Hi there, I was referred to a gastroenterologist and a gynaecologist a few weeks ago due to a blood test result of 3.5 hemoglobin level, I am a bit annoyed with my GP as I’ve been getting results of low iron deficiency for years and told just to eat more leafy greens. The gastroenterologist gestured a dietitian may help as I also have IBS, but said no diet would fix my anemia and he recommended a colonoscopy and gastroscopy, the procedures were normal and I go back for histology results in a couple of weeks. The gynaecologist appointment was eye opening as she said my periods and symptoms were not normal, after an vaginal ultrasound she said she believes I have adenomyosis, I had never heard of this condition but have all the symptoms. I am scheduled for a D and C procedure in two weeks time when she will also fit the Mirena coil, I felt the gynaecologist was very informative, experienced and had a good plan for me, so fingers crossed. I have suffered with migraines since a teenager and at 40 years old was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, another discovery on my blood result was high cholesterol 6.9 I am 50, a vegetarian, don’t drink alcohol and don’t smoke, my dad died of an aortic aneurysm so my question is, could there be a connection between anemia, adenomyosis, hypothyroidism and high cholesterol? Whilst I wait for this operation with the hope that my symptoms will disappear, I have started to wonder what effect is this all having on my heart, I’m short of breath, get dizzy spells and a feeling of lightheaded ness, restless legs, cold all the time and exhausted. I feel like my GP has checked out and wonder if anyone here has anymore info... thanks in advance
Are there any connections?: Hi there, I was... - Thyroid UK
Are there any connections?
Welcome to the forum
How much levothyroxine are you currently taking
Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine
Do you have any recent thyroid results and ranges you can add
High cholesterol is linked to being under medicated and still hypothyroid
Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH and cause poor conversion of levothyroxine (Ft4) to active hormone (Ft3)
Absolutely essential to regularly test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
As a vegetarian presumably you have always taken B12 supplements?
Low iron and ferritin extremely common when hypothyroid
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue to.
Do you know if you have autoimmune thyroid disease?
Ask GP to test vitamin levels and thyroid levels
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test
Thriva also offer just vitamin testing
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just 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...
Also vitamin D available as separate test via MMH
Or alternative Vitamin D NHS postal kit
If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease).
Link about thyroid blood tests
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Link about Hashimoto’s
thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...
List of hypothyroid symptoms
thyroiduk.org/signs-symptom...
Email Thyroid UK for list of recommend thyroid specialist endocrinologists...NHS and Private
tukadmin@thyroiduk.org
The aim of levothyroxine is to increase dose upwards until TSH is under 2. Most people on levothyroxine will have TSH well under one when adequately treated and Ft4 is in top third of range and Ft3 at least half way through range (regardless of how low TSH is)
Extremely important to have optimal vitamin levels too as this helps reduce symptoms and improve how levothyroxine works
Restless legs often linked to low iron/ferritin or low magnesium
Heavy periods extremely common hypothyroid symptom
Endometriosis can be linked to Hashimoto’s too
Hashimoto's frequently 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.
