More test results

[Behappy88]

Hi, I'd forgotten that I'd changed the date of my subscription with thriva until my new blood test arrived in the post. I'm hoping for some more advice please. Last year I had really low ferritin and vit D, GP put me on loading dose 20,000iu and ferrous fumarate iron tablets. At the time he put me on iron tablets without running a full iron panel, recently I read on here it is important before taking supplements. So I decided to run one but don't know what I'm looking for? I'm currently taking 1 tablet a day, originally was put on 3 tablets. I seem to be moving in the right direction with Vit D and ferritin levels. I guess I'm wondering if I should stop taking the iron tablets and ensure I eat liver products once a week instead? My B12 and folate have gone down a little so I think I need to start supplementing? Im at a bit of a loss, as I'm still having symptoms of cold hands, fatigue, insomnia, hairloss, dry skin etc. Im hoping if I can get my vitamins to optimal levels that it may help in some way. Again, thanks for any advice you can give.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Behappy88

Your iron panel is

Iron

UIBC

TIBC

Ferritin

Transferrin Saturation

Optimal results for an iron panel, according to web.archive.org/web/2018083...

Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men - yours is 82.5% through range

Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men - yours is 41%

TIBC: Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron - yours is 63.89% through range

UIBC: Low in range indicates that you may have too much iron in your blood which may be due to iron overload syndrome (hereditary haemochromatosis). High in range signifies iron deficiency - yours is 28.1% through range

Ferritin: Low level virtually always indicates need for iron supplementation; High level with low serum iron/low saturation indicates inflammation or infection; High level with high serum iron and low TIBC indicates excess iron - yours is 49.64% through range

Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range, you can see your is perfect.

Your serum iron is a lot higher than optimal.

Your iron panel suggests that regular iron tablets aren't particularly needed, continuing will most likely take your serum iron level over range. What you need now is something to maintain your ferritin where it is and not increase your iron. You could consider a maintenance dose of iron tablet but I can't say what that would be, and if you continue taking iron tablets then you should run an iron panel reguarly. If I were you I'd just eat liver once a fortnight, maximum 200g due to it's high Vit A content, and that should maintain your levels.

Vit D you still have a way to go. It's currently 80nmol/L and the Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L. What dose of D3 are you currently taking?

B12 and Folate will be improved by a good quality, bioavailable B Complex such as Thorne Basic B or Igennus Super B. Make sure that you leave the B Complex off for 7 days before any blood tests in future (all blood tests, not just thyroid), this is because it contains biotin and if biotin is also used in the testing procedure, as most labs do, then it can give false results.

Your thyroid results are still euthyroid, I explained in your previous post that TSH has to reach 10 before a diagnosis of Primary Hypothyroidism, or be at least over range with raised antibodies for autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's), so unfortunately your current results wont get you a diagnosis.

[Behappy88 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks so much for the quick and detailed reply. I will try the liver once a fortnight and get retested in a couple of months. For vit D I started taking the better you spray with added k2, but Ive only been taking 2 sprays instead of the recommended 3; so that is a maintenance dose of 2000iu. Ive been trying to spend more time in the sunshine too.

Im not sure if you have seen my other post regarding the thyroid scan. The Sonographer said I don't have thyroid disease but I do have a few small colloid nodules - not completely sure what that means - but she said its nothing to worry about. As I paid for the scan privately, I will have to take to my GP but I'm not expecting any great insights from him.

I really appreciate your advice/help, obviously the hairloss is really upsetting but I feel like there is something not right, like my body is out of balance. But the symptoms I have could indicate a number of conditions/diseases. My GP puts it all down to anxiety/stress and offered me antidepressants, which I refused to accept.

Thanks again

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Behappy88]

Behappy88

If it was me, I'd be increasing D3 dose to 3,000iu daily and retest in 3 months.

I'm afraid I have no knowledge of thyroid scans so can't help there.

[Behappy88 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks SeasideSusie x

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Behappy88]

That’s interesting that you had private scan done

Many members ask about this

Was it easy to organise and roughly how much did it cost

[Behappy88 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi Slowdragon, I went to one in London. It cost £164 but I didn't need a GP referral. There was another slightly cheaper one at £155 but I preferred the medical background and experience of the lady I went to see

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Behappy88]

Very affordable

Thanks for the info

Can you pm me the details

[Behappy88 in reply to SlowDragon]

Of course.. Sorry I don't know how to message direct

[fuchsia-pink in reply to Behappy88]

Click on the name of the person you want to PM and you will see the message box on the top right.

[Lora7again in reply to Behappy88]

A coloid nodule is caused by your thyroid struggling to produce thyroxine so I think you have thyroid disease and it is causing you symptoms. I have numerous nodules or a multinodular goiter and they definitely cause me symptoms. I have had two periods of extreme hairloss in the last 12 years but at the moment my hair has been growing back for about a year but it is thinner than it once was.

[Behappy88 in reply to Lora7again]

Thanks Lora7again. Its worrying that the sonographer said nodules are nothing to worry about? The largest was 5mm-3mm. My hair has thinned so badly over the last year, you can see my scalp thanks for your advice, I will talk to my GP

[Lora7again in reply to Behappy88]

A lot of people have nodules that they don't even know they have and it is only when they start to get symptoms that they ask for further investigations. I think I have had mine for years but when I was about 47 I started to feel unwell and I was told it was the menopause. I finally got treated after 2 years and by then my hair was very thin, some of my nails had dropped off and I was a size 8! I looked and felt dreadful and you can read my story on my profile page if you are interested.

[Behappy88 in reply to Behappy88]

Forgot to say I'm glad your hair is growing back. It's so tough watching it fall out and not knowing what's causing it!

[Lora7again in reply to Behappy88]

I even had hair extensions for a couple of years to hide my bald head which were very expensive. I know straight away if my levels are not right because my hair starts to fall out and my nails lift off their beds.

[Behappy88 in reply to Lora7again]

If my blood results don't indicate hypo/hyper then my GP will never be able/willing to help. Do you know of nodules always cause problems? Can you have them and not produce too much or not enough hormone? I read that iodine deficiency can be a cause of them. I will definitely read your story thanks.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Behappy88]

my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...

Thyroid nodules may also be associated with low thyroid hormone levels, or hypothyroidism.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Results have changed quite a lot between these tests and ones two months ago

Early morning test

TSH 1.27 (0.270-4.2 mIU/L)

Free T3 4.8 (3.1-6.8 pmol/L)

Free Thyroxine FT4 16.1 (12-22 pmol/L)

Thyroglobulin antibodies 14.2 (0-115 kU/L)

Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies 6.1 (0-34 kIU/L)

Total Thyroxine T4 101.0 (59-154 nmol/L)

11am test

Tsh 1.110 mIU/L (0.465-4.68)

Free T3 5.56 pmol/L (4.3-8.1)

Free T4 16.2 pmol/L (10.0-28.2)

Thyroglobulin antibodies 11.6 (0-115 kU/L)

Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies <9.0 (0-34 kIU/L)

See what next test shows in 2-3 months

[Behappy88 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes I did notice that too. This recent test was done at 8.30am. I will test again in 2 months. Thanks Slowdragon