Results on new test

[dottyb09]

I have just had the new test offered by Monitor My Health which I think is good value for money. My thyroid tests were good. I am on 2.5 grain of NDT so my TSH is suppressed.

TSH .01 (.27 - 4.2)

T4 20.3 (12 - 22)

T3 5.9 (2.1 - 6.8)

I'm not sure whether I need to be higher in some of the other results.

Active B12 112 (0 - 210) I take Pink Tribe Liposomal B Complex.

Folate 10 (0 - 25)

Ferritin 100 (0 - 550)

The only symptom that really bothers me is breathlessness when walking.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[pennyannie]

Hello Dotty :

A couple of years ago you were on 3 + 1/2 grains with a T3 at 6.60 in a similar range though think there's a typo above and T3 range should read - 3.10 - 6.80 ?

Do you feel about the same now ?

Folate could do with being a little higher, and into double digits heading towards 20 and there's no vitamin D result here.

[dottyb09 in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you pennyannie. Yes, I was but was getting awful palpitations. I dropped to 3 grains but still got them so dropped to 2.5. The palpitations have gone and I feel pretty good except for the breathlessness. I have had it for a long time. Five years ago I had an chest x-ray, an ECG, a blood test and an echocardiogram. All were good.

When I had my vitamin D tested two years ago it was 220 (0 - 240) and I was advised to stop taking vitamin D as too much can affect the kidneys. The test last week has it at 100 but it has been sliding down since that test two years ago and I think it will continue to go down unless I take a small dose of it.

[pennyannie in reply to dottyb09]

Ok then - aim to keep the vitamin D at around 100 then - as that's around optimal.

So - other than breatlessness you're doing ok ?

Sometimes low iron can cause these issues - maybe an iron panel might show up something ?

[dottyb09 in reply to pennyannie]

There were two other results, Haemoglobin was 139 (0 - 270) and Transferrin Saturation 28 (0 - 105). According to MMH they are normal.

[pennyannie in reply to dottyb09]

I'm sorry but I'm not able to offer opinion these 2 results -

We know normal is frequently not ok when hypothyroid as we need optimal levels in order to function normally - and rule of thumb is to be at least half way through ranges - but I don' know if this applies to these 2 readings.

[dottyb09 in reply to pennyannie]

I have some Three Arrow Iron Repair so I will try them and see if it makes a difference. Thanks for your help.

[pennyannie in reply to dottyb09]

But with a ferritin level at around 100 - this reading is optimal - and I don't know / think it's just that simple.

[HealthStarDust]

I am actually really annoyed by the various finger prick tests and the one’s via my GP as they are often worlds apart for ferritin especially, even when taking into account ranges and so forth. Including the new MMH ones. Drives me mad!

[dottyb09 in reply to HealthStarDust]

My ferritin at 100 sounds good but the range goes up to 550 and is in the low normal, so I wouldn't say it is optimal.

[Jo5454]

What is the ferritin measured in?

Have you recently had an infection or illness as this can make the ferritin read higher than it actually is, but you could still be experiencing symptoms of low ferritin. An iron panel is best to help in that case, as some of the other readings can point to whether you need to take iron, regardless of ferritin result. That’s happened to me before.

Saying that. I’ve had no luck in obtaining an iron panel that hasn’t haemolysed over the lastyear, having tried the 3 main companies I use & Drs dont seem to offer that. They used to work every time. Hope u get somewhere with it soon…

[dottyb09 in reply to Jo5454]

It is measured as 0 - 500 ug/L. I'm none the wiser. I've not had any infection or illness recently. I eat very little red meat, mostly fish and chicken so perhaps I should have more meals containing meat. Sorry to hear you are having a problem with getting a result from your iron panels' it must be frustrating, not to mention expensive.