Has had fatigue for years, depressed and refusing to go to school. After some advice re blood tests. I have started him on some vitamin D and K2 ten squirts of better 4 u spray a day. Has had that for three weeks. was on vitamin d supplement before testing for over a year but still deficient.Here are the rest of his bloods.
TSH 1.74
T4 11 ( 8 to 18)
serum folate 6.1 ( 3 to 20)
serum ferretin 33 no range but said indeterminate.
B12 392 ( 180 to 914)
Vitamin D 31mmols. insufficient no range given.
He eats well, not vegi. It looks to me like he has some absorption issues. Maybe borderline thyroid but no chance of treatment. advice re improving gut health welcome.
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Hectorsmum2
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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 his serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), he 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
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 2 per day and/or may need separate methyl folate couple times a week
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 3-5 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when he stops vitamin B complex, might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12 if last test result serum B12 was below 500 or active B12 (private test) under 70
Thank you slow dragon.I will cut him down to six squirts. The GP has agreed to retest in 4 months. He was on 600iu before, gummies vit d and K2. I think they may have just been sweets.
Please be careful with iron for a man - their bodies cannot metabolise large amounts of iron as women do because women can lose iron every month but not men so it can build up in the liver, Better you D spray I do not like the additives they contain - xylitol can cause bowel issues - sorry Hector is feeling so rubbish - is he drinking as they do at that age - because that could be affecting his energy levels. As a young male he would benefit from a zinc supplement - this is the mineral that men need as there are huge demands on the male teenage body and zinc can help with depression. Does he eat well or does he eat loads of rubbish like teenagers do - if you could let me know the answers to these questions I will take a look at the products on the market to find something he can take - we must remember that teenagers brains do not fully become adult size and running at optimum until they are 23 years of age. Another question - is he still at school or college - how is he demonstrating this depression - is it tiredness or lack of motivation etc. if you could let me know. Wait to hear !
Hi. He is demonstrating this depression by looking like he is in a bad mood all the time, refusing to go to school and saying he is depressed, lying in bed all the time. He eats more rubbish than I would like, makes himself pancakes with honey and bacon all the time but I dont buy biscuits, cakes, sugar and crisps. I will get him some zinc, he has needed it in the past.
Can you tell me what else you are giving him supplement wise because there are supplements that can cause the kidneys to get involved and cause aggression. St. John's wort is one of them - see below.
John's wort may cause increased sensitivity to sunlight, especially when taken in large doses. Other side effects can include insomnia, anxiety, dry mouth, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, headache, or sexual dysfunction.
Can I just say that whilst I can understand you being worried about your Son most of his 'symptoms' are as a result of his hormones being disrupted and whilst being perfectly normal for this period in his life he sounds like he does need some help. The only supplement I would be giving him is a good quality Vitamin B complex by say Natures Best - these are professional products and help the nervous system and adrenal glands and uplift the mind. I did say previously I do not like the Better You D spray as looking at the additives within the product they are not good for a teenager in my opinion let alone my age group !
There are many things that you can give him supplement wise but you must be aware that supplements can also throw the body out of balance too. Vitamin D if he can't metabolise it properly will also cause him to be moody as it has to be metabolised by the liver and kidneys and overloading the kidneys can cause moodiness - I know I am a kidney patient as well as everything else.
Please be careful with the zinc whilst I said he may need it - it can also cause the body to go out of balance especially with copper which is also a problem for the mind and can cause depression and mood swings - I would suggest take him off everything at the moment and just give him the B complex and also magnesium - by Magnesium oil will also help him calm down - you need to get him off his play station etc. and out of the house - can you suggest a sport he might like - or go carting or something really exciting just to break the cycle of lack of motivation.
As for the pancakes he is eating - unless they are shop bought and might have different ingredients loaded with additives - they contain protein as they contain eggs milk and honey is giving him the sweetness he craves as his body needs the energy so I wouldn't worry about that - slowly slowly goes it - and of course patience and understanding as this is a horrible time for some teenagers.
Bing Videos (please be very careful with zinc whilst it is very necessary it also can cause other issues) can you get him a zinc test – there are oral tests that can be done at home.
I look at his finger nails re zinc as they get covered in white spots when deficient. He once had such bad zinc deficiency he went deaf. He does do sport, boxing and running thankfully and it lefts his moods for half a hour after then he is back in bed.. He does make his own pancakes. Ill check his nails.
Yes that is a zinc deficiency I used to get that when I was a child - I wonder if he is just using up all his adrenal cortisol which will make him tired and lacking any energy to do anything - Natures Best do a high dose B complex which will help the adrenal glands and I personally would try him on that - it might make him pee a lot and then add in the B12 from the same supplier if needed - B12 gets excreted via the urine so no toxicity can be experienced. I would always go for a supplement company that the professionals use like Nature's Best - I use these all the time and they are very good. If he is deficient in D then make sure you go for a good company. I wonder if he is deficient in Omega three fish oils - but that is another story ..............
I believe in zinc drops or liquid less corrosive on the stomach lining - these are the only ones I would recommend - use a plastic spoon (if 5 ml use a little less as it says a teaspoon and 5 ml is more than teaspoon measure)
He is only on the vitamain d and k2 plus st johns wart. I am starting him on some B12 and some vit bs. I think we will be stopping the st johns soon as not helping.
I also have a young son he was like this for years he did not leave his bedroom and spent hours on his PlayStation I eventually got him to see a doctor and he started taking a low dose of antidepressants. The change was amazing I think he had an imbalance in his brain chemistry and these tablets have really helped him. He now has a good job and a social life Some young boys can have mental health problems and I think my son felt he didn’t match up to the other men he saw in the media and in his life. He also joined a gym which stopped him being on his PlayStation all the time. I don’t know if your son is like mine but there are some similarities in their symptoms
I would ask for a second opinion if I was you. I was scared my son was going to commit suicide at one point. I would check on him while he slept because I was so scared he might harm himself. I am not saying your son is like mine but you only have to see the statistics for young men who commit suicide to realise how many depressed young men there are out there my son was 18 when he started taking antidepressants and is now 20
Thank you. Yes I think they wait until they are eighteen before they prescribe. I will do some more asking, he needs to give it a couple more weeks on the st johns wart to see if that is going to help before we try anything else.
Something I just wanted to add - back in the 1980's and when studying nutrition I went to a talk in London given by a Dr. who was - in my opinion - a pioneer in how diet affects behaviour. He told us a story which I will never forget - he went to Feltham Young Offenders and asked for volunteers to undertake a pilot study for Fish Oils - he was shocked how many young men came forward and the next day he administered the fish oils and off they went.
He did not expect to see many - if any of them - the next day - but was shocked when he saw a queue outside his office - the young men were eager to have more tablets. This continued and many of them said how they felt better and one of them said that I won't use their language but just to say he said he had been to the loo often - the Dr. said oh I am sorry about that - the young man said - no you don't understand Doc I don't normally go for up to 3 weeks sometimes. Their behaviour improved overall.
How sad that all these years later we are still no further forward in realising that poor diet causes problems with behaviour and how the brain is affected bya lack of certain nutrients including fish oils.
The very same project was undertaken at one time in Sing Sing Prison in the USA - violent prisoners who had previously been locked up for most of their day were eventually so calm they were allowed out into the gardens and were seen pruning the roses etc. etc.
Hi the fish oil that has been tested regularly in scientific studies and by FAB is Efamol - knowing as I do how different fish oil products vary some even being a bit risky to take - I would thoroughly recommend using the FAB recommendation Efamol !
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