This would appear to a pretty good level. According to an extract from the book, "Could it be B12?" by Sally M. Pacholok:
"We believe that the 'normal' serum B12 threshold needs to be raised from 200 pg/ml to at least 450 pg/ml because deficiencies begin to appear in the cerebrospinal fluid below 550".
"For brain and nervous system health and prevention of disease in older adults, serum B12 levels should be maintained near or above 1000 pg/ml."
Folate 4.1 (ug/L-no range given)
Sample slightly haemolysed.
Result may be falsely increased.
Folate deficient if < 3.9 ug/L.
If that result may be falsely increased then there's a possibility that you have folate deficiency considering how close 4.1 is to the suggestion that <3.9 is deficient.
Is this a GP or a private test? GP may consider prescribing folic acid.
Ferritin : 70 (ug/L 30 - 400)
Iron : 12.7 (umol/L6.6 - 26)
% IBC Saturation : 27% (15 - 45)
Total Iron Binding Capacity 47.9: ( umol/L 45 - 81)
Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men - yours is 31.44% so is low
Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men - yours is 27% so is low
Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC): Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron - yours is very low in range suggesting iron supplementation is not needed
Iron panel results are often conflicting, your TIBC suggests that you don't need supplementing but your serum iron and saturation are low which rather suggests that you do. I would continue with your iron tablets and keep monitoring your level aiming for the optimal levels suggested above.
As you are taking D3 where is your Vit D test result, this should be tested twice a year when supplementing. Do you also take D3's important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7?
My B12 was taken last October which showed good levels and in this test too; so that is a relief!
I don't know how a person can "Falsley increase " something like this...(Folate or other) but I guessed I may need a supplement. As you say, my levels are very near the less than range.
Can you provide a good supplement source for Folate?
Do you think I need to up my Ferrous Fumarate back to two per day?
I was low with Vitamin D earlier 2011/12. I was given a 800iu dosage for quite a few years until a review by the resident pharmacist at GP practice took it from me; I have been supplementing ever since, so not sure at all where natural levels are.
I have Better You transdermal magnesium but haven't acted upon the VIT-K2- MK7. Can you please remind me of possible brands for these as well?
I don't know how a person can "Falsley increase " something like this...(Folate or other)
It's to do with the sample being "slightly" haemolysed. I don't know how it can actually be slightly haemolysed, I would have thought it's either it's haemolysed or it isn't, but they've given a result and if they think it might be falsely increased then the true level would be lower and quite likely below range.
Can you provide a good supplement source for Folate?
I have used this one in the past because it doesn't have unnecessary additives:
It's definitely methylfolate not folic acid as the label shows. However, my level was low but nowhere near as bad as yours. This is why I suggested your GP may prescribe folic acid, that would be a short course of a 5mg dose whereas this is 400mcg.
Do you think I need to up my Ferrous Fumarate back to two per day?
How low were your levels before you started ferrous fumarate and how long were you taking two? That would be the basis on which you should decide if you need to go back on two or whether one would be enough to continue the improvement.
I have read that it is better if iron is taken alternate days rather than daily, this seems to give better results, plus taking Vit C with the iron tablets helps absorption.
Remember to take iron at least 2 hours away from other supplements/medication (four hours away from thyroid meds).
I was low with Vitamin D earlier 2011/12. I was given a 800iu dosage for quite a few years until a review by the resident pharmacist at GP practice took it from me; I have been supplementing ever since, so not sure at all where natural levels are.
You need to test Vit D. It's possible that your surgery wont, in which case you should do a private test, this is an easy dried blood spot test you can do at home, supplied by an NHS lab for the general public:
5,000iu D3 daily is quite a high maintenance dose. Some of us do need it but it's essential to know exactly how much we need because it's a fat soluble vitamin and any excess is stored rather than excreted, this can build up to toxic levels if we take too much.
Come back with result of test for guidance on how much you need to take. Continue with your current dose up to and including the day before the test then when we know your level I can point you in the right direction.
haven't acted upon the VIT-K2- MK7. Can you please remind me of possible brands for these as well?
For Vit K2-MK7 my suggestions are Vitabay, Vegavero or Vitamaze brands which all contain the correct form of K2-MK7 - the "All Trans" form rather than the "Cis" form. The All Trans form is the bioactive form, a bit like methylfolate is the bioactive form of folic acid.
Vitabay and Vegavero are either tablets or capsules.
Vitabay does do an oil based liquid.
Vitamaze is an oil based liquid.
With the oil based liquids the are xx amount of K2-MK7 per drop so you just take the appropriate amount of drops. 90-100mcg K2-MK7 is enough for up to 10,000iu D3.
They are all imported German brands, you can find them on Amazon although they do go out of stock from time to time. If the tablet or capsule form is only in 200mcg dose at the time I take those on alternate days. I get what I can when I need to restock and lately I've only been able to get Vegavero 200mcg capsules.
Yes, Thorne Basic B is a good B Complex, I took it for years and got on well with it. However, it frequently goes out of stock and in the run up to this it goes very expensive, then there is a long wait for it to come back in stock. This is partly the reason why some of us have changed to a different one. I now use this one which is very similar but you get 90 softgels instead of 60 capsules and the price is equivalent to the lowest you'd probably ever see Thorne Basic B
It's too low a dose, we need 90-100mcg for up to 10,000iu D3.
Presumably that's for the 60 capsules bottle? If so then that's 25p per capsule for a half strength dose.
