Am I being a hypocondriac - test results liver, thyroid, ferritin, vit D????

[Lovetunnocks]

Disclaimer - I am not a doctor botherer - I've been to the docs about three times in the last five years before all this started. Also I love the NHS, appreciate that docs are busy and have the added pressure of dealing with patients who think they know it all because they've been consulting doctor Google.

However, having said all that, I would be really grateful if anyone who knows anything about this stuff could run an eye over these tests results. I have a feeling that something is wrong but my doc thinks there's nothing to worry about (I think she thinks I'm a bit over anxious and probably pre-menopausal!). Background is I've been feeling like crap for over a year - no memory, no concentration, no energy, dry skin, muscle weakness, breaking nails, always freezing cold, chronic plantar facilitis and, despite being on diet of 1200 cals a day, I'm only losing at the rate of about 1lb a month. I'm 47 (feel about 80) and three stone over weight (which I'm desperately trying to reduce). Also, if it's relevant, at the time of the tests I hadn't drunk any alcohol for three months (trying to lose weight).

Doc has run general blood tests and I had more thyroid ones done privately as we have a lot of auto-immune illness in the family so I wanted to rule out an autoimmune thyroid condition. (The antibodies tests were negative for thyroid). The results of both these sets of tests were ...

Heamoglobin 156 (115-160 g/L)
Ferritin 475 (13-150 ug/L) (booked to be retested)
Vitamin D (25 Hydroxy) 13.2 nmol (

Damn right something isn't right.

That ferritin is a definite concern - it's way over range and suggests that you may have some inflammation somewhere.

Your vitamin D on the other hand is seriously deficient. I hope you have been prescribed a proper supplement. None of this 400iu a day lark!

ALT is high again. It often is when there are thyroid issues - in fact it's a diagnostic for them.

Then your thyroid tests. Your TSH, which in the 'average healthy person' would statistically be about 0.8, is nearly at the top of the lab range. The lab range for TSH in most developed countries is a lot narrower than ours and with a figure like that you would have no trouble getting a diagnosis in the USA or in parts of Europe. This result is suggesting that your pituitary is working quite hard to try to get your thyroid moving.

However, your thyroid isn't moving very much. Both the FT4 and FT3 figures should be in the top 25% of the range. Your FT4 figure is actually 8.07% into the range! You are simply not producing enough of the inactive thyroid hormone. You are converting it pretty well, but your FT3 figure is still only 32% into the range.

Add to that the fact that you have classic symptoms and a family history and I think you need to investigate this further - and while you're at it, get your B12 and folate tested as well.

Thanks so much Mrstweedie - I'm glad I'm not over-reacting. I had a B12 and folate test as part of the private thyroid test - both were fine.

I'm really scratching my head as to why the doctor is so determined that everything is fine. Although maybe I'm being unfair as she re-ordered the ferritin test and the liver functions. I was giving her the benefit of the doubt until she hesitated over the Vit D deficiency - she said it was controversial because the goverment (Scottish maybe?) had just come out and said that suppliments weren't necessary. Then she was like, 'but I suppose you are a bit deficient so we might as well try some supplimentation...'. Er - YES PLEASE!!!! Going to pick up the prescription this afternoon so will see what I'm down for.

Don't know how much more I can go on about my thyroid to her without sounding like a complete loon.

The vitD must be a Scottish NHS thing,or a local policy? Certainly here (London) we are supplementing anybody who tests under 50. I would definitely think you need decent supplements for at least 3-4 months

Thanks Senigallia - it does seem weird, I'm going to check it out. You'd think that they'd been keen to give us MORE vit D here in Scotland cos the sun never shines! Off to get the prescription now so will see what's what. Just feeling really bewildered about her complete lack of 'botherment' - which is why I was wondering if I was being a bit of a hypochondriac!

I am not a doctor. I was recently diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. Mine is 23. (so higher than yours, if yours is 13.2), and if you google vitamin d deficiency symptons, you will find a long list. I was amazed to see, as I could point to everything on the list and say "yup, thats me". I never realized that vit d deficiency could make you feel so unwell.

I am taking 3 tablets a week for 12 weeks. The tablets are 20.000 IU each, which is equivalent of 1500 mcg weekly. New blood test when the 12 weeks are up.

(I am going to Gran Canaria for 10 days next week, and will make the most of the sunshine)

Good luck.

Quint - Ha! That's what I need - a lovely holiday in the sunshine! :)

Okay - got the tablets. They are Fultium-D3 (equivalent to 20 mgs Vit D3) and I've to take one a day. That's 150mgs a week. That's not enough is it? It even says on the packaging that for severe defiency take 1-4 capsules then when stable lower to 1-2. I'm not even to take the maintanance dose.

I could weep.

