HiI am new here with a question for my daughter (19). She is really struggling with fatigue so much so she is home from Uni. Also feels sick, headaches, really cold hands and feet and very pale. She had low ferritin last year and was put on iron tablets for 3 months.
She went for a private blood test last week and results are as follow.
Free T3. 4.73 pg/ml ref range 2.02-4.43
Free T4 1.18 ng/dL ref 0.93-1.71
Thyroglobulin Antibodics - TgAb >20 iu/ml
0-115
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies - TPO Ab
17.2iu/ml 0-34
TSH 2.65 microIUmL ref 0.27-4.2
Ferritin 27.2 ng/ml ref 10-120
B12 199 pg/ml ref 196.48-771
C-Reactive Protein 0.87 mg/L ref 0-5
The T3 was the only one out of range but wondered if anyone had any advice? Our gp not concerned but she really isn't well.
I've started her with iron tablets again as still seemed a bit low...
Thanks for any advice.
Pen
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PennB
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I've been working through similar with my 17 year old daughter, and will just say that Ferritin and Iron are not always correlated.
You can have high iron and low ferritin and vice versa... iron supplements should ONLY be taken if Iron is low. If she has low ferritin and high iron, then supplements risk iron toxicity.
Not this last blood test. It was very low last year when dr put her on the iron tablets but we don't have any numbers (uni dr just saying its low & you need tablets). Will look at getting iron levels checked again.
Sorry that your daughter is struggling with her health too.
Yes - in our experience, she had both low iron and low ferritin. From memory she was at about 49 for iron when the lower range was 50 and upper in the 100's; and Ferritin was 5! when the range was I think 30 - about 300 or something)
I used the amazing Three Arrows heme iron supplements and in 1 month her iron was TOP of range and her Ferritin went up to 16.
ONE MONTH! And in that month she saw a noticeable difference in hair growing back, not as cold, less fatigued. Consider her Ferritin is still terrible, so the heme supplements really did make a quick difference for us.
Keep in mind to - her doctor said - take iron supplements for 3 months then re-test. If I had taken their advice, she'd risk symptoms and iron toxicity for 2 months more.
So we have immediately stopped the iron pills, and now have to increase iron in our diet (the only way to safely raise ferritin when iron is in range or high.)
2nd - re to Thyroid. This board advised me to take care of my daughter's iron before focusing on ambiguous thyroid numbers. So I've put a pin in that while we do so.
But I would ask the forum to weigh in on your daughter's high T3. And her near-3 TSH.
That B12 is really worrying - dangerously low. She should be tested for Pernicious Anemia. Unfortunatley, doctors know nothing about nutrients, and need a good prod in the ribs to get them going!
Perhaps worth reposting on the pernicious anaemia (PAS) site to get their input too.
It always really saddens me when I read or hear about younger people struggling. My daughter is nearly 18 and she was diagnosed last summer because her antibodies were elevated luckily. They can fluctuate so there’s every chance that they’ll appear next time. And, please don’t despair about whether your GP will start treating her, there are other options. Take care x
Welcome to the group. If you could complete your profile it helps members understand your thyroid journey so far and be able to advise you better. Click on your image icon to start. Fill out the free text box at the top.
The thing that stands out most to me is your daughters bottom of the range, all but deficient B12 result.
Is she vegan or vegetarian?
She urgently needs to address that low B12 which will be causing terrible fatigue.
Do you also have results for D3 & folate?
Her thyroid results are unusual with free's above range and TSH just above 2.
Negative antibodies though.
Did you recheck her ferritin following previous treatment? Doctors often don't treat with enough or for long enough and the type of diet she eats is important for both ferritin & B12.
Thank you all for your comments. I will fill in the profile, thanks for the tip Jaydee.Daughter is vegetarian but has started eating fish 3 times a week since Christmas as feeling so bad. We are trying to get iron rich meals into her plus a gentle iron supplement.
We have no levels for the ferritin after the 3 months, just that it was 'ok' she was supposed to go back for a follow up check in November but she couldn't get an appt.
I think it will be a good idea to get her iron tested and try and get our gp to see her. Have refused since she is registered at Uni gp!
Does she know there's no B12 in vegetables, and that if you're veggie you should be taking B12 daily. With her low B12 she risks permenant neurological damage.
That's good, but doubtful there's enough B12 in it. Which one has she been taking? Does it contain methylcobalamin or cyanocobalamin?
It would probably be a good idea for her to take a 1000 mcg sublingual methylcobalamin (B12) tablet daily as well as the B complex. That will raise her B12 faster because it doesn't go into the stomach, but directly into the blood. She does need to raise that level as a matter or urgency.
Cyanocobalamin is not the best form of B12. It's less well absorbed. So, she needs a B complex with methylcobalamin. Thorne Basic B and Igennus are good ones.
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