Hi
These were from 6 months ago, was due B12 injection September and GP has not fit me in for this yet despite continuing low B12 symptoms. Guessing I will have to wait until start of next year.
Symptoms are
tiredness
constipation
joint pain
pale skin
puffy eyes
loss of energy
hair loss
feeling cold
weight gain
muscle weakness
. Thankyou
Vitamin B12 228 (180 - 900)
Ferritin 41 (30 - 400) taking 1 iron tablet a day
Folate 2.2 (2.5 - 19.5)
Vitamin D total 33.4 (25 - 50) taking 800iu D3
SeasideSusie will reply on vitamins
Make a complaint to practice manager that B12 has not been done
Also post these results on Pernicious Anaemia Health Unlocked for advice
Thankyou will call practice manager tomorrow
Rac86
Ferritin needs to be at least 70 for thyroid hormone to work, recommended is half way through range. You should take each iron tablet with 1000mg Vit C to aid absorption and help prevent constipation, take it 4 hours away from thyroid hormone and 2 hours away from other medication and supplements as it affects their absorption. You can also help raise ferritin by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...
Did you have an iron panel and full blood count done to see if you have iron deficiency anaemia?
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Your Vit D level will never improve with just 800iu daily but it's probably all that your GP is allowed to prescribe so I would just buy your own. As you are just 3.4 away from the level where you would be prescribed loading doses, I would supplement at that rate and take 10,000iu daily for 4 weeks - total 280,000iu (loading doses total 280,000 - 300,000iu) then reduce to 5000iu daily.
When you have reached the level recommended by the Vit D Council, which is 100-150nmol/L, then you will need to find your maintenance dose, that might be 2000iu daily, it's trial and error so we need to retest once or twice a year when supplementing and you can do that with a home fingerprick blood spot test from City Assays vitamindtest.org.uk/index.html
When taking D3 there are important cofactors needed 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 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 naturalnews.com/046401_magn...
Check out the other cofactors too.
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As SlowDragon has said, you should post on the PA forum for further advice. You are folate deficient but folic acid shouldn't be started until after B12.
Thankyou I have iron deficiency based on complete blood count and iron panel but haven't been given iron. D3 was about 20 when prescribed vit D 5 years ago
Well, you should have been given loading doses 5 years ago, your GP was very negligent, but it's too late now so just do as I suggested and buy your own.
As for the iron deficiency anaemia diagnosis why haven't you been prescribed iron tablets? Here is the NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary for treatment of iron deficiency anaemia cks.nice.org.uk/anaemia-iro...
Print off the relevant part and show your GP then ask for the appropriate treatment
"Treat adults with iron deficiency anaemia (including pregnant women):
Treat the underlying cause, if appropriate to do so in primary care.
Treat iron deficiency anaemia with ferrous sulphate first-line and advise about diet.
How should I treat iron deficiency anaemia?
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."
If necessary ask for a referral to a haematologist.
Take any iron tablets with 1000mg Vit C to aid absorption and help prevent constipation, take iron 4 hours away from thyroid meds and 2 hours away from other medication and supplements as it affects their absorption.
As SeasideSusie says, your GP has been negligent incorrectly treating severe vitamin D deficiency. You could point that out to practice manager
Not now treating iron deficiency correctly and dragging their heels not giving essential B12 injections
Sadly this is far from uncommon
We have seen many similar situations
GP’s apparently learn little about vitamins and minerals and seem incorrectly to consider them minor and unimportant. They are not, Thyroid hormones can not work when ANY of these are low
They are all too low and will need supplementing and correcting in order for thyroid to be treated
Gluten intolerance and poor gut function are results of inadequate thyroid treatment and low vitamins
It can then become a viscous circle downwards. Many find it helps significantly by changing to strictly gluten free diet and getting vitamin levels back up, then thyroid hormones can work
I sympathise as you must feel awful. I was in a similar position a couple of years ago and vitamin d at 800 did nothing. I also was given b12 injections and things did improve for a while and then seemed to make no difference. After advice from here and some research I realised raising b12 without raising the other b vitamins so all were in balance was not a good idea. I went on 1000 d3 for 2 months and started oral b12 1000 and upped my folate and other b vitamins and have had a massive improvement. Gps are not effectiveLy tought enough about vitamins and seem to only know about pernicious anaemia and if we don't have that unfortunately we have to take responsibility for them ourselves. Thank goodness for the support and guidance on this site
Vitamin/mineral results
Thyroid antibodies and vitamin/mineral results