Sorry Quint - so pissed off about the tablets that I didn't thank you for all your info. Off to google Vit D symptoms now. :)

You can get 2,000iu gelcaps off Amazon for under a tenner. Because vitamin D, which is not really a vitamin, it’s a pro hormone, is fat soluble, gelcaps are more effective at raising levels than tablets anyway. They did the trick to raise my level relatively quickly from 10 to over 100.

Thanks Mrstweedie - it never occurred to me just to go and dose myself. I am such a woose. I think the doctor will tell me off if I go ahead and take more than she's prescribed! I just dropped a note in to the surgery asking if the dosage was right because it isn't what's recommended in the leaflet that came with the tabs. Are there any limits to how much you can take?

www.vitamindcouncil.org/

Thanks Korma - will look into the spray. GP is very insistent that thyroid is not a problem and is within range. End of. There's no way she's going to refer me. I honestly don't know what to do next.

MrsTweedie - thanks for that link, it's brilliant.

vit d: have you googled the guidelines? a few years out of date now but my ccg had guidelines, plus sites like gpnotebook. my sister demanded treatment according to those guidelines
they also have standard treatment doses - its cheap enough to just buy and supplement if you cant convince gp.
thyroid sounds on the blink - you can get private tests for antibodies plus tsh/t4/t3. antibodies plus a slightly higher tsh would be grounds for nhs treatment. tsh varies all the time so keep asking for retesting if you have antibodies. it is lowest in spring btw

oops sorry i see you have already tested antibodies

Do you not need to be a bit careful with suddenly boosting Vit D? When DD2 was severely deficient, she had to have regular (weekly) blood calcium levels taken to make sure her Calcium wasn't boosted to much by the Vit D supplements.

hopefully the link works. this is an example
if you type something like (part of scotland) vitamin d treatment guidelines you should find the local recommended treatment. then ask your gp why they are not following it, or what guidelines they are following

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=MpfwVLaBJIPiauG3gYAE&url=www.nhsforthvalley.com/__documents/qi/ce_guideline_prescribing/vitamin-d-adult-guideline.pdf&ved=0CBwQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNE2R1kyHU1bnWb7_cTFN-KfYNftgQ&sig2=mZDnNnT8tb3e1yRjyKvCkA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=MpfwVLaBJIPiauG3gYAE&url=www.nhsforthvalley.com/__documents/qi/ce_guideline_prescribing/vitamin-d-adult-guideline.pdf&ved=0CBwQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNE2R1kyHU1bnWb7_cTFN-KfYNftgQ&sig2=mZDnNnT8tb3e1yRjyKvCkA

Sans - I just googled our health trusts guidelines and they seem to be different to most other places! They state that there's no proof that high dosing of vitamin D is beneficial and I can't find any local treatment guidelines that recommend it. This seems completely at odds with the protocols for other health trusts - even in Scotland! This might explain why my GP is reticent.

i had blood calcium tests monthly (i was hypocalcaemic weirdly) but my sister didnt, different areas seem to have different guidelines. i noticed in the link above that gp wont prescribe maintenance doses either - vit d is costing the nhs a fortune - this must be a way to save money

Sorry sans - xposted there. Thanks for the links. I can't find anything like that for Lothian though might have missed it. Yes - I think this is a cost issue. TBH I don't mind paying for the suppliments - I just want her to admit that the deficiency might have something to do with how crap I've been feeling!

how weird! you know, i would complain to my mp and health board about that! even just googled and scotland has a big campaign to raise awareness of vit d deficiency - write to them too!
could you ask your gp to check your calcium levels if you want to follow the vit d protocols everyone else uses?

Lougle - yes, I wondered that. My Mum has just been on the phone saying that I shouldn't be looking for pills to take! Once you start taking one pill etc etc. :)

Low vit d can make you feel awful. You can buy it in the chemist here, you can get dissolvable ones. Metagenetics do one which helped my levels go up to better levels.

have you looked for the lothian joint formulary advice?
you would be either stage 2 or stage 3 on that
stage 2 is 800iu daily

My tablets are gel pads.

The leaflet accompanying the tablets says to take one tablet of 500 mcg every two weeks, or what doctor has ordered. Doctor has ordered 3 tablets once a week.

Having done my own research, it seems the body can produce between 10.000 to 25.000 IU daily when getting the right amount of the "right sun" without sun screen, and my dose of 60.000 IU per week is then supposed to be the equivalent of a week in the sun, on the lower end of what the body can produce. This seems a fair amount.

It also says to not take this amount for more than 3 months, because that is too much. Too much causes too much calcium to be produced in the blood, which is not good.

However, my doctor has also said to continue with my multivitamin that also contains a small dose of Vitamin D, and my Omega 3 (Equazen) because just omega3 contains no vitamin d on its own.