GP says my routine bloods are normal. Really?

[NotSoIronMan]

Their guide was that Ferratin levels should be between 15 and 300. Mine were 36.
My serum folate was 3.3 (should range between 2 to 9000).
My b12 was 147 (should be between 120-900)
My vitamin D was 47 (should be 50+).

He said it was satisfactory with no further action, but I could take iron tablets if I wanted to.

I have felt very low in mood and with brain fog etc and he said this is unlikely to be why.
I’m 28.

Surely it’s a bit worrying still?

Sure!

TSH: 1.07
FT4: 15
FT3: 5.7
Reverse T3: 446

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.

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.

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.

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

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.)

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

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.

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.

"Normal" doesn't necessarily mean "optimal".
None of your levels are worrying and don't point to anything that needs "treating", but that doesn't mean you wouldn't benefit from supplements - especially if you're having symptoms.
It's like lots of things: blood pressure, weight, heart rate etc. There's a normal range, and then there's what's optimal for YOUR health.

OP this happened to me recently. When I looked at the results and I rang the GP to enquire because in one case it was 0.5 over the lowest limit, he was so rude and made out I was being some hysterical woman. Take supplements and see how you get on and go back if you aren’t happy. I don’t know what is going on but things are just not good at the moment.

But you can’t get strong iron off the shelf, it has to be on prescription.

OP £180-£250 can get you an app with a specialist at a private hospital .
Best money I’ve ever spent .
I also know someone who kept getting told all was ok then took copy of her bloods to private appointment and straight away they contacted her dr and said what medication she had to start on immediately..
Thes appointments can be the following month I was lucky I got a cancellation the first time for within a week .
The nhs sadly is useless when dealing with your GP

she doesn’t need private bloods they can get very expensive and they don’t repeats u less really needed.
OP just had to take a copy of bloods from her GP that will get the ball rolling.

@MumblesParty of course I had bought my own supplements, over the counter ones aren’t as strong as those the GP prescribe if you have a deficiency.

Also I pay high NI tax, so it certainly isn’t a freebie??

The blood results listed are basically normal- apart from very slightly low Vitamin D- Reasonable to take a multivitamin.

do you mind sharing your thyroid numbers?
because there's normal and fine and there's numbers are just within the normal range and most people feel like shit at that level...
(my TSH needs to be below 0.5 or I feel terrible. If normal for person 1 is 0.5 and they're at 5 they feel just as bad as person 2 who is normal at 4.5 and is at 9, but person 2 is treated and person 1 isn't. It's stupid.)

sorry just saw you did share them, have you got the ranges? (they're different from different labs)

And your point is what?

If I was health secretary I would be doing yearly bloods at separate preventative health clinics with everyone and probably saving money by picking things up early- you don't need doctors for this aspect- would also have a dietician and physios on hand too and an onsite lab so it didn't have to be farmed out at stupid money . It would create jobs too - yes it would cost but if we said to people you can opt in at £50 a year- I bet a great many would do it-

yes, and it would show where 'well' for each individual is in all the normal ranges, no arguments needed.

In winter you should have about 8000 units of vit D with K2 per day (K2 so any excess calcium goes into your bones), in summer drop down to 4000 per day.

Take a vit B12 supplement every day.

Consult a private doctor with your blood test results, if you are able.

The levels this country deem acceptable are appalling.

Tbf ranges mean I thing anyway
my primary school aged childs
bloods recently

were vit D 29
iron 3
ferritin -6
wbc 2.8
platelets 44

and was told nothing to worry about 🙈🙈
we did end to getting vitamin d
and they will just monitor the rest

I second this.

Thirded.