Thyroid results: I recently posted due to... - Thyroid UK

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Thyroid results

Loulabelle78 profile image
10 Replies

I recently posted due to concerns over my blood test results. Previous post here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thanks to all the advice I had I went back to my doctor to request the tsh test. They had requested it but the hospital had missed it off. So I had to do a repeat blood test. The results came through as follows;

TSH 0.84 (normal range 0.38 - 5.3)

I am completely confused now as was expecting my TSH to be high as was concerned the F4 was low.

Is my TSH actually too low? I've been reading about hypopituitarism with both low F4 and TSH. But are my numbers actually OK and should I just accept my symptoms are not thyroid related?

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Loulabelle78
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10 Replies
Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator

Whats happened about your bottom of the range B12 level?

Has GP tested you for pernicious anaemia yet?

As your B12 is as low as it is your TSH may not be working right.

What time of day was your TSH test?

Loulabelle78 profile image
Loulabelle78 in reply toJaydee1507

I queried th B12 with my doctor and was told to just take supplements. My TSH test was done at 9.30am.I have just been told to take supplements for vit D, ferritin and B12. But I eat a normal healthy diet, plenty of red meat etc. So something must be causing my levels to be low?

What tests do they do for pernicious anaemia?

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply toLoulabelle78

You really need to be posting on the pernicious anaemia group here on HealthUnlocked. They are the experts in the subject:

healthunlocked.com/pasoc

If you start a B12 supplement then it will mess up any future tests for 3 months.

Do you have symptoms of B12 deficiency? theb12society.com/signs-and...

Vit D you probably need a minimum of 3,000iu + K2. Many members like the ‘Better You’ range of mouth sprays that contain both bit D & K2.

Have you been tested for coeliac disease? That can also cause malabsorption of vitamins.

This is the heme iron supplement that many do well with. Take it with vit C or orange juice to help absorption & 4 hours away from Levo.

threearrowsnutra.com/en-uk/...

As far as your thyroid goes I think get your B12 level sorted out first and then after a few months restest thyroid.

At the moment Your vitamins are all so low and you might get a better reading further down the line once you improve vitamins.

Part of the problem is that GPs mainly look at TSH and yours looks great for now. I know your FT4 is terrible though. You could ask for a referral toan Endo but that can be very slow coming through.

greygoose profile image
greygoose

FT4: 8.3 pmol/l (Range 7.7 - 15.1) 8.11%

Your FT4 is only 8 points through the range. Which is most certainly not OK - who told you it was? If there was nothing wrong it would be around 50%

Your TSH should be a lot higher. I, too, would suspect a pituitary problem - Central Hypo.

No, you should not just accept that your symptoms aren't thyroid related because pretty certain they are.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Your low thyroid levels will cause low stomach acid and result in low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH

So first step is to improve all vitamin levels

Then retest thyroid in 2-3 months

As you are not vegetarian or vegan but have extremely low B12, and ferritin you need testing for coeliac disease too

ask GP for coeliac blood test first as per NICE Guidelines

nice.org.uk/guidance/ng20/c...

Or buy a test online, about £20

ShiningStar77 profile image
ShiningStar77 in reply toSlowDragon

SlowDragon does hypo really cause low stomach acid or is it the other way round ?

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toShiningStar77

Which comes first ……chicken and egg

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

vitamin D

GP should prescribe 1600iu everyday for 6 months

suggest you initially take 3000iu daily and retest in 2-3 months

NHS Guidelines on dose vitamin D required

panmerseyapc.nhs.uk/media/2...

GP will often only prescribe to bring vitamin D levels to 50nmol.

Some areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol or even 80nmol

leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

But improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly when supplementing

Can test via NHS private testing service

vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function.

There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7.

One spray = 1000iu

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

It’s trial and error what dose we need, with thyroid issues we frequently need higher dose than average

Vitamin D may prevent Autoimmune disease

newscientist.com/article/23...

Web links about taking important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Recipe ideas

bbc.co.uk/food/articles/mag...

Interesting article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick on magnesium

drmalcolmkendrick.org/categ...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Ferritin below 30

GP should test for anaemia

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 any iron supplements stop 5-7 days before testing

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

Great replies from @FallingInReverse

re ferritin and Three arrows

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu......

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great reply by @fallinginreverse

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...

Really interesting talk on YouTube, link in reply by Humanbean discussing both iron deficiency and towards end how inflammation can also be an issue

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 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.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Vit B12 162ng/l (161 to 600)

Utterly ludicrous GP is ignoring this

Low B12 symptoms

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

methyl-life.com/blogs/defic...

NICE guidelines on B12 and testing

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

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

Highly effective B12 drops

natureprovides.com/products...

Or

B12 sublingual lozenges

uk.iherb.com/pr/jarrow-form...

cytoplan.co.uk/shop-by-prod...

In-depth article on different forms of B12

perniciousanemia.org/b12/fo...

B12 range in U.K. is too wide

Interesting that in this research B12 below 400 is considered inadequate

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

perniciousanemia.org/b12/le...

And why aiming to keep B12 over 500 recommended

perniciousanemia.org/b12/le...

Low folate

supplementing a good quality daily vitamin B complex, one with folate in (not folic acid)

This can help keep all B vitamins in balance and will help improve B12 levels too

Difference between folate and folic acid

healthline.com/nutrition/fo...

Many Hashimoto’s patients have MTHFR gene variation and can have trouble processing folic acid supplements

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

B vitamins best taken after breakfast

Igennus B complex popular option. Nice small tablets. Most people only find they need one per day. But a few people find it’s not high enough dose

Post discussing different B complex

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thorne Basic B recommended vitamin B complex that contains folate, but they are large capsules. (You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule) Thorne can be difficult to find at reasonable price, should be around £20-£25. iherb.com often have in stock. Or try ebay

IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 5-7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

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 until at decent level

Post discussing how biotin can affect test results

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

Post discussing start B12 injections

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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