Iron

[Zuzka1]

Hi. I'm sorry I keep posting but I'm serisouly struggling at the moment.

My Levo was upped 3 weeks ago. I thought it made a difference but now I think it has made no difference at all.

My fatigue is off the scale. My iron was in bold at my last bloods. My endo just ignored it.

I'm on double dose Tardyferon so I take 160 a day with V C.

I think it's making no difference.

Do I go to my DR and ask for iron injections? I've been trying to read up about all of this and I'm quite sure I have absorption issues. I am seeing a gastro DR mid March.

I see my endo in 5 weeks for another dose increase but the way I feel right now 5 weeks is too long for me to wait. I can't cope with this. I feel so low and depressed.

Sorry again that I keep posting. I don't know where else to turn to.

greygoose sorry to tag. X

[waveylines]

Hi I have read your other posts. In your shoes I would contact the endos secretary to let her know what has happened. Though they set increases at 6-8 weeks for a good reason as the body has to be woken up slowly everyine is different so its important to keep your endo in the picture.

What I found when my dose was gradually being increased is that I would indeed feel better for a bit but then would start to decline after a while. It coukd he for several reasons: you are doing more but may not have realised so resting for a couple if days and you may feel a bit better; your body has woken up a little more now so is needing more; your iron deficiencies are showing up more now your metabolism is starting to speed up.

As the endo said you are poorly so you do need to take things steady whilst she is tiltrating your dose up to the 200mcg mark. I know when I went through this I just wanted to be back to normal but the truth is your body is in recovery and it will take time to repair and recover. Recovery is slow and often up and diwn which is frustrating I know. .

What dose of vitamin D are you on and how long have you been taking it. Your result is still low at 25. This can lead to terrible fatigue, aching joints and non restorative sleep. I could barely walk when mine was at its worst level.

[Zuzka1 in reply to waveylines]

Hi waveylines

Thank you for posting. I'm not taking any Vitamin D. Should I be? If so how much?

I take VB12. B complex. Iron. Vit C. Selinenium and zinc.

[Zuzka1 in reply to Zuzka1]

Also should I see my DR today about iron or is that just pointless?

[bluebug in reply to Zuzka1]

I'm not sure what country you are in so you need to check your vitamin D test results to confirm the units of measurement, and take the right doseage. Going up over the boundaries I've stated can cause you problems.

If your vitamin D is 25nmol/L then take 10,000IU per day for 12 weeks followed by 5,000IU every other day. Get yourself tested at 3 months but leave 48 hours between doses and a test. You want to get up to 100nmol/L.

If your vitamin D is 25ng/L take 5,000IU per day for 10 weeks followed by 5,000IU every other day. Then retest in 3 months. You want to get up to 40ng/L.

Take vitamin K2-MK7 with the vitamin D to ensure you are directing it to your bones.

After you take your test after 3 months of vitamin D supplementation post your test result to get further doseage advice.

[Zuzka1 in reply to bluebug]

I'm in France bluebug i don't think I've had Vit D even tested or

Would it be this result?

Vitamin 25(oh)D2 et 25(oh)D3. 71. There's no range.

[waveylines in reply to Zuzka1]

Zuzka,

Yes that it......thought I was going mad as I couldn't find it just now. That level of vit D would make you feel very tired and give you non restorative sleep -that is you sleep well but wake up feeling tired.

It is easily corrected though with vit D3 but you want one with K2 in it. Grassroots and the vitamin D Cojncil are excellant webistes that have great advice in taking vitsmin D. Yiu need periodic blood testing thijgh ti mcneck your levels as vit D is a vitamin you cannot excrete any excess out like B12.

Glad you are seeing a gastro enterologist as the cause of iron deficiencies needs checking out.

[bluebug in reply to Zuzka1]

Ok then please ignore what I posted previously about your vitamin D level. Your level is actually 71.

Where in France are you? North or South?

[waveylines in reply to bluebug]

Good spot blue bug.....think Im going back to sleep clearly am not with it today!! Lol....

[Zuzka1 in reply to bluebug]

Ok so I don't need Vit D correct?

I'm at Lake Annecy. So Middle East......

bluebug

[bluebug in reply to Zuzka1]

Just looking at the surroundings on Google maps.

No you don't need vitamin D.

If you go outside from end-March to October you should be able to get plenty of vitamin D through the mechanism of sunlight on your skin.

At the moment your vitamin D level is just showing a winter dip. It's still far higher than lower adequacy levels in the UK and US.

