This was my first home test kit from Blue Horizon and it appears I sent insufficient blood in the first test, however, they very kindly sent me another test to redo it and my results are below. The ferritin is high and I will see my doctor for a follow up.
I am a complete newbie when it comes to interpreting these numbers, although I am reading a lot but I'm starting from scratch really and feel quite baffled.
I would be very grateful if would you please mind taking a glance over them and perhaps some "dummie" proof interpretations.
Also, I've learned to undertand that TSH is not the way to measure but is it normal for it to drop in a matter of days as my reports show.
Thanks in advance for your time taken to review and respond.
March 15 2016
Free t4 16.08 (12-22)
Free t3 5.06 (3.1-6.8)
TSH 0.96 (0.27-4.20)
T4 total 99 (64.5-142)
Anti thyroidperoxidase abs 12.4 <34
Anti thyroglobulin abs 10.8 <115
March 11 2016
CRP 1.70 <3
Ferritin 210 (20-150) high
B12 259
- Deficient <140
- Insufficient 140-250
- Consider reducing dose >725
Serum folate 27.35 (10.4-42.4)
Free t4 16.33 (12-22)
TSH 3.18 (0.27-4.20)
Written by
Balooga
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Were both tests Done at the same time of day? TSH is highest first thing in the morning and drops through the day. It also drops after eating, so tests should be fasting, early in the morning.
Your B12 is much too low. 1000 is optimal - never mind the silly range. If I were you, I would take 5000 mcg sublingual methylcobalamin daily for a few months, with a B complex to keep the Bs balanced. Then drop to 1000 daily plus B complex. Low B12 will cause a lot of symptoms, and anything Under 500 can cause permenant neurological damage.
Are you on thyroid hormone replacement? If so, what and how much? You could probably do with an increase. Your FT3 - the important number - isn't quite where it should be, I Don't think. But, how do you feel?
I feel shocking, I'm exhausted all the time, very achy, pick up infection after infection, hair loss from my already very fine hair, hair loss from my right calf, swollen face, neck, hands and feet (well pretty much everywhere). It's a very grim feeling but I am on a quest to feel better for me and my partner, he is amazing and fully supportive but one of my biggest worries is my complete loss of libido. We have been together for 8 years he proposed last year and i was determined to shape myself and feel better, however here I am.
my weight has ballooned in recent years and although my docs have sent me for many tests I am always in the normal range. Last July I became so frustrated with how I was feeling, I arranged to have a full "mot" type test with bupa, the outcome again was need to diet, reduce carbs and exercise as my metabolism was pretty much non existent (the bupa doctor said this was likely caused through dieting!!!!).
I then discussed attempting to improve my metabolism but he said, diet and excercise was the only way to do it and it's normal for a perimenopausal woman like myself to feel like this, he measured my bp, said that was slightly elevated, told me to only drink decaf and gave me Lisinopril 10mg to take daily, advising they would help with my swelling and water retention too. They haven't.
In addition, since my bupa visit in July 2015, I have been on a low carb <50g per day, weigh measure everything and an intake of 1200 calories (sometimes at weekends I do stretch to 1400). D my partner looks amazing on my diet, he's doing great but I lose and gain the same 2/3lbs.
Both blues horizon tests were done at the same time, 9am, and on both prior evenings i had my usual 1 square of dark chocolate with a decaf coffee.
After discussing my woes with a friend recently, she was actually open-mouthed shocked how our symptoms were so alike, her sister (in Australia) got a trial for thyroid meds and my friend said her sisters life and wellbeing has been transformed.
I was secretly hoping that my results would highlight something.
The only medication I take is the Lisinopril and vitamin d. In my first post Marz kindly replied and linked me to the information on vitamin k, so I have purchased another brand of vitamin d to include the k.
If you read and understood this so far, I owe you a coffee, decaf of course 😊
You won't catch me drinking decaf! It's not good for you, you know. The process by which is becomes decaf is really not good - well, 'process', that says everything. I think that was very bad advice they gave you there.
OK, so you really need to bring that vit B12 up. That could be causing a lot of your symptoms.
A TSH of 3.18 says you were hypo, but then it went down again... I take it you fasted for both these tests, then. Pity they didn't do the antibodies when the TSH was at 3.18.
I cannot understand why they prescribed the Lisinopril because one of the side-effects is swollen feet and legs...
If your carbs and calories are too low, that will have an adverse effect on your thyroid. But doctors Don't know that. Have things go worse since you went on that 'diet'?
Your symptoms certainly sound like low thyroid. But, of course, doctors these days know nothing about symptoms. And, remember, it's not just a question of being 'in-range', that's not the same as 'optimal'. It's where in the range the results fall, that counts.
If I were you, I would start supplementing the B12, then add in some magnesium, a couple of weeks later, then some zinc. See how that makes you feel. Because you're never going to get a doctor to start you on thyroid hormone replacement with those results.
Hi greygoose, thank you kindly for the information about decaf, I must admit I followed the docs advice on this without doing any research, such a learning curve and I'm going to celebrate my another lesson learned by having a full on caffeinated bulletproof coffee later this morning.
Ok, b12 check, this is on my shopping list for today and will start immediately. I've never really been a supplement taker and again don't fully understand them but following on I'll certainly read up on the benefits of magnesium and zinc, can you perhaps recommend any brand?
Apologies re my timings of test taken, yes it was 12 hour fasted. I have this little routine of coffee and my sanity chocolate at 9pm and I took both tests at 9am the following morning.
With regard to how I feel on the diet, I truly don't feel any different but I do enjoy eating a cleaner diet, I pretty much make everything from scratch, I menu plan for the week ahead and feel better organised with our food choices. Still, I would say I'm so totally frustrated by the little effect it's had on the physical me and my symptoms, yet overjoyed at how it's helped my partner.
Thanks again for all your recommendations, Im a sponge right now and want to take it all in all the information.
B12 on your shopping list? Where are yu going to buy it? I Don't think you'll find anything satisfactory in the super market. And Don't forget you need a B complex, as well. I'm pretty certain they won't have one with methylfolate in it in the supermarket. And the B12 you need is sublingual methylcobalamin.
I always get mine on Amazon. Solgar and Jarrows are good makes, but there are others.
For the magnesium, you need magnesium citrate, if you're constipated, or malate if you're fatigued. Most forms are good, but not oxide, sulfate, glutimate or aspartate. Always read the ingrédients!
The best form of zinc is picolinate.
As a general rule, you should never just accept anything the doctor says or prescribes. Always do your own research. They are not infallable!
crp not finding inflammation yet high ferritin, are you post menopause (ferritin goes up then) or eating vast amounts of red meat?
Thanks for your input Aspmama, I'm perimenopausal and I do eat a low carb diet so yes I do eat red meat but I try to limit it to only a couple of times a week, should I be eating less?
I was just wondering if there was an obvious reason for your high ferritin - clearly there isn't, so perhaps the gp will investigate. You can bring it down by giving blood, of course, but it would be nice to know why.... I wouldn't worry about the meat, it's some other reason than that.
Thanks Aspmama, I've been through my food diary and its pretty much is 2/3 times a week I eat red meat. This is in the form of chilli, taco meat and a steak. However, my portions are still measured to fit in with my daily intake. I will be taking this up with my gp, hopefully he will investigate and find out why.
Your B12 is so very LOW and this can give you Hypo symptoms. Try to read the website and learn as much as you can about additional testing required and everything else about B12 just to be ahead of your GP. Do you have any gut issues ?
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