Pregnancy loss and more results : Hello, I posted... - Thyroid UK

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Pregnancy loss and more results

staceedin profile image
18 Replies

Hello, I posted a couple of days ago re 3 miscarriages and suboptimal thyroid results (the screenshot). Today I've had some results back from the gp - serum B12, serum folate and serum ferritin. I am waiting for these same results (and vitD) from monitor my health. Also waiting for the full thyroid screen from randox to arrive, so no new thyroid data yet.

Serum B12 - 1199 ng/L. Range is 190-883ng/L. This is in red as it's high, Dr says it's in normal ranges no concern?

Serum ferritin - 20.6ug/L. Range is 10-204ug/L.

Serum folate - 15.4ng/ml. Range is 3.10-20.50ng/ml.

What does this tell me? I'm surprised they're in range. I have mthfr compound heterozygous.

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staceedin profile image
staceedin

Sorry I also have a full blood count if that data is useful. High for lymphocytes...

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator

I believe you are taking supplements, am I right? That would explain the high B12 and its not an issue as is a water soluble vitamin that you will just pee out any excess.

Folate is OK. Some people prefer theirs to be at 20 but your level is good.

Ferritin is terrible. This is not uncommon in menstruating women though. NICE state that a level of 30 or less is deficient so make an appointment with your GP who should prescribe iron. You should also get a full iron panel done too.

staceedin profile image
staceedin in reply to Jaydee1507

Yes, I don't think I'd taken them that day but probably had the day before. Looking at my supplements I do have a terrible excess of B12! 600 (24,000% ri) and 4.8 (192%) interesting it's only just high though. Anyway. The folate levels I take are also really quite high, so again interesting it's slightly low.

Ferritin - perhaps also the miscarriage bleeding? It's much more than a period. I do take liver tablets daily but I'll look into more heme iron sources. Dr is not at all concerned so I don't think I'll get anywhere with her. Could ferritin contribute to my high TSH?

Looking for an iron panel now!

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to staceedin

Miscarriage bleeding will definitely be a factor.

Usual recommendation to raise ferritin is to add extra iron rich foods to your diet such as chicken livers, pate, lots of red meat but if its that low then an iron supplement can help. Take iron with orange juice to help it absorb. GP should really prescribe if you push them due to NICE guidelines. If not then some members have recommended this brand.

threearrowsnutra.com/en-uk/...

Low vitamin/mineral levels usually lower TSH.

staceedin profile image
staceedin in reply to Jaydee1507

Thank you ❤️ really appreciate it

Jazzw profile image
Jazzw

A TSH of 2.91 is too high for someone trying to conceive. Fairly sure there’s some guidance somewhere (hopefully one of the admins will pick this up) that states the aim is for less than 2.5.

So very sorry about your pregnancy losses xx

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Ferritin is far too low

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency.

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...

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 and can cause miscarriages

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.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Effective supplement 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Excellent article on iron and thyroid 

cambridge.org/core/journals...

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...

Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron 

healthline.com/nutrition/he...

Heme iron v non heme

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary 

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin range on Medichecks 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

We have received further information the lab about ferritin reference ranges. They confirm that they are sex dependent up to the age of 60, then beyond the age of 60 the reference range is the same for both sexes: 

Males 16-60: 30-400 ug/L

Female's: 16-60: 30-150

Both >60: 30-650 

The lower limit of 30 ug/L is in accordance with the updated NICE guidance and the upper limits are in accordance with guidance from the Association of Clinical Biochemists. ‘

Low iron and hypothyroid and pregnancy

endocrineweb.com/news/thyro...

staceedin profile image
staceedin in reply to SlowDragon

Is it at all interesting the my haemoglobin does not suggest anaemia? I am just looking at the links you shared. The NICE link says

In non-pregnant women aged over 15 years — Hb below 120 g/L. - mine is at 139 g/L.

but my serum ferritin is obviously below the 30ug/L they recommend.

I just find that peculiar!

staceedin profile image
staceedin in reply to staceedin

I have read lots more of the links now and see that it is common!

Regenallotment profile image
Regenallotment in reply to staceedin

yes lots of us have in range haemoglobin and transferrin and low in range ferritin it’s called iron deficiency without anaemia. Treat as for anaemia and symptoms should improve 🌱 sorry to read of your losses, I am inspired by your attitude, and wish you all the very best 🌱

staceedin profile image
staceedin in reply to Regenallotment

Thank you so much ❤️

staceedin profile image
staceedin

Amazing detail here, thank you. Also love your natural approach! Will get reading when I can. Thank you

radd profile image
radd

staceedin,

Vit B12 is water soluble so it's said we just pee excess out. Folate is an adequate level which  is good, as these two should always correlate as work together. 

Ferritin is much too low. Have you had an iron panel done?  You can have adequate haemoglobin pre an aenemic state and its vital you have good iron supplies to support the impending pregnancy.

It’s a fallacy that every person with MTHFR impairments should supplement methylated forms. Its dependant upon level of deficiency and how other genes are interacting/compensating. I have MTHFR mutations but have been told not to supplement methylated forms as work fine in that area. 

TSH is a bit high for ttc but thyroid hormones are good so as long as your specialist confirms prolactin isn't raising, TFT's are good for someone not medicating. Have you had antibody results yet?

staceedin profile image
staceedin in reply to radd

I haven't done an iron panel, I was looking at one earlier and reading some threads about them. I haven't had prolactin looked at for a while (year+) and no one is suggesting it currently to be able to access a test - what would it indicate?I am not sure about my mthfr. My folate is as you can see, my homocysteine was 5 when tested.

No antibody test yet - my blood is so incredibly hard to get out, I've had a couple of tests fail because it's clotted in the tube whilst I'm trying to get the rest out of my finger. I've tried all the tips!!! Litres of water beforehand, warm hands, warm water, exercised etc. It just doesn't ever go well for me. So I just need to ensure my husband is around to look after the toddler whilst I'm stressing about it 😅

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to staceedin

Has anyone considered you might have APS ….sticky blood ?

nhs.uk/conditions/antiphosp...

You may need to pay for private blood draw if can’t manage DIY finger prick test

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Both folate and B12 are Goldilocks vitamins.

You don’t want too little or too much

Folate and B12 and Neural tube defects and autism 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to staceedin

just read your other post where APS was discussed in depth

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

staceedin profile image
staceedin in reply to SlowDragon

Thank you! I'm awaiting those tests with the hospital - anticardiolipin and lupus anticoagulant. I've stopped taking a multi vit that had B12, so just got the one with it now. Folate I've still got a methyl b supplement with v high levels (400%ri -but was already on this) so I've upped liver and oysters to try and help naturally increase it. Ferritin is also low, I'm trying the liver, using our cast iron pan every time and I've ordered some spatone.

I'm right in that ferritin is the body's stores of iron, so my stores are depleted and I'm just working at getting more in?

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to staceedin

Yes…common with autoimmune diseases to have low ferritin but “normal “ iron levels

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...

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.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Effective supplement 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Excellent article on iron and thyroid 

cambridge.org/core/journals...

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...

Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron 

healthline.com/nutrition/he...

Heme iron v non heme

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary 

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin range on Medichecks 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

We have received further information the lab about ferritin reference ranges. They confirm that they are sex dependent up to the age of 60, then beyond the age of 60 the reference range is the same for both sexes: 

Males 16-60: 30-400 ug/L

Female's: 16-60: 30-150

Both >60: 30-650 

The lower limit of 30 ug/L is in accordance with the updated NICE guidance and the upper limits are in accordance with guidance from the Association of Clinical Biochemists. ‘

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