Biotin supplements and some lab. tests

[ITYFIALMCTT]

It's important to declare biotin and other supplements when taking lab. tests as they might interfere with a wide range of them (not all labs or tests, it all depends on the assays used). The range of potentially affected tests includes anaemia (both varieties, ferritin and B12), possible malignancies (some cancer markers), both autoimmune and infectious disease markers, enzymes associated with cardiac damage, and some of the thyroid levels (of course). This is a 2017 paper.

"The recent, marked, increase in the use of over-the-counter, high-dose biotin supplements has been accompanied by a steady increase in the number of reports of analytical interference by exogenous biotin in the immunoassays used to evaluate endocrine function. Since immunoassay methods of similar design are also used for the diagnosis and management of anemia, malignancies, autoimmune and infectious diseases, cardiac damage, etc., biotin-related analytical interference is a problem that touches every area of internal medicine.

CONCLUSION: It is important for healthcare personnel to become more aware of immunoassay methods that are vulnerable to biotin interference and to consider biotin supplements as potential sources of falsely increased or decreased test results, especially in cases where a lab result does not correlate with the clinical scenario."

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2...

See this post by helvella for the relatively small doses (10mg) that can make this difference in some test results: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

And the 2017 paper I've linked above is an expansion of the 2016 one by the same author in helvella's post.

ETA: Useful discussion about the difference ceasing biotin supplements made to someone's lab tests with additional helpful references in the comments from helvella: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[spongecat]

Biotin is in my vitamin B-50 complex at 50mcg. I think when I do my yearly Blue Horizon test next month I'll knock off the B-50 for a couple of weeks to be on the safe side.

It will be an interesting one anyway as I have been taking powdered glutamine and munching on homemade sauerkraut to see if it will or has helped my guts. Also gluten free (apart from a couple of slip-ups dang it! So annoyed!) to see if I have a reduction in antibodies at all. My big interest will be to see if I have managed to retain any decent B12 levels through diet alone as I have stopped taking the Jarrows B12 for around 3 months now. If it's low on result then back on the sublinguals I go!

Thanks for the reminder

[Clutter in reply to spongecat]

Spongecat,

A couple of days should be ample. B vits are water soluble and excreted quickly so aren't stored in fat cells.

[spongecat in reply to Clutter]

Thanks Clutter. Will do as you suggest.