Hi I am a 30yr old female and I am hypothyroid. I have results for vitamins and minerals but GP has told me not to worry about them and has sent me for counselling because I queried their levels. The only thing I supplement is vitamin D3 which is prescribed to me at 20mcg. Current symptoms - difficult swallowing, sore throats, dry skin, dry eyes, tiredness, feelings of "brain zaps" in my head, constipation, dizziness, sounds of ringing and whooshing in my head, deafness, difficult time concentrating and mentally storing information, cramps in legs, bladder incontinence, aches and pains, breathlessness, heavy and irregular periods. If anyone could advise on the symptoms or results I would appreciate it.
Thankyou
Serum ferritin 10 (15 - 150) GP comments normal for this patient
Serum 2.39 (2.5 - 19.5) GP comments a bit low, discuss at routine appointment
Serum vitamin B12 209 (190 - 900)
Total 25 OH vitamin D 49.6 (>75 adequate)
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topaz16
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Oh dear, another totally incompetent GP! We seem to have heard of quite a few of them today. It is not surprising you are having bad symptoms as all of those are well below even adequate, let alone optimum.
Ferritin, this needs to be a minimum of 70 for effective use of hormones. Failure by a GP to address your abysmally low level is total incompetence. You probably have anaemia as well and need an intensive course of iron tablets. If you can't get ferrous fumerate from your GP, you can buy it yourself. You probably need 3 a day and rake each with 1000 vit c to avoid digestive effects and aid absorption.
Folate and vit b12 work together. Folate needs to be at least mid-range and b12 ideally around 1000. You need 5000/ day methyl cobalamin sublingual lozenges and a multi B containing methyl folate form. Try this for a few months then test again. Higher Levels of b12 are not dangerous as it is water soluble and any extra simply clears in urine.
Vit d - not quite as bad as the others, but needs to be in range 100-150. You need vit d3 spray or capsules around 40-50000 in per week for a couple of months, then reduce to 3-5000 per day and re-test. Too much can be toxic as it builds up in fat. There are important for-factors with this for safety, need vitk2-mk7 to direct increased uptake of calcium to bones rather than arteries and also magnesium.
There are rules on timings of different supplements to maximise absorption and minimise interference with thyroid hormones. Iron has to be 4 hrs away from Levo and any other supplements and everything else must be 2hrs away from Levo. In general take vits together bug separate from minerals.
I am sure others will be along soon with more advice.
Ferritin 10 (15 - 150) - you need to speak to your GP about this. You need a full iron panel as there could be iron deficiency anaemia. You may need iron infusions.
Folate 2.39 (2.5 - 19.5)
B12 209 (190 - 900)
B12 and folate work together. Folate is under range, B12 is very low. You should take advice from the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum. You will probably need to be tested for Pernicious Anaemia, but see what they have to say and then speak to your doctor. Do not supplement either until you've taken advice and been tested, supplementing will skew results.
Vitamin D 49.6 (>75 adequate) - recommended level is 100-150nmol/L. You should buy some D3 5000iu softgels and take 1 daily then retest in May. When you reach the recommended level reduce to 1 alternate days as a maintenance dose. These are a good one bodykind.com/product/2463-b...
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs it to bones and teeth rather than arteries and soft tissues D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day. Take D3 four hours away from thyroid meds.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening and four hours away from thyroid meds
Rubbish! Of course they have access to your results. If it was done through the surgery the results would have been sent to the surgery and will be on the system somewhere.
If it was done at a hospital then again the results will be in your hospital records.
Either way, you are legally entitled to them under the Data Protection Act 1998, so ask again and if necessary reminder of this fact.
Ok it's just that about a week after the test was done I asked them for a copy and they just printed off older results. They have told me they will not give me printouts free of charge anymore because of the number of times I have asked for them.
OK, so they will no longer give you print outs free of charge. If they want to play that game then you take along paper and pen and either
1) Ask them to show you the screen so that you can write them down or
2) Ask them to tell you the results and write them down
3) Offer to pay a nominal charge to cover the cost of paper and ink. 10p a sheet is more than reasonable.
Make sure you get the reference ranges.
Regardless of the iron panel results, if they do nothing about your below range ferritin they are being negligent. You would be justified in complaining to the practice manager.
It is your legal right to have access to your medical records. Call their bluff, and ask for your results be to you! lol.... No paper. No pens involved!