[Zuzka1 in reply to bluebug]

Ok. I literallyspend all my time out doors in the summer so that's good.

[bluebug]

Ask for a copy of your iron results as per your rights under the Data Protection Act. You just need to talk to the records department of the hospital the endo treated you at to find out how you get a copy from them as sometimes medical secretaries can be obstructive.

It's extremely unlikely your GP will give you iron injections if you are being seen by an endo and have an appointment with a gastroenterologist. This is because they need to establish the cause of your iron loss first. GPs tend to only give iron injections on the advice of a haemotolgist, and they won't seek their advice until the gastro says there is nothing wrong.

In addition if your vitamin D is still low due to inadequate supplementation you can feel like hell until it's over 50.

[Zuzka1]

I have my iron results here bluebug thank you.

They are:

Ferritin. 63ng/ml range: 20-204

Iron. 6.1 (this is in bold) range 7.2-25.9

Technique ferene 0.3 (this is in bold) range: 0.4-1.5

[bluebug in reply to Zuzka1]

Do you have a haemoglobin level or a haemoglobin estimate level test result?

[Zuzka1 in reply to bluebug]

bluebug i have this....

Hematies 4.51 (3.80-5.90)

Hemoglobine 135 (115-175)

Hematocrite 41.5 (34.0-53.0)

Vgm 92.0 (76.0-96.0)

Ccmh 32.5 (31.0-36.0)

Tcmh 29.9 (24.4-34.0)

[bluebug in reply to Zuzka1]

You are taking ferrous sulphate (it helps to use the generic name for supplements) and vitamin C at the correct dose to raise ferritin levels.

Your ferritin level isn't actually that low and some would argue because it's above 50 it's fine. Though having hypothyroidism means it is better if it is higher.

Your haemoglobin level is fine and optimal value due to some articles I've read.

So no doctor would give you an iron infusion.

However what the problem is, is that you are breaking down red blood cells to fast.

The standard procedure is to check for gastric problems in post-menopausal women and gyno problems in menstruating women. If there is nothing wrong in these areas then you will be sent to a haemotolgist.

What is your last TSH, FT4 and most importantly FT3 level?

And if you had a vitamin B12 test what was the result?

What other symptoms do you have apart from fatigue?

[Zuzka1 in reply to bluebug]

Who will send me to a haematologist? My gastro DR? I have no gall bladder so is that connected?

I'm 43. Still menstruate normally. I don't think I have any issues here. Just everywhere else!!

My Latest results are: ( 24/01/17)

TSH 0.221 (0.400-3.100)

Ft4 14.1 (9.0-19.0)

Ft3 3.7 (2.6-5.7)

So apart from fatigue.... I feel incredible anger, like I can't control it. I'm depressed and very weepy. I'm constantly bloated although I am gluten free. I have bad brain fog at the moment. I sleep all night, I go to bed at 9pm and get up at 7am and I feel like I've not been to bed. I have no desire to do anything. I'm just flat. Totally flat. I have headaches and feel that sometimes my eyes go fuzzy for a sec or two. Not all the time but sometimes I get that feeling like I'm a heavy smoker and can't breathe. I don't smoke.

Shoot me now?

[bluebug in reply to Zuzka1]

If after your next blood test your in 3-5 weeks your FT3 hasn't increased to around 5, ask your endo if you can try T3. Your FT4 and FT3 are very low in their ranges but T3 is the active hormone.

I was checking to see if your FT3 was low or perhaps you have symptoms of another autoimmune disease.

[Zuzka1 in reply to bluebug]

And do you think I do?

[bluebug in reply to Zuzka1]

Nope.

[Zuzka1 in reply to bluebug]

Well that's a good thing.

Bit worried about the red blood cell thing. Who will send me in the right direction? My gastro DR?

[bluebug in reply to Zuzka1]

See the gastro and get it ruled out you have any stomach problems.

The most likely cause of both your stomach problems and blood problems are hypothyroidism. If you make or add sufficient T3 they may likely go away.

[Zuzka1 in reply to bluebug]

Thank you 😊

[Bathsheba61]

That's what site is for, to get backup and share similar stories. Sorry to hear you are so low. Can't offer much as am new to all this but make sure you ask your Doctors to explain everything and don't be fobbed off with everything is normal when your symptoms are so bad. It's all just biochemistry and should be fixable with the right doses of the correct chemistries.

[Zuzka1 in reply to Bathsheba61]

Thank you 😊