Latest Blood Test Results - Feeling Anxious

[janey1234]

I've got my latest blood test results and been told to book an appointment with the doc as I'm 'borderline'.

Brief history (posted before)....

Feb 2016, blood tests taken following a number of symptoms. Told 'borderline' & to retest in a month.

March 2016, retested and prescribed 25mcg of Levo, told to retest in 3 months.

June 2016, retested and prescribed 75mcg of Levo, told to retest 2-3 months time.

August, retested with the addition of all of the suggested tests that I was advised to get from the good people on this site. Doc wants to see me to to discuss 'borderline' result.

Serum vitamin B12 level 295.0 ng/l (211.0 - 911.0)

Serum folate level 9.49 ug/l (>5.38)

Serum C reactive protein level <4 mg/l (0.0 - 6.0)

Serum ferritin level 67.3 ug/l (10.0 - 291.0)

Serum cholesterol level 5.4 mmol/l

Serum triglyceride levels 1.30 mmol/l (0.3 - 1.8)

Serum HDL cholesterol level 1.4 mmol/l

Serum LDL cholesterol level 3.41 mmol/l

Serum cholesterol / HDL ratio 3.9

Serum non high density lipoprotein cholesterol level 4.00 mmol/l

Serum TSH level 4.97 mul/l (0.35 - 5.5)

Serum free T4 level 10.4 pmol/l (10.0 - 19.8)

Serum thyroid peroxidase antibody concentration 1175 iu/ml (0.0 - 60.0)

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate 8mm (3.0 - 9.0)

That antibody result has really freaked me out!!!

I am not on any other medication, vitamins, etc.

As always, any advice or understanding of results before I see my doc will be hugely appreciated. Thank you

[bluebug]

Can't remember if you had your vitamin D levels tested or not, but if you haven't get it done.

You need to supplement vitamin B12, folate and ferritin.

As you are within range the doctor WILL NOT prescribe anything.

[janey1234 in reply to bluebug]

Yes, sorry I forgot to mention I have had Vit D test but result not back yet. Do you know how long that result takes to come back?

[bluebug in reply to janey1234]

Nope as due to a mix up over my first test where my old surgery tried to hide my result I do my own vitamin D tests.

[bluebug]

It is possible you have hasimotos so you need to go gluten free. Instead of replacing gluten products with their equivalent non-gluten version I would try to avoid them if possible as they have more fat, more sugar and other fillers in them to replace the gluten making them even more unhealthly.

[janey1234 in reply to bluebug]

So for example, don't go for gluten-free bread?

[bluebug in reply to janey1234]

If you have leaky gut then eating more processed foods apparently doesn't help. So if you can cope without gluten free bread then avoid it as refined carbs like bread aren't good for you anyway.

The food policy we follow was put in place by the US government to enable farmers in the US to get rich in the mid-70s. Unfortunately the rest of the world blindly followed.

Anyway your aim is to get your gut to heal and the bacteria in the gut to be diverse so it's healthy.

[janey1234 in reply to bluebug]

I don't think I have gut problems, at least I don't feel any. Do my results say otherwise?

☺

[bluebug in reply to janey1234]

You have an autoimmune disease that's what your thyroid antibodies indicate. It's advised those with autoimmune diseases especially take care of their gut health.

Eating loads of gluten and refined carbs like bread, cereals, cakes, crisps, ready made sauces etc will not help you and in fact make you more likely to get another autoimmune disease e.g. diabetes.

Even if you didn't have an autoimmune disease it's advised to avoid these foods as they are destroying people's health.

[janey1234 in reply to bluebug]

Got it!

[bluebug in reply to janey1234]

Oh and the NHS whether GP or dietitian won't help with nutrition. They prescribe a diet high in refined carbs as the healthy eating guidelines were drawn up with the help of the food industry.

[bluebug]

in regards to supplementing:

Vitamin B12 - methlycolbalamin lozenges either Solgar or Jarrows. You want to get your level to 1,000 as per the advice of the Pernicious Anaemia society.

Folate - methlyfolate either Solgar or Jarrows you want your level over 12. (i had a range similar to this on my last test.)

Ferritin - you want to be halfway in the range. Take one ferrous fumerate twice a day with vitamin C and water. 4 hours a way from thyroid meds and 2 hours away from other food, drink and supplements. Buy the ferrous fumerate either online via Amazon (make sure it is from a pharmacy), or go to a pharmacy you don't get your other prescriptions filled at and say something like "My doctor told me I had low iron and advised me to buy ferrous fumerate as it's cheaper off prescription."

