Am I having Thyroid issues or is it a B12 problem ?

[Vrtthy]

Hello once again. Please could I have some thoughts on my thyroid results. I previously posted after my first lot of BH results, but BH seemed to think something else was going on so to redo the test after about 3 months which I have now done.

4 May 2016 ...................18 July 2016 ........ Range

CRP ..... 2.50 ................... 1.00 ................. <5.0 mg/L

Ferritin .. 142.8 ................ 91.2 .............. 20 - 150 ug/L

TSH .. 4.84 H .................... 3.73 ............. 0.27 - 4.20 IU/L

T4 Total .... 95.7 .............. 74.0 ............. 64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L

Free T4 ... 14.03 ............. 12.98 .......... 12 - 22 pmol/L

Free T3 .... 4.50 .............. 4.37 .......... 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L

Anti- Thyroidperoxidase abs ... 10.2 .... 7.8 .......<34 klU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs ... <10.000 ..... 10.6 ....... <115 kU/L

B12 ..... 314 pmol/L ..... 390 ........... Def <140, Insuff 140 - 250, Consider reducing >725

Serum Folate .. 21.38 ..... 35.29 ....... 10.4 - 42.4 nmol/L

Vitamin D .... 78 ........ 105 ........... Def <25. Insuff. 25 - 50, Consider reducing >175

Following the first results I started taking as from 16 May 2016:

Jarrow Formulas Methyl Folate - 400 mcg - 1 a day

switched to Solgar Folate (as Metafolin) 800 mcg on 20 June 2016 - 1 a day

Jarrow Methylcobalamin B12 - 1000mcg - 1 a day, upped dose to 3 day 1 July 2016

Vitamin K2 MK-7 100 - 100 mcg - 1 a day

Was already taking:

D3 - 75 ug

Acidophilus Complete - 400 mcg, 10 billion cfu per capsule - 2 capsules a day

Vitabiotics Ultra cod liver oil plus omega 3 - 50:50 ratio - 2 capsules a day

CoEnzyme Q-10 - 30 mg - 3 a day

But I didn't take any supplements at all for the 10 days prior to second test, as I was away from home.

I am struggling with brain fog, knee giving way, tinnitus, pins and needles, unsteady on feet, vertigo.

[Vrtthy]

Also having lots of hair loss, brittle ridged nails. Cold hands and feet.

[greygoose]

Well, it's both, isn't it. Your FT3 is very low - your TSH is not correspondingly high, might be a pituitary problem, because you don't appear to have Hashi's. But your B 12 is also much too low. I think you might be better off with the 5000 mcg tablets for a few months, then go down to a 1000 mcg maintenance dose.

I don't understand why you're taking folate. Your folate wasn't that low to begin with. You'd be better off taking a B complex, because the Bs all work together and need to be kept balanced. Get one with methylfolate, and your folate will be fine.

[Vrtthy in reply to greygoose]

Thank you greygoose. I do take a B complex, just missed it off my list. I took folate as I was told it was needed hand in hand when taking Vitamin B12 supplements, that for my body to use the B12, I needed good folate levels. Have I misunderstood somewhere along the way ?

[bluebug in reply to Vrtthy]

Nope.

[greygoose in reply to Vrtthy]

No, you haven't misunderstood anything, but there's folate in the B complex, so people don't usually take folate separately on top. Your folate wasn't that low, anyway.

[Vrtthy in reply to greygoose]

Will get some 5000 mcg tablets.

[bluebug]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a mixture of both.

Your TSH should be nearer 1, your FT3 should be near 5 and your B12 should be nearer 1,000. Your thyroid hormones would be helped if you get your B12 level up.

One good thing I've noticed is that your markers of inflammation CRP and ferritin have gone down. Ferritin is a tricky measure which is why other iron measurements are often useful (and why I ask people for things like haemoglobin, WBC etc) as it raises in inflammation.

BTW when saying how much vitamin D you take it is much easier for people if you state the IU (international units) than the measured amount.

[Vrtthy in reply to bluebug]

Thanks bluebug. Yes, I was pleased to see the CRP go down, I think this was what BH originally thought was causing that higher TSH reading. Had full bloods done at GP in May. Transferrin 2.40 g/L ( 2.00 - 4.00u). Iron 15 umol/L (10-30u). T'ferrin Saturation 25% (25-50u). Ferritin 106ug/L (15-200). WBC 4.3 - x10^9/1 (4.0-11.0). RBC 4.55 - x10^12/1 (3.80-5.80). Haemoglobin 137 g/l (115-165u). Haematocrit 0.417 l/l (0.370-0.470). MCV 91.6 fl (80-100). MCH 30.1 pg ( 27-32). Platelet count 222 - x10^9/1 (150-400).

If you need any more info, please shout.

[bluebug in reply to Vrtthy]

Well definitely looks like your ferritin level was increased due to inflammation.

You do need to sort out your thyroid hormones.