I’ve recently posted my blood results in here and had some great advice. I went back to GP who said she couldn’t treat me but will write to endo and ask for some advice. I have now received a letter from the endo department saying that they agree I should be reviewed by their team. I can’t find a way to contact them yet but I’m expecting this will be a long wait. Does anyone have an idea of waiting list for endocrinology in wales? Are we past the crazy covid waiting lists yet?
Is there a way to go privately to be seen quicker? How would this work if I have already been referred?
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Mermaidandaman
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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 red meat daily , 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.
Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee
Here’s link for how to request Thyroid U.K.list of private Doctors emailed to you, but within the email a link to download list of recommended thyroid specialist endocrinologists
Ideally choose an endocrinologist to see privately initially and who also does NHS consultations
Thank you, loads of really useful info in there for me to read!
I have pernicious anaemia already so have injections every 6 weeks. My folate is very low, I think it was 2. But I don’t have reference or unit for that and it wasn’t retested. I was told to take otc folic acid (but am taking 5mg) as I don’t think otc would touch it.
I am always vitamin deficient, I take no end of medication and really struggle to raise any levels.
As you have 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.
This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and may help maintain B12 levels between injections
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
It took around 3 months for me based in midlands. But that was only a phone appointment and I was advised not to take NDT and have been asked to do blood tests for endocrinologist review. I am not very hopeful that much will happen to be honest apart from them saying there is no evidence that NDT works despite explaining all my symptoms and how taking NDT has helped which Levo alone can’t fix.
I'm sorry that you're in this situation - along, sadly, with millions of others.
You have had excellent advice from Slow Dragon and others already. If you decide to go private you will definitely be seen much sooner - in my experience pretty much immediately! But - again in my experience - both private and Nhs endos (who are often the same people) can lack up-to-date info or the ability to think more flexibly, so be prepared.
I did get help privately, and after much fiddling with doses and brands and combinations and with the benefit of tons of help from this site, am now improving.
Re: contacting the endo dept. you have been referred to. Ask GP where the endo is and ring the hospital asking for secretary to endo or the endo dept. Probably won't get you there any quicker, but might give you a time frame for an appointment and if it is going to be a 'phone call' or a face to face. That way you can work out the best way forward.
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Not taken seriously by Endocrinologist 
Success with Endocrinologist!!!
Endocrinologist referral times? 
How long is to long to wait
DOUBTFUL ENDOCRINOLOGIST
