Test results for comments please

[Chrys]

My wife had a Blue Horizon test last week, and the tests are below. Regarding the B12, she is currently taking Natures Best B50 complex, so I guess we should reduce that to every other day. She is also on other supplements including, selenium, zinc and Vit D3, and we are  pleased to note a reduction in her antibodies of 50% each. She is not taking folate.

She is on 75mcg Levo and 10mcg LioT3. I would welcome any comments.

Biochemistry      CRP 1.20 <5.0 mg/L

Ferritin                 80.9 20 - 150 ug/L

Thyroid Function  

TSH                        L 0.07     0.27 - 4.20 IU/L

T4 Total                    92.0   64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L

Free T4                     15.61   12 - 22 pmol/L

Free T3                     3.63    3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L

Immunology

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs   H 197.4 <34 kIU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs           H 356.4 <115 kU/L

Vitamins

Vitamin D (25 OH)    120

                                   Deficient <25 nmol/L

                                  Insufficient 25 - 50

                                  Consider reducing dose >175

Vitamin B12            H 873 Deficient <140 pmol/L

                                           Insufficient 140 - 250

                             Consider reducing dose >725

Serum Folate           H 42.63 10.4 - 42.4 nmol/L

[Marz]

I would not lower the B50 as the B12 result is not a 1000 as suggested by Sally Pacholok in her book - Could it Be B12 ?  This level is needed to prevent cognitive decline.  You cannot overdose on B12 as any excess is excreted.

I think there could be room for improvement with the FT3 - an increase maybe ?

You say she is not supplementing Folate - perhaps there is B9 in the B50 ??

Glad anti-bodies are on the move

TSH will be low due to the small dose of T3.

[Clutter]

Chrys,

I agree with @Marz that FT3 is low and if your wife is symptomatic it may be worth increasing T3 dose.  High B12 is desirable so no need to reduce B50 Complex.  Vit D and folate are good.

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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.

[Chrys in reply to Clutter]

Thanks both, I thought the same about T3, so will try upping it to 20mcg per day, and will continue with the B50 complex which contains folic acid.

[Clutter in reply to Chrys]

Chrys,

Maybe an idea to split 20mcg into 2 x 10mcg doses.

[humanbean]

You haven't mentioned how your wife is feeling. Does she feel well?

Regarding the B50, does this contain cyanocobalamin for the B12?

I'm not a fan of the B50 or the B100 B Complex supplements. There is no science behind the idea that every B vitamin must be given in doses of 50mg or 50mcg or 100mg etc. It is just a bit of marketing hype - it sounds good, but it isn't really.

Vitamin B6 can cause irreversible neurological problems if given in too high a dose over a long period of time :

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitam...

And a 50mcg dose of B12 is actually a bit mean if there are B12 deficiency symptoms (despite the good level in the blood test).

Next time you stock up on B Vitamins can I suggest you buy either Jarrow Formulas or Solgar 1000mcg methylcobalamin. Amazon sells both. One a day would be a good dose. Also, a more justifiable dosage of B Complex vitamins can be found in Thorne Research Basic B Complex (also available on Amazon) - it includes several of the B vitamins in a form that can be better absorbed than the cheaper versions. (I take one a day of these too). There are other brands which have highly absorbable B Complex products - Pure Encapsulations does one. I haven't looked at any others, sorry.

I used both the B50 and the B100 B Complex products from Holland & Barrett at least 5 or 6 years ago. My levels of B12 were always high in range or over the range. I still had lots of B12 deficiency symptoms. Taking methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin (another active form of B12), and methylfolate instead of folic acid, made me feel much better.

My serum levels of B12 are very high, but I prefer to feel well rather than worry about the results from a poor and inaccurate serum test of a vitamin which is not poisonous.

[Chrys in reply to humanbean]

Thanks for all that HB, these are the ingredients of this B50 complex.:

Cellulose, Thiamin Mononitrate, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCl), Pantothenic Acid (Calcium Pantothenate), Inositol, Riboflavin, Niacin (Nicotinamide), Choline Bitartrate, Methylcellulose, Stearic Acid, Para Amino Benzoic Acid, Silicon Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Tablet Coating (Methylcellulose, Glycerin), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), Biotin.

[humanbean in reply to Chrys]

That's actually better than I expected. At least it has methylcobalamin in it rather than cyanocobalamin. My comments about the quantities in the pill/capsule still stand though. There is nothing scientific in having 50 mg or 50 mcg of everything.

Regarding the folic acid vs folate issue, please read this :

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

[Chrys in reply to humanbean]

I should have mentioned that my wife is still not 100%, probably 85%.

[Chrys]

In addition, here are the Dr's comments for interest.

The Vitamin B12 level is elevated. This is not likely to represent significant overdose, as B12 is well tolerated by the great majority of people – even in very high concentrations (as indeed are most water soluble vitamins). Excess levels are usually a result of supplementation or from following a diet rich in the vitamin. A few exceptions to this rule include those who suffer from a rare hereditary eye complaint known as Leber’s disease. Too much vitamin B12 in these individuals can lead to damage of the optic nerve, which might lead to blindness. Anyone who is allergic to cobalt should also avoid taking vitamin B12 – as the vitamin contains a significant amount of this element. Rarely, high dose supplements or injections of Vitamin B12 cause diarrhoea, itching, blood clotting and allergic reactions. Liver disease and myeloproliferative disease (disorder of the bone marrow) can lead to elevated levels of B12. However, some practitioners advocate high doses of Vitamin B12 to help sufferers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and to combat the development of Alzheimer's disease, amongst other conditions.

The Folate (sometimes known as Vitamin B9) level is elevated. As with high doses of Vitamin B12, this situation is not likely to represent a significant overdose – as a water soluble vitamin, it is usually well tolerated by humans even in high concentrations. Supplementation or following a diet rich in the vitamin (for example fresh green vegetables) is the usual reason behind a high level of folate in the blood. Excess folate in the presence of low Vitamin B12 levels can lead to problems however – the B12 deficiency can be masked by the action of folate which will apparently resolve the megaloblastic anaemia caused by deficiency of either vitamin, but will not resolve the effects of B12 lack. It is important therefore to ensure that the Vitamin B12 level is acceptable - which of course is the case here - if a high Folate level is detected.

The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level is low. If you are already taking thyroxine, dose adjustment may be necessary - you should discuss this with your usual doctor. If you are not taking thyroxine, it would be wise to keep an eye on this level - either by reference to previous results if known or by checking TSH again in 6 months’ time or so. There is a possibility that hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) will develop if the TSH fails to rise (a low TSH implies excessive thyroxine production from the thyroid gland).

The positive thyroid antibodies result increases your risk of having, or developing, autoimmune thyroid disease. This represents a situation in which your body manufactures antibodies to the thyroid gland, potentially interfering with normal thyroid function.