Help with interpreting daughter's blood results

[Sneedle]

Hello, I would like some help with understanding my daughter's blood results. She is undiagnosed but symptomatic. She will be on Vit D loading dose shortly as that is very low. Like me (in a separate post I'm also requesting help for my own blood tests) she has the MTHFR gene which I understand affects folate? That might be incorrect though.

I am interested to know if Ferritin could be considered low - she has issues with heavy menstruation.

Any insight will be very helpful as to what we do next. Thank you.

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

folate is low, along with what you mention.

I think I also replied to your results, same applies.

Yes ferritin does drop with heavy periods, get on the liver! They recommend here that you get a full iron panel before supplementing with iron as it’s such a complex area 🌱

[Sneedle in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks for your reply. Are you saying Ferritin is low and therefore recommending the full iron panel?

Also I noticed on your (very comprehensive) bio that you have had genetic testing done - both my daughter and I have had limited testing done, but I'm wondering if we shouldn't have more done. Do you know if there is anything in particular that folks with thyroid issues should be testing for?

Thanks!

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Sneedle]

hope the bio was useful it’s such a journey finding all this stuff out isn’t it.

My dna info comes from running my ancestry dna data through a free online (genetic genie) report thing.

It’s not recognised by the GP, for that you would need expensive tests by Regenerus Labs or similar.

It was enough for me to have a guide and understand my situation, metabolism and explain why the GP thinks I’m ‘normal’ and I most certainly am not.

Great work sorting this for yourself and your daughter. Love a bit of Mama hustle 🌱🦋🌱

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How old is your daughter

What’s her diet like

Folate and B12 are low

See my reply re folate and B12 in post above this one

Ft4 obviously very low

Retest in 3-4 months after working on improving all four vitamins

She will need ongoing daily maintenance dose vitamin D to keep vitamin D at decent level once she finishes loading dose

[Sneedle in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for your reply.

I should mention we are going to repeat the thyroid tests as I messed up and didn't see that it had to be morning - time of test 3pm. Saliva cortisol will also be tested.

She's 18, gluten intolerant (but doesn't stick to it!) lactose intolerant which she does stick to. Generally we eat a good diet of home cooked food. She has occasional teenage splurges of fast food (less than once a month). We eat a lot of meat she loves steak and chicken. She has roasted veg and fresh soups. It's not organic stuff though.

Re vitamins we will work on this with nutritionist and it seems we have to get her back on the 'MTHFR supplements' of b vits.

Are you suggesting the best approach right now is to get all the non-thyroid levels up and not look at directly adding any thyroid whether t4 or t3, synthetic or natural?

I'm looking for an approach as to where we go from these results. She's struggling and has A level exams coming up. I'm aware it's a slow process.

I've ordered the info pack from Thyroid UK and will look at private doctors for her - she has a diagnosis of 'possible epilepsy' (! the neurologist is on the fence and says she is not obviously epileptic but acknowledges she does have some epileptiform activity on an EEG). Therefore I want to be cautious about anything which could throw her system.

Cheers!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Sneedle]

does she have seizures?

palomahealth.com/learn/hypo...

[Sneedle in reply to SlowDragon]

She has atypical seizures which are internal only (electric shock in centre of chest momentary blackness in front of eyes but does not pass out or fall) and neurologist is not clear on what it actually is. However she does experience less episodes when she takes Keppra for epilepsy. Which gives her headaches, so she doesn't take it much.Thanks for the link

[GlowCoach Administrator]

So daughter has positive Thyroglobulin antibodies meaning she has Hashimoto's, autoimmune thyroid disease. Has she tried a gluten free diet? Dairy can also be an issue for some and worth trialing elimination. This also goes for MTHFR people.

What time of day was the test taken? 9am is best for highest TSH.

Her TSH is not bad at all but FT4 at bottom of range. Once she gets vitamins up to optimal her TSH might change and show higher.

Would be worth restesting thyroid every 4 months or so to monitor levels.

Ferritin although not very low is less than optimal and as she has Hashi's although fairly early on she will have low stomach acid and difficulties absorbing her vitamins. Need to focus on eating chicken livers a few times a week or pate to get ferritin to around 100.

For folate which is an MTHFR issue see my comments to you on your post.

healthline.com/nutrition/fo...

[Sneedle in reply to GlowCoach]

Hi and thanks for your reply.

Re Hashimoto's I'm confused as I thought her results ATPeroxidase antibodies <9.0 (<34) and Anti-Thyroglobulin abs 14 (<115) were low ie that means she doesn't have it?

I confess the symbols totally confuse me, can you explain them? Much appreciated.

Also as I have exactly the same results!

I messed up and took the test at 3pm so we are repeating the thyroid parts plus saliva cortisol as a new test (belt and braces). Is it only the thyroid results which are heavily impacted by time of day?

Re optimal levels, can you let me know how these are arrived at (mathematically) as I can't seem to find this info. As although the concept makes sense, how do we know that eg. T4 needs to be at 75% of the range and not say 50%? This will be good to know as I'm going to be talking to my (largely hopeless) gp surgery about my own side of things.

Thank you for your help!

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to Sneedle]

Goodness sorry I have misread that myself and was looking at the 115 number. Must be how its written. Apologies so disregard the Hashi statement as antibodies negative. The < means greater than, and then the number. So for TPO antibodies her number would have to be over 34 to be positive.

There is a calculator to work out percentages of range. thyroid.chingkerrs.online/

I'm not sure that there is a huge amount of evidence about optimal thyroid or vitamin results. A lot of that is anecdotal evidence from groups like this and people saying they feel well when their TSH/FT4/FT3 is at x level. FT4 is almost always at top of range or close, if the person is converting well.

Yes its mainly thyroid affected by time of day due to the circadian rhythm of TSH. Also FT4 will ebe affected if you take Levo less than 24hrs before test. Take it AFTER 9am test. Fast that day until after test, thats mainly for consistency.

TSH graph