New Blue Horizon Results & Iron Improvement

[FancyPants54]

Hello

I have my new Blue Horizon test result back. This is such a slow process. I had hoped for more movement of results. But it's barely shifting. What do you experienced people think? Are there any clues here I need to be aware of or look into?

I've decided to store my results under my profile from now on, but here are copies of the previous test in the summer and the new tests now.

If SeasideSusie sees this; how am I doing on my iron? Should I stop supplementing now and rely on food?

Goodness knows how my Vitamin D level dropped when we've had so much sun and I've used BetterYou Spray. But the measurement scale is different, not sure how to interpret that. In fact, I'm not sure how to interpret the different measurement scales on a few of the results. Any help welcome. Am I being impatient, or is this extremely slow improvement normal?

26/06/2018

Taking 75mcg Levothyroxine per day for 6-8 weeks.

The Doctors Laboratory

TSH - 7.13 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2)

Free Thyroxine - 17.1 pmol/L (12.0 - 22.0)

Free T3 - 4.5 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)

Thyroglobulin Antibody - 24.8 IU/mL (0 - 115) Roche Modular method

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies - 32.8 IU/mL (0 - 34) Roche Modular method

Vitamin D (25 OH) - 90 mol/L (50 - 200) Normal range considered 50 - 200 mol/L

Serum Vitamin B12 - 735 ng/L (180 - 900)

Ferritin - 37.3 micro/L (10 - 200)

Serum Folate - 12.6 micro/L (3.0 - 20.0)

10/09/2018

Blue Horizon Medicals

Taking 100mcg Levothyroxine daily.

hs-CRP - High - 5.06 (<5.0 mg/L)

Ferritin - 72.4 (13 - 150 ug/L)

TSH - High - 6.11 (0.27 - 4.20 mIU/L)

T4 Total - 115.0 (66 - 181 mol/L)

Free T4 - 17.70 (12.0 - 22.0 pmol/L)

Free T3 - 4.48 (3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L)

Thyroglobulin Antibody - 19 kU/L (<115)

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies - 28.6 kIU/L (<34)

Vitamin D (25 OH) - 86 mol/L - Sufficient

Vitamin B12 - 429 pmol/L - Sufficient (taking Better You spray supplement)

Serum Folate - 26.00 nmol/L (8.83 - 60.8)

[FancyPants54]

Anyone around? Feeling very low this afternoon because I'm starting to feel everything I'm doing is having no effect.

[wellness1 in reply to FancyPants54]

I can understand why you're feeling discouraged. In addition to all your symptoms, it does seem odd your labs didn't really change much, despite your dose increase. Are you going to try another increase? I hope you begin to feel better soon. Take care.

[FancyPants54 in reply to wellness1]

Yes, I shall go to 125mcg now. I will tell the doctor later. The increases are always hard though. I just don’t understand why the results haven’t really moved.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

FancyPants54

26/6/18

Vitamin D (25 OH) - 90 mol/L (50 - 200) Normal range considered 50 - 200 mol/L

Vitamin D (25 OH) - 86 mol/L - Sufficient

Goodness knows how my Vitamin D level dropped when we've had so much sun and I've used BetterYou Spray. But the measurement scale is different, not sure how to interpret that

The unit of measurement is the same at nmol/L. I don't make Vit D from the sun very easily at all and even though my level is within the recommended range (100-150nmol/L) it had dropped to 104nmol/L and I prefer my level to be around 150, so I've been supplementing with 5000iu D3 all through the summer.

Have you been taking magnesium as a cofactor of D3? It helps the body use D3.

How much D3 are you taking?

Ferritin - 72.4 (13 - 150 ug/L)

Well done on getting this up. I'd now just eat liver every week or two, see if that will maintain your level. Eating 120-140g per week raised my level, so you might find that eating it every other week might maintain yours. There's also liver pate, black pudding and other iron rich foods apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

Serum Vitamin B12 - 735 ng/L (180 - 900)

Vitamin B12 - 429 pmol/L

To convert from pmol/L to ng/L multiply by 1.355, so your new B12 level is 581ng/L. So your B12 has reduced. Have you changed your supplement, or reduced the dose?

Serum Folate - 12.6 micro/L (3.0 - 20.0) - 56% through range

Serum Folate - 26.00 nmol/L (8.83 - 60.8) - 33% through range

You can see that your folate has reduced also. Are you using a B Complex? Which one? Have you changed brand?

TSH - 7.13 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.2)

Free Thyroxine - 17.1 pmol/L (12.0 - 22.0)

Free T3 - 4.5 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8)

TSH - High - 6.11 (0.27 - 4.20 mIU/L)

T4 Total - 115.0 (66 - 181 mol/L)

Free T4 - 17.70 (12.0 - 22.0 pmol/L)

Free T3 - 4.48 (3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L)

Your FT4 and FT3 are very similar in both tests, and your TSH is slightly lower. Your TSH s actually quite high considering that your FT4 is over half way through the range. Were both tests done at the same time of day (early morning?), fasting and leaving off Levo for 24 hours?

