Please can you advise on this. I started in 2019 on 50mcg, this has been increased as time has gone on, I can't remember when - to 150mcg that I had been on since Feb 2022, in June 2022 I was diagnosed with coeliac. I then had the test again in Dec 2022, where my TSH was high and they said this was likely due to damage in the intestines and not absorbing so increased my thyroxine to 175mcg. I went to the GP late June this year due to irregular periods, often heavy, tiredness, anxiety, night sweating, flutters (that felt like panic) and they wanted to test my ferratin and put thyroid on too. My TSH came back as low, and I asked what would change. They said they would keep my dose the same as my T4 was normal. Upon questioning what it was, it turned out they had not tested it. They asked me to collect a blood form for a test again in 8 weeks. I was not satisfied with this, so ordered a blue horizons one ( attached dated 21/07/2023).
I have an appointment on Monday. Could these results be causing the issues I am having?
My other latest results are:
Serum Ferratin: result 16 ug/L, range 13-150 - 8th December 2022
Serum folate: 4.9ug/L, range 2.8-15 - 6th July 2023
Microsomal (TPO) Abs: 364 IU/ml, range 0-34 - 27th May 2022
TSH at GP: 0.150 mlU/L, range 0.27-4.20, 6th July 2023
I have private B12 jabs, as you have all previously suggested this was too low, I have not posted these, as they are abnormal on the high side, for once.
Thanks in advance.
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Rm250819
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Most certainly your results both for thyroid and vitamins could be causing you issues.
How long before the test did you take your last Levo? Recommended timing is 24 hours.
Your FT3 is 94% of the range which is on the high side and may well be causing symptoms. I'd recommend you reduce Levo slightly.
What has happened about your horribly low ferritin? Have you had a full iron panel done?
Folate is too low. Its usually recommended to take a good methyl/active B complex to keep all the B's in balance. This B complex has all the right vitamins at a not unreasonable cost for 90 days supply. amazon.co.uk/Liposomal-Soft...?
Hi,Thanks for your response. I take my thyroxine at night and it was 36 hours after my last dose.
I have not had a full iron panel, again doctors don't test it just ferratin. And then seem to do nothing with it and just say it's normal. I sent one to Thriva, but it was unusable and they are sending another.
I will look at folate supplements, do we know what causes it all to be low? With the ceoliac and being a vegetarian I am not sure that it helps at all.
Vitamin d was low in December and I am on supplements for that.
Perhaps your absorption has improved now you have gone gluten free so you need less Levo. I'd recommend reducing back to your original 150mcgs Levo and restest in 6-8 weeks.
Many thyroid patients find to get anywhere they have to pre arm themselves with information and become a little assertive in GP consultations. There are nice ways of doing this, so don't just accept what your GP says. You need to be more assertive to get anywhere sadly.
SlowDragon has given you a lot of information and you should be pushing your GP for the iron panel.
Coeliac in itself will have caused reduced absorption, then theres the low stomach acid from being hypo further reducing vitamin levels. Vegetarians will always struggle with B12 & iron so you have a triple whammy going on, and it would help you enormously to focus on raising all four key vitamins to optimal as a priority.
Thanks Jaydee,That all makes sense, and I will be going armed to the gp on Monday with all those links and info SlowDragon has sent through. I have listened to the doctors too much, and I am going to prioritise my health, and if that means a bit of assertivenesss, so be it. After 4 years spent mostly feeling rubbish with fleeting moments of OK, it needs to get sorted.
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
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
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.
Hi, Thank you so much for your response. I am strictly gluten free, and have been since August 2022 after the camera to confirm. Occasional accidental mishap, but not often at all.
Gp prescribed nothing on December and said it was normal. Interesting you say hair loss below 50. Not patches of hairless but drops out in handfuls and fills the plug everytime it's washed. Doctors again do nothing about my complaints of this. I have a Thriva full iron test on its way. I have given up with my gp.
Rich iron diet will be a little more difficult as I 38 and been veggie for 30 years, but I will try and incorporate more.
Thank you so much for these links, I will be reading all, taking notes and heading to the GPS and trying to educate them on Monday.
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
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)
once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12
Hi again SlowDragon,Thanks for all this info too. As I said I am vegetarian, but with the jabs these are brought up.
Can I please ask if the b12 jabs (private again) should these help increase my folate... Or does that not work the same. B12 is a normal on the high end.
Also, does the jabs affect what of the b12 is active?
Thanks for this again, and sorry for all the questions back.
The present review of the literature regarding B12 status among vegetarians shows that the rates of B12 depletion and deficiency are high. It is, therefore, recommended that health professionals alert vegetarians about the risk of developing subnormal B12 status. Vegetarians should also take preventive measures to ensure adequate intake of this vitamin, including the regular intake of B12 supplements to prevent deficiency. Considering the low absorption rate of B12 from supplements, a dose of at least 250 μg should be ingested for the best results.3
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.
No Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC)
the ability of your body to efficiently carry iron through the blood.
No 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.
These are my ferratin results over time. 27th Jan that I had done with Thriva the doctors said were normal and wouldn't accept. The highlighted one they gave ferratin supplements.
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