Results???

[MrsO2510]

Hi, I've being through the mill about healthwise and wondered if anyone had had similar experiences?

In June I was told I was anemic but oral iron didn't work. By July I had a chest infection that needed two lots of antibiotics. By August I had caught viral meningitis, end of September chest infection came back and I've now had five lots antibiotics but still not cleared. Had an iron infusion last month as stored iron had gone down to 6%. Now my bloods are showing iron is 12,white blood cells 6.7, pallet count 323, red cell count 4.6, red blood cell distribution width 19.6% basophil count below low reference, plasma viscosity at 1.85 mPas, serum inorganic phosphate 0.75, serum c reactive protein level 4.8mg serum folate level 3.1ng

Symptoms: recurrent chest infection, severe fatigue, bloated stomach, swollen glands in neck and armpits, headaches, confusion...

Jacqui

[Heloise]

What an awful trial of events. I would guess your vitamin D level is close to bottom. You should get prescriptions for massive doses. Your other hormones don't work well without it.

If you can't metabolize iron (usually due to low stomach acid) you really have the same problem with the supplements as well. Take Betain HCL with meals. You are probably desperately malnourished as well. Can you start juicing vegetables and add amino acids?

You didn't post the ranges with your blood tests but you can check how high or low on your report and get an explanation for some of them here:

drkaslow.com/html/blood_cel...

[MrsO2510 in reply to Heloise]

Still waiting for the vitamin d results... toy iron count has now increased to just over 12 since the one off infusion two weeks ago. To be honest I'm so tired all the time and feel pretty grotty I can't remember a time that I've ever been so unwell. I try to eat a really healthy diet but end up having to eat high sugar foods just to get energy which I know is not good.

[Heloise in reply to MrsO2510]

Do you know much about autoimmune conditions? I should have a Phd by now I've watched many summits, you tube videos, research papers. Genetics don't have as much to do with these conditions as what you have taken inside your body. You know about the sugar and gluten also wreaks havoc with digestion and casein in dairy can also cause problems. But the worst thing by far is antibiotics. Even if you have had only three rounds, you have changed your own microbiome (flora and bacteria). Also painkillers of any type do their damage slowly to almost any organ. If you are new here, I posted a video a few hours ago by Dr. John Bergman. He's brilliant and points out what actually goes wrong in anatomy. Don't blame yourself, your body is sending you messages and trying to survive.

[MrsO2510]

All of this is new to me. I'm a complete novice trying to get my head around what's going on and feeling like I'm getting nowhere. I'll have a look at video. Thanks

[Hidden in reply to MrsO2510]

I am so sorry that you are unwell and hope that you get better soon. I know that sometimes we can't do without antibiotics but theyreek havoc with our bodies as well.

Try to take the brilliant advice on this site and I wish you good health.

[Mardi]

I don’t have thyroid problems but a blood cancer called PV- Last year had lots of antibiotics with 6 months recurring chest infection.

[Marz]

I appreciate you have not been diagnosed with anything - but do you have any thyroid test results with ranges ?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Antibiotics upset gut bacteria. Bloating can be low stomach acid and /or gluten intolerance

Low vitamins linked to these and also thyroid

For full evaluation you ideally need TSH, FT4, FT3, TT4, TPO and TG antibodies, plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested

See if you can get full thyroid and vitamin testing from GP. Unlikely to get FT3

Private tests are available

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results

Post results and ranges when you have them

Perhaps look at seeing a nutritionist to help rebuild gut biome. Leaky gut is very common

Probiotics and fermented foods etc

Good gut function and good levels of vitamins are key to good health, but doctors are not interested in (and not allowed by NHS) to consider nutrition.

Gluten free diet is worth trying for 3-6 months to see if it helps. If you have leaky gut it's likely to do so

Look at candida and other gut infections too

Michael Moseley book - Clever Guts is good place to start

[MrsO2510]

Hi I have two sets of results the first column is 3rd November (pre iron infusion) the second is post infusion from two weeks ago.

