My bloods...good or bad?

[PolyannaYorkshire]

My bloods ...good or bad??!

B12....252(110.0-914)...Borderline???

Folate 10.7 (3.1-19.91)

TSH 0.05(0.34-5.6) Below low reference limit!!

T4 16.9(7.5_21.1)

Ferritin 58(10.0-180)

GFR ....MDRD 83(90-500.0) Below low reference limit!!

Potassium 4.0(3.5-5.3)

Calcium 2.48(2.2-2.6)

My bloods don't look too bad. I take 150mcg levothyroxine (Teva)...I increased it myself a few months ago as I was so constipated & tired(had uterine cancer op in April)...it improved constipation...but I now feel dreadful...so,so tired..v.bad low back pain & I have v.painful knees(had 3 meniscus tear ops). I also have bad indigestion...(since gall bladder op...I have large build up of bile...cannot take painkillers as it causes stomach ulcers! Surgeon dropped gall stone & couldn't find it..so his search obviously damaged something...had 2 gastroscopys last year 1st showed inflames stomach/ulcer...on PPIs for 8 weeks to 2nd gastroscopy where stomach lining & ulcer good...but still loads of bile...GP left it there...so still have loads of bile!!).

My grandmother died of Penicious anaemia..Lack B12...my mother was hypothyroid & my son & one daughter hypo.

Please advise...I have tel.appmt with GP next week...so want to be able to suggest something to her.

Thanks folks

[fuchsia-pink]

Sorry to hear about your gastric issues - what a shambles!

I agree your bloods don't loo too bad Don't let the GP bully you about under-range TSH; your free T4 is 2/3 through range (67.6%) so increasing dose as you did seems very sensible to me. Remember you are only over-medicated when T3 is over-range, and yours hasn't been tested. So maybe ask if next time they will test TSH, free T4 and free T3 together x

[PolyannaYorkshire in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Thank you so much fuchsia-pink!! Not like me to feel so down!! I'm usually the one getting everyone into action ..hence the meniscus tears. Too much fell walking..ha😅

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Obviously essential to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 together

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 hours before test

Only test on Monday or Tuesday morning and post back via tracked postal service

cheapest option via NHS postal kit TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

You need full testing for Pernicious Anaemia before starting on B12 injections or daily B12 supplements

Important to regularly retest vitamin D as well

Can test via monitor my health

[PolyannaYorkshire in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks Slow Dragon. I had bloods done first thing in am and hadn't had levothyroxine since 3am the previous day. Yes I thought D3 would have been done....I thought my current poor health was maybe B12 related but that reading looks OK. Thanks for your help.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to PolyannaYorkshire]

B12 is almost certainly too low....even if you don’t have Pernicious Anaemia

Obviously need to rule that out first ....before starting any B vitamins

If, after testing you don’t get injections

supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid) may be beneficial.

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 is another option that contain folate, but is large capsule

If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

Low B12 symptoms

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

With such low B12 result taking a B12 supplement as well as a B Complex (to balance all the B vitamins) initially for first 2-4 months, then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.

B12 sublingual lozenges

amazon.co.uk/Jarrow-Methylc...

cytoplan.co.uk/vitamins/vit...

[PolyannaYorkshire in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you Slow Dragon. I have printed off your info. I have a phone appmt with my GP next week to discuss my bloods...v.difficult getting a GP appmt...no one answering phone..cannot make appmt at GP reception...ended up having to do an eConsultation just to get bloods done (& same again for GP appmt) so I wanted to try to have as much info to hand for the call as I don't feel good!! So Thanks...much appreciated

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to PolyannaYorkshire]

Low GFR is frequently linked to being hypothyroid ....in particular linked to low Ft3

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

When taking levothyroxine we need OPTIMAL vitamin levels for good conversion of Ft4 (levothyroxine) to Ft3

Essential to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 together

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Bearo in reply to SlowDragon]

In general, which comes first : getting levo up to the dose which will raise T4 sufficiently while supplementing any low vitamins, or, getting T3 checked alongside TSH and T4 while vitamin supplementing has only just begun? Should one wait for optimal vitamins before private testing T3?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Bearo]

At moment GP/endo will only look at very low TSH and want to reduce levothyroxine

Getting vitamin levels optimal may help improve low TSH so you can get dose increase in levothyroxine

I would work on getting vitamins optimal first unless you come under pressure to reduce dose levothyroxine - if that happens get TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 tested - almost certainly will show low Ft3

[Bearo in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to PolyannaYorkshire]

These results are 8 months old

B12 far too low

Has GP done testing for Pernicious Anaemia before starting B12 injections

No folate

No vitamin D

Ferritin too low as well. Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet

[SlowDragon Administrator]

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