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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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.
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?
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.
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.
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
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.
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. ‘
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 🌱
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?
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 😅
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?
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.
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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