Blood results

[Neverending63]

Would be grateful it you could double check my results for me. Doctor who commented said everything is ‘normal’ except iron was a little high, but that could be because of the spinach I eat as I don’t take any iron supplements. I’m on 175mcg levothyroxine. Thank you

[greygoose]

Your high ferritin will not be due to the spinach you eat, because although spinach has a high iron content, the human gut cannot absorb it.

Your B12 is low and needs further investigation.

Your TSH is too high for someone on thyroid hormone replacement - should come down to about 1 or under.

But, it's high because your FT3 is much too low - you have a conversion problem.

I've never done one of these home tests, because I don't live in the UK. But, I've always wondered, do you have to pay extra for these 'doctor's comments'? Because, if you do, it's a total waste of money. These doctors are only common or garden, NHS-trained GPs, and have no special training in thyroid. In fact, they know nothing about it, which can be seen by a lot of the comments they make. I wouldn't bother with them in future, if I were you.

[sy28 in reply to greygoose]

Hi greygoose, you don't pay extra for Dr's comments - but they helped me personally in consistently confirming original NHS diagnosis of Hashimoto's and recognising a conversion issue over a period of testing several months apart. I've taken advantage of special offers in order to get this private record and fuller picture. However, there can be a Catch-22 hurdle to overcome ... NHS routinely will not test T3, rT3 or T4 - and vitamin testing can be problematic. Private testing is often the only way to go, but you have to be prepared that the results may not necessarily be taken seriously by NHS endocrinologists and they still insist on seeking further, 'reliable' evidence of original diagnosis, as specified in small print of guidelines.

[greygoose in reply to sy28]

Yes, I realise all that, but that is not the point I was making. I have never, ever seen a doctor comment, from Medichecks, on here, that mentioned a conversion problem - not even when it's as obvious as the one above.

I wasn't saying that the tests weren't worth doing. I was saying that the doctors' comments on said tests weren't worth having because these doctors know nothing about thyroid.

[sy28 in reply to greygoose]

If you have a specific question regarding your Medichecks results, you can request to speak to the doctor who wrote the report, which I did regarding rT3/T3 ratio results. It was helpful when confirming evidence.

[greygoose in reply to sy28]

He'd be the last person I would talk to. And, I very much doubt he would know anything about the rT3./T3 ratio results, because they are pretty meaningless - what could he say? rT3 is not worth the money it costs to test, anyway. Did he tell you it proved you had a conversion problem? You don't need those test to prove that.

[Gingernut44 in reply to greygoose]

So true, after reading mine I decided to ignore them. Not worth the paper they're written on 😀

[Neverending63 in reply to greygoose]

Ty no you don’t pay extra it just comes as part of it

[greygoose in reply to Neverending63]

Thank you.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Neverending63

Folate is fine.

Active B12: 47.6 (37.5-188)

This is low. Below 70 suggests testing for B12 deficiency according to Viapath at St Thomas' Hospital:

viapath.co.uk/our-tests/act...

Reference range: >70*; * between 25-70 referred for MMA

Check for signs of B12 deficiency here:

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

If you have any then list them to discuss with your GP and ask for testing for b12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia.

Vit D - did you not do the ULTRAVIT test which includes this? This is also important to test.

Considering that you take 175mcg Levo then your TSH is on the high side. The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well. So your current TSH suggests an increase in Levo. Although your FT4 is reasonable at 69% through range, there is room for it to increase.

Your FT3 is very low compared to your FT4. Conversion may improve if B12 is optimised (also an optimal level of Vit D), selenium and zinc are also said to help conversion.

[Neverending63 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ty for that I will have a look at the links.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If you didn't get vitamin D tested, you can test here

vitamindtest.org.uk

[SlowDragon Administrator]

See from your profile you have fibromyalgia. This can be linked to low FT3.

See if GP will increase Levothyroxine. This may help improve low FT3

Improving vitamin levels can help improve conversion.

What supplements do you currently take?

healthrising.org/blog/2019/...


thyroiduk.org/tuk/research/...


thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/relate...


stopthethyroidmadness.com/f...


prohealth.com/library/new-t...


chriskresser.com/low-t3-syn...


clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show...


holtorfmed.com/download/chr...

healthrising.org/blog/2019/...

[Neverending63 in reply to SlowDragon]

Ty for your help. I’m currently taking vit D + K2 oral spray and that’s it.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Neverending63]

So you need to retest vitamin D twice yearly while you work out what maintenance dose you need

Aiming to improve vitamin D to around 100nmol

B12 is low.

Do not take any B vitamins until GP has done test for Pernicious Anaemia

Assuming you don't get prescribed B12 injections.

Supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in not folic acid may be beneficial.

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

B vitamins best taken in the morning after breakfast

Recommended brands on here are Igennus Super B complex. (Often only need one tablet per day, not two. Certainly only start with one tablet per day after breakfast. Retesting levels in 6-8 weeks ).

Or Jarrow B-right is popular choice, but is large capsule

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

[Neverending63 in reply to SlowDragon]

Ty I will look into all of that