Results from medicheck

[Mj40]

I had my bloods done with Medicheck for Thyroid and vitamins I was on 50mg Levothyroxine since March but I went up to 75mg 6 days ago. I’m also suffering from hair loss. Can someone explain the bloods to me and if I have hashimoto and to improve hair growth.

Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Mj40

Was this test done when you were on 50mcg Levo and you increased to 75mcg after receiving these results?

If so that was the right thing to do because your TSH is too high and FT4/FT3 too low for someone on Levo. The aim of a treated hypo patient generally, when on Levo, 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. You should retest 6-8 weeks after your dose increase to see how your levels have changed and to see if you need a further increase.

Being optimally medicated may help hair loss.

Your results are very small even on my PC's large monitor, (you could zoom in on just the results, all that blank space is unnecessary and makes the important information very small and difficult to read), but if I have made them out properly:

Ferritin: 46.9 (?)

This is too low, ferritin is recommended to be half way through range. You can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet

apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

Improving ferritin may help hair loss.

Folate: 13.73

This is OK.

Active B12: 57.6 (?)

This is too low. Anything below 70 suggests testing for B12 deficiency - see Viapath at St Thomas' Hospital information here:

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

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

Do you have any signs of B12 deficiency? Check here:

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

If you do then you should list them to discuss with your GP when asking for further testing for B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia.

Vit D: 35.9nmol/L = 14.36ng/ml

This is in the Insufficiency category.

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, based on the Vit D Council's suggestions you could supplement with 4,000iu D3 daily (nearest is 5,000iu)

vitamindcouncil.org/i-teste...

Retest after 3 months.

A good D3 supplement at a reasonable price which gives good absorption is Doctor's Best oil based D3 softgels. Best price is usually from Dolphin Fitness.

When you've reached the recommended 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:

vitamindtest.org.uk/

Doctors don't know, because they're not taught much about nutrients, but 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...

drjockers.com/best-magnesiu...

afibbers.org/magnesium.html

Check out the other cofactors too (some of which can be obtained from food).

Don't start all supplements at once. Start with one, give it a week or two and if no adverse reaction then add the next one. Again, wait a week or two and if no adverse reaction add the next one. Continue like this. If you do have any adverse reaction then you will know what caused it.

Your thyroid antibodies are nice and low and those results don't suggest Hashi's. However, that doesn't rule it out completely as antibodies fluctuate, you would need a few more negative results and even then it's apparently possible to have Hashi's without raised antibodies. But having Hashi's doesn't change the treatment, it's the hypothyroidism that Hashi's causes that's treated, and the treatment is thyroid hormone replacement which you are already taking.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase

Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.

Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription. Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.

Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine. Though it is the only one for lactose intolerant patients. Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet.

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range

NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.

nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...

Also what foods to avoid (eg recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours from taking Levo)

All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels

[Mj40 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for your reply and info shared Iv been on the same brand since day one. What strength of b12 do u recommend?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Mj40]

What strength of b12 do u recommend?

You shouldn't be considering self supplementing with B12 with your level, you should be getting tested for B12 deficiency as recommended in the link to Viapath at St Thomas' Hospital.

[Mj40 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I’m a bit confused I had a test for B12 and it was 57.600 (37-188) apparently this was normal. Sorry I’m new to this all and it confuses me.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Mj40]

I’m a bit confused I had a test for B12 and it was 57.600 (37-188) apparently this was normal.

Have you read the link I put in my previous reply, and what I said? Yes, it is within range but it's very low at only 13% through the range. Viapath at St Thomas' says that an Active B12 level suggests testing for B12 deficiency.

[Mj40 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi seasidesusie yes I did read it but didn’t understand. Will my gp do this for me or do I need to get this test done privately?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Mj40]

Your GP may do it, you can only ask, and take a print out of the page I linked to (there is a link to a pdf you can print at the bottom of the page), pointing out that Viapath is the lab at St Thomas' Hospital (NHS) in London.

[Mj40 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you SeasideSusie X

[Mj40 in reply to SlowDragon]

SlowDragon would you be able to advise if I have hashimoto with the blood test I have had?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Mj40]

Your antibodies are negative, so it appears not Hashimoto's.....but 20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

Ask GP for ultrasound scan of thyroid

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...