Other results

[Aliciaj]

Vitamin D 13.6 (25 severe vitamin D deficiency. Patient may need pharmacological preparations)

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 195 (180 - 900)

Ferritin 17 (15 - 150)

Thank you

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Aliciaj Are these private or GP tests? If GP tests, what is he doing about it?

Vitamin D 13.6 (25 severe vitamin D deficiency. Patient may need pharmacological preparations)

As you can see you are severely deficient. You need to see your GP and ask for treatment.

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. Make sure you get 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 (not the paltry 800iu daily which you will be prescribed) 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/

Come back and tell us what you are prescribed.

**

Folate 2.3 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 195 (180 - 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 healthunlocked.com/pasoc You may need testing for Pernicious Anaemia, you may need B12 injections. See what they say then discuss with your GP. If you are prescribed folic acid, do not start taking it until after any further testing.

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."

**

Ferritin 17 (15 - 150)

Have you had an iron panel and full blood carried out to see if you have iron deficiency anaemia?

Ferritin is dreadfully low. Thyroid hormone can't work untill ferritin is at least 70, and it's recommended to be half way through it's range and for women I've read it's best at 100-130.

You should see your GP and ideally you need an iron infusion so ask for one, but you may only be prescribed tablets which will take months to raise your level whereas an infusion will raise your level within 24-48 hours.

Low ferritin is usually treated with 1 x ferrous fumarate once or twice daily, if you have iron deficiency anaemia the treatment is 1 x ferrous fumarate 2 or 3 times daily.

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.

You can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...