Just an update, I am booked in for a phone consult with my GP later this week, so I am hoping to ask to be re-prescribed levo due to TPO antibodies >1300, TSH 4.65, FT4 13.6 and FT3 4.6. If GP won't re-prescribe it, I am going to ask them to contact Gynae (who I am on a waiting list to see due to recurrent miscarriage) or Endocrinology for a second opinion. I've also found a private endo who specialises in hashimotos, but can't afford to see them until March.
My Ferritin level of 20 was dismissed by the GP Nurse practioner as normal as my HB was good. So they won't prescribe any iron tablets.
Serum B12 was 343 (180-900)
In March I am also going to pay for private testing for pernicious anaemia and lupus and a full iron panel.
In the meantime I have started taking
Folate 400mcg
Vitamin D Better You Spray 1000 iu (my Vitamin D Level is 75)
Better You Iron Spray 5mg
Better You B12 spray 1200 mcg
I know I'll need to stop the B12 before blood tests but I am so fatigued at the moment that I just needed to do something to feel better between now and March.
I've also increased my red meat intake (I've only recently started eating red meat again after not eating it for at least 4 or 5 years) which may not have done me any favours with the Ferritin levels.
Does this action plan sound good? Is there anything I'm not thinking of here?
Grateful for any opinions.
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Chasing-rainbows
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In a study including patients affected by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with low ferritin levels, the administration of L-T4 therapy (levothyroxine), restoring an euthyroid function, significantly increases ferritin levels (10). Inversely, the synthesis of thyroid hormones by the enzyme thyroperoxidase requires iron so the depletion of iron store (low ferritin levels) may accentuate the decrease of free T3 and T4 levels (thyroid hormones) although the autoimmune mechanisms (chronic inflammation in the case of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis) are the principal causes of the low production of thyroid hormones.
In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency
Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet
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
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.
Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones
Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron
I definitely need to get a full iron panel test done asap to find out what's going on.Would you suggest not even taking the 5mg spray at the moment until I've got the full panel results then? It's a low dose compared to tablets but again just wanted to try something to get my energy levels up a bit in the meantime. I'm eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Not yet gluten or dairy free. Though they are possibly going to be next on the action plan. But need to get all my tests etc done and try and take it one step at a time.
Hopefully my appointment goes smoothly this week. If they won't do any more tests then I will definitely be getting them done privately asap. Just hard feeling so fatigued in the meantime. I tried to like Pate but just couldn't get on with it unfortunately. Dark chocolate on the other hand, I can get on board with
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