Blood test ok? Some advice on this please (new member)

[Cheryl1986]

Uploaded blood test result if anyone can tell these are ok? I was told they were by GP; other results were:

Ferritin 23 u/gl (raised from 10 u/gl , after 4 weeks of taking prescribed ferrous fumurate prescribed by GP for iron deficiency)

Full blood count seems to be ok

Haemoglobin is now 139 (range 118-148)- 4 weeks ago before iron tablets haemoglobin was 121 (range 118-148)

Symptoms still now-

Light headeness constantly

Weak

Fatigued

Tired all the time even when I have slept

I got some lovely responses from my first post about when I found out I was iron deficient and was advised to get a print out and upload it if anyone can help me with the reading of the results

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Your ferritin needs to increase some more

Heavy periods are classic sign of being hypothyroid

Ask GP for thyroid testing

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

All thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

[Cheryl1986 in reply to SlowDragon]

Great thank you . That's great advice. Slowly my ferritin is increasing from 10 to 23 u/gl in 4 weeks but still getting the symptoms (light headed, fatigue) x

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Cheryl1986]

If GP won't test anything other than TSH you need to consider private testing

Ferritin needs to be at least over 50, over 70 is better

Eating liver or liver pate once a week should help improve levels. Plus vitamin C or orange juice to help improve absorption

Important thing is to consider why iron is low. Full testing of thyroid, thyroid antibodies and other vitamins needed

[108Optimist]

23 ferretin is very low. Get up to 50.

[Cheryl1986 in reply to 108Optimist]

Would that be causing my symptoms still? I felt all this when my ferritin levels were 10...4 weeks of ferrous fumurate they are now 23, but still get the lightheaded and fatigue all the time but not as bad but it's still there all the time

[108Optimist in reply to Cheryl1986]

Yes low ferretin / iron can be cause of those symptoms. 70-90 ferretin is ideal . 50 you will feel a lot better.

[Cheryl1986 in reply to 108Optimist]

Thank you. My Doctor never told me all this x

[ShootingStars]

Hi. Can you post your thyroid labs? You've posted CRP and liver panel which are the wrong tests. Your results of these tests are fine. Your symptoms could very well be caused by thyroid disease. Fatigue and tiredness are just two of the common signs of thyroid disease, but weakness can be one of them, too.

The thyroid tests you need to look for are these: TSH, Free T3, Free T4. TSH tested by itself will not cut it. It's not a thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones are T3 and T4, and are tested through Free T3 and Free T4. They are tested along with TSH in a group. If these have not been tested then you don't know if the cause of your symptoms is your thyroid or if it's not.

Two thyroid antibodies also need to be tested, TPOab and TPab. Your thyroid lab results can look normal, but you can have positive antibodies, which mean you have autoimmune thyroid disease. called Hashimoto's.

[Cheryl1986 in reply to ShootingStars]

On the other printed out page of the results it says

Serum TSH level 1.85 miu/L (range 0.30-5.00 miu/L

[ShootingStars in reply to Cheryl1986]

Sorry but TSH by itself doesn't tell you anything. You'll need complete thyroid labs and the ranges, not just TSH, to determine if your thyroid is functioning correctly or not. TSH by itself doesn't tell you anything. Your TSH is currently not too bad, but you could still have low thyroid hormones (Free T3 and Free T4) with TSH at your level. TSH is not a thyroid hormone. It comes from the pituitary gland and communicates with the thyroid. If TSH is low or good (yours is just starting to creep up), but FT3 and FT4 are also low, then this is called Central Hypothyroidism and is caused by a pituitary or hypothalamus issue. You can have Central Hypothyroidism and also have Hashimoto's. I have both.

[Cheryl1986 in reply to ShootingStars]

But that's what the DR sent for the TSH serum , so how do I get him to do whole thyroid blood tests? I'm going through my DR you see x

[Cheryl1986 in reply to ShootingStars]

It's very hard isn't it to get a GP to do these blood tests , they test for thyroid by doing this TSH serum, so how do I get them to do it or what do I ask for ? Haha x

[Muffy]

You haven’t posted your thyroid blood test results, but I did notice that you had your blood drawn at 14.30. Ideally, the blood test should be around 8/8.30 am when TSH is at its highest. Also having eaten decreases TSH levels, so fasting would also produce a slightly higher TSH.

[Cheryl1986 in reply to Muffy]

On the other print out of results it says

Serum TSH level 1.85 miu/L (range 0.30-5.00 miu/L

[Dollydaydream11]

Have yo had your B12 and folate levels tested? You may have other anaemias going on..

[Cheryl1986 in reply to Dollydaydream11]

My b12 was 391 (range 181- 910 ng/L)

[Dollydaydream11]

That is quite low, are you supplementing at all? There is functional deficiency whereby your level appears normal but you are deficient x

[Cheryl1986 in reply to Dollydaydream11]

DR said it was ok? Would that cause symptoms around 391? When I saw it was pretty low I know it's not very low but I started taking a B complex vitamin with my iron tablet (2 hours apart from each other it's only 1 tablet a day my iron is 3 times a day)

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Cheryl1986]

Well, it has been suggested that the bottom of the range should be 450, so, yes, it could well cause symptoms. Apparently levels under 500 can cause permanent neurological damage. But the GP only has to see if you are within NHS range - if you are, it's "OK" regardless of symptoms. Don't take other vitamins (except vitain C which you must take with iron) with your iron as the iron will stop them being absorbed properly and you'll be wasting your money.

[Cheryl1986 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Oh really under 500 I didn't know that! ... I take a Boots b12 complex vitamin I started 4 weeks ago, and I have just bought a vitamin C tablets to take along side of my ferrous fumurate tablets. So would taking the b12 complex with breakfast be ok and then 2 hours later take my 1st of the iron tablets (then take my vitamin c tablet at same time) and then I can space my 2 other iron tablets in the afternoon and evening ...does that sound ok?

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Cheryl1986]

That sounds Ok. Next time you buy B12, check that it is methylcobalamin (not cynanocobalamin) and is sublingual and at least 1000iu. The Boots one might be, but I've never tried theirs.