Haemoglobin concentration 108 g/L (120-160) now 12.7 g/dL

Total white count 6.3 10*9/L (4.0-11.0)now 6.7 10^9L

Platlet count 323 10^9/L (150-400) now 363

Red blood cell count 4.2 10^12/L (4 - 5.2) now 4.6

Haematocrit 0.351 (0.36 - 0.46) now0.402

Mean volume cell 83.6 fl (80-100) now 87.4

Mean cell haemoglobin level 25.7 pg (26 - 34) now 27.6 pg

Red blood cell distribution width 16.4 % (11.5 - 16.5) now 19.6%

Neutrophil 3.55 10*9/L(2.0-7.7) now 4.84 10^9/L

Lymphocyte 2.07 10*9/L (0.8 -3.4) now 1.36

Monocyte 0.5610^9/L (0.2-0.8) now 0.43

Eosinophil 0.12 10*9/L (0.04- 0.4) now 0.09

Basophil 0.02 10^9/L (0.01 -0.1) now 0

Plasma viscosity no listed in November, now 1.85 mPas (1.5 -1.72)

Serum TSH level 2.7 mu/L (0.35-4.7) now 4 miu/L

Serum ferritin level 8 ug/L (<20 suggest deficiency ) now 287ng/ml

Serum folate level 2.9 ug/L (<3ug suggests deficiency) now 3.1 ng/ml

Serum vitamin B12 156pmol/L (115 - 1000) now 254.82 ng/L (155.87-1.355.4)

Serum transferrin level 3.1 g/L (2 -3.2) not taken in December

Serum iron level 5 umol /L (5 .0 -31.0) not taken in December

Transferrin saturation index 6% (15 -50) not taken in December.

The following have only been tested in December:

Serum sodium level 138 mmol/L (135 -144)

Serum potassium level 4.5 mmol/L (3.5-5.3)

Serum chloride level 102mmol/L (96 - 109)

Serum bicarbonate level 29 mmol (24-32)

Serum urea level 3.2 mmol/L ( 3- 7.6)

Serum creatinine level 61 umol/L (55 -87)

GFR calculated abbreviated MDRD >90 mL/min/1.73m*2

Serum calcium level 2.49 mmol/L (2.2 -2.6)

Calcium adjusted level 2.45 mmol/ L (2.2 - 2.6)

Serum inorganic phosphate level 0.75 mmol (0.8 - 1.5)

Serum bilirubin level 5 umol/L (<21)

Serum alkaline phosphatase level 73 iu/L (30-125)

Serum alanine aminotransferase level 28 iu/L (5-45)

Serum total protein level 79g/L (65-82)

serum albumin level 43g/L (36-48)

Serum C reactive protein level 4.8 mg (0 -8)

I copied these as they appear on the print out because the units of measure look different.

I should also add that the anemia is from ridiculously heavy periods - waiting for gynaecologist appointment to go on list for hysterectomy...

Hope it makes sense x

[MrsO2510 in reply to MrsO2510]

Finally got Vit D results in today = 15

Not sure what that means as no ranges were given. I have an appointment with GP on Wednesday so hopefully all will become clear.

[Marz in reply to MrsO2510]

It does say on the results page .... less than 25 is overt deficiency .... yours is 15 ....

[KimberinUS]

I cant help but wonder if you have been tested for h pylori. It is a bacteria that manages to live in your stomach lining. It reduces acid in stomach and therefore effects iron and b12 (and who knows what else).

Your b12 levels are in different units of measure and their conversion is 156 pmol/l = 211 ng/l.

I cant help but wonder if the multiple rounds of antibiotics you have taken havent caused some of the h pylori to die off only to regrow because it takes 2 diffetent antibiotics taken at the same time along wirh a proton pump inhibitor (prilosec) and bismuth (pepto bismal) for 14 days to kill it sometimes.

academic.oup.com/aje/articl...

If you have it your dr. Will need to prescribe antibiotics that you havent taken recently as it becomes resistant.

In the U.S. begining in 2015 or 2016 our b12 results now say:

Please note: although the reference range for vitamin B12 is 200-1100 pg / ml, it has been reported that between 5 and 10% of patients with values between 200-400 p g / ml may experience Neuropsychiatric and hematologic abnormalities due to occult b12 deficiency.

I felt like death when i was finally diagnosed with h pylori.