Advice on blood result results please

[Lordy40]

Please see results. Any advice greatly received.

[Lordy40]

I’m very breathless and lacking in energy but I thought that was from having an op 4 weeks ago and being on Norethisterone which has side effects of breathlessness. I’m just dragging myself about, feeling depressed. I take 150mcg Thyroxine a day. I had blood drawn 10am but I had no eaten and no thyroxine for 24hours. I was on ferritin tablets until December when my doctor took me off them after years of being in them as he said I didn’t need them! Did wonder why my hair was falling out! Regarding the vitamin D I don’t understand it I’ve been sitting recovering from op out in the sunshine for 4 weeks and look tanned and healthy! I’ve been following a low carb diet lost a little weight but put 4lb back on in a week since I’ve started exercising again this week. Has enough now.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Lordy40]

Nearly everyone with Hashimoto's has low vitamin D.

hypothyroidmom.com/92-of-ha...

Plus there is strong suspicion that if you shower or bath after sitting in sun, it washes vitamin D away

vitamindcouncil.org/washing...

Why on earth would GP stop iron supplements if you were still having extremely heavy periods

You should push for iron infusion to bring levels up quickly. Thyroid hormones need good ferritin levels

[Lordy40 in reply to SlowDragon]

I didn’t know that with the vit D and showering, that’s what I’ve been doing the last few weeks. I have changed GP’s now so hopefully they will be more helpful!

I will push for the iron infusion definitely, been feeling breathless for months!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

First your High TPO antibodies confirms you have Hashimoto's, also called autoimmune thyroid disease

Did you know?

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

Ideally ask GP for coeliac blood test first

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

But don't be surprised that GP or endo never mention gut, gluten or low vitamins. Hashimoto's is very poorly understood

Persistent low vitamins with supplements suggests coeliac disease or gluten intolerance

gluten.org/resources/health...

Your ferritin level is absolutely dire. In part no doubt due to you extremely heavy periods

SeasideSusie or humanbean are iron experts, hopefully will be along with advice

Make an appointment for asap with GP you need full iron panel to test for Anaemia. Very likely need iron supplements 3 x per day, but better would be an iron infusion and referred to haematology

Your Active B12 and folate also both very low. Ask GP to fun full testing for Pernicious Anaemia.

Do you have low B12 symptoms?

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

If they won't test, or offer B12 injections, then you will likely benefit from daily good quality vitamin B complex supplement, one with folate in, not folic acid. Eg Igennus Super B or Jarrow B right. You may also need sublingual B12

Your vitamin D is too low, but not low enough for GP to treat

With Hashimoto's we often find vitamin D mouth spray works best as avoids poor gut function. Aiming to improve to around 100nmol. Perhaps start with 2000-3000iu daily and retest in 2-3 months via vitamindtest.org Uk £29 postal kit

Retesting twice yearly recommended. Likely to need ongoing maintenance dose. Trial and error what each person needs. Also read up on here about magnesium and vitamin K2 Mk7

Selenium supplements can help improve conversion as well.

Only make one change or add one supplement at a time.

Probably in this order

Ferritin/iron is definitely most urgent. Vitamin D next. Then B vitamins

B vitamins are affected by low vitamin D

drgominak.com/sleep/vitamin...

Then look at strictly gluten free diet, push GP for coeliac blood test first

Correcting vitamins and gluten free diet should all improve conversion of FT4 to FT3

Retesting in 2-3 months, if FT3 remains low then look into adding small dose of T3 via T3 friendly endocrinologist

[Lordy40 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you very much for your reply SlowDragon, I appreciate all the input you have written and will have a good read through it to digest it all. I wasn’t 100 percent sure I had Hashimoto but can see now I definitely do. I have been on a low carb high protein diet since feb and didn’t think I had a lot of gluten as I don’t have bread or pasta etc but will look carefully at what I do eat and will ask the GP to do a coeliac blood test as well as full testing for pernicious anaemia too. I agree that a lot of my ferritin/low iron levels is due to the heavy bleeding. Been to the hospital twice in past month and had full blood count which they say came back normal!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Lordy40]

If only eating low levels of gluten it may not be worth coeliac blood test. You would need to eat higher levels of gluten before testing which you probably wouldn't want to do

It does need to be absolutely strictly gluten free diet to be effective. See link from Chris Kresser above

[Lordy40 in reply to SlowDragon]

To be honest the last few weeks I have been eating gluten again as I hadn’t felt like following my diet due to op and feeling rotten. I had thought the low carbs was making me tired

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Lordy40

Your ferritin is below range. Ask your GP for a full blood count and iron panel. Low ferritin can suggest iron deficiency anaemia so you need to know what's going on, you can't just self supplement iron with a result like that.

To help raise ferritin quickly, within 24-48 hours, ask for an iron infusion. Tablets will take many months. If you are prescribed tablets then take each one with 1000mg Vit C and take them 4 hours away from thyroid meds and 2 hours away from any other medication and supplements as iron affects their absorption.

[Lordy40 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for your reply SeasideSusie, much appreciated and your input. I will take a read through properly and make a list of things to discuss with GP when I go on Monday. Had two full blood counts in the past month at the hospital due to heavy bleeding and they said they came back normal! And have just put me on Norethisterone for 3 months continuously, I did wonder if I’m in perimenopause as I’m 43. Had a Myomectomy to remove fibroids but it doesn’t seem to have worked. So disheartened at the mo.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Active B12 below 70 suggests you need further testing

viapath.co.uk/our-tests/act...

MMA and homocysteine testing not available on NHS

Can test privately nutris.viapath.co.uk