You could pay for your own. I find it suspicious that the GP practice has the other results you've been given but not the iron results, particularly given that your ferritin is so low.
I hope you refused the counselling. What was his logic for suggesting it? Only the mentally ill question their doctor or care about their health?
I think questioning the results was a totally normal reaction because they are so awful.
I noitice you missed out part of the test name on this one :
Serum 2.39 (2.5 - 19.5)
Can you tell us what it is?
If it is a result for folate you need to get your B12 up a bit before supplementing methylfolate or folic acid.
If you are interested in doing a finger-prick test for an iron panel then it can be done with Medichecks for £39. No doctors are involved.
Thanks the result was folate and the GP said it was only minimally out. GP said I needed counselling because of a possible panic disorder because I got dizzy and faint when I stood up from sitting. She wanted me to follow up with her in a week from then, I walked straight out and didn't book another appointment with her.
All the GP did was check my blood pressure and pulse at the appointment then said they were normal and she then suggested I had a panic disorder. I was shocked when she said that because my blood pressure is always pretty high or prehypertensive.
topaz16 Low Iron causes blood pressure to rise as does low magnesium. Most of us are low ...
Iron sticks to the red blood cells and oxygen sticks to the iron and so it is transported around the body for life ! When iron is low - so then the oxygen is lowered - the heart senses this and beats faster in an effort to try and pump more oxygen around. A non-medical description
My endo requested blood tests are on my medical records under the hospital I had the bloods done at. If your bloods are normally done at a different hospital mention this fact. They are there, I have had this issue this very week and had to tell my GP where to look on the system!
I think there are too many things that need correcting here - dodginess around your results, implying your fainting is a result of anxiety, sending you for counselling because you ask for results etc etc - and you may be better off starting fresh w a new gp than trying to get this one onboard. I would bet you're undermedicated as you have so many symptoms. Do you know what your thyroid bloods look like? (Sorry, have just seen that post. Never mind.)
Hi there, I am new member. Appalled by your gp's treatment of you. To refer to counsellor is totally inappropriate. I'm fuming! I am a total novice, but I have been reading into Adrenal Exhaustion in effort to get my own symptoms diagnosed..... some of your symptoms match this, from what I know thus far.... especially the getting dizzy on standing. It might be worth investigating. You can buy private (postal) tests from company's such as blue horizons. This gives you autonomy and control, rather than having to be subjected to further dealings with your (hopefully soon to be) ex-GP. Wishing you all the best xxx
Thanks I had a private adrenal saliva test done through Genova but they weren't specific about what the results meant so I have done nothing about them.
It may be worth looking into it when you're ready. It can all seem very overwhelming can't it! There are various ' stages ' to adrenal exhaustion testing. Cortisol levels need to be tested first thing in morning, having not eaten anything. I'm so sorry you've been treated so unfairly and unprofessionally by your gp. Time to move on... Find someone who feels right, or take matters into your own hands and get advice privately?it shouldn't be this way. Look after yourself. xxx
I can't believe another incompetent gp that makes you feel like your mad because you question them about your results. Find yourself another gp that at least treats you like a intelligent human being, it makes my blood boil, I feel so angry for you. As usual everybody on forum have given you good advice. Let us know how you get on x
I agree....you are seriously too low in everything and one of these can cause all kinds of fatigue, aches and pains and even your thyroid meds wont work properly...it is a domino effect ......You need to take the advice above hence I agree with their recommendations......if you don't, it can lead to serious irreversible health problems.........and I would also add if you are low in all these you and you feel bloated etc..you may have low stomach acid which is commom in hypo patients and we don't break down our food and thus don't get the nutrients...all you have to do is take hci with pepsin and or enzymes before each meal with protein in it.......but your heavy periods is a reason for low iron.....Please take the advice from ladies above...we all have been down this road...I supplement 5000mg of d3 with k2 in it daily, b12, b complex, iron gluminate, vit c, and I take hci with pepsin and enzymes.....I would recommend the b12 that starts with meth as the type bec it is easier absorped and I used the kind under the tongue like tab that melts and did 5000 daily for 2 mths and retested and it brought mine all the way up....but it works best with other b vitamins hence the reason for the b complex multi as well, fish oil twice daily, flaxseed oil, and vit e will also help the dry skin....I am speechless .....I can not believe you are being brushed off....
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