Hi everyone, I had a private blood test for my Thyroid and Vitamins by Medichecks online and I finally have my blood test results. I’m told my thyroid is normal yet again, despite my symptoms, but told I need to increase my Vitamin D supplement and my B12. I have been taking Vitamin D for around 6 months (25 ug) 1 a day from Boots, as advised by my GP. I decided myself to try Vitamin B12 and have been taking 1000 ug 1 a day, for around 4 weeks (I bought these on Amazon from a company called Nutribioticals). Please could you tell me if this is normal, because my main symptoms are virtually constant fatigue, which I’ve had for years, brain fog, feeling so run down, to the point of feeling suicidal at times, overweight (15st & 5ft 6in), Diabetic Type 2, hysterectomy due to very heavy periods/fibroids (3 yrs ago), high blood pressure (medicated), high cholesterol (medicated) and I take Antidepressants (Sertraline 200mg)....muscle pain/weakness especially in both legs, sometimes even a struggle with strength in my arms to even wash my hair in the shower, vision blurry a lot of times, headaches, can sleep all night, but when I get up, I often feel I have to go back to bed. I’m not one bit a lazy person, but these past few years, I’m even struggling to hold down a job. I’ve worked as a Civil Servant for 8 years previously, and never been out of work since leaving school. I’m 50 now, have had these symptoms for years, but always managed, now I’m ten times much worse. In 2012 I became a carer for my parents for two years, until they passed away, but due to no energy and a constant feeling of ‘not firing on all cylinders’, feeling extremely self conscious and inadequate around people, to the point I’ve even left four part-time only cleaning jobs in as many years! I’m at my wits end, please can someone help me to understand if these results are normal? My parents both had heart attacks and strokes, my dad a benign brain tumour too, both my older sister and brother had heart attacks, sister at just 38 and brother at 50, so am I holding on for it to be my thyroid or are my symptoms of a heart/stroke pending issue? Any advice would be so appreciated. Thank you for reading my post .....
CRP HS 9.08
Ferritin 74.3
Folate Serum 4.84
B12 Active 64.3
Vitamin D 57
TSH 1.48
Free T3 4.41
Free Thyroxine 13.7
Thyroglobulin Antibodies 35.1
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 18.7
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Mellowyellow100
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B vitamins best taken in the morning after breakfast
Igennus Super B complex are nice small tablets. 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 Thorne Basic B or jarrow B-right are other options that contain folate, but both are large capsules
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
If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
On statins it's even more important to manage sugar/carb levels
Hi Slowdragon, this is all making sense if it is an under active thyroid. I have a slight pain too on my right side of my thyroid, hurts when I swallow. I don’t know if that’s relevant? Also I have a swelling about the size of half a lemon under my right armpit. I was invited for a routine mammogram and the doctor there advised me it is just fatty tissue (it’s not painful in any way but puffy) I’m wondering if that could be related to it aswell...can it be a swollen lymph node?
I will look into the vitamins too. I can’t believe how relieved I am that I can speak to you guys about these issues, but no time to get advice from my own GP. The GP’s just don’t have time anymore! Thank you so much.
Dear SlowDragon, since this post I have had a scan of my thyroid and told it’s all normal, with the exception of two colloid cysts of 3mm & 5mm, but told nothing to worry about. On 12.12.19 I had a full count blood test, by my GP because you guys suggested i could have Pernicious Anaemia, from my previous blood tests. My GP has stated I don’t have PA and has now given me HRT gel to see if it helps, but I’ve already got High cholesterol and my diabetes is high too, he said it could make my blood thicken, which is worrying, but said will be good to try it at least. Here are my blood results of 12th Dec 2019......
Anti nuclear factor(rs1) FINE SPECKLED TITRE 1:320 ANA REMAINS WEAKLY POSITIVE
SERUM TRIGLICERIDES 7.2 mmol/L. 0.00-1.70mmol/L
IRON STUDIES.
