GP says my routine bloods are normal. Really?

They're all on the low side.

Are you eating properly? Everyone in the UK needs vitamin D supplements in the winter, so if you're not taking them, that explains why that's low, but not the iron and B12.

My other half had the same issue with doctor saying bloods were normal. Same thing - felt very low mood-wise and energy. He takes iron & b12 supplements and feels much better. Ashwanganda is also an excellent supplement for low moods, anxiety, pms, hormone imbalances. Particularly for women.

@Midwinter91 if you were that desperate you could always have bought some iron! I suppose you wanted a freebie!

Your levels ARE in the normal range, but only just. For now I would be jamming a good quality vitamin & mineral supplement (ensuring that it’s iron, folate and vitamin D are good…. Also drink it with juice, or eat tomato/fruit with it to increase absorption.)

@AgnesX i don’t think you understand what a “normal range” is.

The problem here is what’s ‘normal’ for you isn’t the same as what’s normal for somebody else and those bands are massive.

When I was pregnant they said my iron was within normal range but I had the most horrendous symptoms of anemia I could barely stand up. I insisted on having a prescription.

I had the same and I am taking supplements now, hoping it helps my hair. My vitamin D was 19 and my GP had ticked it off as fine !!
All your levels are sub optimal Op, you need to up them to feel better.

For people saying to go see a 'nutritionist', anyone with any qualifications or non can call themselves a nutritionist. You want to see a dietician.

What 'normal range' really means is 'most of the population fall within these limits' however the population includes people with diseases and deficiencies, of all age groups!

Please post your thyroid labs @NotSoIronMan so those of us who know about thyroid can give some input. Very often people with or developing hypothyroidism have low ferritin, B12, folate and Vit D.

What is worrying you? That you’re low - normal in some ranges or do you feel more is going on?

NICE guidelines state that B12 lower than 150 should be treated if the patient shows signs of deficiency (wide range of symptoms, some of which appear Neurological) so you could quote those. I had to do this myself last year.

I was treated with prescription high strength Vit D for levels of 36 a year ago.

I'd say the cumulative effects of so many things being the lower end of the range could be contributing massively to your overall health.

I now take Vit D all year round, B12 also all year round (My DD has injections as her levels were 100) and I also take Folate supplements as I was found to be Folate Anaemic at the same time as the Vit D Deficiency.

Your results for this set of blood tests were all within normal range except for vit D and you can get over counter supplement or ask GP for a prescription.
Low vitamin D does cause symptoms you describe.
I suspect we’re all low on this due to lack of sunshine in the uk.

You don’t say what your expectation is, otherwise. What is the overall context of needing these tests ?

Maybe you’re tiredness is due to something else so you could ask your GP to do more tests.

This is the problem with having population level parameters and applying them to individuals. You obviously have symptoms at these levels even though they are technically within normal limits. I would pay to see a nutritionist and start supplementing. Also really focus on eating whole unprocessed food. Alot of poor absorbtion can be down to how well your gut microbiome is and your body generally does better taking in nutrients from whole foods rather than for example cereal with added vit b12.

You can experience the symptoms of low iron whilst having levels that are (technically) still in the range commonly deemed acceptable.

That happened to me and iron supplementation made a massive difference. (I didn´t just decide to supplement but was supported by my family doctor, btw.)

Just not true.
’Whereas an involvement of iron metabolism in RLS pathophysiology has been suspected for several decades and a number of pieces of evidence exist, the concrete role of iron in RLS remains ambiguous’.

ps. hair issues, brain fog ,low mood are classic symptoms of hypothyroidism and you are bottoming out on your other tests which if you are menstruating is highly relevant!

OP@NotSoIronMan "normal" for thyroid can be anything but .....thyroid treatment shouldn't be determined by TSH alone......have you had your T4, T3 and antibodies checked? NHS barely if ever checks T3 so you can see how backward our thyroid care is in this country. If your TSH is heading towards the upper limit of "normal" then its highly possible you may become hypothyroid....my TSH was "normal" for donkey years but i was chronically fatigued, I have now had to go private as NHS wont prescribe T3 containing meds. Thyroid levels need to be optimal and even people on levothyroxine can still be unwell as some people dont convert T4 to T3 well. Gut issues are very common in people with thyroid issues and this can cause malabsorption of other nutrients. If you are a young, menstruating woman who may want to conceive its really important you get your health taken care of.

Take supplements?

@OneInEight has it - what is often forgotten (or simply not known) by doctors is that the clinical picture should over-ride the blood test results - and clinical guidelines only compound this because they never state it. So as some levels are low-end here and the symptoms would fit with those deficiencies, supplementation should be tried as a first action.

It has to be remembered that these ranges are the averages, and some people's 'normal' will be at the high end of the range. So if they are at the low end, they will feel crap.

This is similar to thyroid and other hormonal problems, where again, the symptoms should drive the diagnosis, not the arbitrary test result range.

And it is arbitrary, even if it's the WHO who is setting it.

OP. as well as taking supplements, do you exercise much? That's the other thing I would suggest, as exercise regulates lots of hormones and neurotransmitters that lift mood and increase mental alertness.

If you can afford it a lot of beauty/hair salons do vitamin b12 and vitamin c injections that may help if you don't get anywhere with the doctor.
I get b12 on the NHS and I have hypothyroid so I completely sympathise with your symptoms.

Those results do suggest needing a vitamin supplement, however getting anywhere with thyroid testing is awful with the NHS. I’ve been symptomatic for years (likely hereditary), my hair is now the point of balding, eyebrows have disappeared, weight issues that aren’t helped with diet and exercise, brain fog and all that. Finally started to show on blood tests a few months ago, they asked me to do another blood test that showed the same. They’ve asked me to wait for yet another blood test before they make a decision about starting medication, in April 😒.

With those results it doesn’t sound like the GP needs to do anything. However because you feel rubbish and are at lower end of normal you possibly need to have a look at your diet and lifestyle and perhaps see if there are any aspects you can improve on. I think there is a risk that we are becoming an over medicalised society, in some cases we just need to improve our nutrition and other lifestyle factors to feel better.

Now i’m interested in what they mean by normal. Normal is not the same as healthy.

With the clear majority of women in the UK now being overweight or obese, that is now normal, but it’s still not healthy.

Does the NHS mean the normal range or the healthy range?

Those levels are low. I would start supplements pronto.

if I do not take iron I can literally become depressed and if I do not take b12 I get terrible mouth ulcers. Despite a healthy diet and no vices.

I would never trust the Nhs guidelines!