Blood test results: I have so little faith in my... - Thyroid UK

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Blood test results

Suziscrews profile image
7 Replies

I have so little faith in my surgery these days, and because I was feeling really drained I did a home anemia test. The result was abnormal, so I contacted the surgery to arrange for a blood test. What a performance!!! I told the receptionist I did a home test and the result was to see a doctor. It was like a fox got into the hen house. I was told they can't have their patients doing their own blood tests. So I replied that if they would give me one I wouldn't have to do home tests, needless to say that didn't go down very well. Anyway I had the blood test and was given the results which I was informed are all fine but I feel uncertain .So, I wondered if you knowledgeable folk could look at my test results and give your opinion?B12 - 556 pmo ( range 133 - 675)

TSH- 0.80 mui (range 0.38 - 5.33)

Serum Ferritin - 17ug (range 11 - 306)

Serum Folate - 6 ug (range 3.10 - 19.9).

I think B12 is ok but not sure about the others.

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SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

Suziscrews

Serum Ferritin - 17ug (range 11 - 306)

That alone should be raising a red flag with your GP. According to NICE it confirms iron deficiency:

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency.

However, you need a full iron panel to include serum iron, saturation percentage, total iron binding capacity and ferritin to confirm iron deficiency plus a full blood count to see if you have anaemia. You can have iron deficiency with or without anaemia and the iron panel can't show if you have anaemia.

What were the results of the private anaemia test?

Folate is low, B12 looks OK. You could do with supplementing B Complex to help improve folate level. Consider

Thorne Basic B - can be difficult to find and sometimes expensive

Vitablossom Liposomal B Complex from hempoutlet.co.uk

Yipmai Liposomal B Complex from Amazon (this is Vitablossom)

Pink Tribe Liposomal B Complex from Amazon

Remember to leave off B Complex for 3-7 days before any blood test as it gives false results.

TSH wont have any bearing on anaemia or iron but to assess thyroid status it's no good on it's own anyway, you'd need FT4 and FT3 testing at the same time.

Suziscrews profile image
Suziscrews in reply toSeasideSusie

Thank you Seaside Susie, I thought it as a it low but where a professional says its OK, then so it should be.I will contact the surgery and query the result now I have something to go on.

Thanks again

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

What were TSH, Ft4 and Ft3

Do you have high thyroid antibodies

you need to test Vitamin D too

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £31 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

Retest thyroid 6-8 weeks after starting on daily vitamin B complex

Likely to take months to improve low ferritin levels

Suziscrews profile image
Suziscrews in reply toSlowDragon

I do have B12 shots every 3 months at the surgery, but I also go to the beautician for a top up B12 midway. Nurse said the doctors don't care how ill I am they will only give a B12 every 3 months. I did a vit D and that was ok. They only test TSH, not Ft 3 and 4.I wish I could afford to go private.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toSuziscrews

what was vitamin D result

Did you not test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 this test

Work on improving low folate by taking daily vitamin B complex

As you have B12 injections it’s recommended also to supplement a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid) may be beneficial.

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too

Low folate

supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid)

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too

Difference between folate and folic acid

healthline.com/nutrition/fo...

Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid.

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

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...

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toSuziscrews

I have a B12 injection every month and my GP said I can have as many as I think I may need.

My mother also had regular B12 injections every three months but was told she needed no more B12 injections. The result (I believe) caused my mother to develop stomach cancer that caused.her demise. Both of us had pernicious anaemia.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first

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

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

An article that explains why Low ferritin and low thyroid levels are often linked

preventmiscarriage.com/iron...

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...

Inflammation affecting ferritin

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. ‘

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