After decades of telling my doctor that I have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism and being told everything was normal as TSH was between 2.8 and 4 [0.38 - 5.33], I discovered a few weeks back that the Biotin supplement that I have been taking for all of that time could have been interferring with the results. Doctor never told me this, even though they knew I was taking supplements! I have been feeling worse and worse over the last year. So, after stopping it for a week, I took a medichecks test and these are the results. Autoimmunity results are both nice and low. Last test at the docs was 3.24 on 14th December.
They just keep telling me that symptoms are caused by stress and depression, which I dispute as being untrue. I also have autoimmune P.A., psoriasis, eczema, asthma, multiple allergies and diabetes.
I'm still under the G.P, reference range, but I'm getting desperate for help now, so wish me luck.
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topazrat
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Antibodies are normal and low in range. B12, I inject weekly, Vitamin D is around 70 nmol/L (can't find most recent result), Ferritin is 33 ng/mL (11.0 - 307.0, Folate > 24.8 ug/L [3.1 - 19.9]Have started on Gentle iron to try to increase Ferritin.
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
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.
Thank you for your incredible patience while you have been awaiting the outcome of our ferritin reference range review. We conducted this with Inuvi lab, which has now changed the reference ranges to the following:
Females 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 180
Females 40 ≤ age < 50 30 to 207
Females 50 ≤ age < 60 30 to 264
Females Age ≥ 60 30 to 332
Males 18 ≤ age < 40 30 to 442
Males Age ≥ 40 30 to 518
The lower limits of 30 are by the NICE threshold of <30 for iron deficiency. Our review of Medichecks data has determined the upper limits. This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over seven years. This is the most extensive study on ferritin reference ranges, and we hope to achieve journal publication so that these ranges can be applied more widely.
As you do 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.
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)
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
Yes, I have autoimmune P.A. with positive IFaB and parietal antibodies. I take B complex, gentle iron, vit D and magnesium.
No scans because G.P. will not acknowledge that I have a thyroid problem. Diet is normal, well balanced. Post menopause. Ferritin was 5 when diagnosed with P.A. Went up to 60 after a course of iron to correct megloblastic anemia. and has been drifting down slowly since. Iron panel has not been done since P.A diagnosis in 2016, as Doc doesn't think it is needed, cos everything is in normal range! 😟 Hair has been falling out in handfulls for months.
Hopefully your gp will retest your tsh now, once you've explained about the biotin. Tell gp to google it! Or take a printout ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... .Good luck!
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TSH levels
TSH LEVEL HELP REQUIRED 
Biotin
TSH and T4 results
