So, thank you for suggesting I do more blood tests and here are my Blue Horizons test results

[99Rev99]

A big thank you to everyone who posted on my previous post about unsympathetic GPs.

Thanks to the great advice here I did some blood tests and thought I would post the results in case anyone would be kind enough to comment. The bloods were taken 4 days after I started on 50mg thyroxine and I have no infections that I know about.

TSH 4.4 high, normal range 0.27 - 4.2

T4 & free T4 mid range

Free T3 4.4, normal range 3.1 - 6.8

Antithyroidperoxidase abs 88.7 high

Antithyroglobulin abs 159.7 high

Active B12 290 pmol/l - insufficient

Serum folate 23.65 nanomol/l, normal range 8.83 - 60.8

CRP 7.4 mg/l - high, normal range is <5

Ferritin 293.4 ug/l - high, normal range is 20-150

The report recommended to see my GP about the last 2 results for further investigation as these are inflammatory markers

Does anyone have any thoughts? I do have swollen and painful hands and feet and severe fatigue.

My GPs have been very dismissive and told me that everything is fine I just need a to lose weight and take an antidepressant! They ran a lot of tests but none of the above except for TSH 5.85 and free T4 11 which they claim is normal and I had to pressurise them and see two GPs to get a thyroxine trial

[puncturedbicycle]

According to your antibody results you appear to have Hashimoto's though your hormone levels are not bad (any idea why there is no t4 result?). Your iron is very high, that should be taken seriously by your gp. It could explain your painful joints: nhs.uk/conditions/Haemochro...

Are you taking iron supplements?

[99Rev99 in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Sorry, my T4 total is 118.7 nmol/l which seems to be mid range

[puncturedbicycle in reply to 99Rev99]

Well I say hormone levels aren't bad (in terms of getting an unequivocal Hashi's dx) but you can feel pretty bad w such wishywashy levels. Ideally on treatment you'd shoot for your t3 and t4 to be high in range (upper quarter is good) and tsh low, likely under 1. Everyone is different so this isn't a hard and fast rule, but it's meant to indicate that if you feel symptomatic you may feel better on more meds, which is what a lot of docs don't seem to understand. Just being 'within range' may not restore health/relieve symptoms.

[99Rev99 in reply to puncturedbicycle]

I don't take any supplements for iron or for anything else

[puncturedbicycle in reply to 99Rev99]

Then that is very abnormal - double the upper end of the range.

[99Rev99]

Thank you for the advice puncturedbicycle. I will try going back to my GP but they don't seem to take anything seriously so I have low expectations even though I have some definite abnormalities to point to this time.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to 99Rev99]

You must get some attention for the raised iron. If your gp won't help you need to find another gp. Chronic high iron can damage your organs.

[99Rev99]

Thanks so much, I will be sure to phone for an appointment tomorrow, I feel like I am constantly battling for my GPs to accept there is anything wrong with me that losing weight and taking an antidepressant wouldn't sort out. It's so exhausting dealing with them and I always leave the surgery feeling awful

But yes, I need to keep going until I get one who will take me seriously.

[Dreamer12 in reply to 99Rev99]

Hi 99Rev99

Hi there so sorry your not getting the correct support from you GP. I was exactly the same as you and after 20 years I changed surgery and it's the best thing I did. Today they printed out a year's blood tests no charge and no problem. If you go to a recommended surgery hopefully they could be more supportive. Your post could have been written by me to the letter and same with swollen feet and hands etc. You will get the correct help don't give up. Take good care xxx

[99Rev99 in reply to Dreamer12]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience Dreamer12

[hebden in reply to 99Rev99]

Sounds like my GP(s). constant battle and disbelief of what Im experiencing which now gives me anxiety to see them about anything. Anti depressants and weight loss is all I get too.

I have GP tomorrow and Im dreading it.

Ive changed my gp surgery twice but still not helped.

[Dreamer12 in reply to hebden]

Hi hebeden .. the way u found a better surgery was to ask around friends and family and get a surgery that's recommended. I find also that some gps are much more sympathetic than others within the same surgery than others. E.g. .. in my new surgery recently the first GP I saw said I didn't need iron tablets as a Ferritin result of 10.1 was fine. (12-300). Then I saw a second go a few weeks later who sent me straight into hospital when I had blood in sputum, breathless and pain. What a difference!! Xx

[puncturedbicycle in reply to hebden]

Sorry to hear that hebden. You're not alone.

[99Rev99]

Hi exhausted124 and thanks so much for your reply and encouragement. Was your thyroid the reason for your swollen hands and feet and how are you now?

How do I find a recommended surgery to change to, is there a list on this site somewhere?

[Jazzw]

Was there a range for that active B12 result? I can't decide how significant your result was - I'm not familiar with that test.

[Gambit62 in reply to Jazzw]

B12 serum isn't a precise guide - level is in a grey range where significant numbers of people can be showing signs of deficiency but most will be perfectly okay.

Needs to be evaluated in the context of symptoms

suggest you look through the pinned posts on the PAS forum

pernicious-anaemia-society....

[Jazzw in reply to Gambit62]

It says "active" B12 - that's why I queried it. Not serum.

[Gambit62 in reply to Jazzw]

it's not active - the level quoted would be normal at 290 not insufficient - range is generally starting around 25 and going up to 165

Active B12 is a little more precise than serum B12 because it looks at the forms that are transported to cells - but it still suffers from the other problem with serum B12 that it doesn't actually tell you what is going on when the B12 gets to cells.

[99Rev99 in reply to Gambit62]

I had insufficient active b12 which means I need to repeat the test as I didn't give them a big enough blood sample!

[Gambit62 in reply to 99Rev99]

thanks for clarifying

[99Rev99]

I'm going to get back to blue horizons for more info on the active b12 test

[Dreamer12]

Le

[Hidden]

Definitely that ferritin level needs immediate investigation. Write to your gp, if he is saying it is normal, pointing out the level, saying you are not supplementing iron, and please could the reason for that level be pursued.

He is likely to take a letter more seriously, since it is evidence for a future complaint, and there is clear evidence here of negligence if he does not pursue it.

On the rest, you have Hashi's, it is reasonable to self treat or change gp, but this iron result is even more important and personally I would pursue it first.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Hidden]

The letter is a good idea.

[puncturedbicycle]

Idk the mechanism by which your joints become sore because of iron overload but it is a symptom. Did you ask for test results re haemochomatosis? As Aspmama suggests below, it might be an idea to write a short letter to the gp pointing out that the tests were done and you'd like to know what's next.

[99Rev99]

Thanks guys for this advice. I finally wrote the letter today and am seeing my GP next Tuesday.

[Moog77]

Your TSH of 5.85 and free T4 of 11 were close to the numbers I had when I was diagnosed. They are not normal and you'll need more than 50mcg of levo for sure.