Advice of lab results please

[Lisa_middle_earth]

Hiya! I’m posting for advice on lab results please. I’m autoimmune hypothyroidism currently on 125mcg levothyroxine. I constantly feel fatigued and exhausted, ache all over my body (feels like severe flu symptoms) rarely relieved by paracetamol and/or aspirin (ibuprofen makes my chest tight & wheezy) and it seems like I’m losing more hair than previously - despite being on folic acid for low folate since mid April. I’ve been on vitamin D supplements prescribed by GP as I was deficient in vitamin D (lab results not known). I’ve also noticed an increase in tinnitus, have pins and needles in both hands and fingers with occasional numbness and I have cravings for salt/salty foods. I’ve also had some dizzy spells - a couple of days ago during a dizzy spell I was able to take my blood pressure which was 85/60 with a resting heart rate of 99. I have recently had a period of time off work after collapsing with similar symptoms - I’m keen not to repeat this though! Lab results as follows:

TSH 1.13 (Range 0.27-4.2)

Folate 2.9 (Range 3.9-26.8) on folic acid

Ferritin 68 (Range 10-150)

Haemaglobin estimation 127 (Range 120-150)

Vitamin B12 304 (Range 191-663)

Haemocrit 0.418 (Range 0.36-0.46)

MCV 92.7 (Range 80-100)

MCH 28.2 (Range 27-32)

MCHC 304 (Range 315-345)

ESR 36 (Range 0-12)

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated - GP just said the results were unremarkable, which doesn’t explain why I’m feeling so lousy and exhausted.

Thanks for your time x

[Marz]

Your GP is ignoring your anaemia and LOW B12 ... MCHC is below range indicating anaemia. How much VitD are you taking ? I would suggest a FULL Iron Profile be done.

FT4 & FT3 results would be good too.

ESR is an inflammatory marker and is raised. Gut issues ? - do you have any ?

Salty cravings can be linked to adrenals which in turn can be linked to thyroid. Adrenals love VitC 😊

[Lisa_middle_earth in reply to Marz]

Thanks for your reply Marz. I’ve got an appointment to see the locum GP this afternoon - I’m hoping a fresh set of eyes might help, so will request a full iron profile.

I’m on 1000mg/1000IU calcium/cholecalciferol daily as prescribed by GP.

Gut issues - I have plenty of those 😳. I have IBS - mainly constipation but occasionally swing the other way without warning.

Thanks for the suggestion of vitamin C for adrenals, I’ll treat them to some TLC (tender loving vit C lol). Thanks for your help 😊

[Marz in reply to Lisa_middle_earth]

Sorry not able to get back sooner - madness here in Crete - tiz the silly Season ! - lots to do ! Is the picture above the real you - if so I would say you are Hypo by just looking at your face ! Years ago Docs looked at their patients for clues

TSH is a Pituitary hormone and tells you diddly squat about your thyroid. You need the FT4 - FT3 . Sadly the NHS do not have their act together and rarely test all the relevant ones Can you have your tests done privately through Thyroid UK ?

Hope all goes well with the Doc ? Let me know what happens ... VitD - what was your result - do not think you are on a high enough dose. I take 5000 IU's and live in the sun ! Don't expect your GP to act on the B12 - so I would self treat with 5000 mcg Jarrow Methycobalamin - a lozenge to keep under the tongue until dissolved. Amazon is the place - you will also need a GOOD B complex like Thorne Research. Again from Amazon. Your GP should be able to tell you your VitD result - treatment is according to where you are in the range.

grassrootshealth.net

vitamindcouncil.org

[Lisa_middle_earth in reply to Marz]

Thanks Marz 😊

Yep, the profile pic is me (with a snapchat filter) and I would definitely say my face has puffed up/been bloated for a number of years now.

I’ll check my results - I may have had either a T4 or FT4 done some time ago but definitely not recently. I know I’ve not had FT3 so I’ll look to get that done asap privately.

I’ll get the lab results for vit D too - GP said previously it was single figures rather than double figures but didn’t specify anything - and I forgot to ask!

Thanks for the B12 advice too - next stop for me is Amazon lol.

Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions and I’ll let you know how it goes with GP later 😊

[Marz in reply to Lisa_middle_earth]

If Vit D was single figures then that wad SERIOUSLY low 😊 - and you should have been given loading doses. 100+ is the suggested level. There should be VitD Guidelines from your area from the CCG - you can look them up on-line ...

You need FT3 tested at the same time as FT4 & TSH.

Your face does look hypo to me - but then I do a lot of Hypo spotting on TV and out and about !! If you have a photo pre puffy face you could show your Doc. Can you pinch the flesh on the tops of your arms ?

Being gluten free may help your gut symptoms and reduce inflammation as can being dairy free. I have Crohns so know a thing or two about the gut 😕

Speak soon ...

[Lisa_middle_earth in reply to Marz]

Update from my soon-to-be *previous* GP practice - there’s nothing wrong with me, I just need to lose weight as I’m “too fat”. There’s a few doctors at that practice - one admits to knowing nothing about thyroid, another said I was “just depressed” and to stop looking up health matters on the internet, one GP has hypothyroidism and because I’ve had/am having different symptoms to her she just pooh pooh’s what I’ve said and now this locum has told me “there’s nothing wrong” and that I’m “too fat”. So I’m looking to change practices because I’m getting nowhere (other than feeling worse in myself). Sorry for the rant, I’m just so frustrated x

[Marz in reply to Lisa_middle_earth]

Did you get all your lab results ? Changing practices could yield the same outcome - sadly. Why not follow the advice here and have Private Testing done through Thyroid UK - post your results in a new post. Thus could all be done in days - you will be taking control of your health and beginning your journey to wellness. You especially need the FT3 result in conjunction with all the others 😊

[Lisa_middle_earth in reply to Marz]

I’m definitely going to have private testing done and include everything. I just feel like I’m banging my head off a brick wall with doctors. This locum GP said he couldn’t give me the lab results as it’s on a different system to what he’s used before!! I’ll ask at reception today for a print out. Thanks for your advice Marz 😊

[Marz in reply to Lisa_middle_earth]

Go girl - you can do it ! The results are legally yours 😊 We have all battled - click onto my username and take a couple of minutes to read my Bio !

[Caliendria]

Have you had an auto immune panel done? You obviously have inflammation (my Esr is never below that sort if figure for 6years)...i had unknown auto immune for 6years but now diagnosed with Sjorgens, retinal vasculitis, fibro myalgia amongst some other conditions but have now developed hashimotos.... Maybe you need to try to rule out other conditions..and with low bits D etc Coeliac or crohns Jumps to mind.. I get the chronic fatigue with Sjorgens and Fibro but it was suddenly so much worse than ever so we did thyroid test... Mine was 13.9 and I was put on 50mg levothyroxine, blood test 5weeks later showed Tsh at 8.5 so increased levo to 100mg which has been a week but I am not feeling the fatigue lighten at all yet... I have heard it can take time for symptoms to ease even when stable with levels and medication... Have you been 'stable' with meds and Tsh level for long?

[Lisa_middle_earth in reply to Caliendria]

Thanks for your reply Caliendria 😊

No, no autoimmune panel. As for TSH I’ve not been stable since diagnosed in Feb 2017, it’s been up and down - more times up than down. I had TPO antibodies tested and raised levels shown autoimmune thyroid- that’s the only autoimmune test I’ve had. I hadn’t thought of coeliac or chrons to be honest.

[Caliendria in reply to Lisa_middle_earth]

Just a thought... Worth exploring... Hope you get some answers then you can find effective management... X