Hi slowdragon, yes I always get the same T4 levothyroxine , I currently take 100mg a day. Here are some more results:
Serum ferritin 3.4 Units ug/L Range 23.0-393.0
Folate immunoassay. 9.1 Units ug/L Range 4.5-20.0
B12 immunoassay 453 Units ug/L Range 206-1000
Total cholesterol 6.9 Units mmol/L Range 2.50-5.00
HDL cholesterol 1.69 mmol/L Range 1.20-2.40
NON-HDL Cholesterol 5.22 mmol/L Range 1.80-3.80
LDL Cholesterol 4.75 mmol/L Range 1.00-3.00
Total HDL Chol Ratio 4. 1 mmol/L/L Range 2.0-5.0
Triglyceride 1.03 mmol/L Range 0.50-1.70
Free T4 15.66 Units pool/L Range 12.00-22.00
TSH 1.97 Units mU/L Range 0.27-4.20
RCC 3.91 Units 10 12/L Range. 4.00-5.20
HB 11.2 Units g/dL Range 11.5-16.4
HCT 0.348 Units Ratio 0.370-0.460
I don’t know if I have autoimmune hypothyroidism, I did get diagnosed one year after the birth of my third child, when I was 40, my mum also has under active thyroid. I have only been a vegetarian for 9 months now but am not taking any additional supplements. I’ve had tummy issues for years and have been for allergy testing and tried a yeast, soy and sugar free diet for 12 weeks. I tend now to follow a veggie fodmap diet but it can be hit and miss. I did think that the gastroenterologist might find something wrong....thank you for all the info, I should add that I’m based in Dublin, so I pay for all Dr appointments and blood tests but funnily enough I’ve still had to push for full blood tests, referrals and then only get tested for what the GP recommends. I did see an endocrinologist privately for some years and have never had Ft3 checked, I felt like it was a waste of money going when they would adjust my amount of medication but I never felt any better so I stopped attending when my GP said she could check my levels at the surgery.
Make sure you don't have fibroids because I was given all sorts of reasons as to the cause of my pain and it turned out to be one fibroid as the culprit.
I'd investigate your FT3 levels. Low T3 levels have a huge impact on my cycles and overall quality of life. Poorly managed thyroid will wreck your system.
Can you add the ranges (figures in brackets after each result)
Ferritin looks really extremely low (need range)
B12 needs improving - under 500 often too low when on levothyroxine
Folate probably too (need range)
High cholesterol linked to being under medicated
TSH looks possibly a bit high and Ft4 rather low
Need ranges to confirm
Obviously just testing TSH and Ft4 is completely inadequate - essential to test Ft3 as well
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
You need vitamin D tested too - ask GP
Private testing in Ireland
Full thyroid including antibodies
letsgetchecked.com/ie/en/ho...
Vitamin D
That hemoglobin of 3.5 (what is the range?) in the US we use different range measurement (12-16). If consistently having low hgb, it could be so many problem can show low hgb (active bleeding in the GI tract, pernicious anemia, liver issues etc....). GI consult is the right choice. The biosy and histology is the right thing to see what is the problem of anything serious and where it originate. The gyn is a good call. Hood luck to you and keep praying. You caught thing on time.
I’ll add the units and ranges to first post now
I was referred to a gastroenterologist and a gynaecologist a few weeks ago due to a blood test result of 3.5 hemoglobin level
Can you tell us what the units of measurement are for that result and what the reference range is, please?
I think you have muddled up your haemoglobin (Hb) and your haematocrit (HCT).
Your comment in your first post that your haemoglobin level is 3.5 is confusing me, and I suspect a few other people, because it is so low that you would be severely ill in hospital or be in the morgue.
You might find this link of interest - it gives a definition of anaemia :
who.int/vmnis/indicators/ha...
For an adult, non-pregnant woman, anaemia is defined as having a haemoglobin level of less than 120 g/L or 12 g/dL. In either case a level of 3.5 would be astonishing.
I’ve double checked my results:
RCC. *10/ 12L. Range 4.00-5.20
HB *11.2 g/dL Range 11.5-16.4
HCT *0.348 Ratio 0.370-0.460
SERUM FERRITIN. *3.5. Units ug/L Range 23.0-393.0
If I could send a photo I would, hope that helps..yes you are right that I said hemoglobin level in my first post and I should’ve said serum ferritin! So if I understand correctly my hemoglobin level is 11.2, not quite in the morgue yet 😂
That make sense that your hematocrit is not within range and seeing a GI specialist is a wise choice. There are so many different kind of anemia conditions and varies treatments. I wish you best of luck and praying it is not thing serious and easily manageable.
Desperate and not taken seriously
High cholesterol Hashimotos 
High TSH causes?
Tests interpretation please - diagnosed 6 months ago
Thyroid symptoms but doctor won’t prescribe because of tsh being “normal”
