Hello. I posted here approx three months ago detailing all the symptoms I've suffered for over 20 years which I personally have attributed to an untreated thyroid disorder in spite of my useless GP.
I finally had private bloods done (Medichecks - cost £169) but am not at all convinced by the veracity of their findings. There is no way I do not have thyroid issues.
Could my nightly dose of melatonin have affected the results?
What about my recently introduced gluten-reduced food intake?
I drink a shocking amount of 500ml energy drinks per day just to remain upright so these could account for the high Vit B12 levels but I'm only surmising.
The drinks are also fortified with other vitamins - could this or something else have given a false negative result for thyroid issues?
Written by
janepatterson
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
That is a very high Active B12 result - can you check your energy drinks to see what else is included in the ingredients?
I'm wondering about biotin because it can interfere with some autoimmune markers, iron anaemia, B12, and other results, depending on the assay used in particular labs.
Your vitamin D is in the insufficient range and SeasideSusie 's replies have a wealth of information on how best to bring that up to an optimal range.
Other vitamins in the energy drinks include Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Pantothenic acid.
I'm surprised by the iron result as I presumed that it would be very low by the ridiculous amount of hair I lose daily. As of today, I've lost 70% of it and it's made me suicidal.
I don't recall taking biotin near to taking the test. I used to take it regularly and at high doses though so I don't know how long it remains in the system.
Do you feel my melatonin could have had an effect on my bloods? I'm aware that melatonin directly affects the pituitary gland/thyroid and have read it supresses TSH so perhaps my levels would have been much higher had I not had melatonin in my system?
I don't know enough about melatonin to comment as there are contradictory findings that it doesn't suppress TSH but does aid conversion of T4 to T3 whereas others say it does suppress TSH for them etc. etc.
I realise this is a little chicken and egg because you're resorting to energy drinks because of the horrendous tiredness but if you know how many energy drinks you take in a day, can you work out how much of these additional vitamins/amino acids you're taking - even roughly?
Somebody like Clutter or SeasideSusie might be able to comment on your TSH in the context of your other results.
including Taurine (no dose detailed) and Caffeine 450mg+ daily
These calculations are probably only the bare minimum. On especially tough days, intake would be greater.
I wish I knew about the biotin link when my GP performed bloods a year ago as my serum T4 levels were assessed as out of range (an upload of my bloods can be seen in one of my posts titled: "Normal?? Test results 2 of 2"), yet nothing was investigated further, as per usual.
OK, that's less than I thought it might be as there are cases of people who drink 4-5 energy drinks a day and their inadvertent over-abundance of some B vitamins (notably niacin) can mess with their liver function results and even have an impact on the liver. You don't take any additional supplements that might be adding to those intakes - putting aside what you obtain from food - because the niacin doesn't look as if it's in the problematic range tho' it might be with some other brands?
If you don't mind saying, which brand is it? And you drink approx. 4x500ml a day is my best guess?
That's a lot of caffeine - do you think you metabolise it quickly so it might not be causing side-effects for you? caffeineinformer.com/energy...
Has your GP offered an explanation for your hair loss? 70% sounds very distressing.
I don't take any other supplements. I drink Aldi's own brand and have approx. 3 to 4 a day. My GP is very poor because I've had hair loss for over 20 years (since age 19 - the same time other thyroid symptoms began). Back then it wasn't as bad (though still noticeable) and just thinning on the very top of my head.
After I gave birth 8 years ago, the hair loss changed dramatically and is now diffuse thinness all over. I really should wear a wig as there's hardly any left but I can't bring myself to do it. I've tried on medium-range price wigs but they stand out as being 'wiggy' which makes me even more self-conscious.
GP has long put my hair loss down to "one of those things". That's my worst symptom by far. It's completely destroyed my life. I never experienced a normal youth as I was too embarrassed to leave the home for very long. I also only attracted abusive men due to low self-esteem because of the hair loss. It has truly had a devastating effect.
I can't say the energy drinks make me feel energised - just slightly normal (for a short time) but still only able to do the basics as the overwhelming fatigue soon hits me like a sledgehammer.
TSH 3.2 indicates your thyroid is struggling although FT4 and FT3 are currently good. NHS won't usually diagnose hypothyroidism until TSH is over range or FT4 below range. Symptoms can precede abnormal bloods by several years.
Thyroid antibodies are negative for autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's).
Active B12 is very high. Assuming you are not supplementing B12 you may want to discuss with your GP as high B12 can be indicative of underlying illness.
I definitely have an intolerance to gluten. I'm crippled with stomach spasms after approx. 20 minutes of eating food containing it.
Also, my daughter has Aspergers and I'm hoping a gluten-free diet wlll help improve things for her, too.
I do though wonder now whether having no gluten (or very little) in my system gave the laboratory the impression that I didn't have any inflammatory markers.
Sorry Clutter, that's what I was getting at. Had I have continued to eat gluten foodstuffs - as I used to - I feel the test results would have flagged up inflammation, thus alerting the lab that I'm not as healthy as it appears I mostly am with these results. I do wonder if their judgement may have been a different one.
Had you continued eating it and showing inflammation it wouldn't mean you are not healthy, just that you are having an inflammatory reaction to something you are intolerant to.
Did you do this test as early as possible in morning and fasting?
