Vitamins/minerals

[LizaC2017]

I take 3000iu vitamin D3 (from 800iu vitamin D3), 5mg folic acid, B12 injections and 210mg ferrous fumarate, are below results ok please? I am photosensitive to the sun and burn easily hence why the vitamin D3. I was diagnosed iron deficient in 2013 hence why continuation of ferrous fumarate and low MCV despite good ferritin result. Diagnosed folate deficient in 2016.

Thanks in advance.

Total 25 OH vitamin D 74 (50 - 75 vitamin D may be suboptimal, and long-term may lead to clinical effects. Advise on safe sun exposure and diet. Supplementation may be indicated)

Vitamin B12 228 (190 - 900) before getting B12 injections

Folate 2.33 (2.50 - 19.50) before getting folate tablets

Ferritin 67 (15 - 150)

[Saggyuk]

Yes, ferritin can be misleading as your body sometimes puts iron into storage on purpose if there is infection or inflammation for example. Plus B12/folate deficiency can mask it and make ferritin and iron panels look in more normal range. If MCV/heamoglobin is still low, you probably need more than one a day - two or three ferrous fumerate. But it may just end up as more ferritin if your body is purposefully storing it.

However, if you've been on folate since last year and ferrous fumerate since 2013, and you've still got these results, you're still clearly having problems absorbing it so need to work on that.

[Saggyuk in reply to Saggyuk]

Sorry just realised you mentioned before medicating for folate and B12. If the last bloods you did for these were last year, then you need them retested

[LizaC2017 in reply to Saggyuk]

Thanks for reply, all results are May this year.

[LizaC2017 in reply to Saggyuk]

Thanks for reply, CRP level was normal and MCV low, haemoglobin low-normal.

[LizaC2017 in reply to LizaC2017]

CRP <1 (<5)

I am guessing no inflammation? Thing is I get inflammation in parts of my body so I don't understand this result at all.

[Saggyuk in reply to LizaC2017]

CRP is only one test that can indicate inflammation - even if low, doesn't mean you haven't

[LizaC2017]

One test that flagged up something was lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) - doctor says I have tissue damage going on somewhere in my body but no further investigations done. Probably not inflammation related though.

Lactate dehydrogenase level (LDH) 296 (<200)

[Saggyuk in reply to LizaC2017]

Not 100% sure if I'm right but I though any damage would cause inflammation lol???

[LizaC2017 in reply to Saggyuk]

I have no idea. The doctor I was seeing just said it was tissue damage of some sort but my CRP was low and nothing more was said. I felt a bit fobbed off. Are there any other inflammation markers apart from CRP?

[Saggyuk in reply to LizaC2017]

I know erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is another inflammation marker, but inflammation can be local as well as general. Any autoantibodies will cause inflammation too.

[LizaC2017 in reply to Saggyuk]

Thanks for reply, I have thyroid antibodies, that might be what it is.

[Saggyuk in reply to LizaC2017]

Yes possibly. This is linked from the NHS page:

A total LDH level may be used with other tests, as a screening test when your doctor suspects some kind of cellular or tissue damage. If the total LDH is elevated, then the doctor may request LDH isoenzymes, or more commonly other tests such as ALT, AST or ALP to help diagnose the condition and to help determine which organs are involved. Once the acute or chronic problem is diagnosed, total LDH levels may be used at regular intervals to monitor its progress and/or resolution.

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

So doc can request LDH isoenzymes and others to work out where. Possibly something else other than thyroid going on??

[Saggyuk in reply to Saggyuk]

Have you had basic kidney/liver function tests?

[LizaC2017 in reply to Saggyuk]

Thanks I had those done last month but I don't have the results. Protein and globulin have always come back elevated when they have been done.

[Saggyuk in reply to LizaC2017]

has doc referred you for further investigation?

[Saggyuk in reply to Saggyuk]

aand ask for a print off of the results so you can take a closer look at the more recent ones

[LizaC2017 in reply to Saggyuk]

No I haven't been referred. To be honest I didn't know about the results until I requested the printout. Comments say "abnormal contact patient" but I didn't get a phone call or a letter and getting the printout was the first I knew about it.

[LizaC2017]

Anti microsomal antibodies 203.5 <34)

Anti thyroglobulin antibodies 275.3 (<115)

[Saggyuk in reply to LizaC2017]

Yes, this mean you have hashimotos. A gluten free diet can help lower these antibodies