Please could somebody help with reviewing my latest test results.

[mackers63]

Please can somebody help to interpret my results please.I have been going through a really bad patch since an endocrinologist took me off my Armour medication in November as she disputed whether i needed to be on any medication at all. I was on 3 grains at that stage and she cut it down to 1 and then removing it completely. She then started me back on levothyroxine and within a couple of weeks i was in horrific pain so that medication was stopped. Reactions to levothyroxine were the reason i switched to natural thyroid 9 years ago.I then went back to her and she agreed to prescribe T3 only on a private prescription.Within weeks i was having the same problems as i experienced on the levothyroxine.I stopped this and now i am back on the Armour and i am now at 2 and a half grains.Below are the recent blood tests.

Ferritin 118 (30-150 ug/L)

Folate 5.3 (8.83-60.8 nmolL)

B12 >150 (37.5 - 188 pmol/L)

VIT D 104 (50-250nmol/L)

TSH 1.45 (0.27-4.2mIU/L)

Free T3 4.2 (3.1 -6.8pmol/L)

Free thyroxine 12.1 (12-22pmol/L)

Thyroglobulin antibodies 11.8 (0-115KIU/L)

thyroperoxidase antibodies <9 (0-34 KIU/L)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks in advance

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

mackersk63

Looks like you have folate deficiency

Folate 5.3 (8.83-60.8 nmolL)

cks.nice.org.uk/anaemia-b12...

Folate level

◦Serum folate of less than 7 nanomol/L (3 micrograms/L) is used as a guide to indicate folate deficiency.

What's happening about that? Have you spoken to GP?

Was this a Medichecks test? What was CRP? Knowing CRP level helps to interpret ferritin result.

Are you taking any supplements?

What dose of Armour are you on?

Did you split Armour the day before test into 2 or 3 doses and take last dose 8-12 hours before test?

[mackers63 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I have only just received the results today through Medichecks.The doctor from Medichecks suggested taking a folate supplement. The CRP levels are 13.3. I take VItamin B12, Vitamin D3 with K2, Magnesium malate, Milk thistle and 2 and a half grains of Armour. No, i didnt split the Armour dose the day before. Should i have done so?

Thank you for your help.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to mackers63]

mackers63

The doctor from Medichecks suggested taking a folate supplement.

You should discuss this result with your GP, as it's folate deficiency GP should prescribe a course of folic acid, once level is up you can then find a dose to maintain it yourself and possibly a B Complex will be enough.

The CRP levels are 13.3.

Raised CRP level (range is <5) shows inflammation. Ferritin rises with inflammation so your ferritin result is not a true result.

I take VItamin B12,

Your B12 level is higher than they can measure with their equipment. Once B12 is over 70-100 there's no real need for supplementing B12, taking a good quality bioavailable B Complex should be enough to maintain a good level.

When taking B12 it's necessary to take a B Complex anyway to keep all B vitamins balanced. Have you not been taking B Complex whilst taking B12? You were advised to do so 3 months ago in a reply to your previous post here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

No, i didnt split the Armour dose the day before. Should i have done so?

Yes. T3 either on it's own or in combination meds should be split the day before and last dose 8-12 hours before test. If you take it close to your test you get a false high FT3 result (as well as false high FT4) and if taken too far away you get a false low FT3/FT4 result. FT3 is the most important result whatever thyroid meds you take.

When did you take your last dose of Armour before this test?

[mackers63 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi,

Thanks, i will make an appointment to see the GP which will probably be about a three week wait.The doctor at Medichecks did suggest that the ferritin may not be a true result because of the CRP levels.Ok thanks i will stop the B 12 and start the B complex. I did buy some when it was suggested before but then never took it.Lots of thing have been happening in the last 3 months and totally forgot about it.

The last dose of Armour was taken about 18 hours before.

Thanks again

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to mackers63]

The last dose of Armour was taken about 18 hours before.

So your FT3 is showing lower than normal circulating hormone, your FT4 result should be showing pretty much a normal measure of your circulating amount of hormone as if you take T4 only the last dose should be 24 hours before test.

Some people on combination meds are fine with a low FT4 as long as FT3 is in the upper part of range, others need them better balanced over half way through range, so really it's down to how you feel as to whether your dose is right for you.

[mackers63 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I still don't feel right so i don't think the dose is right for me. Thank you for the advice.

[Litatamon in reply to SeasideSusie]

"I take VItamin B12,

Your B12 level is higher than they can measure with their equipment. Once B12 is over 70-100 there's no real need for supplementing B12, taking a good quality bioavailable B Complex should be enough to maintain a good level."

Unless someone has an b12 absorption issue due to any number of factors, and then it is irrelevant how high the b12 level is & not relevant to even continue testimg it after supplementation starts.

**Stating this only for others reading that might have an absorption issue because so many pernicious anemia patients & non-dietary b12 deficient patients have doctors that take them off shots or advise them to stop supplementing in all forms at high levels, to the detriment of their well-being & health. And that can cause irreversible issues over time.

[mackers63 in reply to Litatamon]

Thank you. No more Vitamin B12 for me, i will just take the B complex from now on.

[waveylines in reply to SeasideSusie]

Seaside Susie it would be good if we could sort this out over NDT. There was a statement put up on here by Diogenes re NDT uptake that he had found with a manufacturer of NDT. . The T3 content of NDT is far far far slower more graduated than synthectic T3 to be absorbed and then to lower giving a more even overall level. therefore there is no need to split the dose as you describe. As you know three highly thought of thyroid specialists have all told me to stop taking my NDT 24hrs before testing. Id be grateful if the team could explain why you are treating NDT like synthectic T3. In reality it is very different.

[tattybogle in reply to waveylines]

 mackers63 the information from diogenes about the half life on NDT (and some other info about the natural 'slow release' aspect of NDT, and discussion of how this affects test timing for NDT users ) are in this post :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... suggested-thyroid-hormone-test-timing-protocol

and here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... rerun-medscape-and-dte-ndt

 waveylines out of interest, have you ever done an experiment of testing yours at 12hrs and again at 24hrs to compare them ?.. has anyone on here ? is anyone on NDT up for doing it as an experiment ? maybe this subject needs a post of it's own so it gets wider discussion , eg i think Seasidesusie wasn't here much when diogenes posted the half life info , so she (and many others) may not have seen it .

[waveylines in reply to tattybogle]

Hi Tattybogle.

Thanks for posting theink.... Was struggling to find it.

No I've never compared. Am not sure there's a need. Diogenes post of the uptake from the manufacturers was was very clear. They will be different. The uptake will be much slower so my Ft3 will be at its peak at 24hrs after stopping not low as Seaside Susie described. That's my understanding from that doc.NDT is very different to the synthetics and really shouldn't be treated in the same way. I'm not saying it's better just different. What suits one doesn't suit another. Good we have diversity!!

Could start another post.... But I Think thats was what Diogenes post covered though....

[dottyb09 in reply to tattybogle]

I have been on NDT for about 20 years and have always taken my last dose 24 hours before a blood test. I take 2.5 grains of Thyroid S and my results are optimal. I am 79 and feel good.