Feeling better but high B12 and low ferritin. Any suggestions?

[janeroar]

Hello

Thanks to the advice here I feel I’m finally on track to much better health. However I’ve just had my results back and it’s showing persistent low ferritin despite heaps of more red meat and liver and high vitamin 12 despite not taking it and high cholesterol now (which is new)

Presently I take 125mg T4 and 10 mg T3

Here are my latest results:

FREE THYROXINE 20.4 pmol/l 12.0-22.0

FREE T3 4.1 pmol/L 3.1-6.8

THYROID STIMULATING <0.01 mIU/L 0.27-4.2 Low Below absolute low

CHOLESTEROL 6.3 mmol/L Optimum<5.0 High

Iron 17.1 umol/L 6.6-26.0

TRANSFERRIN SATURATION 29 % 20-55

T.I.B.C 60 umol/L 41-77

25 OH Vitamin D 96 nmol/L 50-200

Ferritin 36 ug/L 13-150 Optimum Ferritin level for females : >27 ug/L

Red cell folate 1128 nmol/L 285.4-1474.7

Active B12 >256.0 pmol/L 25.1-165.0 High Above absolute high-off instrument scale

So my questions are:

Should I increase my T3?

Also I have no idea why my ferritin remains low and B12 v high despite not supplementing it for over a year. Any ideas why this should be so?

I have started eating more liver etc to get my iron levels up and that’s maybe why my cholesterol is also high for the first time too? But iron levels still v low.

I supplement folate, zinc, vitamin d, magnesium, curcumin and take HRT.

Any thoughts from this wise forum gratefully received.

Jane

[Jazzw]

You look a little bit undermedicated actually. Because your ferritin is low your body’s probably struggling to convert more T4 to T3. Perhaps a small raise in T3 would be helpful (if you can get it?).

Your cholesterol is probably higher because you’re not optimally medicated. High cholesterol used to be accepted as a hypothyroid symptom.

Re the B12–you know that liver is high in B12? Could it just be that?

[janeroar in reply to Jazzw]

That’s so helpful. Yes I can increase my T3. Actually took T3 about two hours before the test stupidly so my real levels are probably even lower.

[Jazzw in reply to janeroar]

Ooh yes, they probably are!

What about vitamin C? I see from a post a while back that you used to take some—but Vit C is rather good at helping with iron absorption. Worth a shot if you don’t take it any more?