Hi
I have had a medichecks blood test done after doctor wanting to lower my levothyroxine dose and hope you can help with the results.
Ferritin 20.2. Range 30-650
Folate serum 8.9 Range 8.83-60.8
Vit B12 active 143 Range 37.5- 188
Vit D 107 Range 50-250
TSH 0.198 Range 0.27-4.5
Free T3 4.4 Range 3.1-6.8
Free thyroxin 19. Range 12-22
Thyroglobulin 18.3 Range 0-115
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 12.7
Range 0-34
Thanks in advance
So looking at previous post
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
You are gluten intolerant and on strictly gluten free diet
Assuming you tested as recommended…..early morning, only water to drink between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
FT4: 19 pmol/l (Range 12 - 22)
Ft4 is 70.00% through range
FT3: 4.4 pmol/l (Range 3.1 - 6.8)
Ft3 very low at just 35.14% though range
So very poor conversion of Ft4 (levothyroxine) to Ft3 (active hormone)
For good conversion we need OPTIMAL vitamin levels
So first step is to improve deficient ferritin and folate
Email these results to your GP
Request full iron panel test for anaemia
Likely to need iron supplements
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Folate is virtually deficient
GP should initially prescribe folic acid
Once you finish folic acid prescription you can then take a daily vitamin B complex…..probably indefinitely
Retest thyroid levels in 8 weeks
You should see Ft3 increasing …..possibly TSH rising a little
Low folate
Once you finish prescription folic acid from GP
Start supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid)
This can help keep all B vitamins in balance
Difference between folate and folic acid
healthline.com/nutrition/fo...
B vitamins best taken after breakfast
Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B complex that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule)
Thorne currently difficult to find at reasonable price, should be around £20-£25. iherb.com often have in stock. Or try ebay
Other options
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...
endocrinenews.endocrine.org...
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg)
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
How other member saw how effective improving low B vitamins has been
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Thank you SlowDragon. I will act on your advice and read your links 😊
Deficient ferritin will tend to lower TSH
Low Ft3 results in low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels results in poor conversion……it’s a vicious circle
Any obvious reason for such dire ferritin
Are you vegetarian or vegan
Or heavy periods
cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...
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
Medichecks iron panel test
medichecks.com/products/iro...
Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet
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
List of iron rich foods
Links about iron and ferritin
irondisorders.org/too-littl...
davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...
Great in-depth article on low ferritin
oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...
drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...
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.
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Posts discussing Three Arrows as very effective supplement
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Iron patches
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...
Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Iron and thyroid link
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Excellent article on iron and thyroid
cambridge.org/core/journals...
Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Good iron but low ferritin
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron
healthline.com/nutrition/he...
Heme iron v non heme
hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...
Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Ferritin range on Medichecks
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
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. ‘
my diet isn’t great I suppose I don’t eat red meat at all. I will increase leafy greens
I am post menopausal so that’s not a problem.
come back with new post once you get full iron panel test results via GP …..or via Medichecks
Test early morning, fasting, don’t eat iron rich dinner night before test (eg liver and bacon)
Well I went for a blood test at GP they wouldn't do full bloods just ferritin as they said all other results were normal!
Result of Ferritin via GP = 12ug/L ( 10.0 - 420)
Classed Normal No further action needed.
Ferritin is extremely deficient
You need FULL iron panel test for anaemia
if GP won’t you will need to test yourself via Medichecks
Test early morning, don’t eat iron rich dinner night before test and only drink water between waking and test
medichecks.com/products/iro...
Full bloods done 20 June GP surgery say all ok.
You need iron, TIBC, transferrin and ferritin tested
Iron is a mineral that is essential for life. It is a component of haemoglobin, a protein in our red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen around our body. If we don't have enough iron, our haemoglobin levels fall and we can't get sufficient oxygen to our cells. This can cause symptoms which include fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Serum iron is a very transient reading and can be influenced by the amount of iron-rich food in your diet in the days before your blood test. For this reason, iron is rarely looked at on its own, and is interpreted alongside other markers in an iron status test.
TIBC
Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) is a measure of the ability of your body to efficiently carry iron through the blood.
Transferrin saturation
Transferrin is made in the liver and is the major protein in the blood which binds to iron and transports it round the body. This test measures how much this protein is 'saturated' by iron.
Ferritin
Ferritin is a protein which stores iron in your cells and tissues. Usually, the body incorporates iron into haemoglobin to be transported around the body, but when it has a surplus, it stores the remaining iron in ferritin for later use. Measuring ferritin levels gives us a good indication of the amount of iron stored in your body.
GP Folate results back
Folate 9.5ug /L.
Says :- Range <3.0 shows deficiency. 3.0-4.5 shows folate deficiency but not diagnostic
Therefore Normal no action required.
Really wondering why medichecks shows deficiency but 2 weeks later GP tests show ok I will have iron panel test done as you suggest but it’s spending a lot of money for tests that my GP won’t act on. Do these discrepancies happen a lot I wonder ? and should I just except their results and just try to sort it myself ? So frustrating!
Thank goodness we have people like you who are generous with advice.
Iron and ferritin are complicated
Ferritin is very deficient
But before starting supplements you need to check if iron is also deficient
Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Examples of Good iron but low ferritin
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron
healthline.com/nutrition/he...
Thank you
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