Do you think I may need more b12 as well as iro... - Thyroid UK

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Do you think I may need more b12 as well as iron plse? Have low ferritin 28, but MCH overange again?

Jo5454 profile image
2 Replies

Hi

I wonder if anyone can offer advice please? I need to supplement iron (ferritin 28-had changed from fumerate to bisglycinate, had to stop taking for couple months due to infections?) and iron stores low again.

I would presume the MCH (32.5-range is 27-32)would be lower with low iron? I have monthly jabs for functional b12 def, but do you think this points to fact I still need more b12-result was in 1600's- it has been over 3000 at times.

Am very breathless, tired, system seems to panic symptoms very easily, foggy, etc.

Thyroid results have got worse,ft4 11, tsh 3.7 and neutrophils and white blood cells overange, but folate much better this time.

Any ideas gratefully received thank you. Did a post yesterday but realise I rambled too long,but was a bit confused!

Many thanks!

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Jo5454
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humanbean profile image
humanbean

You might find this helpful :

healthline.com/health/mch#l...

Low MCH suggests that you may have too low a level of iron.

healthline.com/health/mch#h...

High MCH suggests that you may have too low a level of vitamin B12 and/or folate.

You could have both low iron and low vitamin B12 and low folate or any combo of low nutrients.

If you have low iron AND low B12 / folate your MCH could be anywhere - over the range, below the range, or anywhere in the range. You simply can't tell.

The fact that your MCH is high suggests that your vitamin B12 and/or folate are a worse problem than your iron. But that isn't the same as saying that your iron levels are good. A ferritin level of 28 is very unlikely to be good.

Could you write out the things you are concerned about and give the reference ranges for all of them please.

Jo5454 profile image
Jo5454 in reply to humanbean

Thanks so much humanbean...yes that makes sense that the folate/b12 are worse than the iron, thus MCH is higher. Do you think other bvits could be out of sync? I take B2 and b6 to correct homocysteine, but maybe need others?

I was concerned at upping iron now (am going to change back to fumerate) and making the balance worse. I don't think my Dr will accept the MCH as a reason to give me more more b12!

I've been taking iodine (daily dose by drop) and selenium for 6 months, but result has only risen from 38-41, (100-199) so have changed to Lugols 15% to see if that helps? At the time of deciding to try this think my thyroid Ft4 around 14 and Tsh 3.5ish.

This has since worsened and FT4 is 11 and TSH 3.72. Not sure if the drop in ferritin has caused this to worsen or the iodine and whether I will have to try thyroid medication. I was just hoping to correct these other levels to see if it helped. TSH has been up to 6 something but improved after starting the injections.

I'm also concerned about the White blood cells being higher 10.3 (4-10) and neutrophils 8.12 (2-7) can only see it points to infection, though it does say stress can put them up and ive been feeling like my system is stressed and reacting with major panic to the smallest of things. Had couple of months of sinus/inner ear infections and am presuming they've improved.

Perhaps it could be an imbalance after the doses of antibiotics causes digestive infections. Have had candida issues in past. May be worth a check.

Cholesterol 3.9, glucose 5.4 so they look fine and folate jumped up from 5ish to 13.1! Not sure how, only supplement few days near inj. and have one mutation of the c667 MTHFR gene. Did read it does tend to rise after b12 inj, so perhaps that's good:)

Thank you for bearing with me. Any ideas greatly appreciated. Am thinking it may be good to recheck vit d (been low in the past), thyroid antibodies as well...

kind regards

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