Serum iron level 19 umol/L 9.00-30umol/L
Serum Transferrin 3.29gl 2.50-3.80g/L
Serum Ferritin 83ugl 15.00-250.00ug/L
Transferrin Saturation Index 22 percent. 15.00-50.00 percent
Total white cell count 5.1 10*9/L. 4.00-11.0010*9/L
Haemoglobin Est 161 g/L 115.00-165.00g/L
Platelet count 187 10*9/L. 150.00 -450.0010*9/L
RBC 5.37 10*12/L. 3.50-5.5010*12/L
! HAEMATOCRIT 0.5 Ratio 0.37-0.47 Ratio
MCV 93.6 fL 75.00-105.00 fL
MCH 30 pg 26.00-35.00pg
MCHC 321 g/l 290.00-350.00gl
Red blood cell distribut width 14.8 percent 11.00-15.00 percent
Neutrophil count 3.8 10*9/L 2.00-75010*9/L
Lymphocytes count 1 10*9/L 1.00-40010*9/L
Monocytes count 0.2. 10*9/L 0.20-0.8010*9/L
Eosinophil count 0.1 10*9/L. 0.00-0.4010*9/L
Basophil count 0. 10*9/L. 0.00-0.1010*9/L
Mean platelet vol 8.4 fL
Percentage hypochromic cells 2.7 percent
B12 & Serum Folate (bp) normal
Serum vitamin B12 284ng/L 200.00-900.00ng/L
Serum Folate 3.4ug/L 2.00-17.00ug/L
Urine albumin (bp) normal
Urine creatinine 4.2 mmol/L
Urine albumin <6.6mg/L
Urine Albumin:Creatinine ratio ‘unable to calculate AC ratio, but this result is within the normal range’.
I’ve also been taking Vitamin B12 complex and Vitamin D from doctors prescription. These have really helped with my depression and fatigue. However the pains in both my legs are still there, but not as bad. Almost like Restless Leg Syndrome having to keep stretching my legs and moving them.
So from these tests my doctor says I don’t have Thyroid issues, nor Pernicious Anaemia. My thyroid hurts still, on the right hand side, but again GP says all is fine. It feels like a throat and ear infection but I’ve had it for the past year or so.
Thank you for all your help and advice, it’s so much appreciated.
Thanks so much for your reply ...my last Vitamin D test was a few months ago, done by me at home with a Medichecks test. It was 57.
So I have been taking a prescribed Vitamin D from my doctor which he said is much stronger than the ones over the counter I was taking from Boots. Chemist .
I’ve been taking them now since 23.12.19. I do feel a lot better, but with my latest bloods taken on the 12.12.19 do they mean I have a thyroid issue or the Pernicious Anaemia please? My doctor says I’m pre-menopausal and is putting all my issues down to that, but I’m too scared to use the HRT gel, due to the amount of heart and stroke issues in my immediate family. Thanks so much again 🙂
I’m so grateful....I understand, I’ll work on my vitamins and in a few months I’ll do another Medichecks Test.
Thank you and everyone else that’s responded to me. I’d like to respond to other people’s issues on here, but I’ve got a job to understand this Thyroid business myself! 😂 Lol
B vitamins best taken in the morning after breakfast
Igennus Super B complex are nice small tablets. 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 Thorne Basic B or jarrow B-right are other options that contain folate, but both are large capsules
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
Recommend getting FULL thyroid and vitamin testing privately in 2-3 months
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to retest vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
I wonder if you have some infection or inflammation because my CRP is over 9 and it is because my thyroid is inflamed and under attack. I have a multi-nodular goitre which can give me problems and I have choked on food in the past and my throat sometimes feels very sore. I am just adding that my recent blood test shows my CRP has gone down to over 3 so within range ... this is the first time in years and it could be because I am in my second remission
Hi Lora7again, thank you so much for your reply...yes it would make sense if there was any infection there. My GP has been great with trying to help me, but I just can’t get to the root of my problems. It hurts when I swallow too, but thankfully I’ve not choked on anything. I’ve had pain there for ages but my GP seems to just brush over it since the scan just showed these two colloid cysts, but if it’s them causing the pain surely something isn’t right. Thanks again 🙂
SlowDragon has already drawn your attention to low carb diets. Along with your family history of heart attacks and strokes, your high level of triglycerides is putting you at a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. High triglycerides are a sign of a high carb diet and abnormally raised insulin levels, as is diabetes. I would very strongly encourage you to try a low carb diet, for your diabetes and cardiovascular health. In fact if you were a relative or friend of mine, I would be begging you to try it!
