Vit B12 deficiency or Thyroid?

[KBird01]

Hi All. I was advised to post my Thyroid levels from a recent test by the guys on the B12 site. Many of the symptoms I have could be from either cause - including tingling hands/feet, swollen tongue, extreme fatigue, etc. I have around 15 symptoms altogether.

My recent thyroid test results from Medichecks were:

TSH - 1.18 mlU/L (Range: 0.27- 4.2)

Free T3 - 4.23 pmol/L (Range: 3.1 - 6.8)

Free Tyroxine - 16.200 pmol/L (Range: 12 - 22)

Any thoughts/advice gratefully received. GP's are not being very helpful, so I'm looking for a way through all this.

TIA

[Jazzw]

Hi Karen - have just read your post on the PAS forum too for context. Looking at those thyroid blood tests, it doesn’t appear to be your thyroid causing the problem (I’m assuming that you’ve never been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and that those are unmedicated results?).

So it does look to be a Vit B issue of some kind. Don’t forget that B12 deficiency may not be the only possibility - with the symptoms you described it could be a deficiency of other B vitamins as well. If you go down the self-injecting route don’t forget to take a good B-complex supplement.

Were your Vit D/ferritin levels ok?

[KBird01 in reply to Jazzw]

Hi Jazzw . Thanks for your reply and looking at this for me. That's reassuring to know it's not my thyroid. At least I'm ruling things out now.

My Vit D levels were 60.8 nmol/L (Range: 50 - 175) - which isn't great considering I was 38 nmol/L 2 years ago and have been supplementing with at least 1500ug Vit D tablets a day since.

My Ferritin was 47.6 ug/L (Range:13 - 150)

Managed to get an appointment with out of hours GP last night. Ruled out a couple of other things, so it's likely coming down to a possible combination of perimenopausal symptoms and B12 deficiency. I'm now pressing to get an agreement from the GP to treat my neurological symptoms with IM injections, with the view this is the least 'harmful' treatment route - i.e. less side effects than HRT. If B12 has no noticeable effect, then this may point to something else...

Ever hopeful... and thanks again!

[KBird01 in reply to KBird01]

Sorry Jazzw - forgot to add that I've no previous diagnosis/family history of thyroid probs.

[KBird01 in reply to KBird01]

Hi Jazzw - if ever there was evidence of 'brain fog' I'm it! I had a 2nd set of bloods done by my GP a week after the ones above, which showed a ferritin level of 24. Don't know too much about this one, so any advice/thoughts would be welcome.

[Jazzw in reply to KBird01]

That ferritin is pretty low. Here on the forum we recommend it should be at least 70 and preferably nearer mid range.

It might be an idea to ask your doctor to run a full iron panel, as iron deficiency anaemia could be a big factor in how you’re feeling.

[KBird01 in reply to Jazzw]

Thanks Jazzw . The GP did full bloods but not iron. Usual story - everything 'in range'. That included the ferritin. The Haematocrit came out at 0.379 (Range - 0.37 - 0.48) though, which does look low too.

I had my own medichecks tests done with iron included the week before, but all of these readings were higher than the GP ones.

Guess I'll flag this up with the GP as there does seem to be an overlap with some (although not all) of my symptoms.

Thanks again for your input.

[Roxanne73]

Hi, I have about the same thyroid numbers, no deficiencies that I know of, and it showed that my adrenals were the problem ( too low cortisol). Try to do a 24 h saliva cortisol test as well.

[KBird01 in reply to Roxanne73]

Thanks Roxanne. I've checked that out and the symptoms don't appear to match for me - still appears to be most likely low vit b12. Thanks again for your reassurance and glad you got sorted!

[BadHare]

I self-medicate for both hypothyroid & B12 symptoms.

I don't seem to need as much thyroid meds since I started injecting B12, though upping my iron intake & adding a mineral complex also helped me feel better & grow a little more hair.

[crw2ddd]

Did you ever find a resolution? I've been diagnosed with hashimotos for about two years and symtpoms never resolve totally. About five months ago I noticed pins and needles in hands and forearms. On and off, I have had a scalded tongue feeling and my muscles feel like they have lead weights in them. Also I have tightness in my neck in the front. I am going to get a referral to neurologist. I have had my b12 checked and it's usually between 300-400. Range (200-1000). So, not too bad but not great. I'm getting checked again this week because I used to think the tingling was from low t3, because when I would take my armour in the AM containing t3, I would feel better, but now it seems to have little effect. Unless Im just wholly undermedicated. We'll see I suppose.

[KBird01 in reply to crw2ddd]

Hi crw2ddd . Not had much luck with GP or haematologist I'm afraid. Ended up in a bit of an adversarial position really, where GP just wanted to prove I didn't have a vit B12 deficiency. Haematologist wouldn't see me, saying I just needed to up by Vit D (This is the one my GP told me 2 years ago I wasn't deficient in and didn't have those symptoms!)

So I've been self-injecting with B12 for the last month and feel like I've got my life back - I've more energy and mood has lifted more than what appears to be years. I guess I've conducted my own 'therapeutic trial', which is what I've been asking GP for. I'm continuing to self medicate and will be changing GP.

I was advised by Jazzw that my thyroid results appeared ok and the issue does appear to have been B12 for me, with possibly a touch of vit D deficiency. I wish you luck with your diagnosis and recovery.