Have you been diagnosed with Hashimoto's? Your TPO antibodies are too close to the top of the range for it not to be a consideration.

[FancyPants54 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hello SeasideSusie

Thank you for that. I gave myself a full 7 days off all supplements before I took this test.

I switched to the BetterYou Vit D3 spray, 3000u a day with K2. Before I was using D3 drops from Nutri. Perhaps I had better go back to that one, but I thought 3000 a day would be enough. I haven't been studiously taking magnesium. I take some or put some on my skin when I remember. Again, looks like I'd better get back to taking it regularly.

Ferritin, I will finish off my current iron spray and then just eat as you suggest and see if I can hold it up there or even higher. I'd rather it was around 80-90. Thank you. This success was all down to you.

B12 - yes I have changed what I do with this one. I was wearing a patch and taking a sublingual 5000 tablet to get levels up. I took an active B12 test earlier in the year that came back good so I then just finished off the bottle of tablets and switched to the BetterYou B12 spray. I might keep with the spray and add a sublingual a few times a week or a patch. I really wanted to back off the supplements to reduce expenditure!

Folate - are you saying it's reduced because it's lower because of it's % in range? I thought it had gone up nicely because I looked at the number! I am using Thorne Basic B as suggested by you. I take 1 tablet a day. I didn't take any regular B's before that so it almost seems as if taking the supplement caused levels to drop!? Should I use a different complex or take 2 tablets a day instead of 1?

The tiny reduction in TSH is depressing. 8 weeks of dose change to get such a small result is demoralising. The lack of movement in Free T3 and T4 is doubly depressing because I just don't have any energy, I'm full of fluid/mucin, fat and feel miserably weary most of the time. I don't understand it. All my blood tests are taken before 9am, fasting and without meds. I do it all by the book. Why would it not reduce more than this (TSH) and increase a bit (T4 and T3)?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to FancyPants54]

FancyPants

You haven't said whether you have been diagnosed with Hashi's. I think you do have it and that could well be causing problems. A gluten free diet and supplementing with selenium can help with reducing antibodies and I think it's worth trying for a few months.

Yes your folate has reduced, it's a lower percentage through the range. I'm surprised about the Thorne Basic B. I raised my folate from bottom of range to top of range in 2.5 months just taking 1 capsule a day.

Were you taking 3 x D3 Nutri drops once a day? That is 3000iu. Were you taking 3 sprays of the BetterYou to give 3000iu? I don't know why BetterYou say it's a 3000iu spray when you have to take 3 sprays to get 3000iu. Do take the magnesium every day, it will help your body use the D3.

[FancyPants54 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I forgot about the antibodies. I've been testing my thyroid for years now. Antibodies have never been above range. I think this is the highest I've seen them. I barely have a diagnosis of hypo let alone autoimmune. I'm not convinced myself. I can't do the gluten free thing. I hate it. Life is miserable enough with menopause issues on top of this. I did go gluten free for 18 months a number of years back to help me loose some weight, but I didn't feel any better for it. These are below range.

I take selenium occasionally. I can increase that. I used to take 2 x D3 Nutri drops at the time of the June test. I have been using 3 x BetterYou spray, so ostensibly more.

I'm still puzzled as to why taking 100 Levo a day has barely moved my T3 and T4.

[wellness1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

You have to take 3 sprays to get 3000IU?! On their website it says, "Each spray delivers 3000IU (75μg) of bioavailable vitamin D3." Confusing.

[FancyPants54 in reply to wellness1]

The bottle says to use 3 sprays for 3000

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to wellness1]

Wellness1

I don't use the spray but the website says:

betteryou.com/vitamin-d-k2?...

•3 sprays deliver 3000IU (75μg) of vitamin D plus 75μg of vitamin K2

betteryou.com/dlux3000

•Each spray delivers 3000IU (75μg) of bioavailable vitamin D3

so it looks as though it depends on which one you use.

I don't know what the bottle/packaging says.

It is confusing, can't understand why one would deliver 3000iu in one spray but the other you need to use 3 sprays. I'd be contacting them for clarification if it was me.

[wellness1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I use the second product, which is described as 3000 IU per spray and I take my K2 separately. I think the confusion is that we are talking about different products. Good catch and thanks for clarifying.

[Hidden]

Just wanted to say keep your spirits up As long as you have symptoms you need an increase in dose - along with all the other things you are doing. 100 levo isn't that much - even if the medical profession believe it is.

Just to add to the others comments about Vit D - I now see that I don't make much naturally either so have to supplement through the summer at a lower dose.

Do you take HRT - if so, well away from levo? Just a thought. x

[FancyPants54 in reply to Hidden]

My HRT is transdermal so it should be fine. I have to use oestrogen gel in the morning and progesterone at bed time.

[Hidden]

i am sorry I have read the results but don't understand the dates etc.

[FancyPants54 in reply to Hidden]

There are 2 sets of results. The second set starts with the date 10/09/18. I did lay it out better than this but the formatting didn't survive publishing the post! And I don't know how to edit it now it's up.