I don't post very often but I read a lot on here, and after having a Blue Horizon full thyroid blood test, I would be interested in the thoughts of anyone on what came out of it. I had radioactive iodine some years ago and am on levothyroxine (100mg). My results from the GP always come back as 'normal' but have fluctuated wildly within this over the years. What my 'normal' is I have only an idea as the earliest blood test I have was not full and was not long before my thyroid problems started. I have tiredness which gets in the way of everyday activity. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and never been happy with this as it puts you in a box - fibro is a set of symptoms, and by passing this off as a diagnosis it avoids looking for a cause. I have stomach issues - I have been diagnosed with IBS and diverticular, and have had gastritis. I am due an endoscopy (several years after the last) because of a flare up in pain. My GP treats this as too much stomach acid and prescribes accordingly with PPI's, but I wonder after what I've been reading if this might actually be the opposite and so the treatment I have had is counter-productive.
I list my results below. They are in 'normal' ranges but are interesting in that they seem towards the low ends on some things. I note from comparing my last T3 that it remains the same; my TSH is the same but my T4 is down, and my Iron has been slowly decreasing over the last two years of tests. If anyone wants to know for reference, I will post figures asked for, but I've already written enough. The test figures follow - any comments and thoughts very welcome.
HbA1C is well in range, showing that you aren't diabetic.
CRP 0.63 (<5)
C-Reactive Protein is a measure of inflammation in the body. The lower the result the better, and optimal is less than 1. So your result is already optimal suggesting you have very little inflammation.
Optimal results for an iron panel are mostly based on this link :
Note that contradictory results from an iron panel are quite common.
Iron 18.4 (5.8-34.5) 44% through the range. Optimal is 55% - 70%, higher end for men. Your result is well below optimal suggesting that you need more iron.
Ferritin 45.7 (13-150) 24% through the range. Optimal with thyroid disease is often quoted as 90 - 110 with the reference range you've been given, suggesting that your result is well below optimal, suggesting you need more iron.
Transferrin Saturation 31.3 (20-50) Optimal for saturation is 35% - 45%, higher end for men. Your result is slightly lower than optimal, suggesting than you need a little more iron, but not much more.
TIBC 58.8 (45-81) 38% through the range. Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron. Your result isn't dreadfully low, but note that TIBC often contradicts other iron-related results.
I would say you need to increase your iron. The supplements that people have been doing well on in recent months are described in these links :
Lots of people have struggled to raise iron with iron salts e.g. ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate. So I would suggest trying the products mentioned in the links above first before trying iron salts.
It shows that there is less than 1% of the body's magnesium in the serum and red blood cells.
Another factor to consider is that if the amount of magnesium in the bloodstream runs low it will get stolen from the bones, muscle and soft tissue. So, in most cases blood tests for magnesium will show there is plenty available. But it could be misleading because it could be deficient in bone, muscle and soft tissue.
If someone supplements magnesium, any excess will be excreted via the kidneys in the urine. As long as the kidneys function and doses are sensible it should be safe to supplement magnesium, and many people find it helpful. But anyone with poor kidney function should not supplement magnesium without a doctor's advice.
A random cortisol test is not a very good test. Preferably, blood cortisol should be tested at about 9am, because ideally it will catch the maximum cortisol of the day and night. (Cortisol has a circadian rhythm so it changes throughout the day and night.) Also, unless you say when the test was carried out it is impossible to know which reference range applies. And I've never understood with the ranges you've been given which range applies between 10am and 4pm.
Hopefully someone else might discuss your thyroid results, immunology and vitamin results because it is way past my bedtime.
Stomach acid (HCl) is one of the signals that closes the sphincter (LES) between the oesophagus and the stomach. When LES can’t work properly as a result of insufficient thyroid hormone, symptoms such as indigestion, acid reflux and heart burn result and many GP's incorrectly diagnose this as excess acid.
An inability to digest meat or other proteins is often a good indicator of insufficient gastric acid which is needed to trigger the small intestine to release pancreatic enzymes that further digest foods and signal the gallbladder to release bile to emulsify fats. Gastric acid is also essential for good nutrient absorption and helps retain a healthy gut free from infection.
Many members have had pointless invasive gut/bowel investigations and if you decide to stop your PPI, it must be done slowly to prevent a rebound effect. I would also add something like glutamine and/or slippery elm to help the gut heal and probiotics to regain a more ‘normalised’ microbiome.
FT4 16.1 (12-22) is 41% through range and FT3 3.86 (3.1-6.8) only 20% through range. These results are too low for many to regain well being and indicative of low conversion to T3 which is the active hormone. A healthy life style and optimising your iron and nutrients will help thyroid hormone conversion. Also supplementing 100mcg of selenium daily which Thyroid UK's nutritionist says is perfectly safe. RT3 should normalise as conversion improves. Both antibodies less than ranges indicate no autoimmune disease, and you've had RAI anyway.
Adequate thyroid hormone drives the whole erythropoiesis process and insufficient levels may lead to low iron. Your serum iron is 18.4 (5.8-34.5), 44% through range. A little higher would be preferable, as may help raise ferritin (storage) which is only 24% through range. Your GP won’t be concerned with these results as they are all well within range, and iron levels might improve with optimised thyroid hormone levels and an iron rich diet. Many members eat liver, etc to try raising iron levels.
If cortisol blood test was drawn in the morning, it looks fine, although is not indicative of what is happening for the rest of the day/night. Members use a private Saliva Stress Test for that.
Vit D is low. Are you supplementing? Vit D is fat soluble so needs to be taken with good fats in a supplement containing Vit K2 that is recognised to improve the uptake of calcium from the diet and direct it to the bones.
VitB12 could be higher and folate is too low. Supplementing a Vit B complex would help raise both levels. Many members prefer the methylated forms but be mindful these can make you jittery.
A serum magnesium test is recognised as an unreliable marker for deficiency, because it must remain at effective levels to ensure the heart functions properly. Therefore, the body will extract from muscle/bone to retain critical levels and the blood serum test can not reflect bone/muscle health. If you suspect magnesium deficiency a red blood cell (RBC) magnesium test is better and a whole blood better still, as indicates tissue levels. Many nutritionists say most people are generally low in magnesium and it is safe to supplement low amounts. Which type you take is individual as can help sleep, constipation, etc.
Blood glucose levels are good, inflammatory markers are good.
Thank you for the replies (and also apologies for the double post - laptop problems). Some very helpful information. I have suspected that my main issues are a)lack of iron and iron stores, b) leaky gut and low stomach acid, and c)as a result poor absorption and conversion. It's good to know that I have been probably looking in the right direction. Explaining this to GPs and Endocrinologists in the UK seems a hopeless cause, as they assume you know nothing as you don't have a qualification, and they're obviously right (...). I've learned a lot from the posts and advice on here, and it's also good to know that I'm not alone, as the medical profession makes you feel that way.
The suggestions for supplements gratefully received. I would ask if there are any recommendations on the best way to take such a combination - times of day, sprays versus tablets, etc - which would be useful; also, as well as levo I also take losartan for blood pressure, so spacing meds through the day is a consideration.
For reference, the cortisol reading came from a test that was done at 8am.
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