Just had my first ever Medichecks results through and some (most) are pretty bad although all have that lovely green mark!All supplements were stopped about 6 weeks ago - long story but I've only just got round to doing the test. Test taken at 9am with just water beforehand and last dose of Levothyroxine previous morning.
I've been supplementing with Vitamin D for years but obviously not enough.
Do the low vitamin levels just reflect the fact that I've not taken them for so long, or is there an issue?
I'm feeling weary, have slow digestion, put on about 4kg in the last 3 months, have freezing cold feet and my Morton's Neuroma is playing up again. On top of that I have a huge CBA attitude to anything and have trouble falling asleep.
The thing that surprised me was that I have low antibodies. Is this because my thyroid is totally dead so there's nothing to attack anymore, or am I one of those people who just don't have antibodies at all?
All advice very welcome 🙂
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Jingley
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Vitamin levels can drop very fast if you aren't supplementing so I suggest retesting them after you have been supplementing regularly in 3-4 months time.
What supplements would you usually be taking?
Ferritin should be around 90 - 100 for best use of thyroid hormone. Suggest increasing iron rich foods in diet and eating them often. Chicken livers, pate, red meat etc
Antibody levels vary over time so just because they are negative now doesn;t mean they have never been or never will be positive. Some people with autoimmune hypo never have positive antibodies.
Free T4 (fT4) 17.1 pmol/L (12 - 22) 51.0%
Free T3 (fT3) 4.4 pmol/L (3.1 - 6.8) 35.1%
You have plenty of room for an increase in Levo, perhaps ask for a trial increase of 12.5mcgs.
Your TSH is close to top of range so GP may be reluctant to increase. Fixing vitamins may help.
Thanks Jaydee. I normally take a b complex and a vitamin D. This was suggested to me by a GP via the receptionist several years ago so I never had a proper conversation about taking vitamin k with vitamin d. Ferritin is always low. I asked a GP last year about it for suggestions as I hate liver and pate with a passion. Can't stomach it at all. The answer was to drink Guinness!! ( Male GP)
Levothyroxine was reduced by this GP a few months ago chasing an in-range TSH.
Ask/insist on going back on your previous Levo dose.
Refer GP to NICE guidelines:
The first paragraph in the NICE (NHS) Thyroid Disease, Assessment and Management guidelines says :
nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145
"Your responsibility”
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian. “
I was on 100mcg per day until last September when it was decreased due to below range TSH. If I knew then what I've gleaned from this forum, I would have refused a decrease.On Accord 100mcg and Teva 75mcg. Don't think I have a bad reaction to either brand.
There is a hypo GP at the surgery who I'll try to see . Appointments with her are as rare as hen's teeth though
Essential to get all four vitamins tested and optimal and maintain at GOOD Levels
TSH. If I knew then what I've gleaned from this forum, I would have refused a decrease
If GP says " I have to reduce your dose because the guidelines say i can't let you have a below range TSH" .....
The first paragraph in the NICE (NHS) Thyroid Disease, Assessment and Management guidelines says :
nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145
"Your responsibility
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian. "
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement
A week later add a separate 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
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) and continue separate B12
Post discussing how biotin can affect test results
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 264l
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.
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Ferritin levels falling - please help
Low zinc, still falling despite supplementing.
Change in blood results 12 wks apart (without treatment)
NHS TSH test 1 week apart from Medichecks test
Addison's Disease and Adrenal Issues-
Are they something completely apart from Thyroidism?
