gp results on latest blood test

hi all. In relation to my last post, these are my latest results from my gp

Tsh: 2.63 mu/l (0.55 - 4.78)

T4: 12.6pmol/l (11.5 - 22.7)

Folate : 11.9 ug/l (>3.0)

Ferritin : 55ug/l (15 - 300)

Vitamin D : 56 nmol/l

B12 : 315 ng/l (180 - 900)

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

How long at this dose

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Results show you are under medicated

Request 25mcg dose increase in levothyroxine

Perhaps initially increasing by 12.5mcg per day for 6-8 weeks

Meanwhile working on improving low vitamin levels

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Vitamins are low because you are under medicated

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi. No I'm not on levothyroxine and never have been. Have not been diagnosed as having thyroid issues.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Well your low thyroid levels suggests you do have thyroid issue

Anxiety is common hypothyroid symptom

Getting all four vitamins improved to OPTIMAL will help reduce symptoms, improve how your own thyroid works ….and, if thyroid is struggling…getting vitamins to OPTIMAL levels is likely to increase TSH so you can get diagnosed and starting on levothyroxine

IBS …..definitely try absolutely strictly gluten free diet

Retest thyroid levels in 2-3 months

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Optimal vitamin D is at least over 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better

How much vitamin D are you currently taking

Which brand

Likely to need at least 3000iu daily

Retest again in 3 months

Test twice yearly via NHS private testing service when supplementing

vitamindtest.org.uk

GP will often only prescribe to bring vitamin D levels to 50nmol. Some CCG areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol or even 80nmol

leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

But with Hashimoto’s, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.

There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7.

One spray = 1000iu

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

Another member recommended this one recently

Vitamin D with k2

amazon.co.uk/Strength-Subli...

It’s trial and error what dose we need, with thyroid issues we frequently need higher dose than average

Vitamin D and thyroid disease

grassrootshealth.net/blog/t...

Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease

newscientist.com/article/23...

Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Great article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick on magnesium

drmalcolmkendrick.org/categ...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

I'm taking 1000mg a day, I get a tub of tablets from Lidl. It was 25 before and gone up but I think I do need to take a higher dose as suggested to bring my levels up more.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Low B12

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

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B complex that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule)

IMPORTANT......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...

In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate methyl folate supplement and continue separate B12

Low B12 symptoms

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a B12 supplement as well as a B Complex (to balance all the B vitamins) initially for first 2-4 months.

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/shop-by-prod...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

B12 range in U.K. is too wide

Interesting that in this research B12 below 400 is considered inadequate

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Ferritin is also too low, but not low enough for GP to do full iron panel test

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

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

An article that explains why Low ferritin and low thyroid levels are often linked

preventmiscarriage.com/iron...

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

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

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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

Medichecks iron panel test

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Heme iron v non heme

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

Good explanations of iron

theironclinic.com/iron-defi...

theironclinic.com/ironc/wp/...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Looking at previous posts

Not clear if you are actually on levothyroxine…yet?

IBS

Are you now on absolutely strictly gluten free diet

Both antibodies negative…..get ultrasound scan of thyroid

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Paul Robson on atrophied thyroid - especially if no TPO antibodies

paulrobinsonthyroid.com/cou...