Blood Test Results - Iron / Vitamins / Cholesterol etc ADVICE?

[52andblue]

After my GP declining to do a blood test despite me feeling awful
(since pre Covid times) I decided to get one done online (Thriva)

I am 53, BMI is 26, not yet obvs meno. I've sleep apnea (use CPAP) but still I feel shit.
GP has been saying: 'you must be menopausal / it's the weight' for 2 years: I've been fainting (I've low BP) & feeling awful on a daily basis

These were results:

Diabetes normal (33/mmol) v pleased.

Total iron binding capacity: normal 54/umol/L
Unsaturated iron binding capcity normal 36.1 omol/L
Ferritin normal 22 ug/L
Iron normal 18 umol/L
Transferrin saturation normal 33%
TSH (thyroid) nomall 2.98
Free thyroxin (FT4) 15.6 pmol/L
CRP 0.34mg/L optimal
Vitamin B12 normal 150 pmol/L
Folate 22.1 nmol/L

Tryglyceride/HDL 0.57:1 ratio normal
LDL cholesterol 4.4 high
non HDL cholesterol 4.86 mmol/L high
HDL 1.64 mmol/L optimal
Cholesterol 6.5mmol/L high
HDL / total cholesterol rating: 25% normal
Triglycerides 0.94 mmol/L optimal
Liver function 12 UI/L optimal
Alanine transferase 13 IU/L normal
Albumin 41 g/L normal
Alkaline phosphate 54 IU/L optimal
Globulin 27 g/L normal
Bilirubin 9 umol/L normal
total protein 68 g/L normal

Vitamin D 57 nmol/L sufficient

This all seems quite good so I'm not sure what I can do about the fainting, awful brain fog and anxiety??

Anyone any thoughts please?

sorry, it's a bit long and maybe better in 'gen health' sec but, anyone??

Did they say what the normal range is? I had a blood test that showed my iron was right at the bottom of normal, technically no need for treatment. But as I had anaemia symptoms my GP gave me a prescription and I felt so much better.

I'm no expert but dad suffers form 'pernicious anaemia' and he feel s crap all round if the levels fall below 300. However, B12 'normal ranges' vary around the world and where changed a couple of years back in the UK.
He feels ok with at least 400.

Lack of vit B12 or pernicious anemai makes you feel like you said.
Dad was misdaignesed and became very ill years ago but it is very easily managed with injections and for those just low on B12, very easily managed with tablets - the conditon is easily managed but it needs to be detected first.

He felt like crap and pins and needels hands feet below knee as well, breathless, hair lose, pale in colur but he was sub 100 for a while but now 100% and worked as well.

HTH, let me know what you think

good read
www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia/diagnosis/

levels
look up google nhs for that - but IMHO you are quiet low, tell the GP re your levels btter still send them the results.

Hi I'm not a doctor, but your B12 levels look low to me. In my area the reference range is 180-1000, anything 150 to 180 is considered borderline. Perhaps it's worth following this up?

I would say generally those look fine, but vitamin D is on the lower end of normal (below 50 is deficient). I had a vitamin D level of 50 and I felt awful. Apparently, something closer to 100 is more ideal. I mostly felt exhausted with brain fog and painful joints (I'm not sure these were really caused by the vitamin D, but they improved when my levels came up). But I also had a few episodes of pounding heart and near fainting that came completely out of the blue. I started taking high potency vitamin D and I felt better within about 6 weeks and haven't felt that way again since (I continue to take the vitamin D and my levels are much better).

Re vit D. Dad had 20, very low and had joint and ankle pains, now he hovers around 50 and feeling fine, but like B12 which I mentioned, different people are better or worse with different levels - EG dad feels crap when b12 is 400 but well within the range of 180 to 900 i think used to be 180 to 1100 but please do your own research

Thanks to all who've posted so far, & didn't mean to drip feed but had to go manage kids so left out important fact in initial post (sorry!):

Thing is: this is my levels after taking supplements for 2 years.
I am given B12 shots every 3 months by GP (I was never given the loading dose I was supposed to have & I don't think it's often enough) & am on a prescribed multivitamin and take extra Vitamin D too but I still have these levels, which are low / at the lower end of normal. Before the supplements they were through the floor and I lost my job and I was really ill - slurring & stumbling - work thought I was drunk one day & I thought I'd got some sort of brain problem it was so bad.

GP says: 'it's just you' but I can't function like this. I lost my job and I am a lone parent to two kids with SN & I need to be able to function & manage my energy. GP just says: 'try evening primrose or St Johns wort'. I had some gut surgery and now can't absorb properly so the multivitamins are useless anyway. I think with the naturally low BP / Apnea / menopausal years the GP can just brush it off and they do.

I appreciate my levels are not extremely low and I'm not at deaths door but I've NEVER felt like this before, I was a strong resilient person and I don't mean to be a drama llama but I'm just no longer myself now and I need to be. GP is rural, head of practice & there really isn't another choice so I'm not sure what else I can do to do to help myself. I am careful with my diet, don't drink/smoke, use my CPAP & I'm not sure what else I can do to help myself. I feel 83, not 53.

Sorry for protracted whine

IMHO, you may need a higher level of B12 than what the guidlines are.
Read up on it and negotiate with doc. By "higher" I mean higher than 200 and at least 400, ideally 450 the day before the jab. Dad had his at 10 weeks the other day. Like too little too much is not good.

