Thyroid and other levels help: I have felt rotten... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

137,766 members161,555 posts

Thyroid and other levels help

crushing profile image
24 Replies

I have felt rotten for years but not with the recent dizziness and such. My b12 level was borderline low at 250 (211-950). I just took my 7th b12 shot of 1000mcg within 2 weeks. It hasn’t helped much yet but hoping to start feeling better soon.

Below are my latest lab counts. Hoping to gather your opinions on what I should do.

TSH 3.82 (.27-4.2)

Ft4 1.88 (.93-1.7)

Ft3 2.9 (2-4.4)

T3 Total 0.8 (.8-2.0)

Magnesium 2.0 (1.7-2.2)

Ferritin 22 (22-322)

Folate 16 (>=4.6)

TPO and TG antibodies - confirmed Hashimoto's from previous labs

Vit D 23.1 (30-100)

WBC 4.9 (5-10)

RBC 5.07 (4.3-5.7)

Hemoglobin 15.5

Hematocrit 45.8

MCV 90.3

MCH 33.8

Platelet 228

MPV 11 (7-10)

Abs Neutrophil 2.6 (2.5-7)

Abs Lymphocyte 1.3 (1-4)

Abs Monocyte .48 (.05-.60)

Abs Eosinophil .37 (.05-.50)

Abs Basophil .06 (0.0 - .10)

Abs Immature Granulocytes .02 <=0.0

Neutrophil percent 54.4 (50-70)

Lymphocyte percent 26.5 (20-40)

Monocyte percent 9.9 (0-6)

Eosinophil percent 7.6 (0-5)

Basophil percent 1.2 (0-1)

Immature Granulocytes percent .4 <0.0

Written by
crushing profile image
crushing
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
24 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Conversion is poor

Ft4 is 112% through range

Ft3 only 38% through range

chorobytarczycy.eu/kalkulator

Replied on previous post re vitamins

heathermr profile image
heathermr

Have you had your cortisol levels checked as low corisol can cause dizziness and lots of other general "not feeling well" symptoms. You also need a reasonable level of cortisol to help your thyroid or thyroid medication work well. For an early morning blood test the cortisol levels should be above 350.

Heather

Celestialbeing profile image
Celestialbeing

Seems to me that, based on the FT4 and FT3 levels, your body is not properly converting the T4 into T3/FT3. Many people experience this. Scientists are discovering that this could be a genetic issue. Options to speak with your endo, or find a doctor that will help, include adding a T3 hormone such as Cytomel (usually the T4 dose is lowered a bit before adding the T3), using a synthetic compounded T4/T3 combination, using desiccated thyroid (T4/T3 that is derived from porcine or bovine thyroid hormone).

crushing profile image
crushing

Thanks to all. I will ck cortisol level and also see if I can get some cytomel. Any particular dosage I should start with?

crushing profile image
crushing

Can anyone pm me on how to get some cytomel without prescription? I may can get one but just in case. I live in the US

crushing profile image
crushing

Also, until I get some t3, what would you suggest I do as far as my Levo goes. I’m on 175mcg. I weigh 205lbs and 6 ft tall. Should I lower dose until I get some t3? Or stay the course?

Justiina profile image
Justiina

Your eosinophil % is over range. I have it too a bit over range. Do you have any allergies? It can indicate either allergy or parasites.

crushing profile image
crushing in reply to Justiina

Slight allergies. Nothing extreme.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

Ferritin 22 (22-322)

Hemoglobin 15.5 (The units are likely to be in g/dL. If you know different do mention it!)

Although you haven't given a reference range for haemoglobin it seems to be well in range based on the ranges I usually see for it.

You can see from this link that the World Health Organisation says someone with haemoglobin of 120 or over (for non-pregnant women) is not anaemic, and yours is 155 in g/L, so that is fine.

who.int/vmnis/indicators/ha...

...

Despite your haemoglobin level being fine, most of us feel best when ferritin is not scraping along the bottom of the range.

You might find this of interest :

Link : ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Title : Effect of iron supplementation on fatigue in nonanemic menstruating women with low ferritin: a randomized controlled trial

...

Anecdotal info - I suffer from dizziness sometimes when my iron and ferritin levels are very low. I supplement a maintenance dose of iron since my ferritin levels are now close to optimal, and I want to keep it there. From very low levels it took me nearly two years to raise my ferritin to optimal. If I was ever to stop my maintenance dose my levels of ferritin and serum iron would drop like a stone.

...

Info on optimal results for iron-related tests :

rt3-adrenals.org/Iron_test_...

For ferritin many of us aim for and feel well with a level which is mid-range., which with your range is 172.

