B12 and T4 results

[sobs1962]

Last 2 B12 results

30/04/2019 485ng/L [ 211-911ng/L]

04/10/20149 366ng/L { 211-911ng/L]

As you can see B 12 has decreased quite dramatically and hasn't been tested for over 7 months and taking 100mcg of cyanocobalamin daily.

T4 results

03/02/2020 21pmol/L [10-20pmol/L] GP surgery [no T3]

26/03/2020 27.4 pmol/L [12-22pmol/L] Medichecks T3 3.15 [3-6.8]

26/04/2020 25.9pmol/L [10-20pmol/L] Hospital [no T3].

I'm glad my t4 has reduced but as no T3 can't tell if I may be starting to convert or not, but I think because my anxiety is so bad I'm obsessing with everything and I'm not sleeping well despite combination of 3 drugs at night. I have no energy but then I don't eat much, been up since before 9am{now 12.20pm] still not eaten as not hungry.

Any feedback or advice would be most welcome

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What are the three drugs for helping with sleeping

What’s vitamin D levels?

Folate and ferritin results?

Ft3 is very low and frequently results in poor sleep

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking?

When do you normally take it?

Have you tried taking levothyroxine as split in to two doses per day?

[sobs1962 in reply to SlowDragon]

Haven't had vit d level tested since way back last year or maybe even earlier. I could be wrong but I thought ferritin was B12 and couldn't tell when I last had folate tested. I take 125 mcg of levothyroxine which are currently 2 different brands i.e. Northstar X and Teva and is split 100mcg Northstar and 25mcg Teva.I take these late at night. Taking 15mg Mirtazapine, 2x2mg Circadin (melatonin) and 25mg Promazine Hydrochloride to help me sleep but currently struggling. Don't know how I could split levothyroxine tablets as they are tiny.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to sobs1962]

Sobs1962

Ferritin is your iron store.

B12 is one of 8 B vitamins, B12 helps keeps nerves and blood cells healthy.

I take 100mcg Actavis, who also make Northstar, and I can easily cut mine in half, even quarters, with a pill cutter and some people use a sharp craft knife.

Is your 100mcg cyanocobalamin prescribed? If not then it might be worth changing to 1,000mcg methylcobalamin and you should also take a good, bioavailable B Complex when taking B12. Good brands are Thorne Basic B or Igennus Super B.

[sobs1962 in reply to SeasideSusie]

The 100mcg cyanocobalamin is prescribed but the problem is that apparently the body only absorbs 10% of any any oral tablets and I simply cannot afford to get any more private blood tests done as my husband is on his most basic pay and I am unable to work due to my mental health problems and getting blood tests done on the NHS isn't happening due to virus, but I wonder just how ill I need to get before someone actually takes action. I'm currently still having palpitations and now have shaking of arms and legs as well as my hands but this could be my anxiety, although,it's never ever been this bad.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to sobs1962]

Sobs1962

Cyanocobalamin is the synthetic (and cheapest) form of B12 and the body had to convert it to Methylcobalamin which is the active, bioavailable form. Not everyone coverts it successfully.

I didn't suggest you test, I suggested that it might be better if you change to the methylcobalamin form.

but I wonder just how ill I need to get before someone actually takes action

My personal experience is that doctors don't care how ill you are, you just need to have numbers within range and then there can't possibly anything wrong with you.

[Lalatoot]

You may not be hungry as your FT3 is low but just in range. The digestive system is a big user of thyroid hormones. When I am really low on FT3 I don't feel like eating and lose weight which hypos don't often do.

[sobs1962 in reply to Lalatoot]

To be fair I'm terrified of putting on weight as I find obese people repulsive, I know that sounds bad but I think it may be the era I grew up in. The last time I was weighed I was 67kg which they said was bordering on obese. If I don't eat its usually because I'm not hungry but have strong cravings for sweet sugary things especially in the evening.

[Lalatoot in reply to sobs1962]

You need calories to convert t4 to t3 so maybe that's why you fancy sweet things at night if you've not being eating much.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to sobs1962]

How tall are you?

I am 68kg and 5'4" tall, my surgery doesn't even consider that I am overweight.

Sugar cravings can be adrenals.

[sobs1962 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I am 5' 1 1/2 and last time weighed 67 kg but believe I should be around 53kg to be a healthy weight as I am only small build, which would mean losing 30.8 lbs which is 2.2 stone. The fact I can't shift the weight is down to 3 things, 1) not taking regular exercise as have no energy or motivation and when I have done exercise it takes 3 days to recover.2) My body isn't converting T4 to T3 so obvious impact on metabolism.3) My anxiety stops me going outside to go for a walk due to coronavirus. Don't know where to go from here as I think the GP surgery thinks I'm an absolute pain as have rang them so many times especially in the last 3 weeks.