In a previous post I mentioned my dad was due a call from GP to discuss his Dec nutrients and thyroid TFTs. It was the usual wait and see approach and test annually for his thyroid but she suggested he continues to supplement iron to try to address his overall levels, particularly his ferritin which is really low.
While we’re waiting for the next NHS test he may as well look at other nutrient levels to try to support his thyroid as best he can because supplementing has been raising certain nutrients quite well.
He takes
Iron
B complex
Vit d
Magnesium (not tested)
Selenium (not tested)
And levels vary from fair to excellent but he’s also taking selenium and magnesium, which weren’t tested. Which companies would you recommend for private testing please as I know some companies are derided by GPs as being inferior and which magnesium test should it be as I think I’ve read that one of them isn’t reliable. Is it the same for selenium?
Also, while he’s at it he may as well make it a comprehensive test, are there other nutrients you’d recommend looking at, zinc for example?
Thank you.
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musicaljune
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Many GPs dismiss private tests, who knows why? Does it bruise their egos when patients take things into their own hands and come up with a problem the GP has ignored?
The only testing company they may grudgingly accept is Monitor My Health which is an NHS path lab at Exeter Hospital:
Monitor My Health putting you in control through fast, accurate, NHS approved test results.
However, their range of tests is very limited compared with other private labs such as Medichecks, Blue Horizon, etc.
The more reliable magnesium test is the red cell magnesium test. About 99% of magnesium is stored in bone, muscles and soft tissues, leaving about 1% in the blood. So testing what's in the blood (serum magnesium test) isn't giving an accurate picture of our magnesium status.
I don't know too much about selenium testing. This website explains about selenium testing:
It's quite expensive to test selenium, Medichecks charge £101 for the test and require a venous sample, they don't do it as a fingerprick test. I can't see it as a blood test on Blue Horizon's website. The most reasonably priced I have seen is with Cerascreen:
and it tests selenium plus zinc and magnesium (serum magnesium not red cell magnesium). It can be ordered as the selenium test or the mineral deficiency test, they're both the same test and cost £69.
I did this test and it can be done as a fingerprick test although it does seem to take a long time compared with, say, Medichecks. This is because the sample is sent to their hub here in the UK, it's then sent to Germany, processed and reported from there.
When I did my test I did the sample on 5th July, posted Special Delivery that day and tracking showed it arrived on 6th July, when questioned they told me my sample arrived at their lab on 8th July and my report was available on 14th July.
Many GPs dismiss private tests, who knows why? Does it bruise their egos when patients take things into their own hands and come up with a problem the GP has ignored?
I think for some it most definitely does! Our GP is lovely but not terribly knowledgeable about how to treat thyroid conditions. Not wanting to spoil our relationship with her he won’t mention the private test unless it shows something we’re worried about. If it’s just a matter of continuing with ALL the supplements, not just iron, he’ll just get on and do it.
Thank you for the links and all the other information you provided, it’s all worth knowing, so very useful to have. I’ve been in touch with cerascreen about the selenium test that includes magnesium because it doesn’t seem to stipulate what the mag test is. Is it a serum or red cell test? I’m waiting to hear. I wouldn’t have known to ask that question had you not mentioned it, so thank you for that too. Your input is very much appreciated.
Serum (/ˈsɪərəm/) is the fluid and solute component of blood which does not play a role in clotting.[1] It may be defined as blood plasma without the clotting factors, or as blood with all cells and clotting factors removed. Serum includes all proteins not used in blood clotting; all electrolytes, antibodies, antigens, hormones; and any exogenous substances (e.g., drugs or microorganisms). Serum does not contain white blood cells (leukocytes), red blood cells (erythrocytes), platelets, or clotting factors.
Thank you for the wiki definition SeasideSusie. In case it’s of use to any readers or for your compilation, here’s the reply to my question of which “component” of blood is tested.
Thank you very much for the feedback. The analysis of the mineral test from whole blood contain all physiologically occurring blood components. The concentrations and the properties of the cells and extracellular components are as close as possible to those found in vivo.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.
I wish you still a nice day and a good week. Stay healthy!
I think they've skirted the question of "Is this a red cell magnesium test". What do you think?
The red cell test is quite expensive, very very unlikely to be included in a fingerprick test of 3 minerals costing £69. The only one I've found is with Blue Horizon's Private Blood Test arm of their company and is part of a bundle with FBC, serum and red cell magnesium tests and costs £137.25 and requires phlebotomy, can't be done as fingerprick:
I think you could be right but to give her the benefit of the doubt I’ve asked the question again in a more explicit way just in case there’s a bit of a language barrier obscuring things.
From what you’ve said though I’d be amazed if it’s red cell because that price seems too good to be true.
More than the price of blue horizon’s test it’s the nuisance of organising the phlebotomy and having yet another blood draw. It’s a pain.
Blue Horizon will be the one he’ll have to use if it turns out that cerascreen are being a bit economical with details.
Thank you for the useful link and bringing the differences to my attention. Will let you know their response in case it can be of any use at some point.
Here is a screenshot of my results for this test with them, nowhere does it say "Red cell magnesium" or "Red cell zinc" or "Red cell selenium" in the 8 pages of the report or when you order so I'm confident that this is a serum test.
Something else to add into the mix which I find puzzling.
I did this test in July 2021 and the result for magnesium was 1.4mmol/L (1.3-1.8).
In October 2021 I did my usual full thyroid/vitamin test with Blue Horizon which includes magnesium and the result was 0.96mmol/L (0.66-0.99).
In September 2020 with Blue Horizon it was 1.01mmol/L (0.66-0.99).
As I actually supplement with quite a big dose of magnesium I'm rather inclined to accept the Blue Horizon results as more accurate at top/over range rather than Cerascreen's result at bottom of range. Did the extra long wait for Cerascreen to test the sample play a part? Who knows? But as they're serum results I don't take much notice of them anyway.
You might find this interesting. I've just found a sample report from Biolab which includes a plasma magnesium test and a red cell magnesium test:
Registered office: Schwerin | Schwerin Local Court | HRB 11305
Deutsche Bank | Ktnr.: 318 271 400 | BLZ: 130 700 00
Managing Directors Olaf R. Schneider, Dr. Tim Schiederig
--------------- Original Message ---------------thank you for the reply. We do not test magnesium in the red cell component of blood. We do thest it from whole blood.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.
I wish you still a nice day and a good week. Stay healthy!
Yes, I see what you’re saying. Won’t bother with them then as it’s looking like a false economy and a waste of time. Never heard of biolab, have you ever used them? Thank you for the link but if I’m understanding correctly the example appears to be showing that there’s quite a difference between a plasma and a red cell result in that plasma is showing magnesium as within range but low and red cell is below range. Have I got that right?
Sorry, I didn't know about this reply (you replied to yourself rather than to me so I wouldn't get notification of it).
I've not used Biolab.
there’s quite a difference between a plasma and a red cell result in that plasma is showing magnesium as within range but low and red cell is below range. Have I got that right?
Yes, you've understood those results correctly. This illustrates why the plasma/serum test is unreliable because it can't tell you what's in the cells, only the red cell test can tell you that. I can't explain why the red cell test is showing a lower amount than the serum test, it gets beyond my understanding but here is a scientific article if you want to delve further:
Thank you for providing information that’s helped prevent a waste of money on tests that are worthless. There’s so much I don’t know, very grateful for your time and knowledge.
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