The Vegavero 200mcg ones don't seem to be available at the moment but last time I bought them they were £25.90 for 180 capsules, which you would take alternate days so that would be the equivalent of 360 doses which works out at 7p for a 100mcg dose equivalent.
A good alternative whilst the Vegavero is unavailable is Vitamaze liquid
This is the better all trans version and a good clean supplement with just K2-MK7 and olive oil, no excipients. 1 drop = 20mcg so you'd take 5 drops daily. There are 1,700 drops in the bottle so that's 340 x 100mcg doses for £17.97 which works out at 5p per dose.
Comparing prices then the Doctor's Best is very expensive compared to Vegavero and Vitamaze.
I always treat T3 the same as Levo for timing of supplements and other medication.
So the following should be 2 hours away from T3:
Vit D
B Complex
Selenium
K2-MK7
The following should be 4 hours away from T3:
Ferrous fumerate
and ferrous fumerate should be 2 hours away from any other supplements as it will affect their absorption.
So timing of your supplements depends on the timing of your T3 doses. With 3 x 30mcg doses of T3 you will probably have to work out some kind of timetable.
What type of D3 have you got - oil based soft gel or tablet or capsule or oral spray? If it is an oil based softgel you can take an oil based K2-MK7 at the same time. They both need fat for absorption and if they don't contain fat within the supplement and you take with dietary fat, they will compete for the fat for absorption so they should be taken at different times of the day. If they both contain fat, eg are both oil based (ingredients will show olive oil or sunflower oil, etc) then it should be OK to take them together as they have their own fat within the supplement.
I have the Dr's Best Vit D and Vitamaze K2-MK7 drops. Can these be taken together?
I take the ferrous fumarate 4 hours after T3.
What should selenium snd B complex?
Do I have to stop taking B complex when bloods are due? If so why is this? ( I think I have read that on here it.)
SeasideSusie, you may have read my post about a Verde Mercum for viramins, timings, brands.......Really you are best placed as you have so much knowledge...I know I certainly would welcome it!
I have the Dr's Best Vit D and Vitamaze K2-MK7 drops. Can these be taken together?
OK, so these are bofh oil based and you could take thdm together.
What should selenium snd B complex?
These ars in the 2 hour list above.
Do I have to stop taking B complex when bloods are due? If so why is this? ( I think I have read that on here it.)
Yes. B Complex contains biotin. Taking a supplement containing biotin causes false results when biotin is used in the testing procedure (which most labs do).
The amount of biotin determines how long we should leave off the supplement. The amount in a B Complex is usually quite small, about 400-500mcg and leaving off for 3 days shoild be enough. The amount in a stand alone biotin supplement or hair/nail supplement is usually much more eg 5,000mcg or even more, and it's best to leave off for 7 days before any blood test.
Ferritin is a protein which stores iron. I always think of ferritin as the pantry and iron as baked beans. I stock my pantry with a few tins of baked beans. When I've used the last tin I need to restock my pantry. So as the body needs iron it takes it from the iron store (ferritin) and this has to be replenished on a regular basis.
Medichecks has an article about iron/ferritin here:
My Endo is very obliging, so next time bloods are requested, I will ask for vit D levels to be done...probably not in next few weeks but bloods after that.
Do you think I should stop taking the Vid D, then hopefully it will be out of my system for the blood test, possibly in 6 to 8 weeks,how long does it take to leave the body to gain a true reading?
Do you think I should stop taking the Vid D, then hopefully it will be out of my system for the blood test, possibly in 6 to 8 weeks,how long does it take to leave the body to gain a true reading?
Personally I would continue taking it. Just get a level then we can work out what dose you should be taking from that. And I wouldn't wait, I would do a private test now to set your summer dose, then test again at the end of October to see if you need to adjust it for winter.
I don't know how long it takes to get a "natural" reading because levels can change with the season anyway, in summer most people can make Vit D from the sun so it would be naturally higher then anyway than it would ín the winter, which is why we should test twice a year when supplementing to ensure we are taking the appropriate dose to maintain our level.
Personally I was severely deficient with a level of 15nmol/L, I quickly managed to raise it to 202 which is too high but now maintain it at around 150, but I need the same dose of D3 all year round because I can't sit out in the sun without my skin burning even through clothes. If I stopped supplementing to find my "natural" level it would quickly plummet to deficiency again. Once deficient then supplementation is generally for life.
Hello SeasideSusie, my Vit D was taken 22.5.23 at 7.30am before food or drink. The results are 58 nmol/L (no range has been given by Monitor my Health.
The Vit D Council, the Vit D Society and Grassroots Health all recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L (40-60ng/ml), with a recent blog post on Grassroots Health mentioning a study which recommends over 125nmol/L (50ng/ml).
So now you look at how much is needed to reach 50ng/ml and you'll see that they suggest 3,700iu per day. 3,700 x 7 days = 25,900iu per week. As you have 5,000iu dose I would be inclined to increase to 5,000iu x 5 or 6 days per week = 25,000-30,000iu per week (perhaps have weekends or Sunday off).
Retest after 3 months to see if dose needs adjusting. Don't forget we need to test Vit D twice a year to check to see if seasonal adjustment is needed, so best times would be April and late October.
Thanks SeasideSusie; I have just taken a look at the post you have written and also the Vitamin D council...I need to get my Maths up to date......thanks for breaking it down for me in an understandable manner!
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Help with Interpretation please 
Help interpreting labs please
Test Results - Help with Interpretation Please!
Help interpreting blood test results please
