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
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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.
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).
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?
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.
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.
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 :
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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Thyroid and full blood count results anyone offer any advice at all?
Vitamins and minerals
Help with bloods please
