Thanks GP hasn't seen me about results and I haven't been contacted. I got the printout from the surgery and I have seen "no action required" against ferritin, "satisfactory" for complete blood count and "just below range" for folate.
you need to get some vital minerals (vitamins) if the GP won't prescribe - or march back in there with some attitude! If still no joy - remember it's YOUR health... sort it.
Seen this so many times, vitamins are so important and you will feel better when they are optimised. "Vital"
Take someone with you and go see him .... tell him you're on this well respected Site .. and have been advised to get this sorted .. Pronto as you've suffered enough !
Don't muck about its your health ... feel empowered to become well quickly.
You need to bring those
vitamin / mineral levels .... UP
The sooner you get started the better you're going to feel ..
"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 maintenace treatment of about 800 IU a day. Higher doses of up to 2000IU 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 regims 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 if he treat you with the loading doses. If not, he will only prescribe 800iu D3 and that will never, ever raise your level so come back here and we will advise what to buy and the dose to take.
If, by some miracle, you are prescribed loading doses then once these have been completed you will need a reduced amount (more than 800iu so post your new result as the time for members to suggest a dose) 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 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/
There are important cofactors needed when taking D3
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 helps D3 to work and 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
For thyroid hormone to work (that's our own as well as replacement hormone) ferritin needs to be at least 70, preferably half way through range.
You need an iron supplement and as your level is so low you should ask for an iron infusion which will raise your level within 24-48 hours, tablets will take many months. You can also 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...
MCV 77.4 (80 - 98) and MCHC 382 (310 - 350)
These, along with your below range ferritin, suggest iron deficiency anaemia and you should ask our GP to treat you accordingly - see NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary for iron deficiency anaemia treatment (which will be very similar to your local area guidelines):
•Address underlying causes as necessary (for example treat menorrhagia or stop nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, if possible).
•Treat with oral ferrous sulphate 200 mg tablets two or three times a day.
◦If ferrous sulphate is not tolerated, consider oral ferrous fumarate tablets or ferrous gluconate tablets.
◦Do not wait for investigations to be carried out before prescribing iron supplements.
•If dietary deficiency of iron is thought to be a contributory cause of iron deficiency anaemia, advise the person to maintain an adequate balanced intake of iron-rich foods (for example dark green vegetables, iron-fortified bread, meat, apricots, prunes, and raisins) and consider referral to a dietitian.
• Monitor the person to ensure that there is an adequate response to iron treatment.
**
Folate 2.2 (2.5 - 19.5) "just below range" for folate.
Vitamin B12 224 (190 - 900)
A question for your GP:
"Why are there ranges if you're going to ignore them? They must be there for a purpose so 'just below range' must be a problem"
Quote your folate and B12 result, any signs of B12 deficiency you may be experiencing from those listed in the link, also mention your ferritin level, your MCV and MCHC levels, and the fact that your GP has ignored everything.
You may need testing for Pernicious Anaemia and may need B12 injections. Your folate deficiency will need addressing but if you are prescribed folic acid don't start taking it until any other investigations have been carried out, and B12 must be started before folic acid.
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."
Your B12 level is too low for me to be comfort6able suggesting that you self supplement.
**
You may wish to see a different GP at the surgery as this one isn't doing you any favours. Once you've got your treatment sorted, I would give serious consideration as to whether you wish to make a formal complaint against this GP for ignoring all these dire results.
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