If thyroid results are in range, does that mean thyroid isn't an issue? I did the finger prick home test with Blue Horizon that have come back astonishingly fast!
Ferritin 29.9 20 - 150 ug/L
Free T4 14.47 12 - 22 pmol/L
Free T3 4.27 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L
TSH 2.18 0.27 - 4.20 IU/L
T4 Total 98.1 64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L
Vitamin B12 332
Deficient Less than 140 pmol/L
Insufficient 140 - 250
Consider reducing dose More than 725
Serum Folate H >45.4 10.4 - 42.4 nmol/L
Everything looks normal on that apart from the Folate which might be diet related.
Written by
Dee1980
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
B12 needs to be much higher. Anything below 500 can present with neurological symptoms if left untreated. Optimal is around 1000 to prevent cognitive decline.
Everything you need to know about the seriousness of low B12 in the above link. What your GP does NOT know about B12 can harm you.....
Ferritin also needs to be around mid-range I have read.
Am not a medic - just a Hashi's sufferer with a B12 issue....
Thyroid results may well improve with better Ferritin and B12... the FT4 and FT3 are however low in their ranges. TSH - it is often mentioned that over 2 can point to being Hypo.
My symptoms are mostly neurological, oddly enough, brain fog and feeling like I have dementia on some days! I'm veggie and haven't supplemented B12 in a year or so...
Just realised it didn't copy my B12 result and ranges accurately eep:
Vitamin B12 332
Deficient Less than 140 pmol/L
Insufficient 140 - 250
Consider reducing dose More than 725
Might still be worth me looking into it, thank you very much for the reply and information
Their ideas of Deficient and Insufficient are in my opinion quite wrong. Please do take a look at the videos under the heading FILMS on the menu of the link I posted. They are all important but especially the 4th one down - when I last looked ! I attended the B12 Conference last year in the UK where Sally Pacholok was speaking. She wrote the book - Could it Be B12 - and the film trailers of her life are also on the link I posted.
Sadly there is no money for Big Pharma as B12 cannot be patented - but it is life saving. I had my Terminal Ileum removed over 40 years ago. It is the area where most of our B12 is absorbed and recycled back to the liver. Someone forgot to tell me I would need B12 treatment for life and now that I am almost 70 - I live with the damage. My B12 was around 300 for years and I was always told it was fine - I then read and learned more a few years back and now have weekly injections and take a good B Complex.... Maybe too little too late - but I journey in hope !
ONLY 20% of your B12 test result is available to be utilised in the cells - so your result is far worse than you think. There is both bound and unbound B12 in the blood and only one can make it to the cells. The test is merely a Guideline and not 100% realiable.
Thank you very much for all of that! Definitely going to watch those films, might see if I can get the book you mention too. This affects my sister as well, as she has similar B12 levels and also low ferritin. Even though you warn they're guidelines, I do wonder how much of it is because we're both veggies.
Sorry to hear of your own health issues, I know it's frustrating when your GP tells you you're fine then you do some digging and realise it ain't so. Shame they didn't have the internet back then because we can do so much now for our own health.
B12 is only available from meat, fish and eggs. Vegetarians should supplement 1,000mcg methylcobalamin and take a B Complex vitamin for the other B vits.
I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.
It will be a great deal to do with you being a veggie - albeit most Veggies are more aware of their B12 than most people ! If you pop across to the PAS forum here on HU you will read so many stories of people being poorly treated by Docs - even with Pernicious Anaemia. It will also reveal how little the Docs know....
I had breathlessness along with the brain fog when it first kicked off about two years ago, doctor gave me anti depressants and said it was anxiety. I took B12 tablets instead but 'cyanocobalamin 1000ug', maybe not the right stuff. And I stopped taking them last year.
I do eat a couple of eggs a day now, but stopped eating fortified cereals and soya milk a while back. It's just not enough is it.
Reading that website and the case studies I'm definitely going to try to boost my B12 any which way I can.
The above link takes you to the PAS forum and other discussions. Maybe some could be of interest. Look out for sleepybunny - Gambit62 - fbirder - and others. All very knowledgeable.
Jarrow Methylcobalamin 5000mcg on-line should help. They are lozenges to be kept under the tongue - and I take Thorne Research B Complex to keep all the B's in balance.
Soya milk not considered good for the thyroid.
Cyanocobalamin has to convert into other forms of B12 - so Methylcobalamin is further down the line.
A TSH of over 2 is within range but worth keeping an eye on. 90% of the population have a TSH of under 1.5. Did you have antibody checks done? For 90% of people with hypothyroidism it is caused by the body producing antibodies which attack the thyroid. If you have high levels of antibodies you will need to have a blood test every 6-12 months to see whether your thyroid is gradually failing. In some countries a TSH of over 3 is considered too high and you would be treated. Have your blood test first thing in the morning because TSH varies throughout the day and is highest in the morning.
Ah that's interesting. My antibodies came back low, well within range, so not sure what would cause high TSH. I did one of those cortisol saliva tests a couple of weeks back and that came back high (above range) all day, wonder if it's something to do with that. I'll have a look into it, thanks
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.