Help to interpret blood results

[diholl99]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and hoping some kind people might help me with my blood test results. I have been having many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism for a couple of years now (extreme fatigue, cold all the time, muscle aches, hair loss, weight gain) and my auntie has it but the doctor only tested TSH and said it was normal. I decided to use medichecks for the whole thyroid panel but all results came back 'normal' However, with a lot of them I am towards the bottom or top of the range and from what others have said on here it could still indicate a problem? if anyone has time to give their thoughts on my results I'd really appreciate it as I feel I'm going a bit crazy not knowing whats wrong with me!

Thanks in advance

TSH = 3.54 (0.27-4.20)

Free T4 = 16.4 (12-22)

Total T4 = 88.2 (59-154)

Free T3 = 4.09 (3.1-6.8)

TGAB = 10IU/ml (0-115)

TPOAB = 9IU/ml (0-34)

Active B12 = 56 (25.1-165)

Folate: 6.86 (2.91-50|)

CRP - High Sensitivity: 0.96 (0-5)

Ferritin: 56 (13-150)

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Diholl

Yes your thyroid results are "normal" but TSH over 3 would give you a diagnosis of hypothyroidism in another country, here in the UK they make you wait until it reaches 10.

Your Total T4 is quite low meaning that you don't produce much natural thyroxine, FT4 is less than half way through it's range and reflects the Total T4, and your FT3 is low in range too. However, none of us know where our FT4 and FT3 should be when we are feeling well because we are never tested so have nothing to compare it to.

Your antibodies are very low so no sign of autoimmune thyroid disease.

You do have some problems with your vitamins and minerals though and these could be causing some of your symptoms.

Active B12 = 56 (25.1-165)

This is on the low side and according to this article anything below 70 suggests MMA should be tested to see if there is mild B12 deficiency viapath.co.uk/our-tests/act...

Folate: 6.86 (2.91-50|)

This is too low. Folate should be at least half way through it's range so 26.5+ with that range. A good B Complex such as Thorne Basic B will raise your level.

Ferritin: 56 (13-150)

This is too low. 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...

Did you not do the UltraVit test with Vit D included? Vit D is very important too and with your other nutrient levels low there's a chance Vit D will be as well.

[diholl99 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much for your quick and thorough reply. It's very helpful and confirms my thoughts that some of my vitamin levels are much too low despite being in the normal range. The test I did was the thyroid ultra and didn't include a vitamin D check. I will try and get this tested next time. It's quite frustrating how doctors only look at numbers and if they are in range do nothing! I will definitely look at your suggestions for raising my vitamin levels and I guess re-test my thyroid later to see if levels are changing. I presume I wont have any luck getting prescribed anything for my hormone at this stage?

Thanks again

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to diholl99]

You can get vitamin D tested via vitamindtest.org.uk £29 postal kit

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to diholl99]

You can do a standalone Vit D test with City Assays, it's an NHS lab in Birmingham's City Hospital who do this test for the general public. It's just a fingerprick blood spot test you can do at home, very easy and I would do that sooner rather than later.

vitamindtest.org.uk/

Post your result when you have it and if your level is low or deficient I will suggest what you need to take.

I presume I wont have any luck getting prescribed anything for my hormone at this stage?

No unfortunately. As you don't have raised antibodies you can't even use that. Raised antibodies would mean autoimmune thyroid disease, aka Hashimoto's, which is where the antibody attacks gradually destroy the thyroid. Sometimes the presence of antibodies will sway a GP to trial Levo but your other results aren't bad enough. You would need an over range TSH and lower FT4 and FT3.

The vitamins and minerals definitely need addressing, and I think if you test Vit D you will find that low too. All these low levels will bring symptoms. Take a look at this article about Ferritin and you will see how a low level will affect you

restartmed.com/low-ferritin/

See if you have any signs of B12 deficiency here

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

And signs of Vit D deficiency here

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

Optimising your nutrient levels should help, I would start supplementing then retest after about 4 months to see how they are improving.

[diholl99 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks, that's really interesting about the low ferritin levels. My big concern now is why all my vitamin levels are so low as I eat a really healthy diet (made big improvements about a year ago when symptoms got really bad and it did help a bit with the symptoms) Do you know what I might need to look into as to causes of low vitamins and minerals if it's not due to lack of them in my diet?

Thanks again for the help

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to diholl99]

Maybe gut issues but the way food is produced these days I do wonder about how much vitamins and minerals we actually get from it now.