Vit deficiencies, test results, hypothyroidism? Newbie, Advice pls!

[stormjewel]

Hello I’ll try to keep this brief as I can, its my first proper post here.

I

believe I have subclinical hypothyroidism for many reasons but the most notable being –being extremely cold esp hands and feet, rsi, weak muscle recovery, bad sleeping, poor immune system response, and more recently, severe endometriosis.

I gave up most dairy and meat in order to cure my very bad endometriosis (which developed after I stopped the pill). I ate/eat a very 'healthy' diet of vegetables, protein from seeds, beans, pulses, mushrooms etc, eggs, fats and sometimes fish/seafood (and eat meat about 1-2 times a month) and felt great in many ways (much less stomach issues, no more constipation!) and it made the endometriosis much much better.

I also use natural progesterone cream which I believe makes a big difference.

But after about a year or two of this I started to get very tired, anxious and ill all the time. Seems my body cannot absorb enough nutrients from the food?

I realised I was very low on magnesium when I tried to take vitamin D and got insanely anxious. Magnesium very quickly made me feel better, I had already been feeling very anxious for several months. I occasionally still take Magnesium.

I realised I was low on b12 before I had the test, when my leg had been going numb for months and then my face and toe started to twitch all the time. I took a b complex for a while and it got better so I did not realise it was actually a big issue.

At one point I began to feel terribly ill, brain fog, sick all the time, dizzy etc

Finally I got some tests from the doctor. They showed I was anaemic, low on b12 and vitamin D. I got lots of tests but heres perhaps the key ones. If you want to see others please let me know.

Thyroid (private doctor) test results 2014 (old I know but has some useful data)

TOTAL THYROXINE(T4) 72 nmol/L 59 – 154

TSH 1.67 mIU/L 0.27 – 4.2

FREE THYROXINE 14.4 pmol/l 12 - 22

FREE T3 4.8 pmol/L 3.1 – 6.8

Thyroglobulin Antibody 0-115 (Negative)

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 5.8 IU/mL 0 - 34

(Method used for Anti-TPO and Anti-tg: Roche Modular)

(might be worth noting that I had only just come off the progesterone only pill which doctors said would not affect the test but I think that is incorrect)

NHS Test results from May 2017

Serum FSH 12.5 u/L

Serum LH 6.2 u/L

25 OH Vitamin D 37.3 nmol/L 50 – 120.00 (but was advised to start supplementing which I didn’t due to anxiety)

Serum vitamin b12 277 ng/L197 – 771.00

(doc did advise me that many women need it to be higher than my result to feel ok)

Thyroid:

Serum free t4 level 14.4 pmol/L 12 – 22

Serum

TSH level 1.14 miu/L 0.40 – 5.50 miu/L

Serum Ferritin 21.7 ug/L 13 – 150.00

Serum Folate 14.3 ug/L 3.90 – 26.80

Serum Magnesium 0.76 mmol/L 0.66 – 1.07

Full Blood Count:

Total White cell count 6.1 10*9/L 3.90 – 11.1010

Haemoglobin estimation 113 g/L 120 – 150

Haematocrit 35.5% 36 – 46%

Genova Diagnostics Adrenal and Cortisol Saliva Test:

Sample 1 (Post Awakening)2.46 (Low)2.68-9.30

Sample 2 19.26 (very high) 0.75-2.93

Sample 31.57 0.36-1.88

Sample 4 0.47 <=0.94

DHEA: Cortisol Ratio 0.41 (high) 0.05-0.32

(regarding sample 2, I normally hate getting up early but once I was actually up for a little while I started to feel really good and did a good amount of exercise. By the time I went to eat it was too late because of the next test. I felt extremely shaky when I did the second test.

I often feel shaky if I don’t eat for too long, especially recently. I have had my blood sugar tested at these points (kind friends with diabetes and paramedic friend) and they showed my blood sugar to be fine so it does seem to be adrenal related. )

More Current Test Results Further Below….

After all this I began to take Iron tablets and 1000mg of b12 a day which made a difference almost instantly and I am not 100% but much better than before. Although it when I started supplementing properly it got worse before it got better.