You would probably benefit from further testing and then supplementing iron. With such low ferritin I would have hoped that your doctor would have prescribed and then re-tested after a month or two. Read this link for further info on iron testing and supplementing :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If you want info on private testing, and supplementing without prescription, then ask. But I still think your doctor should get you started...

Justiina profile image
Justiina in reply to humanbean

Especially when haemoglobin usually drops last, body tries to compensate the lack of iron as long as possible and for some it works better. That is why, me think, there is technically not that big difference between anemia and iron deficiency, except latter is easier to fix before it ends up full blown anemia that is harder to correct.

I too feel horrendous when ferritin drops even though haemoglobin is ~145.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to Justiina

Yes, I agree - low iron and/or low ferritin shouldn't be ignored just because someone isn't actually anaemic, although I would always want to know both iron and ferritin, not just one or the other, before making any decisions on what to do. Knowing transferrin saturation is a good idea too.

Justiina profile image
Justiina in reply to humanbean

True, but serum iron is very easily screwed up. For example I fasted too long as long line at the lab and my serum iron was high. Started fasting at 8 pm and and blood drawn at 11 am so that also caused my transferrin saturation rise to 55%. Lab should not have taken the test or should have tested me hours earlier. At first it caused me anxiety, on top of everything else that too and had not taken any iron.

Doctor explained it probably is a mistake, so many things can go wrong with serum iron, even the way blood is drawn. Later on haematocrosis was ruled out by genetic testing.

I became more and more short of breath and figured I would try iron, if it kills me , fine 😄

Tho, they should have tested me again with thyroid as lab states transferrin saturation might be high on hypothyroidism. They did not.

crushing profile image
crushing

I neglected to mention I also have hemochromatosis.

Justiina profile image
Justiina in reply to crushing

Well that changes things as then your ferritin must be kept low. Was it confirmed by genetic testing or just diagnosed based on transferrin saturation?

crushing profile image
crushing

Genetic testing

crushing profile image
crushing

What’s odd to me is my other iron levels are fine.

iron 88 (49-181)

TIBC 351. (250-450)

Iron saturation 25% (13-59)

So why is my ferritin so low?

crushing profile image
crushing

Update:

After iron supplementation for 2 weeks and b12 7 dose loading my results are as follows:

Ferritin was at 22 now at 165. (22-322)

B12 was at 250 now @ 600. (211-950).

Vit. D still @ 23.

I stopped taking b12 for 10 days to get labs. Of course 10 days may not have been enough time to get accurate b12 results.

I will continue the b12 weekly for at least a few more months. I have stopped taking iron altogether since my iron stores seem to be much better. Although I question the quick rise in ferritin over just a couple of weeks.

I still feel rotten most of the time but hope that with continued b12 supplementation, I will start to gradually feel better.

Your thoughts?

unblocktheplane profile image
unblocktheplane

Dear Crushing,

Please EMAIL me for my extensive research into T3 resources. I am a T3-only patient.

[ Edited by admin to remove cryptic "signature". ]

crushing profile image
crushing in reply to unblocktheplane

Not sure how to email u but I can pm u

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to unblocktheplane

unblocktheplane

Please DO NOT request emails from members. The only way in which members should be invited to communicate is by Private Message.

Your cryptic "signature":

CJ cjATtuDOTacDOTth

is of no help and serves to confuse members, hence I am removing from this response.

unblocktheplane profile image
unblocktheplane in reply to helvella

So sorry. Didn't realise there was a rule about this.

Is providing my email in a PM acceptable?

Thanks much

CJ

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to unblocktheplane

We couldn't know if you did!

We avoid all personal identification on the forum, so far as possible. (Unfortunately, some people have chosen member names which appear give away their names. But even if they look like real names, we don't know they are real, as a rule.)

unblocktheplane profile image
unblocktheplane in reply to helvella

Thank you. I'll do my best to follow the rules.

unblocktheplane profile image
unblocktheplane

Sorry about that. Admins removed my email, didn't realise. Okay PM me.

CK

You may also like...

Vit B12 and other levels

349.0] Neutrophil count 3.87 10*9/L [1.7 - 7.5] Lymphocyte count 2.15 10*9/L [1.0 - 3.2] Monocyte...

Thyroid Levels and other labs

1000mcg B12 over 2 weeks, and it doesn't seem to be helping yet. If anyone can help interpret my...

help on Thyroid and other bloods results

Cortisol low on two occasions What does high lymphocytes and high platelets mean ? Is iron ok as...

17yr olds Thyroid, Vitamin and FBC. Any thoughts please ❤️

93.8 (80-99) Basophils 0.11 (0-1) Monocytes 0.66 (0.2-1) WCC 7.91 (3-10) Neutrophils 4.23...

Thyroid Glandular not helping T3 levels