Vit level advice?-

[Minimouse1]

Hi could anyone please advise of my latest Vit levels as to whether they're ok? Also if supplementing how long after taking levo should I wait?? I'm hypo Hashi.

Active B12 - 150 pmol/L

Folate - 19.2nmol/L

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Minimouse1

Active B12 is good, the range is usually something like 37.5-188 or 25.1-165, so whichever it is that's a very good level. Do you supplement?

Folate - impossible to say without the range, there are various ranges that go from >2.9 (which usually means 2.89-14.5) to 8.83-60.8 and folate should be half way through it's range, so you could be over range with some ranges but below too low with other ranges.

[Minimouse1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Seaside Susie, can we only add one photo on here?? I've added my folate result. Not sure what the range is according to this. I was supplementing with B12 sublingual but stopped about 4 months ago. My last result in April was >256pmol/L & now it's 150pmol. Sorry but I used different companies & the unit measurements confuse me....PS how long after taking levo should be left before taking vitamins?? 😁

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Minimouse1]

Minimouse1

You can add one photo in the opening post.

Further photos can be added in replies, one photo per reply by using the rectangular icon at the end of the row below the message box (the one with mountains and sun). But you don't need to add any more photos, that is a Thriva test and the range for Active B12 will be one of those I mentined above and your result, as I said, is very good. Obviously if you have any other results you want comments on you can add a photo in a reply or just type them in your message.

I was supplementing with B12 sublingual but stopped about 4 months ago. My last result in April was >256pmol/L & now it's 150pmol

Those units of measurement are the same. As long as they were both Active B12 tests then they are comparable as long as the range was the same.

As you left off your B12 supplement for 4 months, your new result is showing what you are holding on to without supplementing and our B12 store tends to be good for about 2 years.

As for your folate level, the range is the green part of the bar graph but that doesn't coincide with what the normal range is when it starts at 8.83, it should have an upper limit of 60.8.

Thriva provide a pdf which shows the proper ranges, these coloured bar graphs are very confusing. You can find your results with their normal ranges as a pdf using the link in the help page

intercom.help/thrivahelpcen...

Your results will then look like this:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

so I think you will find the range for folate is 8.83-60.8 and in that case your folate level is low, it should be at least half way through it's range and that is 35+ with that range.

If you want to raise your folate level then you will need a B Complex, this contains all the B vitamins so keeps them all balanced. My preference for a B Complex is Thorne Basic B, it contains 400mcg methylfolate which is the amount generally used to raise a low level where there is no actual deficiency (you don't have deficiency). It also contains 400mcg methylcobalamin (B12) which is a nice amount to maintain your B12 level. One capsule of Thorne Basic B daily is enough.

If you look at different brands then look for the words "bioavailable" or "bioactive" and ensure they contain methylcobalamin (not cyanocobalamin) and methylfolate (not folic acid). Avoid any that contain Vit C as this stops the body from using the B12. Vit C and B12 need to be taken 2 hours apart.

When taking a B Complex we should leave this off for 3-7 days before any blood test because it contains biotin and this gives false results when biotin is used in the testing procedure (which most labs do).

how long after taking levo should be left before taking vitamins??

That depends on the supplement. Most are fine with a 2 hour time gap, some require 4 hours (calcium, iron, magnesium, Vit D).

[Minimouse1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes its Vit D, magnesium & K2 I am starting again so you are recommending 4hrs. Thanks for all the info its very good to refer back to when the brain fog is so bad you cant remember! 😀

[Minimouse1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ok Ive got it now. The Thriva site does not make it easy to find the full pdf with ranges though!! My Folate was tested by Medichecks in April this year & was 12.4 ug/L again not sure of range for Medichecks site? So skip to Sept 21 its now 19.2nmol/L (8.83-60.8) so you are saying this is low. My original result for B12 of 375ngL (211-911) was done in Nov 2020 which is when I was advised to raise it a bit. I supplemented until April this year at which point it was >256pmol/L (25.1-165) and is now >150pmol/L (37.5-188). I think sticking to the same testing company with the same unit measurements and ranges may help in the future.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Minimouse1]

Minimouse1

My Folate was tested by Medichecks in April this year & was 12.4 ug/L again not sure of range for Medichecks site?

The Medichecks range for folate is usually either >3.9 (or 3.89-19.45) or >2.89 (or 2.89-14.5) [they changed labs at one point].

So skip to Sept 21 its now 19.2nmol/L (8.83-60.8) so you are saying this is low.

Yes, it's low but not deficient, you can see how low in the range it is, it works out at 19.95% through it's range and it should be at least 50% through range.

Calculator to work our percentage through range:

chorobytarczycy.eu/kalkulat...

The "hormony tarczycy" tab is used for FT4 andFT3.

My original result for B12 of 375ngL (211-911) was done in Nov 2020 which is when I was advised to raise it a bit. I supplemented until April this year at which point it was >256pmol/L (25.1-165) and is now >150pmol/L (37.5-188).

You have two different tests there.

375ngL (211-911) is serum Total B12. This has a much wider range. It measures the total amount of B12 - bound to proteins and unbound (free or active). It's the unbound (active) B12 that is available to the cells.

The other two tests with the narrower range are Active B12 tests and this is measuring just the active B12 that is available to the cells. It's said that the Active B12 test is the better test as you can have a good Total B12 but a poor Active B12.

[Minimouse1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ah I see. The first set of tests was done by NHS and it says Serum Vit B12 level 375ngL (211-911) and Serum Folate level 8.6 ug/L (5.4-20). Theres no mention of Active B12 on the online test I got from the GP. This is a minefield!!

[humanbean in reply to Minimouse1]

The NHS never tests Active B12, as far as I know.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Minimouse1]

Humanbean is correct. Unlikely to get Active B12 on the NHS, certainly not at primary level. I think there may be a remote (very remote) possibility if you were being investigated for B12 deficiency but Serum Total B12 seems to be the first line test.