Blood test results

[bubbatetley]

Serum magnesium level 0.78 mmol/L [0.7 - 1.0]HAEMATINICS

Serum vitamin B12 level 355 ng/L [211.0 - 911.0]

Serum iron level 9.0 umol/L [9.0 - 30.4]; Changed to gender specific reference ranges on 03.07.19; Outside reference range

Transferrin saturation index 12 % [< 40.0]

Serum folate level 11.3 ug/L [3.0 - 14.4]

Transferrin level 3.1 g/L [2.5 - 3.8]; Changed to gender specific reference ranges 03.07.19

Serum ferritin level 8 ug/L [10.0 - 291.0]; Ferritin <15 suggests low iron stores or deficiency

?? poor intake, malabsorption or excessive loss of Fe; Outside reference range

Thyroid stimulating hormone, serum

0.07 munit/L (Low)

Date:21 Aug 2024 15:26 BST

Reference Range:0.2 munit/L - 4.0 munit/L

Free T4 level, serum

15.7 pmol/L

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Still on 100mcg ?

How long at that dose

What’s the range on Ft4

Was test done early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Vitamin levels

B12 is far too

Ferritin is seriously deficient

Iron deficient

What’s GP doing about this

Are you getting an iron infusion

Or daily iron supplements……supplements can take many months to improve such low iron/ferritin

Will tag humanbean and FallingInReverse to comment on your iron/ferritin

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Low B12

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...

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 and may need separate methyl folate couple times a week

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 over 500

Post discussing how biotin can affect test results

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

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

[bubbatetley in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SD, hope you are well.

Can you recommend what B12 to get. I have started Ferrous Sulphate 200 mg

My spinal tap came back all clear.

Neurologist saying all these tingling sensations are Migranous, and will start me on meds at next appt. Why on earth can't he send the prescription to my GP NOW.

I'm concerned at how cah a migraine cause legs to tingle at the same time I get the head tingling. Also when my body temperature rises the tingling gets worse???

I'm not convinced this is all migraine??

Take care and again , thank you foe all the advice given.🍁🍁

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to bubbatetley]

I gave you details in reply above 6 days ago

[bubbatetley in reply to SlowDragon]

Head all over the place. Confused dot com !

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Low vitamin levels, especially low iron/ferritin tends to lower TSH

Essential to maintain optimal vitamin levels

Test vitamin D twice yearly when supplementing

Can test via NHS private testing service

vitamindtest.org.uk

[FallingInReverse]

Hi there.

Your overall iron profile is really very low on every measure. Among the worst I’ve seen here! There are many approaches to addressing.

What has your doctor recommended for this?

We can share our experiences, but with levels as low as yours I would feel better knowing what your GP has said first.

[bubbatetley in reply to FallingInReverse]

Thank you FallingIn Reverse for the reply..

My GP said my iron levels were borderline anemia, she has prescribed Ferrous Sulphate 200 mg tablets 1 daily. 🍁🍁

Thank you again, and take care

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to bubbatetley]

1 ferrous sulphate tablet may not be enough

Many members have much better results with Three Arrows

Retest full iron panel 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...

Ferrodyn supplement

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...

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.

[bubbatetley]

Hi SD,

Ft4 is 15.7 [ 11.0 - 22.]

Vit D 64.8 [250 OH Vitimin D < 25nmol/L indicates deficiency,

Levothyroxine 100mcg been on that dose for 3 weeks now

Blood test done early morning and last dose 24 hrs before test

GP said Iron was low and has started me on 200mg of Ferrous Sulphate 1 daily.

Thank you for always being there! 🍁🍁

[bubbatetley]

Any advice greatly appreciated. Could Iron defiency cause all these awful tinglig sensations, especially in head, face and lower legs?

Thank you and take care.