections could be caused by inflammation rather than taking iron supplements. Unfortunately, since the NHS doesn't do full iron panels very often, it is hard to work out what is going on.
You may find the chart at the bottom of this page useful - put together all the info you have and see what options you are left with :
labtestsonline.org.uk/ is an excellent website for investigating all sorts of blood test results. You can read about your magnesium result on the site.
While there is a possibility that you have Helicobacter Pylori I wouldn't bother about getting an Active B12 test. The H. Pylori will be affecting your absorption of all sorts of nutrients, and I think you would be better off waiting to do more nutrient testing until you know the outcome of the H. Pylori testing. If the result is negative for H. Pylori then go ahead and do the Active B12 if you want to. If the result is positive, then you need to get it fixed, then perhaps wait 3 months (?) before doing any more nutrient testing.
Be aware that testing for B12 levels, Active or otherwise, is affected by supplementing.
Read the section on Patient Preparation on page 3 of this document (it's worth reading it all) :
Thanks very much human bean for your reply. I'll have a look at all of those links
I was concerned that my ferritin had risen so quickly. It was 40 by feb and the nurse felt this was a lot to rise then, but again I'd just had a nasty winter type infection. I've had these further infections since, so decided to cut down on my iron dose as I'd read it could potentially not help when you're fighting something, yet it still rose about 100 in the next 5 months. I'd say I was only then starting to feel less breathless, now after stopping supplementation a few weeks ago I can feel that coming back, although I also know it's a symptom of low b12!
Should get the pylori result back this week, so will see if it sheds any light on it all. Like you say it could be causing absorption problems, so on e corrected maybe deficient levels will rise. I haven't supplemented b12 as I've presumed it would improve.
Do you think it would worth having a ft3 test privately?
If you have H. Pylori confirmed and treated, it may make a lot of difference to all sorts of results. I would wait until a few weeks after treatment is complete before doing any further testing of nutrients/thyroid.
If the test is negative, and you think thyroid may be contributing to your symptoms then yes, I would say an FT3 test might be a good idea at some point. I would also suggest having Reverse T3 tested.
But while you have any form of infection your FT3 could well be lower than whatever is normal for you. (Whether what is normal for you is also adequate is another question entirely.) During illness the body naturally reduces FT3 and increases Reverse T3, to reduce your metabolism and to make you slow down, so that you give your body time and the energy to get better.
(This is just my opinion, and I'm not a doctor.) I think you shouldn't spend any money doing private testing until the infections are fixed and the H. Pylori (if it is an issue) is fixed.
However, if the infections drag on and on, then you may have to do some more research to see whether there is anything you can do or test or supplement that will help your body to fight the bugs. But that is something I can't help with, sorry.
Thanks very much human bean, that all makes good sense to me! I'll make some enquiries about the active test this week, but will see what the hp result is to see where I go next.
I've read some more about it and it seems it can affect the endocrine system and b12 absorption and like you say no doubt lots of other malabsorption issues. Once again, I wouldn't have known to request it if I hadn't read about it on here. If it's negative at least it's something else to cross of the list and try to push on with something else!
Didn't know about the ft3 and infection, that's helped a lot as I can see if I go ahead with that ideally it'd be better to have it done during a time when infection free.
Oh well, I wait with interest to see the result this week, thanks once again
Hi flower, many thanks for your reply. Sorry think it's the way I wrote it down, my b12 has dropped from 456 to 261 in 9 months, that's why I'm thinking of going ahead with the active test. My doc feels 261 is plenty, but I'm confused as to why it would drop nearly 200 after eating so much more foods with b12 in.
I appreciate I could take supplements! but because I felt it was potentially not eating enough meat was causing low iron! that after improving this my b12 would go upwards from 456. The reverse has happened though.
Thanks for your help with the other results. I'm presuming the white blood cells could be due to infection, but thought raising iron and vit d my immune system would improve, whereas I seem to be unable to throw this 5 month infection off. Is it an antibody test for hashimotos please, I've asked about antibody tests, but told they're not necessary?
Yes, I will have to try some probiotics again I think, especially after now having repeated antibiotics.
I was a bit concerned the tsh was near the bottom of the range, but this is a good thing then.
Excuse the exclamation marks, must have pressed them accidentally. This doesn't let me delete in places without deleting everything to get there.
Can I ask where you took your active b12 test?
Many thanks
Ooh so very sorry Jo about Vit B12 result....it is pretty obvious..!!..
I have no idea why the level would drop but would definitely start supplementing asap. Your need for Vit B12 will be huge if you have CFS.
Getting tested for Hashimotos is wise considering you are suffering other health problems. Ask for both TPOAb and TGAb to be tested. There isn't a medical answer to having high thyroid antibodies but at least you will know to avoid gluten and take anti inflammatory supplements to try and lower levels and this might give a clue as to why your TSH has dropped..??.
TSH should be low in people who are medicating on thyroid hormone replacement as this is actually a measure of the thyroid stimulating hormone secreted by the pituitary gland but I have only just realised you are NOT medicating.
If this fell any lower I would ask for further investigations.
Probiotics are good after a GI infection but not until ALL bacteria is ERADICATED ...otherwise you will be feeding the bacteria.
link for Vit B test - be mindful if you supplement it will skew results.
I have asked about antibody tests but told they weren't necessary, so I think it'd have to be case of going private for those! I guess there's a chance as human bean suggested that if I have heli pylori that this could be affecting a lot of results. I was reading yesterday how it can effect the endocrine system/ throid/ b12 absorption so there are quite a few pointers towards this. I also read that wheat and sugar can worsen hp and I'd recently reintroduced a small amount of both again. Also read this can affect the results, so like so many other tests, you cut down on things to try to make health better, but then don't necessarily get the right readings! Oh well, we'll see.
Thanks for the tip about probiotics, I thought you can take them at anytime, tended to think they'd mainly feed the good bacteria for some reason! So if I do have hp you would recommend not starting probiotics until the antibiotics are finished?
Thanks for the b12 test link. Think I will have to ring around the various places to see what the options are. I don't live near to the st Thomas and have read the blood needs to be separated?
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