Blood Test Results

[flfair]

Hi

I’m looking for advice on Medichecks blood test and recommendations, my symptoms are muscle and joint pain in legs and wrists, twitching muscles, low body temperature, cold in legs and hands, age 68. I have essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and take Anagrelide for it.

Test results

TSH 3.14 mlU/L (0.27-4.2)

Free T3 5.27 pmol/L (3.1-6.8)

Free Thyroxine 14.500 pmol/L (12-22)

Ferritin 284 ug/L (30-400)

Folate Serum 12.36 ug/L (Range: > 3.89)

Vitamin B12-active 93.600 pmol/L (Range: 37.5-188)

Vitamin D 48.6 ng/ml

Thyroglobulin Antibodies <10 kU/L (Range: <115)

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies <9.0 klU/L (Range: <34)

CRP HS 0.45 mg/L (Range: <5)

Thanks

Peter

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

flfair

I take it you don't have a diagnosis of a thyroid condition and are not on any medication?

TSH 3.14 mlU/L (0.27-4.2)

Free T3 5.27 pmol/L (3.1-6.8)

Free Thyroxine 14.500 pmol/L (12-22)

Thyroglobulin Antibodies <10 kU/L (Range: <115)

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies <9.0 klU/L (Range: <34)

These are euthyroid (normal) although your TSH is on the higher side. In a normal healthy person one might expect to see TSH no more than 2-ish and FT4 possibly around mid-range. This may be your "normal", it may not. Do you have any symptoms that you think may be linked to hypothyroidism?

List of signs and symptoms here: thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...

Ferritin, Folate and B12 are OK. I like my Active B12 to be over 100, recently tested with Medichecks and it was 162pmol/L which I am comfortable with.

Vitamin D 48.6 ng/ml - are you sure this is ng/ml, in the UK it's usually nmol/L

The Vit D Council recommends a level of 50ng/ml (125nmol/L) and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 40-60ng/ml (100-150nmol/L) so your level of 48.6ng/ml seem to be near enough but you may just want to nudge it up nearer the 60ng/ml. My test is always done with the unit of measurement nmol/L and I prefer mine to be close to the upper limit of 150nmol/L.

Muscle and joint pains can be linked to low Vit D, twitching muscles can be low magnesium.

Have you checked the patient information leaflet for the Anagrelide to see what side effects it can cause. The following is listed

• muscle aches

• painful joints

[flfair in reply to SeasideSusie]

Susie, yes I don't have a diagnosis of a thyroid condition and are not on any medication, do you think I should be?

I’m beginning to think it’s the Anagrelide which is causing my problems.

VitaminD readings are correct, Cerascreen did the test. This paper explains a lot, yes I also take magnesium.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Thanks

Peter

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to flfair]

Susie, yes I don't have a diagnosis of a thyroid condition and are not on any medication, do you think I should be?

In some other countries you would be diagnosed hypothyroid and prescribed Levo when TSH hits 3, you wont here in the UK, it has to be at least over range with a low FT4 and symptoms of hypothyroidism and then an enlightened doctor may diagnose and prescribe Levo. Most wait until TSH reaches 10.

Have you checked the list of signs/symptoms of hypothyroidism?

I’m beginning to think it’s the Anagrelide which is causing my problems.

That's possible.

[flfair in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes Susie I’ve checked the list of symptoms of hypothyroidism and can tick quite a few, the list of side effects of Anagrelide are the same, a lot of people on the MPN voice forum cannot tolerate Anagrelide, my average body temperature is 36.3C. I think I will have to stop taking this drug and see if symptoms improve.

Thank you for your help and advise.

Peter

[shaws Administrator]

This is a list of clinical symptoms and also 'interpretation of results':-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

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

[flfair in reply to shaws]

Yes Shaw I’ve checked the list of symptoms of hypothyroidism and can tick quite a few, a lot of the side effects of Anagrelide are the same.

Thanks

Peter

[shaws Administrator in reply to flfair]

I feel sorry for you to have more than one medical condition that needs regular treatments. At least with pernicious anaemia (I have it) as long as you have replacement B12 injections a person doesn't become very unwell.. I'm sorry both of your conditions cause you to have additional symptoms.