Other results

[Jaxx32]

Taking 800 vitamin D3 and 1 iron tablet

Thank you

Ferritin 21 (30 - 400)

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 218 (190 - 900)

Vitamin D total 25.5 (<25 severe)

[Nanaedake]

Hello Jaxx32

Well, looking at your other post, you are positive for thyroid antibodies which means you have Hashimotos thyroiditis. This often goes hand in hand with low vitamin levels.

How long have you been supplementing for? I presume these supplements have been supplied by your GP? I don't think they are enough. Take a look at SeasideSusie posts to other members on recommendations for vitamin supplementation and go informed to visit your GP.

You need to ask your GP why they think the vitamin supplements are not raising your levels to anything near acceptable. Your levothyroxine will not work well with vitamins at this level as you are lacking crucial nutrients.

Many people with thyroid conditions find they have low stomach acid. This prevents the efficient absorption of vitamins even with a nutritious diet. Many people find going gluten free helps. Doctors often prescribe PPI's for stomach acid mistakenly thinking it is high stomach acid but low stomach acid has the same symptoms of acid reflux.

You can read what Clutter has found to help and see if it will help you.

[Jaxx32 in reply to Nanaedake]

Thanks for reply I have been supplementing vitamin D since 2013 and iron tablet since 2013 and the tests taken in April 2017. GP prescribes them.

[Nanaedake in reply to Jaxx32]

Your GP should have done something about your low levels before now unless they have suddenly dipped. In any case, you must return to your GP armed with SeasideSusie's advice and ask to be treated appropriately as you will become very ill if you levels dip lower. Ask for a full iron panel too.

Your B12 although just about in range is much too low, It need to be top of range for thyroid meds to work properly. Post your levels for B12 and folate on the Pernicious Anaemia Society Healthunlocked forum and ask their advice. It looks like your doctor should rule out Pernicious Anaemia and check for intrinsic factor.

[Jaxx32 in reply to Nanaedake]

Iron 6.2 (6.0 - 26.0)

Transferrin saturation % 13 (10 - 30)

Red blood cell count 4.42 (3.80 - 5.80)

White cell count 6.13 (4.0 - 11.0)

MCV 77.6 (80 - 98)

MCHC 382 (310 - 350)

MCH 28.1 (28 - 32)

Haemoglobin estimation 116 (115 - 150)

Haematocrit 0.400 (0.370 - 0.470)

Platelet count 251 (140 - 400)

[Nanaedake]

I think it confirms iron is low but iron deficiency is not something I've had to deal with. I hope someone else will comment also. You could create a new post to ask about it.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jaxx32

Ferritin 21 (30 - 400)

MCV 77.6 (80 - 98)

MCHC 382 (310 - 350)

MCH 28.1 (28 - 32)

Haemoglobin estimation 116 (115 - 150)

All this suggests iron deficiency anaemia. One iron tablet is insufficient. The treatment for iron deficiency anaemia is 1 x Ferrous Fumarate two or three times daily. With your below range ferritin I would think you need the maximum.

Point the following out to your GP, which will be very similar, or the same, as your local area guidelines, then ask him to treat you appropriately:

cks.nice.org.uk/anaemia-iro...

Have a read through but this is the treatment:

How should I treat iron deficiency anaemia?

•Address underlying causes as necessary (for example treat menorrhagia or stop nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, if possible).

•Treat with oral ferrous sulphate 200 mg tablets two or three times a day. ◦If ferrous sulphate is not tolerated, consider oral ferrous fumarate tablets or ferrous gluconate tablets.

◦Do not wait for investigations to be carried out before prescribing iron supplements.

•If dietary deficiency of iron is thought to be a contributory cause of iron deficiency anaemia, advise the person to maintain an adequate balanced intake of iron-rich foods (for example dark green vegetables, iron-fortified bread, meat, apricots, prunes, and raisins) and consider referral to a dietitian.

• Monitor the person to ensure that there is an adequate response to iron treatment.

Take each iron tablet with 1000mg Vitamin C to aid absorption and help prevent constipaton. Always take iron 4 hours away from thyroid meds and two hours away from other medication and supplements as it will affect absorption.

Ferritin should be half way through it's range.

**

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 218 (190 - 900)

You are folate deficient with very low B12. do you have any signs of B12 deficiency b12deficiency.info/signs-an... If so please post on the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum for further advice,quoting these results, signs of deficiency, and your ferritin/iron information.

If no signs of deficiency then you need something prescribed for your folate deficiency and you need to supplement to raise your B12.

I have read (but not researched so don't have links) that BCSH, UKNEQAS and NICE guidelines recommend:

"In the presence of discordance between test results and strong clinical features of deficiency, treatment should not be delayed to avoid neurological impairment."

And an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:

"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".

"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."

That's good enough for me and I keep mine around 1000. Sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges are what's needed to supplement B12 yourself (5000mcg to start then when the bottle is finished change to 1000mcg daily as a maintenance dose) along with a good B Complex to balance all the B vitamins.

**

Vitamin D total 25.5 (<25 severe)

Well, 800iu D3 isn't going to ever raise your level. It is hardly a maintenance dose for someone with a reasonable level.

NICE treatment summary for Vit D deficiency:

cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d...

Treat for vitamin D deficiency if serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels are less than 30 nmol/L.

For the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the recommended treatment is based on fixed loading doses of vitamin D (up to a total of about 300,000 international units [IU]) given either as weekly or daily split doses, followed by lifelong maintenance treatment of about 800 IU a day. Higher doses of up to 2000 IU a day, occasionally up to 4000 IU a day, may be used for certain groups of people, for example those with malabsorption disorders. Several treatment regimens are available, including 50,000 IU once a week for 6 weeks (300,000 IU in total), 20,000 IU twice a week for 7 weeks (280,000 IU in total), or 4000 IU daily for 10 weeks (280,000 IU in total)."

Each Health Authority has their own guidelines but they will be very similar. Go and see your GP and ask that he treats you according to the guidelines and prescribes the loading doses. Once these have been completed you will need a reduced amount to bring your level up to what's recommended by the Vit D Council, which is 100-150nmol/L, and then you'll need a sensible maintenance dose which may be 2000iu daily, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with City Assays vitamindtest.org.uk/

There are important cofactors needed when taking D3

vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...

D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems.

D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, 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, four hours away from thyroid meds

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

Check out the other cofactors too.