! Red blood cell distribut width 11% 12.00-14.70%
(Notice the exclamation mark and this is typed in bold)
Serum free T4 12.6 9.00-23.00
I had numerous posters suggesting my T4 should be a lot higher but I've just noticed the RDW on my results is in bold and has an exclamation mark. It's like it's been flagged up but my doc has decided it's fine.
Thamks.
Commononpeeps,
.. ! Red blood cell distribution width 11.9% (12 - 14.70%)...
RDW under range although am not sure what this means. Perhaps indicative of iron deficiency .? anaemia .? but I don't actually know.
If you are able to repost with photo the correct way up..? . .. . this would help others to read your results and encourage further commenting.
You can edit or delete your own posts as many times as you wish by clicking on the little grey arrow at the bottom of your post. If editing, don't forget to re submit post.
Flower
I have never found any evidence that slightly low RDW is of any significance.
High RDW most certainly is something to investigate.
Hi Rod, I've just come across your reply to Comeonpeeps, where you say High RDW is something to investigate.
Would you mind giving me more info please?
The locum who gave me the RDW result from my Oct blood tests said it was nothing to be concerned about.
On the print-out it was in bold, 14.9 ( 11.0 - 14.8) with " High" by the side.
I'd appreciate your thoughts.
Yes, sure.
The basic meaning of RDW is whether the sizes of your red blood cells are within a narrow range (low RDW) or a large range (high RDW).
Some issues tend to make red blood cells smaller - one of the most common being iron deficiency anaemia. Others mae the red blood cells larger - one of the best known is low vitamin B12/pernicious anaemia.
In the very simple case of being iron deficient you would expect small red blood cells. So Mean Corpuscular Volume is low.
In the other simple case of low B12 you would expect large red blood cells. So Mean Corpuscular Volume is high.
Now imagine that you have both iron deficiency and B12 deficiency - you might see the Mean Corpuscular Volume is still more or less "normal"! The over-sized and under-sized red blood cells could well cancel each other out - if you look at a simple average.
However, if you look a bit further, you tend to find that instead of a nice, neat bell-curve with a tall peak, you see something rather flatter and more squidged out. That is when you see with a high RDW.
14 is going towards the top end - so should raise suspicion of exactly what I have suggested - or various other possibilities which can cause similar effects. But so far as I know, it is not something to panic about - simply be aware and look further. Try to find a proper explanation and keep checking.
Thank you Rod. It's kind of you to take the trouble to explain. My trouble is that I'm not sure ...in fact, I don't understand. brain fog? denseness?
I miss-typed the 14.9 in my first question to you, and only discovered I'd done that when I saw your reply.
In the same test
MCV 86 (80-100)
MCH 28.7 (27.0 - 33.0)
In August
RDW 14.4 (11.0 - 14.8) so it's gone up .5
B12 522 (80-900)
ferritin 43 (15 - 300)
folate 18 (> 2.4}
MCV 86 (80 - 100)
MCH 28.9 (27.0 - 33.0)
I'm seeing my GP on Thursday re Vit D deficiency.
Is there anything you feel I should be asking?
If so I'd again be grateful for your thoughts....tho I'm sorry I'm so dense 
Have you been supplementing with iron or B12?
I take several supplements, including a nightly B 100 Complex, which includes B12 at 100 mg
and a Nutri Hair supplement, which also includes B12 3mug
Ferrous fumerate 24 mg
Selenium 10 mug
3 taken in the late morning
The writing on the pots is small, and mu is the Greek symbol.....
Anyone?!!
Sorry - I am not sure what else you feel you'd like?
Slighty low RDW appears to be of absolutely no significance.
Results with exclamation!
Blood tests from BH - not sure what to do now with low-ish T4 and "OK" T3....
What do you make of these results? I’ve got Hashis
