Hi, hoping for some help in interpreting my Medichecks results. I had a test because I'm having problems with my memory (I'm only 36) and also am always very cold. Some internet research suggested that this could be hypothyroidism or a vitamin deficiency, but I've never been tested for either before.
From the results, it looks like my thyroid hormones are all okay, but my thyroglobin antibodies look high - what does that mean? The doctors report that came with the results says this is found in 1 in 10 healthy individuals, so nothing to worry about? I'm also deficient in folate and vitamin D, and the B12 looks pretty borderline to me.
Could any of this be causing my symptoms? I'd also really welcome advice on supplements I can take to help with the folate/vitamin D levels. Thanks in advance!
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svenena
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Yes, your low vitamin levels are likely causing your symptoms. However, unless you know you have an abysmal diet or eating disorder, it's likely something is interfering with vitamin absorption. There are a range of conditions that can cause poor absorption. Bowel disease, coeliac disease, pernicious anaemia, various prescription drugs, probably some nonprescription drugs, alcoholism to name but a few.
You need your doctor to help you work out what is going on. It could be a range of factors, not just one.
Thanks very much for responding. I'm not sure why I would have low vitamin levels (my diet isn't perfect, but nor is it terrible), so I guess a visit to the GP is in order.
The raised thyroglobulin antibodies can be present in healthy people, see labtestsonline.org.uk/tests... and click on What does the result mean? in the COMMON QUESTIONS box.
It's more common for Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies to be raised in autoimmune thyroid disease, aka Hashimoto's (the most common cause of hypothyroidism where the immune system attacks and gradually destroys the thyroid), but they can be negative and positive Thyroglubin antibodies can suggest Hashi's so it's a possibility in your case but as yet your TSH, FT4 and FT3 don't yet suggest hypothyroidism.
What is of concern are the low nutrient levels, and Hashi's can cause low nutrient levels and deficiencies. As a first step I would be looking to optimise all of these.
Ferritin: 36.8 (13-150)
Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range (yours is currently 17.37% through range) so you are looking at aiming for a level of around 82 with that range.
Low ferritin can suggest iron deficiency anaemia and you could ask your GP to do an iron panel and full blood count to look into this.
If you don't have iron deficiency then you can help raise your level by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet
They used to show this range as 37.5-188. You are very close to the bottom of the range and anything below 70 suggests testing for B12 deficiency according to Viapath at St Thomas' Hospital:
then if you do have any list them to discuss with your GP and ask for testing for B12 deficiency and Pernicious Anaemia. Do not take any B12 supplements or folic acid/folate/B Complex supplements before further testing of B12 as this will mask signs of B12 deficiency and skew results.
Folate: 3.34 (>3.89)
As you can see this is below range and can suggest folate deficiency. It is in the NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary "indeterminate zone" of 3-4.5ug/L so should be interpreted as suggestive of deficiency and not necessarily diagnostic.
It should suggest to your GP that further investigation should be given to this, especially as your Active B12 is so low. B12 and folate work together, you could have both B12/Folate deficiency.
If you are offered folic acid then do not take this before further investigation into B12 has been carried out and any B12 injections/supplementation started as it will mask signs of B12 deficiency.
Vit D: 26.2nmol/L
Medichecks class this as deficient (as it's below 30) but the NHS has recently moved the goalposts and now it has to be less than 25 to be classed as deficient. You could ask your GP to consider giving you loading doses according to the NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary for Vit D deficiency: cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d...
(click on Management > Scenario:Management)
"Treat for vitamin D deficiency if serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels are less than 25 nmol/L.
For the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the recommended treatment is based on fixed loading doses of vitamin D (up to a total of about 300,000 international units [IU]) given either as weekly or daily split doses, followed by lifelong maintenance treatment of about 800 IU a day. Higher doses of up to 2000 IU a day, occasionally up to 4000 IU a day, may be used for certain groups of people, for example those with malabsorption disorders.
* Several treatment regimens are available, including 50,000 IU once a week for 6 weeks (300,000 IU in total), 20,000 IU twice a week for 7 weeks (280,000 IU in total), or 4000 IU daily for 10 weeks (280,000 IU in total)."
If your GP wont you may be prescribed either 800iu or 1600iu D3, this will be totally insufficient and wont raise your level.
Come back and tell us what your GP suggests. If he wont prescribe the loading doses I will point you in the right direction of how you can do this yourself and give you information about the important cofactors that are needed when taking D3.
I would make an appointment to discuss all these poor nutrient levels with your GP and see what he says. Malabsorption may be a problem in which case further investigation into this should be carried out.
Please come back and let us know what your GP intends to do. If he doesn't like the fact that you have had private tests done and wont accept them, take the opportunity to say that at the very least some problems have been highlighted and invite him to do his own tests.
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