Hi,
I have'nt been feeling too well for a while now so had bloods done and would like some advice on the results please.
TSH 1.24 (0.3 to 5.0
Free T4 14.5 (7.9 to 16.0)
Vitimin D 77 (76 to 150)
Ferritin *11 (15 to 300)
Folate 2
He put me on Folate for 3 months and said i was fine my legs are burning my bones hurt i feel awful when i walk i'm struggling but still he insists bloods are normal.
Cholesterol HDL 1.18
Total Cholesterol HDL ratio 5.6
LDL 5.06
Any advice would be appreciated
Thank you.
Looking at previous posts you have Hashimoto’s and are on 100mcg levothyroxine
Is that still same dose?
Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine
Folate and ferritin are obviously deficient
GP should be doing full iron panel test for anaemia
Likely to need iron supplements
Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
List of iron rich foods
Links about iron and ferritin
irondisorders.org/Websites/...
drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...
This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones
Helpful post about iron supplements and testing
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...
Post about iron supplements
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
No B12 result?
Or do you get B12 injections?
Have you had coeliac blood test?
Are you on strictly gluten free diet
Thank you for your reply.
My B12 410(120 to 900)
I have B12 injections
B12 surprisingly low
As you have B12 injections it’s recommended also to supplement a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid) may be beneficial.
Rather than just taking folic acid
This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too
Difference between folate and folic acid
chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...
Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid.
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
B vitamins best taken after breakfast
Igennus Super B is good quality and cheap vitamin B complex. Contains folate. Full dose is two tablets per day. Many/most people may only need one tablet per day. Certainly only start on one per day (or even half tablet per day for first couple of weeks)
Or Thorne Basic B or jarrow B-right are other options that contain folate, but both are large capsules
If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before any blood tests, as biotin can falsely affect test results
Benadrove5
You really need FT3 testing at the same time as TSH and FT4. It's rare for this to be done with a GP unless the TSH is below range. Low T3 causes symptoms and it could very well be that even though you have a decent level of FT4 you are not converting the T4 to T3 well enough and you could very well have a low FT3 level.
If GP can't get this done then you can do this yourself with a fingerprick test and the cheapest is with MonitorMyHealth which does TSH, FT4 and FT3 for £29, discounted by 10% for ThyroidUK, details here:
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Make sure you do all your thyroid tests as early as possible in the morning, no later than 9am, take last dose of Levo 24 hours before the blood draw, and delay breakfast until after the test, drinking water only.
Ferritin *11 (15 to 300)
Did your GP say nothing about this result? This is absolutely dire. You need an iron panel to see if you have iron deficiency and a full blood count to see if you have anaemia. If your GP has done nothing about this please go back and ask for these other tests. It is negligent of your GP if nothing has been done.
Folate 2
At least your GP has done something about your folate deficiency BUT did he test for B12 first? B12 and folate work together and you really should have B12 tested before starting treatment for folate deficiency. If your B12 is also very low or below range you could have B12 deficiency and you would need testing for this, and taking folic acid/folate before testing can mask signs of B12 deficiency.
Your Vit D isn't too bad but would be better between 100-150nmol/L.
I'm so worried about my Ferritin and will contact my GP first thing in the morning, HAEMOGLOBIN 123 (115 to165)
Haemoglobin is only one test within a full blood count; however it is within range so that's a good start.
WHITE CELL COUNT 6.9 (4.0 to 11)
PLATELET COUNT 306 (150 to 400)
HCT 0.38 (0,37 to 0.36)
RCC 4.13(3.8 to 5.8)
RDW 14.1(11 to 14.8)
MCV 90.8(80 to 100)
MCH 29.9(27.0 to 32.0)
NEUTROPHIL COUNT 3.92(1.7 to 7.5)
LYMPHOCYTE COUNT 2.30(1,0 to 4.5)
MONOCYTE COUNT 0.53 (0.2 to 0.8)
EOSINOPHILS 0.12 (0.0 to 0.4)
BASOPHILS 0.03(0.0 to 0.1)
This is my full blood count do hope this helps.
Thank you.
Benadrove5
So those are all within range. Next step is an iron panel as you can have iron deficiency without anaemia.
Thank you for your advice will call doc tomorrow i do hope he does it i have already questiond the Vitimin D and said i need to up it he gets ratty with me.
Benadrove5
Your GP will not prescribe anything for your Vit D level. They are only obliged to prescribe for deficiencies and that is <25. Some will prescribe until it reaches 50 as that is classed as "sufficient" by the NHS. However, the Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol and the Vit D Society recommends 100-150nmol. Doctors aren't taught nutrition so they don't recognise that levels above 50 may not be optimal.
If you want to improve your level then you will have to buy your own supplement, which is not a bad thing because you'll probably get a better supplement than you'd be prescribed. If you want suggestions for dose needed, brand and the important cofactors needed when taking D3, please ask. I am going to bed now so won't reply until tomorrow.
Are you vegetarian or vegan?
Hi,
No i'm not but dont eat a lot of red meat(but have started)
Suggest you work on improving all vitamins..then in 6-8 weeks get Full thyroid test
Remember to stop taking vitamin B complex a week before any blood tests
All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hour before testing
cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3
£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off if go on thyroid uk for code
Hi,
I forgot to mention my TPO is well over 1000 it started at 300 10 years ago is there anything i can do about this.
Thank you.
Benadrove5
Antibodies fluctuate (as do symptoms and test results with Hashi's). They're not the problem, they mop up the mess after an immune system attack on the thyroid. Some Hashi's patients have found that a gluten free diet helps but there is no guarantee. Supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily is said to lower antibodies, but you'll still have Hashi's.
Has GP done coeliac blood test
you have high antibodies this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working
Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.
According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies
While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first
healthcheckshop.co.uk/store...?
Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet
(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)
Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse
chriskresser.com/the-gluten...
amymyersmd.com/2018/04/3-re...
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
drknews.com/changing-your-d...
restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...
Non Coeliac Gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and autoimmune disease
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/296...
The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/300...
The obtained results suggest that the gluten-free diet may bring clinical benefits to women with autoimmune thyroid disease
nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/up...
In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned
restartmed.com/hashimotos-g...
Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.
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