Do you have, have been diagnosed with pernicious anaemia if so IMO 200 is too low and poss why you feeling like this

Bte, having read your second post again - IMO you sound depressed, a typical case of depression, vicious circle making you as you are.
Do you not have family for support and where is the kids dad can he support the kids etc, no offence and you don't need to say anyhting. I've seen too many women with couple of more kids and the father/s are off making other kids leaving the woman all alone and that alone can do you in never mind any health problems.

Hi @Emma2021
I don't think I'm depressed no. I work in MH and am familiar with the signs. Also my situation hasn't changed & I was fine before. It's a sensible suggestion so thank you but it's not that.
I think I just feel a bit despairing re my physical health.

Yes, dx with pernicious anaemia. I keep falling over. It's scary.

That ferritin (stored iron) level is far too low, and is likely the reason you feel rubbish. I deal with hair loss, and for hair ferritin needs to be at least 80, but the general opinion among specialists in iron is that these so-called normal ranges for ferritin are unrealistic anyway. Ideally you want to take around 100mg iron daily for 3 months, but obviously best to take medical advice. Agree the B12 is also far too low.

@52andblue

Hi *@Emma2021* I don't think I'm depressed no. I work in MH and am familiar with the signs. Also my situation hasn't changed & I was fine before. It's a sensible suggestion so thank you but it's not that. I think I just feel a bit despairing re my physical health.

Yes, dx with pernicious anaemia. I keep falling over. It's scary.

That is great, keep on top of things and sorry to have said that. If I did not I'd not be doing my bit.

Dad was so poorly as he was misdiagnosed with PA. as I said before and his teeth became lose, his memory was failing and looking back he was missing words when writing reports he wanted to throw up, could not eat then hardly weight bear and that is when a locum gp picked it up and in hospital asap and all was a million times better within weeks.

Dad starts to feel unwell towards the next jab and at times he had them monthly this was some years ago but he had his blood tested a day before the jabs and a year after the monthly jabs he had too much B12 then back to 3 months now 12 weeks and at times 10/111 weeks a million times better. He worked full time until he took early retirment at 50 plus.

As they say, health is wealth and we all, ie those sensible do worry and it is hard to get a balance at times which does not help.

Try to see a different gp if possible, possibly a female with kids and i feel bad saying that but at times people will say " i can understand what you are going through" but do not truly realise until they are in your shoes.

Take care and do let us know how you get on. You do appear to be sensible and judging by your post, one that is capable of expressing herself. Possibly go to gp or phone appt as it is these days - keep it short and sweet and tell them you may feel you are one of those people that operate better with 500 of b12 as opposed to 200 and that is why there is a wide range and we are all different.

Take care.

HI @Emma2021 PLEASE don't apologise! I posted asking for opinions so any opinion is relevant and it was a good call too xxx Thank you also for your info re your Dad - some of this sounds familiar. My memory is awful and my hair is coming out in handfuls. I've asked the GP about more regular B12 and they have refused. I've also asked about a different kind of iron but I'm on 2 x tabs of Ferritin (I think its called - it is the one that is easier to digest anyway and they say if that doesnt work their is nothing they can do). The main GP IS a woman with kids who has a good name locally but it was her who gave me the 'menopause' line and said 'most women sail through but if you are struggling then pop to the chemist for some evening primrose oil'. So no dice there.

@NuzzleandScratch

thank you for your input too. I definately feel (more than) sub par on my current levels that's for sure.

ps @Emma2021 sorry I also meant to say, I'm sorry your Dad was so ill and I'm glad he's got a regime that suits him better now.xxx

You might find you need to take higher doses of vit d to start with for a few weeks to raise level, then drop to a more "normal" dose. So might be that you were started on too low a dose at the outset. Low vit d makes me very lethargic.

You said that you used to be well OP. Can you remember what was happening at the time you started to feel bad? Any other medical issues at that time? You said you had gut surgery. Are you cealiac, or similar?

Also, I hear Superdrug give B12 injections privately. I'm not sure how you qualify, but you could look into that.

Have you had your thyroid levels checked?
Hair loss, brain fog, tiredness are all symptoms.

Any changes in your eyebrows?

Those B12 and D levels would be too low for me.

You could try the Better You vegan spray which contains both, as well as iron.

I just read you have been diagnosed with PA. You could join a VERY helpful FB group called Pernicious Anaemia / B12 Support. I self-inject daily with B12 now.

Agree that B12 and ferritin are low. In Europe the 'normal' ferritin level is 10, in the US it is 70! Hair falling out is classic sign. Make sure you take your supplement with a very strong vitamin C supplement for absorption.

@52andblue

ps *@Emma2021* sorry I also meant to say, I'm sorry your Dad was so ill and I'm glad he's got a regime that suits him better now.xxx

Thank you. Good luck and like I said if poss, please let us know how you get on especially in a couple of weeks time as B12 kicks in pretty quickly.

Thanks for the pointers to FB group and for practical advice: really good! Not coeliac but part of my intestine is now bypassed so I don't absorb from food. As the surgery was 'successful' (ie I healed okay) my GP is not interested that even with standard injections & (tablet) supplements my levels are still low enough (for me) to feel awful.
I need to sort this myself as GP basically refuses to discuss.

I will self inject if necess but I am wary of getting the correct supplies & how to tell not to overdo it etc? Don't want to cause more problems!

The FB group has lists of suppliers and advice on SI. This and the PA Soc have information on how to speak to GPS about B12 needs after surgery. You may need to ask for a second opinion or a letter from your consultant, but others will know more than I do.

Thank you @TenCornMaidens - that's really helpful x