Comments welcome on latest Medichecks results - reposting of prev post with brackets inserted

[Megluka]

H/O Hashimotos - for the last eight weeks I have been supplementing with 5000mcg Solgar B12, folate, Vit D, B complex, brazil nuts for selenium although more recently, selenium supps. Also stopped taking reflux meds which should improve absorption. Also gone GF.

I will outline results in MAY (RANGE) JULY form so any changes can be seen

MAY (RANGE) JULY

TSH 0.516 (0.27-4.20) 1.34

Free thyroxine 19.86 (12-22) 16.67

Total thyroxine (T4) 125.5 (59-154) 114.1

Free T3 4.78 (3.10-6.80) 3.69

Thyroglobulin A/B 19.35 (0-115) 10.5

Thyroid peroxidase A/B 58.74 (0-34) 61.35

Vit B12 (140-724) 702

Folate May 6.29 (3.89-26.8) .....different ranges so

Folate July 14.87 (2.91-50.0) .....difficult to compare

Ferritin 38.6 (13-150) 94.4

CRP not done in May ( 0-5) 53.6 July

I can see the B12 has gone up dramatically and the ferritin and folate levels are much improved. Medichecks seem to have changed their normal range for folate between May and July so that complicates matters slightly.

I can see my thyroid levels have dropped which is surprising as I have stopped taking the reflux meds, have been upping the selenium intake to aid T4 to T3 conversion and have for the last eight weeks been taking the Levo on its own an hour before breakfast which I was not doing before.

I have sticking to a GF diet so why would the Thyroid Peroxidase A/Bs still be rising?

What does the raised CRP indicate? I know it can mean injury or inflammation but one site I looked at said that CRP raises with age and I am 68 so is this normal for my age.

I know one thing....I just cannot stay awake and am going to bed at 8pm.

Comments would be welcome

[bluebug]

No Medichecks have used a different lab. (Blue Horizon do that to.)

Are you supplementing folate? You want a level at least half way in the lab range regardless of the boundaries the lab uses.

[Megluka in reply to bluebug]

Thank you bluebug. Just as you think you have mentally got it sorted somebody moves the goalposts!

[humanbean]

Folate May 6.29 (3.89-26.8) .....different ranges so

Folate July 14.87 (2.91-50.0) .....difficult to compare

To compare the numbers the simplest way is to work out how far through the reference range your result is as a percentage.

So your May result was approx 10.5% of the way through the reference range.

And your July result was approx 25% of the way through the reference range.

So there has been a noticeable improvement but you still have some way to go to get it to optimal, which most of us say is mid-range or in the upper half of the range.

[humanbean]

Ferritin 38.6 (13-150) 94.4

CRP not done in May ( 0-5) 53.6 July

Do you know why your CRP is so high? Were you ill at the time of the test? Do you have poorly controlled asthma, COPD, rheumatoid arthritis, or severe gut problems? Or any other chronic disease that was going through a flare up at the time of the test?

[Saggyuk]

Hiya Megluka

You didn't mention that you were supplementing iron so will assume you're not and your ferritin has gone up quite a lot if not supplementing. Ferritin can be very misleading as body will sometimes force what iron it has into storage (ferritin) for reasons like inflammation or infection and your CRP is very high so you may be iron anaemic anyway. Do you have a full blood count?

Your CRP is too high to be honest, have you had a virus or anything in the past few weeks? If not, this is prob way too high for just being due to thyroid antibodies or more general stuff etc so I would probably suggest you take this result to your doc in my opinion. Or minimally retest in a month or two to see if lowers.

One thing you could rule out is blood sugar levels - you could get a three day blood glucose monitor from the pharmacy for about £15-£20 and quickly check these are okay. Also, are you eating enough calories especially where you've changed your diet etc?

Whatever is causing the high CRP would often impact your thyroid results and ferritin so would look into this.