Vitamin and mineral levels

[Jay7803]

Ferritin 9 (15 - 150)

Folate 2.1 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 207 (190 - 900)

Vitamin D 25.6 (25 - 50 deficiency)

Magnesium 0.78 (0.70 - 1.00)

Advice appreciated.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jay7803 Has your doctor said anything about these? Are you prescribe anything?

[Jay7803 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks ferrous fumarate 3 times a day and 800iu vitamin D, also 5mg folic acid

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Jay7803]

Jay7803

Ferritin 9 (15 - 150) ferrous fumarate 3 times a day

I'm assuming that you were diagnosed with iron deficiency anaemia to be presccribed 3 x ferrous fumarate daily. That is the correct 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.

However, ferritin needs to be at least 70 for thyroid hormone to work, recommended is half way through range and I've seen it said that for females 100-130 is best.

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...

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Folate 2.1 (2.5 - 19.5)

Vitamin B12 207 (190 - 900)

5mg folic acid

As well as being folate deficient, your B12 is very low. Were you asked about signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency? Check that now b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

Be aware that taking folic acid can mask signs of B12 deficiency so you should think back to before you were taking it.

You should post on the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum for further advice healthunlocked.com/pasoc

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."

Folate should be at least half way through it's range.

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Vitamin D 25.6 (25 - 50 deficiency) 800iu vitamin D

You are just 0.6 away from severe deficiency. 800iu D3 isn't going to ever raise your level. It is hardly a maintenance dose for someone with a reasonable level.

You need loading doses, see 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 (not 800iu) 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 maintenance dose (not 800iu) 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/

If your GP wont give you the loading doses, come back and we can tell you what to buy and what dose to take.

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.

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Magnesium 0.78 (0.70 - 1.00)

Most of us Hypos have low magnesium. The magnesium you take as a cofactor of Vit D will take care of your low level.

[Jay7803 in reply to SeasideSusie]

No I haven't been checked for signs of B12 deficiency I will go to other forum now thanks