I was too scared to take Vitamin D after my previous experiences, (and thought it would be ok cos went to live in a hot sunny country) and now its gone super low.

I suppose this is partly because I am taking 1000mg of b12 daily and have not been supporting that with vitamin d.

I have just started taking a 3000iu Vit D spray supplement, so far so good though it does seem to make me feel tired.

I’d really like to try desiccated thyroid to see if it makes me feel better with the cold and so on, but am waiting until my vitamin D is higher and adrenals are better, to avoid weird side effects.

So I guess I’d just like any comments or advice on the situation, and also some reassurance about the b12. I know that most people who got so low do injections. I could not take more than 1000mg in a tablet a day as it caused weird effects. I have never had an injection of b12. I feel a lot better now though my left foot still sometimes feels a bit numb. If I stop taking the supplement for more than 1 day I begin to really notice it and it can hurt. I also often have brain fog and off days though not nearly so bad as before.

Also, some people on healthunlocked are cautioning against vitamin D supplementation (since the inactive form may be low but the active form high) or saying you should get the active type of vitamin D tested, should I do this?

I’m also planning to take something for adrenal support, a naturopath a long time ago recommended ‘Nutri Thymus Gland Concentrate’ any thoughts on that?

Here are the most recent test results I’ve had:

From Private lab in Thailand March 2018

Hematocrit 36.8% 36-48%

Red Cell Count 4.15 *M/mm3 4.00-5.50

White Cell Count7.72 10 4-10

TSH 0.554 uIU/mL 0.270 – 4.200

Free t3 2.87 pg/mL 2.00 – 4.40

Vitamin B12 649.3 pg/mL 197-771

Magnesium (SI Unit)0.8 mmol/L 0.7-1.1 (Serum)

Magnesium 2 mg/dl 1.6 – 2.6

(Serum)

Potassium 3.65 mmol/L 3.50 – 5.10

Vitamin D (25-Hydroxy) 29.86 >=30 ng/mL

Sorry for all the info! Any comments and advice welcome, especially regarding b12, Vitamin D, Hypothyroidism and anything else you think is important.

Please let me know if there is something else I should look into doing or taking or reading. I do have more test results if needed!

Thanks so much for reading and any advice <3

[stormjewel]

I realise this is a very long post, if its too long for people to read please just comment and I will edit it right down, sorry!

[Angel_of_the_North]

Your B12 and ferritin were awful. Sublingual methycobalamin is the stuff to take - or a methylcobalamin spray for B12. Your ferritin is probably still awful if you aren't eating liver or supplementing iron - needs to be over 70 for thyroid hormone to work (your own or pills). There's only one type of vit D test. It tests D2 and D3. D3 is the one you take as a supplement - an oil-based emulsion or spray is usually the easiest to absorb. With vit D you need to take K2 and magnesium.

[stormjewel in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thanks very much! I didn't know my ferritin was low or that it needed to be above 70 for thyroid pills.

I have been supplementing with iron but accidentally didn't get ferritin tested recently so i will do that.

Thanks for k2 and magnesium advice as well <3

[stormjewel in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Are you sure about the vit D test though? Cos i found a site offering the seemingly 'other' test eg cacitriol not calcidiol.

Won't post a link because forum guidelines but can quote this?

"Effective November 5, 2017, the 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D test will have its name changed to Calcitriol (1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D) in the (removed for fourum

(Unnamed lab) has identified a large number of 1,25-DiOH Vitamin D requests that were being used to evaluate Vitamin D status in patients without requisite underlying conditions (renal disease, sarcoid, tuberculosis, lymphoma, rickets, etc. ) that warranted its use.

Vitamin D status is routinely assessed with the test Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy Level (25-OH Vitamin D).

Please refer to this article regarding test utilization for Vitamin D posted March 2016: Vitamin D 1,25 Testing."

Maybe we don't need it though? I don't know...

EDIT: just found this link which may help others who are also unsure about the two types of vit d

vitamindcouncil.org/activat...

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to stormjewel]

I would call a calcitriol test a calcitriol test, not a vit D test. The only ones I've seem offered in the UK as Vit D are 25(OH)D. These are 25(OH)D and test D2 and D3 vitamindtest.org.uk/

[stormjewel in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thankyou!