I called the Drs surgery this afternoon to ask if they had got my blood test results back. She confirmed that they had and that i needed to make a routine appointment with my Dr. I have made one for friday - but i didn't want to wait that long so i called in on my way home and the receptionist gave me a print out of my results. I am disappointed though not surprised that the Dr did not request the blood tests i wanted . Anyway the upshot is that this time my TSH is out of range. (In 2013 it was 3.2 and in 2015 it was 3.9) I'll put down some of the results i got:
TSH: 5.1mlU/L (0.27-4.2)
serum Vitamin B12 leve:l 371 ng/L (197-771)
Serum Calcium level: 2.26 mmol/L () 2.2-2.6
Serum adjusted calcium concentration: 2.17 mmol/L (2.2-2.6) below range
serum total 25-hydroxy vitamin D leve:l 30.1 (no range given)
Serum ferritin level: 50ug/L (15.0-150.0)
Lymphocyte count: 3.27 10*9/L (1.0-3.0) above range
It's saying i am borderline hypothyroid. I am under no illusions that my Dr is going to be quite dismissive and take no other action other than to perhaps re-test in a few months time.
Not sure what else to include. I have booked blood tests through Blue Horizon so hopefully i will have more detailed information in the not too distant future! Also for info, here is a link to my first thread.
Your TSH is over range but in the UK, for some unfathomable reason, they wait until our TSH is 10 before prescribing levothyroxine, whilst ignoring all of the disabling clinical symptoms we may have. (they know none).
They have not tested your Free T4 and Free T3 as they seem to have been told that a TSH and T4 is fine and gives sufficient information. It doesn't as T3 is the only Active Thyroid Hormone which enables our metabolism to function normally (if we ha ve sufficient).
Your B12 could be higher, it is recommended to be near the top of the range.
I will add in SeasideSusie who will respond to your other vits/minerals results.
I have booked tests via Blue Horizon as i want to know the full spectrum of results. I am seeing GP on Friday to discuss the results - though by discussion i imagine it will be something along the line of "it only borderline, we don't need to medicate, lets leave it a few months and re-test"
I assume the unit of measurement for your Vit D is nmol/L and if so then you are 0.1 away from the level where loading doses should be given - see cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d...
"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 that as you are only 0.1 above this level whether he will prescribe the loading doses. If so, once these have been completed you will need a reduced amount (more than 800iu so post your new result at 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
If you can't be prescribed the loading doses then the 800iu you will be offered will never raise your level so come back and tell us so we can suggest what to buy and the dose.
Your doctor wont know, because they are not taught nutrition, but there are important cofactors needed when taking D3 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 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 naturalnews.com/046401_magn...
Check out the other cofactors too.
**
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 can 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...
**
As for B12 - 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."
If you haven't done so already, would it be worth getting your antibodies tested? You might then be able to argue that starting thyroxine would help delay and reduce the otherwise inevitable destruction of your thyroid. My husband's GP was initially reluctant to prescribe him thyroxine but did eventually agree to due to the presence of antibodies. Just a thought.
Thanks for the replies. Funnily enough I was considering taking my mum with me to the Drs as I get so overwhelmed. I received confirmation from blue horizon to say that my blood test kit will be delivered tomorrow morning. Unfortunately i have succumbed to a cold. I am desperate to have my tests done but am i right in thinking it might skew my results? So sad as i wanted to know before xmas!
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.