Gluten free does have to be 100% to be effective
Vitamin D definitely needs supplementing, plus magnesium- see SeasideSusie vitamin replies to others
Aim for vitamin D level of around 100nmol/L .
Very suspicious of that B12 result
Next time, if you can afford it I would still also do B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D. Don't need RT3
When repeating test it would be better if you had not taken any energy drinks for at least a week, but 3 months might be better, if you could manage that
There is limited research suggesting Asperger's/autism may be linked to B12 issues.
I had the test done at 10.27am but didn't fast for exactly 12 hours beforehand. It was probably more like 8-9 (or slightly less). Do you feel if I'd fasted for longer and had the bloods earlier, my results could have been noticeably different?
I haven't touched an energy drink today and don't intend to again. I'm a single Mum to a little 8 year old girl so these results have frightened me. I've also since read that caffeine is known to supress TSH - so I do now wonder what the results would have been had I not had any energy drinks for at least a week earlier.
With regards to your being suspicious about my vit b12 result, do you mean you don't quite trust the veracity of them or concerned as it could be an indication of serious illness?
I won't supplement anything until I've had a rerun of the bloods. I don't feel there's much point until then.
Would it really take three months for energy drinks to come out of my system? I fear I would be virtually bald by then. I'd sooner have them done much earlier and act accordingly.
My daughter takes a good quality daily vitamin and mineral supplement with a more than adequate supply of Vit b12 so I presume she isn't deficient.
I really should wear a wig as there's hardly any left but I can't bring myself to do it. I've tried on medium-range price wigs but they stand out as being 'wiggy' which makes me even more self-conscious.
Not all of us thyroid folk go through this. You may find kindred spirits among the people on heralopecia.com/ sometimes it's good just to know you're not alone. Mine is androgenetic alopecia, a matching pair auto immune disease to go with Hashis, two for the price of one what a lucky bird.
I couldn't wait for my hair to grow and doubted that it would. It was one of the most challenging times of my life to continue working with my hair falling out and my scalp increasingly visible. Again with hindsight, the stress of losing my lovely Ma probably kicked off a Hashi's episode - I thought the constant lump in my throat was grief. I didn't want to wear turbans, seeing them as uniquely for cancer survivors. Now, I wear them often when I'm off duty, but that's a whole other story. At the time I had a turbo charged position involving steering people through professional qualifications. I went to see Chris Watts in Kent. wattzinternational.co.uk/pr... There's an article here about her salon
trichocare.co.uk/news/their... and she is on facebook but that seems more to do with conventional hairdressing. The website gives the stories of many with various types of hairloss including before and after photographs.
I have a hairpiece about the same size as a boy's yarmulke, which I tape on to my shaved head, where the hairloss in worse.It is undetectable and the tape ensures I'm not worried on a windy day. Some might say that I gave up; I say I got my life back and it enabled me to continue in a role I loved until ready to wave it goodbye.
Continuing to work in a role I also love as a public speaker of sorts, I've never looked back. There are many, many mistakes people make when biting the bullet and choosing a wig, from trying to replicate their own hair to not having a wig cut in. If you have just tried on wigs - that's why they look 'wiggy' and BTW if you weren't told this by the people you saw, go elsewhere. They don't have to be majorly expensive to look good. simplywigs.co.uk/ You can buy eyebrows on here and they're good - or have your brows tattooed on. Don't let alopecia win ! Take charge !
What you're going through can only truly be understood by another with significant hairloss. Women advised that they have cancer are more frightened of losing their hair than they are of dying - it's such a brutal thing to lose the hair on your head. Sometimes it's easier on your pysche to deal with it and move on, than fret endlessly, not want to leave the safety of your home, count the hairs on your comb and sit sobbing wretchedly, spending money on rubbish supplements and hair treatments, all of which I've done.
PM if you'd like. This is a tough time but hopefully lots to think about. You are not helpless in this, unless you let alopecia win. 🤗
I forgot to say that after I gave birth and my hair loss increased dramatically, I eventually had a scalp biopsy and was diagnosed with lichen planopilaris (LP) - I believe there is a connection with this disease and thyroid disorders.
No form of treatment that I've been prescribed (medication, lotions etc) has ever successfully treated the LP.
Hence, my GP just lazily puts it down to "one of those things".
Hi. Have you had a test for adrenal problems? The symptoms are very similar to thyroid symptoms. You can order a saliva cortisol test through Thyroid UK. The cortisol blood tests that GPs do tell you nothing.
I believe you Maggie - I have considered that my adrenals are in a bad way but am limited to what I can do right now regarding tests as we don't have much money to spare.
After my thyroids are redone, Ill consider looking into adrenal testing.
medichecks.com/thyroid-func... I'm going to purchase this package but will struggle to pay bills. It makes me so angry that we have to pay to essentially diagnose our own illnesses when that is the job of the NHS. I couldn't afford the package which includes vitamin d testing, too (£99).
Just had an informative chat with a doctor from Medichecks and listed my symptoms and concerns.
He believes that the vit B12 result is probably due to my high intake of energy drinks (now banned in our home!) and the taurine content in these can indeed mask hypothyroidism.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Blood results
Results Advice Needed Please
Not understanding blood results 
Blood test results - confused!
Blood Results 'HELP' .......