If you start with the B vitamins then add in the iron. Then post your vitamin D result ad on a new thread for advice regardless of whether your doctor gives you supplements.

[janey1234 in reply to bluebug]

I will see what doc says, but on the assumption I need to get the B12 and folate myself, are these also from Amazon?

Will it be a case of self medicating for life or do I need regular retesting to see where my levels are?

And....(sorry, so many questions).... how long after starting B vitamins before starting the iron?

[bluebug in reply to janey1234]

Unfortunately once you have started supplementing for vitamin B12 a serum B12 test is irrelevant.

So once you finish the course of folate and B12 I would take a combined vitamin B complex tablet that contains more than the RDA of B vitamins and isn't gender specific for the rest of your life.

The iron isn't for the rest of your life you just need to ensure levels stay around halfway in the range. You need to test ferritin after you finish the first lot of iron tablets and then whenever you feel knackered. The GP definitely won't test you for the first lot do you will have to do this privately, and it depends how stupid they are if they will test you when you feel knackered.

[janey1234 in reply to bluebug]

Thank you so much bluebug , I'm really grateful for your time and patience tonight. I'm off to bed now, my brain is in a spin. Tomorrow I will research the recommeded vitamins. Would you mind if I come back to you for clarification on any bits?

[bluebug]

Oh I forgot to add if you don't go gluten free and have leaky gut you may find your vitamin and mineral levels don't increase even if you are supplementing.

[janey1234 in reply to bluebug]

Thank you so much bluebug .

[janey1234]

Do you think the doc will see my Thyroid levels as now in range too and keep me on 75mcg?

[puncturedbicycle in reply to janey1234]

God I hope not. You're barely within range. If you're being treated w levo your tsh needs to be much lower in range, like below 2 (many people only feel well when it is under 1). That is not an acceptable tsh if you're on treatment. And your t4 is barely within range.

You need an increase in dose, possibly to 125ish.

What does your gp consider to be borderline? The nutritional stuff? You're not borderline uat, you're deffo Hashi's.

[janey1234 in reply to puncturedbicycle]

With a TSH of 17 my doc also considered that as borderline. So grateful for the knowledge here. Thankyou puncturedbicycle

[puncturedbicycle in reply to janey1234]

Aaarrgh, no no no. Sorry to say I think you may have to find another gp. We sometimes see people forced to wait until their tsh is (just) over 10 before being treated (if you have symptoms/antibodies it is discretionary but some gps are sticklers for the guidelines), and it may not be unreasonable to wait and retest, esp if you've had a virus or pregnancy, but w antibodies like that plus a tsh of 17 - ??? - this is not borderline by anyone's standards. (Btw, if someone thinks I've got this wrong pls correct me, but how is this not unequivocally Hashi's?)

What I don't understand is why this is up for discussion now. The time to discuss is before treatment. If you're being treated, and then over time your levo is being raised and adjusted, I feel like unless this was explicitly a trial to see if your symptoms improved, this is your gp *treating you for Hashi's* so I don't understand where there is a question of 'borderline' anything.

That's like diagnosing someone w kidney failure and treating them w dialysis and then saying they need an appt to discuss whether or not they have kidney problems. Um, you're already treating me for this thing you say I may not have - ?

[janey1234 in reply to puncturedbicycle]

There has been no discussion, just I have an underactive thyroid and need to take Levo for the rest of my life.

It's only by my own 'research' that I found out that I didn't have to pay for my medication (no one at the docs told me, it was the pharmasist at Adsa who enlightened me). And then I discovered this forum, via the NHS website, and my eyes have opened my eyes.

All of the above has not been discussed yet (appt next week) It was the good folk here that suggested all of the tests above (except cholesterol and thyroid function).

Interested to see if doc mentions the antibody bit or just ups my dose.

Do I def' have Hashi just from my results above or could it be something else?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You don't have to have any gut symptoms at all to still have significant leaky gut/gluten intolerance

With antibodies that high I would ask your GP to do blood test for coeliac. (Though it's unreliable test - see my profile - "got the t-shirt" proving that!)

Even if coeliac test is negative, going gluten free should help reduce symptoms and lower antibodies

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

Susan Blum's book "the immune recovery plan " very good

You will see, time and time again on here lots of information and advice about importance of good levels of B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D, leaky gut and gluten connection to autoimmune Hashimoto's too.

standard NHS thinking, doesn't at the moment seem to recognise this - most GP's ( or Endo's ) seem to have no idea Hashi is gut/gluten related 😟

[janey1234 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you SlowDragon , I have a lot of reading, learning and understanding to do. I will def' look into coeliac and ask for a test.