I have recently been diagnosed, September 2022, with underactive thyroid.
Been taken levothyroxine 100 mg since then and my levels have been in normal range. However, my hair is still thinning and I am starting to get symptoms again.
They have done a full blood count and full thyroid panel and everything has come back “normal”
However, my ferritin is 51 (normal range, 10-291)
My B12 is 217 (normal range,211-911)
can anyone shed any light on this please? I have an appointment with a doctor as want to speak to them face-to-face because I don’t agree that they are normal as I am still suffering with all these different symptoms.
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Emmalizzie
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Ranges for ferritin vary greatly from something like 13-150, 30-300, 30-400 and with one lab for over 65s up to 650! So it's difficult to say that ferritin should be xx% through range. However, some experts say that the optimal ferritin level for thyroid function is 90-110ug/L which I think is possibly where we should aim.
Your GP will probably say your result is fine because it is range, however it can be possible to have a ferritin level which seems fine but overall the iron picture is far from it.
It's always helpful to have an inflammation marker tested at the same time as ferritin, if CRP (inflammation marker) is raised then because ferritin rises with inflammation then the ferritin result wouldn't be a true level.
Also, it's useful to do a full iron panel to include
Serum iron
Saturation percentage
Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)
Ferritin
It's possible to have a reasonable ferritin level but dire serum iron and saturation which would suggest iron deficiency.
Also a full blood count which would show any anaemia, you can have iron deficiency with or without anaemia.
My B12 is 217 (normal range,211-911)
Is the unit of measurement ng/L or pg/ml, if so then this is a dire result and you should check for signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency:
If you do have any then list them to discuss with your GP and ask for testing for B12 deficiency and Pernicious Anaemia. Do not take any B12 supplements or folic acid/folate/B Complex supplements before further testing of B12 as this will mask signs of B12 deficiency and skew results and if you have B12 deficiency and it is not detected and treated then this could affect your nervous system. B12 deficiency should be treated before starting folic acid because folic acid can sometimes improve your symptoms so much that is masks B12 deficiency.
Normal can mean different things for different people. Your doctor means that you are within the lab range - but look how huge that is! The ferritin range goes from 10-291 - that is a massive difference.
Your B12 range is between 211 and 911. You are slightly over the lower end of the range.
The fact that you are still not feeling good would indicate that your numbers may be ‘normal’ for your doctor, his receptionist or his dog but they are not optimal for you.
Follow the advice given by the others and good luck.
Presumably you have autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working
Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances.
Most common by far is gluten.
Dairy is second most common.
A trial of strictly gluten free diet is always worth doing
Only 5% of Hashimoto’s patients test positive for coeliac but a further 81% of Hashimoto’s patients who try gluten free diet find noticeable or significant improvement or find it’s essential
A strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential due to gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and may slowly lower TPO antibodies
While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first
Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet
(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)
Trying gluten free diet for 3-6 months. If no noticeable improvement then reintroduce gluten and see if symptoms get worse
The predominance of Hashimoto thyroiditis represents an interesting finding, since it has been indirectly confirmed by an Italian study, showing that autoimmune thyroid disease is a risk factor for the evolution towards NCGS in a group of patients with minimal duodenal inflammation. On these bases, an autoimmune stigma in NCGS is strongly supported
In summary, whereas it is not yet clear whether a gluten free diet can prevent autoimmune diseases, it is worth mentioning that HT patients with or without CD benefit from a diet low in gluten as far as the progression and the potential disease complications are concerned
Despite the fact that 5-10% of patients have Celiac disease, in my experience and in the experience of many other physicians, at least 80% + of patients with Hashimoto's who go gluten-free notice a reduction in their symptoms almost immediately.
Similarly few months later consider trying dairy free too. Approx 50-60% find dairy free beneficial
They said they won’t test T3 and T4, if the TSH is the normal range ANNOYING???!!!
spoke to an ANP Who was super unhelpful, very patronising and unsympathetic. Just sat there with a smug look on her face.!!!!
Going to try B12 vitamins and iron vitamins because they were the low end of normal range. I mentioned this to the doctor and she kept on repeating, but they are in “normal range” you don’t need to supplement? Felt very unheard , but I kind of expected that from what I’ve read.
I have found that forums and social media are a better platform to get help than any doctors.
I never ever had my T3 tested on the NHS - even when the consultant asked for it which seems ridiculous. It was when they were offering me RAI should I become hyper again and I thought about how they hadn’t even checked my T3 that I started ordering my own home fingerpick thyroid blood tests and never looked back. It’s not cheap but it’s oh so worth it.
It means that you no longer have to sit there begging some smug, unhelpful person to test things that they should test but choose not to.
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Symptoms but blood test normal ranges 
Blood tests 'normal' but still feeling awful
Bloods normal but feeling symptoms 
