Results, but not convinced: Hello everyone,I... - Thyroid UK

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Results, but not convinced

Demitria profile image
7 Replies

Hello everyone,I posted a while ago and I now have my private blood results for thyroid through blue horizon which I will include below. Hopefully someone can help me decipher them a little better.

I didn't take my levo for a little over 24 hrs, no food and just a little water before test at 7am. I have taken 150mcg levo for 4 yrs now.

But the gp rang me due to my FSH hormone results being sky high at 44.8. He says all my symptoms are due to menopause. He says there is no correlation with my thyroid.

He prescribed me folic a is a few weeks ago because my folate was low and I have been on prescribed vitamin D for years.

I do not disbelieve I am menopausal because i know i am but some of my symptoms just do not seem to be true completely to that alone. Apart from hot flashes, missing periods, insomnia I also have :

Dizziness,

Weak arms and legs after dizziness,

Fast pulse,

High blood pressure at times

I also have metabolic syndrome and my lipids/cholestral are very high results.

My thyroid test results were:

CRP HIGH 7.20 <5.0 mg/L

Ferritin 24.2 13 - 150 ug/L

Magnesium 0.94 0.7 - 1.0 mmol/L

Hormones

Cortisol (Random) 428.0 6am - 10am 166 - 507 nmol/L New range

4pm - 8pm 73.8 - 291

Thyroid Function

TSH 0.62 0.27 - 4.20 mU/L New range & unit

T4 Total 139.0 66 - 181 nmol/L

Free T4 19.3 12.0 - 22.0 pmol/L

Free T3 4.51 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L New range

Immunology

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 27 <34 IU/mL New units

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs 19 <115 IU/mL New units

Vitamins

Vitamin D (25 OH) 56 Optimal 75-200 nmol/L New range

Adequate 50-<75

Insufficient 25 -<50

Deficient <25

B12-Active 51.2 37.5 - 150 pmol/L New range

Serum Folate 38.80 8.83 - 60.8 nmol/L

Many thanks in advance.

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Demitria
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7 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Your vitamin levels are terrible

Ferritin is deficient and quite likely causing fast pulse/palpitations

Request full iron panel test for anaemia via GP

Any obvious reason for low ferritin?

Are you vegetarian or vegan

Do you eat red meat regularly

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

Test early morning, only water to drink between waking and test. Avoid high iron rich dinner night before test

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

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...

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...

Iron deficiency without anaemia

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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. ‘

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

B12 is very low

Anything below 70 is inadequate

When GP tested folate and diagnosed folate deficiency was Serum B12 tested

please add B12 result done via GP

Assuming you probably have Low B12 symptoms

If not vegetarian or vegan request testing for Pernicious Anaemia

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

methyl-life.com/blogs/defic...

With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement

Once you finish folic acid prescription……start on daily vitamin B complex

Then 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 few times a week

B12 drops

natureprovides.com/products...

Or

B12 sublingual lozenges

uk.iherb.com/pr/jarrow-form...

cytoplan.co.uk/shop-by-prod...

B12 range in U.K. is too wide

Interesting that in this research B12 below 400 is considered inadequate

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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....

Igennus B complex popular option too. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose

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) and continue separate B12

Post discussing how biotin can affect test results

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

How much vitamin D have you been taking

Clearly not high enough dose

Many (most? ) thyroid patients need at least 2000iu daily or higher

NHS Guidelines on dose vitamin D required

ouh.nhs.uk/osteoporosis/use...

GP will often only prescribe to bring vitamin D levels to 50nmol.

Some areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol or even 80nmol

leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

But with Hashimoto’s, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly via NHS private testing service when supplementing

vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.

There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7.

One spray = 1000iu

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

It’s trial and error what dose we need, with thyroid issues we frequently need higher dose than average

Suggest you increase to 2000-3000iu per day. Retest in 3-4 months

Vitamin D and thyroid disease

grassrootshealth.net/blog/t...

Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease

newscientist.com/article/23...

Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Interesting article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick on magnesium

drmalcolmkendrick.org/categ...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

FT4: 19.3 pmol/l (Range 12 - 22)

Ft4 is 73.00% through range

But

FT3: 4.51 pmol/l (Range 3.1 - 6.8)

Ft3 only 38.11% through range

Poor conversion rate ….not surprising with such poor vitamin levels

Improving all four vitamins should improve conversion rate of Ft4 to Ft3

Retest again in 2-3 months

There’s nothing on your profile

Were thyroid antibodies tested at diagnosis 7 years ago

Antibodies are within range now ….just

Would suspect your hypothyroidism is autoimmune

Are you on gluten free or dairy free diet

If not get coeliac blood test BEFORE trialing strictly gluten free diet

Demitria profile image
Demitria

Hi there, Thank you for replying with all that info. Much appreciated. I'm a little foggy about the vitamins I need to get but I will have a slower read through it all again.

Am I right in saying that the folic acid isn't much help without other vitamins?

I will increase my vitamin d to 2 tablets a day and hopefully that should help.

I am not vegan or vegetarian and do not follow gluten free diets either.

I am rhesus negative blood group A and have been aware of how it feels to be anaemic when I've had my pregnancies before. I would say that my symptoms could very well be down to poor vitamins.

I did ask the gp of it is Hashimotos which caused my thyroid issues and he said lost likely.. is there other supplements for this or like you say, if I get sorted with the vitamins then hopefully I will feel better.

Thank.you

Blissful profile image
Blissful in reply toDemitria

Am I right in saying that the folic acid isn't much help without other vitamins?

The various B vitamins are a "family" - taking just X or Y can upset the apple cart e.g. high folate can mask B12 deficiency. Personally I detest folic acid, it's inactive and needs very good liver function to do the conversion to something useful.

CRP HIGH 7.20 <5.0 mg/L that means you have too much inflammation going on - it's likely your liver is a bit stressed - poor conversion also points to that I think, plus at the moment your liver has the menopausal hormone "dance" to deal with.

There are many botanicals (in various forms e.g. tinctures/teas) that can help with inflammation. (If you use them), ditching any omega 6 polyunsaturated oils would also help - broadly speaking Omega 6 = pro inflammatory, Omega 3 = anti inflammatory (but I would argue the point with myself when it comes to farmed salmon because (sadly) their diet is disgusting).

Just to mention, B vits are synthesised in our guts (where also more neurotransmitters are made then in the brain). Eating inulin rich foods (e.g. onions etc) gives PREbiotic nourishment to create a good/better environment for PRObiotic substances to thrive.

Demitria profile image
Demitria in reply toBlissful

Thank you for your response. I am a little confused, I'm not going to lie because I also have the menopause situation too and wonder about supplements for that too.

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