Latest Blood Test Help: Hi brilliant minds, I... - Thyroid UK

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Latest Blood Test Help

SleepingDisco profile image
15 Replies

Hi brilliant minds, I hope you’re all well.

Please could you have a quick look at my latest blood results and advise on anything you think isn’t as it should be... 🙏

I’m on 125mcg Levo but feel really tired most days and would sleep if I let myself! I think my iron is low (always is). I take Terra Nova easy iron 20mg - 1 a day and also take B12 (this is so much better since taking Nature Privudes drops, as recommended on here!)

I also take Thorne Basic B and Feel magnesium + calcium and Feel Immunity daily.

I stopped taking Basic B four days prior to my blood test (also didn’t eat in the morning of test, which was at 9.20 am)

I’ve been wondering if I qualify for trying T3? Never had it before and not sure if it would help me or not..

I’m Hashi’s and also vegetarian. I wondered if my levels are a bit off as the tiredness is back and slight brain fog too.. but my thyroid numbers seem okay - compared to my previous tests.

Latest results were;

Serum free triiodothyronine level 4.5 pmol/L [3.8 - 6.0]

Serum total 25-hydroxy vitamin D level 120 nmol/L [50.0 - 150.0]; Between 76 and 150nmol/L: Vitamin D sufficient.

Full blood count

Haemoglobin concentration 144 g/L [115.0 - 165.0]

Total white blood count 4.7 10*9/L [4.0 - 11.0]

Platelet count - observation 258 10*9/L [150.0 - 400.0]

Haematocrit 0.42 L [0.37 - 0.46]

Red blood cell count 4.73 10*12/L [3.8 - 5.8]

RDW 12.1 % [11.0 - 14.8]

Mean cell volume 89.7 fL [80.0 - 100.0]

Mean cell haemoglobin level 30.4 pg [27.0 - 32.0]

Mean platelet volume 9.8 fL

Neutrophil count 2.56 10*9/L [1.7 - 7.5]

Lymphocyte count 1.62 10*9/L [1.0 - 4.5]

Monocyte count - observation 0.39 10*9/L [0.2 - 0.8]

Eosinophil count - observation 0.10 10*9/L [0.0 - 0.4]

Basophil count 0.03 10*9/L [0.0 - 0.1]

Thyroid function test

Serum TSH level 0.75 mu/L [0.3 - 5.0]; From 08/08/22 TSH

Serum vitamin B12 level 565 ng/L [120.0 - 900.0];

Serum folate level > 20 ug/L [2.5 - 9999.0]

Serum ferritin level 24 ng/mL [15.0 - 300.0]; Ferritin >15 and <100ng/mL.

Thank you so much 🫶

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SleepingDisco
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15 Replies
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

No Ft4 result

Your ferritin is deficient

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

If taking iron supplements stop 5-7 days 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. Derived from meat - not suitable for vegetarians

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...

Inflammation affecting ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Updated reference ranges for top of ferritin range depending upon age

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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.

SleepingDisco profile image
SleepingDisco

Thank you SlowDragon , I'll get a full iron panel test ASAP and also FT4 - I completely missed that one being missing. I'm sure it was on my blood form, perhaps the lab didn't include it..

DippyDame profile image
DippyDame

In addition...

Since you are taking 125mcg Levo, and FT3 is low, this suggests your T4 to T3 conversion is impaired....but we don't have an FT4 result to be certain right now

Serum free triiodothyronine level 4.5 pmol/L [3.8 - 6.0]

This FT3 result is 48% through the reference range - for most people this is too low. Best if roughly approaching 75%

For good health T3 must flood almost every cell in the body by way of an adequate and constant supply....it looks as if this isn't happening

Low cellular T3 = poor health

One important role of thyroid hormones ( particulary T3) is to promote oxygen delivery to tissues. So, if you have low thyroid hormone levels your tissues may have low oxygen levels causing fatigue amongst other issues.

And.. if T3 is low, metabolism slows down also causing fatigue

We need a full thyroid test to so that we can establish conversion and see what's going on

TSH, FT4, FT3, vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin

You have Hashi's so no need to repeat thyroid antibodies tests

my thyroid numbers seem okay - compared to my previous tests.

We don't know that for sure right now

SleepingDisco profile image
SleepingDisco in reply to DippyDame

Thank you so much @dippydame, this is really helpful and insightful. I've always struggled to understand the conversion but this explains it well!

It also gives me ammunition to take to my GP as I've had a message back about my request for T4 and full iron panel. They've approved the iron but had a message back from my GP saying she's requested my iron levels but the lab have changed their protocol not to test for T4 unless the TSH is out of range. And that "it's very reassuring that the T3 is normal."

I'll try and explain the importance of needing T4, T3 and TSH and keep everything crossed!

Thanks again

Dirhams profile image
Dirhams

I have been on 100ug Levothoxrine daily and to be honest have not felt any adverse affects. I am managing well generally. I have had a full thyroid removal in April last year and so far so good.

