Vitamin and mineral results

[VikiJ]

Feedback welcome thank you

FERRITIN 12 (30 - 400)

FOLATE 2.1 (4.6 - 18.7)

VITAMIN B12 157 (180 - 900)

VITAMIN D 23.3 (<25 SEVERE VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY. PATIENT MAY NEED PHARMACOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS)

[bluebug]

Tomorrow morning make an on the day appointment with your GP and take a copy of the blood test results. If the GP doesn't believe they are from an approved lab ask him or her to retest them.

[bluebug]

You need to ask the GP:

1. To test your haemoglobin by doing a full blood count and an iron panel to rule out iron deficiency anaemia due to your below range ferritin level.

2. To give you a loading dose of vitamin D3 as per your areas protocol. Make sure you read any prescription they give you and if it is for 800IU per day give it back to them, stating to them that is not a loading dose of vitamin D3.

3. To check to see if you have pernicious anaemia. This is done by doing a blood test for antibodies.

[bluebug]

If the GP believes your lab results you should come out with:

1. A prescription for vitamin D3 which is a loading dose, and possibly,

2. A prescription for iron supplements.

However some GPs are scared of giving iron supplements out so may decide to refer you on to a endo or haemotologist.

If the GP does this, and you feel extremely dizzy and/or faint before your appointment with a specialist then get someone to take you to A&E in their car or in a taxi.

[VikiJ in reply to bluebug]

Thanks GP ordered tests and said complete blood count was inconclusive with below range MCV and above range MCHC and below range iron and Haemoglobin

[bluebug in reply to VikiJ]

They aren't inconclusive you just have a GP who is rather unintelligent as they cannot:

1. Look things up - there are professional resources like patient.info and BMJ for doctors, and/or,

2. Phone up and talk to a registrar who is either in the endocrinology or haematology department of one of your local hospitals. Both departments would provide information which may include sheets for GPs.

BTW You have an iron deficiency which makes red cells smaller and a vitamin B12/folate deficiency which makes red cells larger.

[VikiJ in reply to bluebug]

Am currently under an endo

[ITYFIALMCTT]

it's common for someone with Hashimoto's to have deficiencies like yours in vitamin and mineral levels because of poor gut absorption. And, round here, the general advice is that it's difficult for thyroid hormones (whether your own or prescription ones) to work effectively unless your vitamins and minerals are in optimal ranges, not just within range. And, to state the obvious 4/4 of yours are below the reference range and not one of the 4 is anywhere near the optimal range. So, perhaps it's not surprising that you're not doing well with levo. at present.

FERRITIN 12 (30 - 400)

FOLATE 2.1 (4.6 - 18.7)

VITAMIN B12 157 (180 - 900)

VITAMIN D 23.3 (<25 SEVERE VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY. PATIENT MAY NEED PHARMACOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS)

These are horrible and I'm surprised you're managing to get up in the morning.

May I check if your GP has prescribed anything for you? Are you supplementing, and, if so, with what, at what dosage and for how long? Have you had any investigations for these deficiencies?

Do you have an appointment scheduled to discuss these results?

[VikiJ in reply to ITYFIALMCTT]

No prescriptions, no supplements and no investigations

Thanks

[ITYFIALMCTT in reply to VikiJ]

I agree with Bluebug that you need need a chat about:

i) your iron status and probable iron anaemia;

ii) folate deficiency;

iii) B12 deficiency and whether there's any indication of Pernicious Anaemia for which you need further assessment (if so - as above, don't supplement folic acid until after these investigations have been done);

iv) loading dosages of vitamin D.

To state the obvious, the symptoms of iron, folate, and B12 deficiency can overlap and be quite difficult to disentangle but you need supplementation as quickly as practical so please make the soonest appointment that you can.

I'll add in a link from SeasideSusie in which she replies to someone with results like yours.

ETA: SS healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[bluebug in reply to VikiJ]

1. You need to make an appointment and bring someone with you into the room as a witness.

2. Before the appointment make a bullet point list of the information myself and other posters have put on this thread of the treatment you need.

3. Go into the appointment and read from the list.

The GP may be rude and interrupt you but go back to your list.

If the GP asks where you got the information from simply state Thyroid UK, a thyroid support group recommended by NHS Choices. DO NOT state the internet as the GP, due to their own stupidity, will decide you are talking nonsense.

It actually costs the practice more if you turn up at A&E due to collapsing from iron deficiency or in your case worse.

,

[SlowDragon Administrator]

These vitamins are so dire BECAUSE your endo (who is obviously out of their depth) has left you on far to low a dose of Levo. TSH should be around one and FT4 towards top of range

You will need an increase in Levo, improve all these vitamins with significant supplements and also highly likely gluten free diet will help too, as outlined in my reply to your other post.

Were these tests done through GP and when did they first see them?