Test results

[Ste4]

I have just had test results from Thriva for the first time. I’m currently on 75mcg levothyroxine. Any comments welcome.

Active B12 157.0 (25.1-165)

Vit D 87.0 (50-200)

TSH 1.33 (0.27-4.3)

FT4 20.0 (12-23)

TPO 172 (0-34)

FT3 3.95 (3.1-6.8)

T4 106 (66-181)

TGAB 333 (0-115)

Folate 44.4 (8.83-60.8)

Ferritin 17.1 (13-150)

I am already on a gluten free diet.

Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Can you add ranges to all these please

[Ste4 in reply to SlowDragon]

Added!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

How do you feel? Your FT3 is low in range compared to FT4 and most people feel best when TSH is 1 or below.

However, your Ferritin is very low and needs to be at least 70 for thyroid hormone to work so you need to get that up. I would see your GP and ask for a full blood count and iron panel to see if you have iron deficiency anaemia as low Ferritin can suggest that. You may be prescribed iron tablets which should be taken with 1000 mg Vit C and taken 4 hours away from thyroid meds and 2 hours away from other medication and supplements as iron affects their absorption. You can also help increase your Ferritin by eating liver regularly, no more than 200g per week, and other iron rich foods.

Actibe B12 is top of range, are you supplementing?

Folate is good.

Vit D needs bumping up, recommended is 100-150nmol/L according to the Vit D Council.

[Ste4 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you. I have been supplementing with a general “Wellwoman” supplement but it clearly isn’t giving me enough of some things. I wasn’t feeling too bad but then was very tired yesterday and been having pains throughout my body today. So glad I decided to fork out for a private test rather than have a stressful battle to-ing and fro-ing to the GP. Could I just get some iron and vit D supplements without bothering going to the GP? Will supplementing help with the FT3 being a bit low?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Ste4]

If that is one of Vitabiotics Wellwoman range of supplements then like most multivitamins they don't contain enough of anything to help and generally use the cheapest and wrong form of active ingredients.

Assuming it is one of the Vitabiotics ones then looking at the ingredients they contain the wrong form of B12 (cyanocobalamin instead of methylcobalamin), folic acid rather than methylfolate, magnesium oxide is the cheapest and least absorbable form, selenium is selenate and it should be l-selenomethionine, some contain Iodine which we shouldn't take unless tested and found deficient, and they contain iron which means that the absorption of everything else willbe affected as iron should be taken 2 hours away from other supplements.

You can't supplement iron and Vit D without testing, you need to know your levels to ensure you take the correct dose. Excess Vit D is stored and can reach toxicity level, and too much iron is as bad as too little.

Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine can help conversion of T4 to T3 and, as I said, a minimum of 70 for Ferritin for thyroid hormone to work properly so you need that testing.

If you don't want to ask your GP, Medichecks do a full Iron Status test for £39 and City Assays do Vit D for £28, both fingerprick tests.

[Ste4 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you. That’s really helpful.