SleepingDisco profile image
SleepingDisco

Hi SlowDragon and DippyDame - and anyone else in the know...

I've had my extra blood results back - which are below - any insight / thoughts on these would be amazing. They were taken with iron (20mg) for 7 days and at 8.40am.

Thank you so much x

Serum transferrin level

Serum transferrin level 2.41 g/L [2.0 - 3.6]

Serum iron level 21.9 umol/L [10.0 - 30.0]

Transferrin saturation index 36 % [15.0 - 45.0]

Thyroid function test

Serum TSH level 0.46 mu/L [0.3 - 5.0]

Thyroid function test

Serum free T4 level 11.4 pmol/L [7.9 - 16.0]

Serum free triiodothyronine level 4.7 pmol/L [3.8 - 6.0]

The lab rejected my re-tests of Folate, Ferritin, B12 and D, as I had these tested less than 3 months ago. I'm going to request this is overturned tomorrow, but in the meantime, the results for these for 10th Jan were (although hadn't stopped iron supplements 7 days prior to this test, unlike my most recent one)

Serum ferritin level 24 ng/mL [15.0 - 300.0]; Ferritin >15 and <100ng/mL.

Serum folate level > 20 ug/L [2.5 - 9999.0]

Serum vitamin B12 level 565 ng/L [120.0 - 900.0];

Serum free triiodothyronine level 4.5 pmol/L [3.8 - 6.0]

Serum total 25-hydroxy vitamin D level 120 nmol/L [50.0 - 150.0]; Between 76 and 150nmol/L: Vitamin D sufficient.

Full blood count

Haemoglobin concentration 144 g/L [115.0 - 165.0]

Total white blood count 4.7 10*9/L [4.0 - 11.0]

Platelet count - observation 258 10*9/L [150.0 - 400.0]

Haematocrit 0.42 L [0.37 - 0.46]

Red blood cell count 4.73 10*12/L [3.8 - 5.8]

RDW 12.1 % [11.0 - 14.8]

Mean cell volume 89.7 fL [80.0 - 100.0]

Mean cell haemoglobin level 30.4 pg [27.0 - 32.0]

Mean platelet volume 9.8 fL

Neutrophil count 2.56 10*9/L [1.7 - 7.5]

Lymphocyte count 1.62 10*9/L [1.0 - 4.5]

Monocyte count - observation 0.39 10*9/L [0.2 - 0.8]

Eosinophil count - observation 0.10 10*9/L [0.0 - 0.4]

Basophil count 0.03 10*9/L [0.0 - 0.1]

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to SleepingDisco

the results for these for 10th Jan were (although hadn't stopped iron supplements 7 days prior to this test, unlike my most recent one)

Serum ferritin level 24 ng/mL [15.0 - 300.0];

Ferritin is deficient

As previously replied in detail about

Updated reference ranges for top of ferritin range depending upon age

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Free T4 (fT4) 11.4 pmol/L (7.9 - 16) 43.2%

Free T3 (fT3) 4.7 pmol/L (3.8 - 6) 40.9%

These show you need next dose increase in levothyroxine

SleepingDisco profile image
SleepingDisco in reply to SlowDragon

Thanks SlowDragon So do you think higher levo and not T3?

I know my GP is going to challenge this, based on my TSH even though that isn't the whole picture. What dose woudl you recommend? And do you think I need a stronger iron supplement (currently taking Terra Nova easy iron 20mg) daily.

Thanks again

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to SleepingDisco

Your ferritin is terrible

So yes

Lots of members have great success with Three Arrows iron supplement

Low ferritin tends to lower TSH

SleepingDisco profile image
SleepingDisco in reply to SlowDragon

Thank you. I've heard Three Arrows is great but I'm vegetarian so it's not suitable for me unfortunately. Can you recommend anything else that's similar, but veggie friendly?

I'll request a medication review with my GP for levo increase..

Thanks again

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to SleepingDisco

you need increase in Levo

Most people when adequately treated on Levothyroxine will need Ft4 (levothyroxine) at least 70% through range

humanbean profile image
humanbean

magnesium + calcium

I notice you are taking a combined magnesium and calcium supplement. Have you ever had your calcium levels measured?

If your calcium levels are already good then taking more is not a good idea. Excess calcium can end up lining your arteries and adding to the problem of "hardening of the arteries".

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

SleepingDisco profile image
SleepingDisco in reply to humanbean

thanks, I used to be low on calcium and assume I still am as I’m vegetarian-verging on vegan.. but should get a more current test done..

SleepingDisco profile image
SleepingDisco

Hi again,

I’ve been asked to retest my folate as this was the only one of my tests to be rejected earlier this month.

I’ve not had just folate tested before - please can you advise on any prep I need to do for just folate? Do I need to stop Basic B? Is there anything else I should omit prior to blood draw? I’m taking 1 tablet of 210 mg Ferrous fumarate a day atm.

SlowDragon and DippyDame , are you able to help?

Thank you so much - again!

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