Yes your high triglycerides are a strong red flag, but the good news is that it's something you can do a lot to improve with changes in what you eat. You really don’t need to be hungry eating low carb, it’s a very satiating way to eat.
Yes thank you I know, but I’ve also been told that having an under active thyroid can cause high triglycerides and diabetes too. I must sound like a lazy high carbs eating person that’s just looking for an easy way out, but I’m not. I agree though that I need to really cut out ALL carbs as well. I am very grateful for your advice and concern. Just the kick up the backside I needed to try and get both my cholesterol and triglycerides down. Thank you I have listened to your message and will take notice. I’m just going to read your attachment too.
Yes being hypo can certainly cause high total cholesterol and high LDL because of the body's LDL receptors not working properly when hypo, so LDL is not cleared from the blood as quickly as it usually is.
In my case my total cholesterol doubled from 6 to 12 before I started taking NDT, and had halved again after 2 months on NDT, same doubling and halving with my LDL. That's why I've read up on it so much. But interestingly my triglycerides didn't change an awful lot over those years, they were always within the normal range, probably because I'd been low carb for some years.
You definitely don't sound lazy, you wouldn't be on here looking for help and advice if you were. Best of luck!
Hi Lesley, it seems so complicated to me, I read all that’s out there, but taking it all in is something else. I hear you though and the bottom line is I need to cut out all carbs and fats. I’m so grateful for your help, thank you and good luck with yours too. 🙂.
No you definitely don't want to cut out fats! You don't need to fear natural fats, but do stay away from vegetable/seed oils, and processed food which will contain those. Concentrate on eating real food such as meat, fish, eggs, full fat dairy, nuts, seeds and vegetables:
Have a good read on diet doctor if you haven't had a chance yet, this link tells you the basics:
Just to try and clarify, our bodies can only cope with a small amount of carbohydrates at any one time. For example our blood can only carry about 5 grams of glucose at any one time, which is a tiny amount, about 1 tsp.
When you eat excess carbohydrates the liver turns it into triglycerides. So your high triglycerides are one of the signs your body is not coping with the quantity of carbohydrates you are currently eating.
So although triglycerides are a form of fat, your body makes them from your excess carbohydrates.
You're not alone in that either, you'll see brain fog mentioned on here frequently. Like others I have spent hundreds if not thousands of hours reading posts on here, and gradually it sinks in bit by bit with repetition.
NDT stands for natural dessicated thyroid, it's taken from pigs' thyroid glands. I self medicate because my GP said my thyroid levels weren't bad enough yet (i.e. I would have to become more unwell first, and I felt bad enough as it was). So I buy mine on the internet from Thailand. The prices have gone up a lot over the last couple of years, and there is currently only one brand available that I know of, Thyroid-S, swine flu in Asia has been given as one reason. I have to pay for private blood tests about every 8 weeks as I am still tweaking my dosage a little.
It's a tradegy, but we really do have to be our own best health advocates nowadays. Most people still don't realise this, but you do now, so by being on this forum you are already ahead of the game!
It will be very interesting to see how you get on once you get your vitamin deficiencies and diet sorted out, I am very hopeful you will see big improvements. Getting your vitamins optimal should change your various thryoid blood levels, and could then help you get diagnosed and treated by your GP. That's obviously the simpler and cheaper option than having to self medicate, and it will take time. But you can keep self medicating as an option on the backburner for later once you've followed the advice on here.
Post on here with any questions as you go along - remember most of us have been in the same position, and just want to help others get better too.
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