Good morning all
I’ve been advised by everyone here to get my vitamins checked and I now have my results.
My B12 is 413 in a range of 200-900
My ferritin is 13 in a range of 15-250 so below range
My vitamin D is 78 in a range of 75-200 so nearly out of range
Also, I had my HBA1C done and it was 36 in a range of 20-41. I know it’s in r age but I worry it’s quite high in range. Does that mean I could be heading for diabetes or does it not work like that?
Thanks in advance!
Paolatello
My B12 is 413 in a range of 200-900
Is that pmol/L, ng/L or pg/ml?
If it's ng/L or pg/ml (they are the same) then according to an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:
"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".
"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."
A better test is the Active B12 test which shows what's available to be taken up by the cells. You can have a decent Serum B12 result (you have a Serum B12 test there) but a poor Active B12. The NHS doesn't normally do Active B12 but Medichecks do a fingerprick test for this.
You also need folate testing when B12 is tested as they work together.
My ferritin is 13 in a range of 15-250 so below range
This is absolutely dire, as you can see it is below range. Low ferritin can suggest iron deficiency anaemia. Please see your GP and ask for a full blood count and iron panel. With such a low ferritin I would want an iron infusion which will raise your level within 24-48 hours whereas iron tablets can take many months.
My vitamin D is 78 in a range of 75-200 so nearly out of range
Presumably the unit of measurement if nmol/L, if so the equivalent is 31.2ng/ml.
Deficiency would be <25nmol/L, insufficient would be 25-50nmol/L. Your GP wont prescribe anything for your level.
The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L (50ng/ml) and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L (40-60ng/ml).
To reach the recommended level from your current level the Vit D Council suggests supplementing with 2,500iu D3 daily
vitamindcouncil.org/i-teste...
As you have Hashi's, for best absorption an oral spray is recommended, eg BetterYou, or sublingual drops, eg Vitabay Organics, as these bypass the gut.
Retest in 3 months.
When you have reached the recommende level then you'll need a maintenance dose to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:
There are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council -
vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
naturalnews.com/046401_magn...
Check out the other cofactors too (some of which can be obtained from food).
Don't start all supplements at the same time. Start with one, leave it 1-2 weeks and if no adverse reaction then add the second one. Continue like this. If you have any reaction then you will know what caused it.
Also, I had my HBA1C done and it was 36 in a range of 20-41. I know it’s in r age but I worry it’s quite high in range. Does that mean I could be heading for diabetes or does it not work like that?
Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Mine was 34 when tested and I'm not in the least bit worried. See
diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1...
and scroll down to the table just below
HbA1c in diagnosis
HbA1c can indicate people with prediabetes or diabetes as follows:
Thanks so much for your in depth answer. It’s so so helpful!
hbA1C is a protein that can be used to measure how blood sugar levels in your blood are being controlled over a long period - being in range isn't a problem - prediabetes in when you are just above range and diabetes would be significantly above the range.
diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-test.html
unless you are highly symptomatic of B12 deficiency and you have an earlier test for serum B12 that showed a significantly higher level (ie more than 20% higher) it is unlikely that you have B12 deficiency
you can find more information on B12 deficiency on the PAS forum
Thank you. Is the HBA1C test one that needs keeping an eye on? Is it the type of test that would creep up slowly?
My B13 has always been low in range. The last one about a year ago was 300.
What are your thoughts on the low ferritin? Is that anemia?
ferritin is only one measure of iron deficiency but generally a good one - you would really need a full blood count to confirm.
hbA1C is a snap shot - its quite common to do it periodically to check for diabetes. It will vary within the normal range for a lot of reasons. it isn't something that just creeps up over time. Its a measure of how your body is managing to control your blood sugars - it will change if your body starts developing insulin resistance or diabetes.
Thank you for explaining that.
For the iron deficiency what would I be looking at on the full blood count?
signs of microcytic anaemia - low MCV, MCH and MCHC
Vitamins in hashimoto thyroid
Hashimotos and Vitamin Deficiencies 
Need help with a possible thyroid problem.
Hashimotos and taking vitamins.
